538. I Give Him My Covenant of Peace

June 1972

It was said, “Behold, I give him My covenant of peace.” It is known that to the extent that one allots, so he is allotted, an eye for an eye. But here, Pinhas committed murder when he killed them both, so how does this relate to him deserving to have peace? What “an eye for an eye” is there here?

As it is known, the purpose of creation is to do good to His creations. Yet, due to the disparity of form that separates the Giver from the receiver, the abundance is not drawn out so as not to come to separation. For this reason, each one has complaints and grievances against the Creator.

Likewise, between man and man, when a person has no lack, he does not fight with another, and all the quarrels occur because a person feels a lack within him. Therefore, he has complaints and quarrels with his friend and with the Creator over why the Creator does not complement his wishes that he wants.

Yet, in truth, the thing that prevents the abundance from spreading downward is the lack of equivalence of form, meaning the Kli [vessel] that is able to receive, which is the aim for the sake of the Creator. It is known that all the sins come only from reception for oneself. For this reason, since the sin of Zimri spoiled all the Kelim [pl. of Kli] that were able to receive and blocked the pipelines of abundance from spreading down, by this, disputes between man and man increased, for through the sin they made the vessels of reception for themselves bigger, and also caused disputes between man and the Creator because good abundances stopped coming down.

Hence, when Pinhas killed them, he corrected the Kelim so they are able to receive the abundance from above. This made peace between man and the Creator because the Creator gave abundance once again, and this is the meaning of “soothed My wrath,” since the Creator’s wish is to bestow, and Zimri caused Him to stop bestowing.

Also, peace was made between man and man, since everyone’s vessels of reception were corrected, so they had nothing over which to be in dispute with their friends. This is why the verse says, “Therefore, say, ‘Behold, I give him My covenant of peace,’” for he caused the peace through what he did.