Parshas Pinchas Summary

God announced that because Pinchas had displayed his passion for God, God granted him a pact of friendship and priesthood for all time. God then told Moshe to attack the Midianites to repay them for their trickery, luring Israelite men to worship Baal Peor. God instructed Moses and Eleazar to census Israelite men 20 years old and up. In the second Aliyah, the census is documented. The total (excluding the tribe of Levi) was 601,730. God told Moshe to apportion land shares according to the population of those counted and by lot. The daughters of Tzelophehad approached, saying that their father left no sons and asking that they be given a land holding. Moshe brought their case before God. God told Moshe that the daughters' plea was just and instructed Moshe to transfer their father's share of land to them. God told Moshe to climb up and view the Land of Israel, saying that when he saw it, he would die because he disobeyed God's command to uphold God's sanctity in the people's sight when he brought water from the rock in the wilderness of Zin. Moshe asked God to appoint someone over the community so that the Israelites would not be like sheep without a shepherd. God told Moshe to single out Yehoshua, lay his hand on him, and commission him. God told Moshe to command the Israelites to be punctilious in presenting the offerings to God at stated times. The Torah then details the offerings for Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh, followed by the details of the offerings for Pesach, Shavuos, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkos, and Shmini Atzeres.