Pinchas — The Dark One (Numbers 19:1-25:9)
Pinchas was the Charles Bronson of his day.
The dark one, but good like Johnny Cash.
Took out Zimri, the idolater, on his own terms.
All in service to the One. Pinchas was
the Zorro of his day. The authorities
didn’t know what to do with him.
Accepted a divine covenant of peace.
Does the outcome justify the means?
If God says so, then it is so.
Pinchas was the Robin Hood of his day.
I’m trying to find someone you’ll know.
Have you heard of Dirty Harry?
How about Batman?
Pinchas was both of them of his day.
Shaft, Billy Jack, Mad Max, The Punisher –
How about Jack Reacher? Pinchas
was all of them of his day.
There are rules, and there are those
with their own rules – for the greater good.
Knight Rider, MacGyver, the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Stop me when I’ve landed on your favorite.
Or maybe all of them were the Pinchas
of their day? Daredevil, Machete, Ferris Bueller,
Frank Poncherello a little, George Washington a lot.
This is how revolutions start.
Rick Lupert, a poet, songleader and graphic designer, is the author of 29 books including “God Wrestler: A Poem for Every Torah Portion.” Visit him at www.JewishPoetry.net
