With Israel moving toward elections, political campaigns are gathering pace. The public is hearing sharp debates, political alliances, and carefully planned attacks on opponents. At the same time, we are entering the Three Weeks, the period when we mourn the destruction of both Batei Mikdash. Chazal teach that the Second Beis Hamikdash was destroyed because of **Sinat Chinam**—baseless hatred and division among Jews. It is at this very time that Parshas Pinchas gives us a powerful warning about what happens when influence is placed in the hands of those who thrive on creating division.

In this week’s parashah, a new generation stands at the border of Eretz Yisrael. Moshe counts the families who will inherit the Land. At first, it seems to be nothing more than a list of names and numbers. But when the Torah reaches the tribe of Reuven, it suddenly pauses to remind us about two men who died many years earlier: “The sons of Eliav were Nemuel, Datan, and Aviram. These are the same Datan and Aviram… who incited against Moshe and Aharon… when they rebelled against Hashem.”

Why does the Torah interrupt the census to bring back an old story?

Rashi points to an important detail in the Hebrew. The words *asher........

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