Fwd: Parshas Pinchas

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Baruch Moshe Aryeh ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' Shmuel.

 In perek chaf heh posuk yud alef Hashem speaks to Moshe and says "Pinchas Ben Elazar ben Aharon Hakohein Heishiv es chamasi mei'al Bnei Yisroel b'kano es kinasi b'socham V'lo chilisi es Bnei Yisroel b'kinasi" "Pinchas the son of Elazar the so of Ahron Hakohein has turned my anger away from Bnei Yisroel by his vengeance for me among them. So that I did not destroy Bnei Yisroel in my vengeance."
 The Kli Yakar explains that Pinchas's lineage was written here to shed light and just how great his act of "kana'us" was. He was the son of Elazar Hakohen who had married one of the daughters of Putiel/Yisro who used to fatten cows for avoda zara. Pinchas could have refrained from killing Zimri and Kazbi out of fear that the leitzanim of the generation would say "You have a problem with living with a midyanis? Who allowed your father to marry your mother? You have a problem with avoda zara?! Your mothers father used to fatten cows for avoda zara, and your fathers father made the eigel! With all this Pinchas was not makpid on his kavod and stood up for what was right.
 It seems from this Kli Yakar that had Pinchas realized what the right thing to do was and not done it anyhow because of the uncomfortable and embarrassing position he would have been put in there would not have been a taayna on him. The exact words of the Kli Yakar are "Vahay lo limnoa es atzmo mk'maase ze" "He could have refrained from this action". Imagine, Pinchas would have seen such tremendous aveiros of giluy arayos and avoda zara and understood what should be done and it seems like there would be no taayna on him because the leitzanim's remarks would be too painful.
 We seem to think that some people are above and beyond the need for validation and approval, that for some people its not such a big deal to do what they believe is right no matter the cost, but that's incorrect. Pinchas is praised greatly for being able to do this great action even in the face of ridicule, because even for Pinchas that was not an easy thing to do.
 What people think and say really does matter to us, and what we think and say really does matter to other people. It's a tremendous power that we hold in our hand, regardless of who we are,(especially a Rebbe or parent) and is a power that can make or break a person for life and therefore must be used wisely.
 Good Shabbos