Ponderings of the Perkei Avot Chapter 5:14

RaYBaSH’s Ponderings of the Perkei Avot

Chapter 5:14

By: Yehudah ben Shomeyr

There are four types of temperaments. One who is easily angered and easily appeased--his virtue cancels his flaw. One whom it is difficult to anger and difficult to appease--his flaw cancels his virtue. One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased, is Pious. One who is easily angered and is difficult to appease, is wicked.

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased, is Pious.”

In reading the story of Pinchas. Pinchas was the Levite who killed a Nassi of Israel who flaunted committing fornication with a pagan princess in front of Moshe and the other elders. Pinchas went right into his tent and pinned the two to the ground while they were in the very act. By this one would think Pinchas is:

“One who is easily angered and easily appeased.”

Numbers 25:7-8 And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand; And he went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel, and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

In turn, one my say the same thing about Yeshua the Messiah.

John 2:13-17 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Yet one outburst does not disqualify them from being:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased…”

One must look at the context of their anger. The context of ones anger determines if one is a zealot or just a hot head.

So in these two examples it actually qualifies them to be:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased…”

Therefore making these men, “Pious”.

How so?

Because they were defending the honor of  ADONAI. They were sanctifying His Name among the people. It can be likened to a man who is accused of being a mamzer (bastard), scoundrel and a liar, and yet he remains silent. But the next day the mans accusers say his father is a mamzer, scoundrel, and a liar and this time the man rises in anger and beats his accusers. So too with Pinchas and Yeshua. When Pinchas was accused he opened not his mouth.

“… The tribes of Israel were mocking him saying, “Have you seen this son of the fattener, who mother’s father fattened calves for idolatrous sacrifices, and now he goes and kills a prince in Israel.” – Talmud, Sanhedrin 82b

Numbers 25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

You don’t see Pinchas lashing out at the people. But God steps in to defend Pinchas because Pinchas defending God’s honor.

A zealot is one who acts self-less-ly and stands in the gap for the people out of his love for ADONAI and His Torah.

Indeed Pinchas was also a shadow and type of Messiah. He stood in the gap for people and stayed God’s wrath for the people.

Isa. 53:7-8 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Yeshua, after being accused of many things by the Chief Priest it says:

Mark 15:5 But Jesus (Yeshua) yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled.

Yeshua ended up standing in the gap for the people and taking on G-d’s wrath for us.

Pinchas was rewarded with and eternal Priesthood of peace after the Priesthood of Aharon (Num. 25:12-13).

Yeshua was rewarded with an eternal Priesthood of peace after the higher order of Priesthood of Melchezidek.

Hebrews 5:8-10 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchazidek.
Psalm 110:4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.

So a zealot is:

“One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased” and they are therefore “Pious.”

But when you touch that one nerve, the Name and honor of YHWH, LOOK OUT! Because a zealot wont let that happen on his watch!

Shalom,
--Yehudah ben Shomeyr