Pinchas: succession

Pinchas: succession

Much  of Pinchas deals with legacy. Transmission from generation to generation. Pinchas, by virtue of his zealous (extremist)  act is granted a heritable title, Priesthood.  A census of families is performed to assign portions of (yet to be acquired) Promised Land.  The status of women in inheritance law is established by querying Gd.  Joshua is designated  the first successor of Moshe. 

Each of these  cases deal with the issue of what happens after death. Possessions pass to offspring.  Certainly this is a motivation to maximize possessions, even when the amasser is unable to use them.  It keeps the old involved in society, it keeps the wealthy rich.  Thorstein Veblen  would be appalled. 

The designation of a successor to the leadership of the nation is not handled this way.  I think that its placement in the parsha serve to contrast it with the inheritance of possessions. Leadership is established by  merit.  Joshua had established his position , serving Moshe when he ascended Sinai, not following the other spies, when they were hopeless about the conquest of the land.   

But there is no  clarity about succession.  No clear instrutions are given about how next leader will be chosen.  When Moshe calls upon Gd of the spirits, Rashi undersands this to signify the wide variations of human motivations and ideas.  The leader unifies and directs these toward the common purpose.  The people should be husbanded, not feral.  But the herded flock is ultimately brought to the slaughter  But it is for a purpose.  It is the diffence between the lamb  that is brought to the altar and the goat that is allowed to die .