Snow
Mountains
Mountains
Mountains
Mountains

Contact Us

TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 25

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1While Yisrael was staying at Shittim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women,

va-YAY-shev yis-ra-AYL ba-shi-TIM va-YA-khel ha-AM liz-NOT el b'-NOT mo-AV

אוַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּשִּׁטִּ֑ים וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־בְּנ֥וֹת מוֹאָֽב׃

2who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that god.

va-tik-RE-nah la-AM le-ziv-KHEI e-lo-HE-hen va-YO-khal ha-AM va-yish-ta-KHA-vu le-e-lo-HE-hen

בוַתִּקְרֶ֣אןָ לָעָ֔ם לְזִבְחֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אכַל הָעָ֔ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶֽן׃

3Thus Yisrael attached itself to Baal-peor, and Hashem was incensed with Yisrael.

vai-yi-tza-MED yis-ra-AYL l'-va-AL pe-OR, vai-YI-khar aF a-do-NAI b'-yis-ra-AYL

גוַיִּצָּ֥מֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְבַ֣עַל פְּע֑וֹר וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהֹוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

4Hashem said to Moshe, “Take all the ringleaders and have them publicly impaled before Hashem, so that Hashem's wrath may turn away from Yisrael.”

vai-YO-mer a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH, kaKH et-KOL ra-SHAY ha-AHM v'-ho-KA otam la-a-do-NAI NE-ged ha-SHA-mesh, v'-ya-SHOV kha-RON af-a-do-NAI mi-yis-ra-AYL

דוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַ֚ח אֶת־כׇּל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הָעָ֔ם וְהוֹקַ֥ע אוֹתָ֛ם לַיהֹוָ֖ה נֶ֣גֶד הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁ֛ב חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהֹוָ֖ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

5So Moshe said to Yisrael's officials, “Each of you slay those of his men who attached themselves to Baal-peor.”

vai-YO-mer mo-SHE el sho-f'-TAY yis-ra-AYL, hir-GU, EESH a-na-SHAV ha-nitz-ma-DEEM l'-ba-AL pe-OR

הוַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִרְגוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֲנָשָׁ֔יו הַנִּצְמָדִ֖ים לְבַ֥עַל פְּעֽוֹר׃

6Just then one of the Israelites came and brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, in the sight of Moshe and of the whole Israelite community who were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.

v'-hi-NEH eesh mi-b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL BA va-yak-RAYV el e-KHAV et ha-mid-YA-neeT l'-ay-NAY mo-SHEH u-l'-ay-NAY kol a-DAT b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL v'-HE-ma bo-KHEEM pe-TAKH o-HEL mo-EYD

ווְהִנֵּ֡ה אִישׁ֩ מִבְּנֵ֨י יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל בָּ֗א וַיַּקְרֵ֤ב אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית לְעֵינֵ֣י מֹשֶׁ֔ה וּלְעֵינֵ֖י כׇּל־עֲדַ֣ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְהֵ֣מָּה בֹכִ֔ים פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃

7When Pinchas, son of Elazar son of Aharon the Kohen, saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand,

vai-YAR p'-IN-khas ben el-a-ZAR ben a-ha-RON ha-ko-HAYN, vai-YA-kom mi-TOCH ha-e-DAH, vai-YI-kakh ro-MACH b'-ya-DO

זוַיַּ֗רְא פִּֽינְחָס֙ בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֔ר בֶּֽן־אַהֲרֹ֖ן הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיָּ֙קׇם֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה וַיִּקַּ֥ח רֹ֖מַח בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

8he followed the Israelite into the Hamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked.

vai-YA-vo a-KHAR eesh yis-ra-AYL el ha-ku-BAH va-yid-KOR et sh'-NE-hem, AYT eesh yis-ra-AYL v'-et ha-i-SHA el ko-va-TAH, va-TAY-a-TZAR ha-ma-GE-fah may-AL b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL

חוַ֠יָּבֹ֠א אַחַ֨ר אִֽישׁ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־הַקֻּבָּ֗ה וַיִּדְקֹר֙ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אֵ֚ת אִ֣ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה אֶל־קֳבָתָ֑הּ וַתֵּֽעָצַר֙ הַמַּגֵּפָ֔ה מֵעַ֖ל בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

9Those who died of the plague numbered twenty-four thousand.

vai-YI-hu ha-MAY-teem ba-ma-GE-fa, ar-ba-AH v'-es-ree-EEM a-LEF.

טוַיִּהְי֕וּ הַמֵּתִ֖ים בַּמַּגֵּפָ֑ה אַרְבָּעָ֥ה וְעֶשְׂרִ֖ים אָֽלֶף׃

10Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying,

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

יוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

11“Pinchas, son of Elazar son of Aharon the Kohen, has turned back My wrath from the Israelites by displaying among them his passion for Me, so that I did not wipe out B'nei Yisrael in My passion.

P'-in-KHAS (b'-se-FRAY se-FARD v'-a-sh'-KENAZ ni-HOG l'-k'-TOV p'-in-KHAS b'-yo-D' z'-I-ra) ben-el-a-ZAR ben-a-ha-RON ha-ko-HAYN hay-SHEEV et-kha-MA-TEE may-AL b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL b'-ka-n'-O et-kin-a-TEE b'-to-KHAM v'-LO-khi-LEE-tee et b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL b'-ki-n'-O-tee.

יאפִּֽינְחָ֨ס*(בספרי ספרד ואשכנז נהוג לכתוב פִּֽינְחָ֨ס ביו״ד זעירא) בֶּן־אֶלְעָזָ֜ר בֶּן־אַהֲרֹ֣ן הַכֹּהֵ֗ן הֵשִׁ֤יב אֶת־חֲמָתִי֙ מֵעַ֣ל בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּקַנְא֥וֹ אֶת־קִנְאָתִ֖י בְּתוֹכָ֑ם וְלֹא־כִלִּ֥יתִי אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּקִנְאָתִֽי׃

12Say, therefore, ‘I grant him My pact of friendship.

la-KHAYN e-MOR hin-NEE no-TAYN LO et b'-ree-TEE sha-LOM

יבלָכֵ֖ן אֱמֹ֑ר הִנְנִ֨י נֹתֵ֥ן ל֛וֹ אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֖י שָׁלֽוֹם׃*(בספרי ספרד ואשכנז וי״ו קטיעא)

 25:12 I grant him My pact of friendship

The zealot, Pinchas, sees immoral behavior among the camp of Israel, and immediately responds with an iron fist and a sharp spear. Ironically, Pinchas is rewarded for his violent action with Hashem’s “pact of friendship,” known in Hebrew as brit shalom (ברית שלום), literally ‘covenant of peace.’ With this striking detail, the Torah illustrates a vital lesson. Genuine peace is not merely the absence of conflict. Pinchas did not negotiate with the perpetrators and attempt to achieve a compromise solution. By standing up for his principles, Pinchas demonstrated that only when based on eternal principles of truth and justice can true peace be achieved. A person who internalizes this idea and acts accordingly is a true “friend” of God.

13It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time, because he took impassioned action for his God, thus making expiation for the Israelites.'”

v'-ha-Y'-ta LO u-l'-zar-O a-cha-RAV b'-REET k'-hu-NAT o-LAM TA-khat a-SHER ki-NAY lay-lo-HAV va-y'-ka-PER al b'-NAY yis-ra-AYL

יגוְהָ֤יְתָה לּוֹ֙ וּלְזַרְע֣וֹ אַחֲרָ֔יו בְּרִ֖ית כְּהֻנַּ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם תַּ֗חַת אֲשֶׁ֤ר קִנֵּא֙ לֵֽאלֹהָ֔יו וַיְכַפֵּ֖ר עַל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

14The name of the Israelite who was killed, the one who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, chieftain of a Simeonite ancestral house.

v'-SHEM ish yis-ra-AYL ha-mu-KEH a-SHER hu-KA et ha-mid-YA-nee-YT zim-REE ben sa-LO-u NE-see vayt aV la-shi-mo-NEE

ידוְשֵׁם֩ אִ֨ישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל הַמֻּכֶּ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הֻכָּה֙ אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֔ית זִמְרִ֖י בֶּן־סָל֑וּא נְשִׂ֥יא בֵֽית־אָ֖ב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִֽי׃

15The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur; he was the tribal head of an ancestral house in Midian.

v'-SHEM ha-i-SHA ha-mu-KAH ha-mid-YA-NEET KOZ-bee bat-TZUR rosh u-MOT bayt-AV b'-mid-YAN HU

טווְשֵׁ֨ם הָֽאִשָּׁ֧ה הַמֻּכָּ֛ה הַמִּדְיָנִ֖ית כׇּזְבִּ֣י בַת־צ֑וּר רֹ֣אשׁ אֻמּ֥וֹת בֵּֽית־אָ֛ב בְּמִדְיָ֖ן הֽוּא׃

16Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying,

va-y'-da-BAYR a-do-NAI el mo-SHEH lay-MOR

טזוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

17“Assail the Midianites and defeat them

Tza-ROR et ha-mid-YA-neem v'-hi-KI-tem o-TAM

יזצָר֖וֹר אֶת־הַמִּדְיָנִ֑ים וְהִכִּיתֶ֖ם אוֹתָֽם׃

18for they assailed you by the trickery they practiced against you—because of the affair of Peor and because of the affair of their kinswoman Cozbi, daughter of the Midianite chieftain, who was killed at the time of the plague on account of Peor.”

ki tzor-RIM HEM la-KHEM b'-nikh-LE-hem a-SHER-nikh-LE-u la-KHEM al d'-var-pe-OHR v'-al d'-var koz-BEE bat-NE-see mid-YAN a-KHO-tam ha-mu-KAH b'-yom-ha-ma-GE-fa al d'-var-pe-OHR

יחכִּ֣י צֹרְרִ֥ים הֵם֙ לָכֶ֔ם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִכְּל֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם עַל־דְּבַר־פְּע֑וֹר וְעַל־דְּבַ֞ר כׇּזְבִּ֨י בַת־נְשִׂ֤יא מִדְיָן֙ אֲחֹתָ֔ם הַמֻּכָּ֥ה בְיוֹם־הַמַּגֵּפָ֖ה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעֽוֹר׃