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<p>In Avodah Digest V25#265, RDR responded to RET:<br>
>> Note that Pinchas was not a kohen when he killed zimri. <<<br>
> This is a machlokes. See Zevahim 102a (citing Seder Olam), Rashi ad.<br>
loc. s.v. "ben bnah". <<br>
and R'Micha responded:<br>
> If he was not originally included (see RDR's recent post, or my survey of<br>
"berisi shalom" from last week)... <<br>
How does considering Pin'chas a (to quote from that sugya in Maseches Z'vachim) "mashuach milchamah" (which presumably occurred *after* he killed Zimri, given the comment of RaShY mentioned by RDR) constitute any contradiction to RET's "note" (which comes from the same sugya -- see 101b)? True, one could be a kohen [hedyot] w/out being a kohen gadol/"mashuach milchamah" -- for a possible resolution, see RCBrovender's comments (quoting RaMBaM Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:1) towards the end of <a href="http://www.yhol.org.il/parsha/5760/pinchas60.htm">http://www.yhol.org.il/parsha/5760/pinchas60.htm</a> . <br>
<br>
RET had asked:<br>
> why Pinchas was not<br>
included in the original establishment of the kohanim just as his<br>
grandfather, father and uncles were <<br>
You mean why, aside from it being a g'zeiras hakasuv (as noted, e.g., in <a href="http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/5760/pinchas60/aliya.htm">http://www.ou.org/torah/tt/5760/pinchas60/aliya.htm</a> [first-aliyah section])?<br>
<br>
R'Micha also replied:<br>
> Perhaps he was simply too young.<br>
<<br>
As per <a href="http://www.revach.net/article.php?id=490">http://www.revach.net/article.php?id=490</a>, an answer given by the MaHaRaL. For further thoughts/other answers, see <a href="http://www.neryaakov.org/torah.php?action=show_article&id=137&page=2">http://www.neryaakov.org/torah.php?action=show_article&id=137&page=2</a> , <a href="http://www.torahsearch.com/page.cfm/1538">http://www.torahsearch.com/page.cfm/1538</a> , and <a href="http://www.torah.org.il/learning/perceptions/5758/pinchas.html">http://www.torah.org.il/learning/perceptions/5758/pinchas.html</a> . <br>
<br>
All the best from<br>
--Michael Poppers via RIM pager</body></html>