“Therefore tell [him], that I give him My covenant [of] peace. It shall be for him and his descendants after him a covenant of eternal kehunah because he was zealous for his God and made atonement for Bnei Yisroel.” (Bamidbar 25:12-13)

The Chofetz Chaim observed that his daughter had an interest in money. He therefore made her a Gabbai Tzedakah, because for every midah that a person has, there is a time and place when it can be used in the service of Hashem. In fact, such a person can serve Hashem in a way which a person without this midah can never accomplish. Another aspect of this idea is found in the gemora which tells us that a man who has an attraction to blood should become either a shochet or a mohel. All these “shortcomings” with which we are born are really there for us to find our personal way to serve Hashem with them. Sometimes the service may simply be to overcome those tendencies.

Let us use the following couple as an example. One parent is high-strung and very strict with their child, while the other parent is more easy-going and lenient, having the attitude that “Everything will work itself out.” One of the parents, perhaps, will use their midah to serve Hashem, while the other must go against their grain in order to give their child the proper education. Or perhaps, they will meet somewhere in the middle, both overcoming their natural inclinations for the betterment of the child.

The Medrash (Bamidbar Rabba 21:1) tells us that Pinchas, according to strict law, should have received a reward for his actions. There are many explanations given as to what is the meaning of this cryptic Medrash. The Ben Ish Chai tells us about a king who had a strong warrior who he always brought with him in his entourage. Once while hunting, the king was attacked by a pirate militia. The king’s strong warrior killed all these pirates, yet the king did not praise him for his heroic effort. A short time later the king again went hunting, and again was attacked, but this time that strong warrior was not there. A simple soldier took on the attackers and with unbelievable courage saved the king. The king praised this soldier to no end. Someone asked the king, “Why is it that the first officer received no praise, yet you lavished praise on the second officer.?” The king answered, “The first officer was merely fulfilling his job. Do I praise the worker who cleans the kitchen if he does a good job? Perhaps, but nominally, at best. However, the second soldier stepped forward for my honor, and exceeded what he could normally accomplish. Therefore, he is the one who deserves my praise.”

The Ben Ish Chai explains: Pinchas was the grandson of Aharon, who was the seeker of peace and the lover of peace. He was also a member of the Sanhedrin. In addition, Pinchas had no previous experience in combat. Yet in this situation, he stepped up for the Honor of Hashem, accomplishing way above his skill level. Therefore, it was only right that Hashem singled him out and gave him a special reward.

Many times, there is a mitzvah to be done and we justify not doing it because it is not in our comfort zone. Perhaps, specifically in those situations, if we can overcome our discomfort, we may be given a blessing which will catapult us into a totally different level than we would have otherwise naturally achieved, just as Pinchas did.