What if the only thing that mattered was your relationship with G-d? Is that selfish, extreme, or over the top to say? In fact, it's the only thing that matters.
In current times, life is full of distractions and there's a desire to just keep acquiring material possessions. There's a very narrow space for spirituality.
But one may choose to just focus on growing with G-d, learning more, doing more mitzvos, and giving more charity. The more one taps into spirituality, the more G-d has room to grow with that person. Is there anyone greater than to grow with the Divine?
Pinchas was someone who grew with G-d, receiving a new status, by slaying Zimri and Kazbi. How did Pinchas create a "Hashem and I" relationship?
When the verse gives Pinchas's genealogy, it mentions that he came from Aharon as well. How is Aharon relevant to the events, especially because Pinchas engaged in an anti-Aharon type of act, using aggression to carry out an act?
This was precisely the point. Pinchas came from a man of peace, Aharon, who brought peace to all of Israel. Aharon resolved arguments between people, and made them like each other again. This is why he was intensely mourned by the Israelites, due to his capacity of bringing peace.
But every man must take a stand in their own life to rise to the moment. Though Pinchas was seeped in peace, he knew the right thing to do at that precise moment of perversion was to engage in enthused deadly force.
Pinchas was not thinking of his lineage or other external factors but only in what G-d wanted at the moment. He ended up ending a plague and receiving a covenant of peace for his actions, mere symbols of his decision to act for and become close to G-d.
Rav Asher Weiss Shlita has recently been speaking at Ohr Sameyech. One topic he discussed related to the prayer we say every morning, modeh ani, I am thankful to you G-d for returning my soul.
He asked, how many times are we grateful for our past days that were good, where there was no crisis? Do we just gloss that over and belive G-d wasn't directly involved, ensuring that those days worked out as well. What about for our successes? Do we give thanks to G-d for them?
Do we only beseech G-d in our times of trouble, when someone is sick or needs a life-saving treatment? And if we are thanking for the past, are we asking G-d that tommorow should be a good day with no mishaps?
One gadol told over that if not for his mother's constant prayers for him, he would never have become what he did. Are we constantly praying for our children, for their safety and success?
There are thousands of miracles taking place every day, but G-d must hide them so as to see who has true trust in Him. If the trust and love is so deep then the thanking can't stop throughout the day. We are yehudim, people who thank.
Through focusing on spirituality and not the material, and acting for G-d, opening a space for Him to reside, a relationship of love and trust can be developed, a relationship where thanking has no starting and ending point. A relationship that carries one through the days and nights and paves a path of reliance and a shining future.