Pinchas: Heritage

The tradition says that Pinchas was elevated to the Priesthood by his zealotry.  Born to Elazar prior to the invention  of the Cohain, PInchas would have been a Levite, but for his elevation -  based upon his merit. He acquires the most prestigious hereditary title in Israel for himself and his progeny. 

My mother told me, many times: be your own Yichus. 

This is how it happens on the Torah.  Inheritance passes to merit over birth order.  Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Judah, Peretz, David, Shlomo  The junior son surpasses his brothers and get the birth rite (contrary to the stated law).  

The real revolution is the granting of some rights of inheritance to women.  What a story!  The daughters of Zelophchad protest the injustice of their exclusion.  The case is brought before Gd,  Gd decides they are right and the inheritance falls to these courageous women. Gd upholds the rights of women in the workplace! This is a great usurpation and the first victory in a struggle that extends to the present.  Now the sister can join the upstart brother...and be her own yichus. 

The parsha ends with the numerical outline for the Musaf offerings .  Every holiday musaf ends the same: the sin offering goat and (don't forget) the daily sacrifice and its libations.  Don't forget the ordinary, the constant, the daily

These sacrifices: daily and holiday, are ultimately all that is left of the heritage.  The land is gone, even the sacrifices are gone.  All that is left is the description, the text, the memory - and the associated membership in the people who remember the rite. 

All that is left is the merit.