Is Peace Possible

Which traits are passed down from father to son, and which are not? 

Pinchas’ Reward

Have you ever gotten into a conversation with an Israeli taxi driver about politics? Try asking if peace will ever be possible in the Middle East. I can tell you from experience—they ALL have an opinion, and they all think theirs is the only solution!

Chassidus teaches that everything in life can be found in the Torah. So let’s take a look at this week’s parsha for a hint at what the real answer might be.

This week, we read the story of Pinchas the zealot. Pinchas saw how Zimri, a Jewish leader, was leading the people toward idol worship—specifically, the worship of Pe’or. Pinchas rose up and killed Zimri, thereby freeing the Jews from his influence and bringing an end to the plague that G-d had sent as punishment for their sins.

As a reward for his bold act, G-d gave Pinchas a special gift: “It shall be for him and for his descendants after him [as] an eternal covenant of kehunah (priesthood).” Until then, Pinchas was not a Kohen—but through his brave deed, he and his descendants became Kohanim for all generations!

Later in the parsha, G-d tells Moses to ascend Mount Avarim and bid farewell to the people, as he would not be leading them into the Land of Israel. Moses then asks G-d to appoint a new leader for the people, and G-d responds that Joshua will be his successor.

The Midrash tells us that Moses deeply hoped his own sons would inherit his position. But G-d didn’t see them as fitting for that honor.

“He who plants the tree shall enjoy the fruit,” G-d said. “Your sons sat idly and didn’t toil in Torah study. Joshua, on the other hand, served you faithfully and showed you great respect. He is therefore worthy to lead the people.”

Here we find an interesting inconsistency: Pinchas, through one dramatic act, earns the priesthood for all his descendants. But Moses, the greatest prophet of all time, can’t pass his leadership on to his own children. Why?

Which Traits Are Passed Down

Perhaps the reason is that Pinchas’s greatest virtue—his zealousness—can be passed on to later generations. It’s quite possible that a child raised in a zealous home by zealous parents will grow up to be a zealot himself and raise his own little crew of zealous children.

But greatness in Torah knowledge doesn’t work the same way. It’s not something children automatically absorb from their surroundings. If a child is able and willing to learn, they might grow to be a great Torah scholar. If not, then no matter whose child they are, they simply won’t become a proper successor to someone like Moses.

As the Mishnah in Pirkei Avos (Ethics of Our Fathers) says: “Prepare yourself to study Torah, for it is not your inheritance.” Torah isn’t passed down like eye color.

We find this idea in other areas as well. For example:

Torah law teaches that any non-Jew who sincerely commits to the Jewish way of life and converts according to halacha is accepted as fully Jewish. There’s one notable exception: someone from the nations of Amon and Moav—even ten generations down—even if they convert properly, may not marry into the Jewish people.

Why? The Torah explains: “Because they did not come out to greet you with bread and water on your journey from Egypt.”

Wait—really? Are we holding a grudge for over 3,000 years because they didn’t offer us snacks? Are we seriously barring their descendants because their ancestors didn’t pack a picnic for us on our way out of Egypt? Shouldn’t we have moved on already? Shouldn’t we just let it go?

The explanation lies in what we said earlier: behavior and attitudes can be passed down. If the original Amonites and Moabites were defined by their cruelty and coldness, it’s not so far-fetched that their descendants would carry traces of that same indifference.

So we’re not punishing children for their parents’ actions. G-d is warning us: children raised by cruel parents often grow up to be cruel themselves. That behavior becomes second nature—baked in from early childhood—and it’s not so easy to shake off.

And that’s not the kind of “nature” we want in the Jewish people.

Every Jew is a descendant of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. The second nature we inherited from their homes is to be “humble, compassionate, and kind.” In Jewish homes—no matter the level of observance—kindness and mercy are part of daily life. These values aren’t just taught, they’re absorbed. They become part of our children’s spiritual DNA.

Even a child who rebels, who leaves behind everything they were taught—even that child won’t be able to escape these deeply ingrained qualities. At the end of the day, he too will be kind. He too will be merciful.

Peace in the Middle East?

And now we come back to the “crisis in the Middle East.” You want to know whether peace with the Palestinians is possible? I’ll tell you what I think. (Yes, I have an opinion too!)

Just as Jewish children are taught to say “please” and “thank you” while they’re still in diapers, Palestinian children are tragically raised on messages of hate and violence. From the youngest ages—even in kindergarten—they’re told that their goal in life is to become martyrs, to fight the so-called Zionist enemy. They’re taught, from day one, to hate Jews. And over time, that hatred becomes second nature.

So building universities or launching peace conferences isn’t going to change anything. No matter how educated someone becomes, if hatred is embedded that deeply, no amount of philosophy or dialogue can undo it.

That’s why, in reality, peace is not possible—not yet. The only way our nations can truly coexist is if their children are raised differently—if they are taught to love, not hate. And that kind of transformation? It will only come with the arrival of Moshiach.