Parshas Pinchas (5768)

Bs”d

Parshas Pinchas (5768)
By Mordechai Dolinsky

Rashi in our sedra quotes a Chazal(26:5) that when Klal Yisroel were engaged in establishing the various lineages of the Shvatim the gentiles attempted to lower the esteem and degrade Klal Yisroel by attempting to create a false image that when we were subjected to slavery in Egypt just as the men were tortured likewise the women were abused by the Egyptian men. Thus, they tried to make our establishing of lineage a farce. Therefore Hashem testified to their pureness by placing a “hai” and a “yud” respectively before and after their names.

How can this effectively combat their false accusation? Chazal teach that a name has a definite imprint on the makeup of a person. An individual who carries “yud-kay” on his name will definitely be affected by this imprint.

The famous quote – if Darwin had seen a certain tzaddik he would never have theorized his stupidity as to man’s origin and ancestry.

By placing His name on us Hashem has placed in us awesome greatness. Let’s bring it out. Have a wonderful Shabbos.