Pinchas:inheritance

Pinchas begins with a reward for meritorious behavior.  Pinchas receives the Peace Prize and this includes an eternal priesthood. [That may mean that although Pinchas was excluded from the priesthood because he was born too early he is now included, or that he will spawn the high priests, or both).

The parsha then prescribes war on Midian. Pinchas’ mother, Moshe’s wife are both Midianites. This heritage, the heritage of Jethro, is to be destroyed, denied. It is the shameful heritage.

Then comes the counting, the naming and numbering of the clans who will inherit the land.  The land is to be divided among these clans, according to their number and by lot.  The land is given to people who have never been settled, people born in the wilderness.  They will possess the land and their children will inherit it. Their descendants (us?) will acquire a right to that land by virtue of birth. Inheritance.

Land is inherited, authority is  a separate matter.  The Cohanim and Leviim are enumerated to establish their lineage.  But Moshe’s position, the temporal leader... Not (yet [not until David]) heritable.  That position leaves the family. It goes to Joshua.

What we all inherit … mortality