A thought about parshat Pinchas:
Jewish tradition teaches that Pinchas has been reincarnated as Elijah the Prophet, aka the Angel of the Circumcission, who attends all jewish baby boys on the day of their bris.
I thought that perhaps the very name of 'Pinchas' might hint at that. In Hebrew, פנחס which might be spelled with or without letter yod, can be understood as two words ''Pen Chas'', פן חס
which literally means ''lest he has mercy''.
Talmud teaches that those who err in being (inappropriatelly) merciful in situation where strict justice is required will err by being inappropriatelly CRUEL when mercy is called for.
As his parshat teaches, Pinchas had the foresight to stop the moral corruption and the literal spread of the plague, by being ''cruel'' when strict judgement was called for~ he struck the publicly sinning Zimri ben Salu.
Pinchas' failure to be 'cruel' would result in a lot greater 'cruelty' of the plague being spread among Israel. Hence the name ''Pinchas'' understood as פן חס
''lest he be merciful'' is uniquely appropriate.
Talmudic advice is that if someone has unhealthy penchant for blood, he should channel it PRODUCTIVELLY in permitted manner and become a mohel, a butcher or a doctor, etc.
Hence Pinches' ''rebirth'' as Elijah the angel attending boys' circumcission might be said to channel his 'lack of mercy' into perpetual attending of Brit Milahs!
Perhaps we might learn a lesson from the names of Zimri ben Salu as well, as he was ''prunned'' (-zemer)(cut off) before his time, rather than being able to bring Hashem glory.
His Midianite consort too has a telling name, Kozbi bat Tzur literally means ''liar daughter of enemy''....
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