NOW THE NAME OF THE MAN OF ISRAEL THAT WAS SLAIN, WHO WAS SLAIN WITH THE MIDIANITISH WOMAN. R. Isaac said: ‘We should have expected the text to run “whom Phineas slew”.’
The reason why it is put in this way is because God, having raised Phineas to the high priesthood, did not wish to associate his name with the killing of a man, which does not beseem a high priest.’
(במדבר כ"ב) וְשֵׁם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמֻּכֶּה וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, הַאי קְרָא הָכִי הֲוָה לֵיהּ לְמִכְתַּב, וְשֵׁם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה פִּנְחָס, וְלֹא הַמֻּכֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֻכָּה, לָא נֶאֱמַר אֶלָּא בְּאֹרַח סָתִים.
NOW THE NAME OF THE MAN OF ISRAEL THAT WAS SLAIN, WHO WAS SLAIN WITH THE MIDIANITISH WOMAN. R. Isaac said: ‘We should have expected the text to run “whom Phineas slew”.’
אֶלָּא הָכִי אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר (נ"א (רצ"ה ע"ב) רבי שמעון), כֵּיוָן דְּסַלְקֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְפִנְחָס לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא, לָא בָּעָא לְאַדְכְּרָא לֵיהּ לְפִנְחָס בְּקַטְלָנוּתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ. דְּהָא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא. עַד לָא סַלְקֵיהּ לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא, אַדְכַּר לֵיהּ, וְאָמַר וַיַּרְא פִּנְחָס וַיִּקַּח רֹמַח וְגוֹ', וַיִּדְקוֹר אֶת שְׁנֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'. כֵּיוָן דְּסַלְקֵיהּ לְכַהֲנָא רַבָּא לָא אַדְכַּר שְׁמֵיהּ בְּקַטְלָנוּתָא, דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, וְחָס עָלֵיהּ יְקָרָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּכַהֲנָא רַבָּא לָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְאַדְכְּרָא בְּקַטְלָנוּתָא. וְשֵׁם הָאִשָּׁה הַמּוּכָּה, אוּף הָכִי.
The reason why it is put in this way is because God, having raised Phineas to the high priesthood, did not wish to associate his name with the killing of a man, which does not beseem a high priest.’