Mark Twain is quoted for saying "Don't judge Judaism by the Jews." The gap which often exists between the two is highlighted in this week's Parsha. Pinchas zealously kills 2 people. The Jews criticize him saying he's got biological problems (see Rashi). G-d, however, recognizes it as an act of greatness and rewards him with a "covenant of peace." How could it be that so many people were so wrong? A wise man once said: "Anybody can have an opinion, but few people have a real view." If one would be slow to jump to conclusions about a field that was not his expertise, should he not have that same trepidation when entering the realm of the Divine will?
For more on this week's Parsha, check out this video.