Parshas Pinchas begins somewhat in the middle of the event found at the conclusion of Parshas Balak. We read at the end of Parshas Balak how Pinchas smote Zimri and Kozbi, and this week's parshah commences with the reward that Hashem granted to Pinchas for his heroic act. Subsequently, Hashem commanded vengeance against Midian for its vicious incitement, followed by the new (and final) census, tribal inheritance of Eretz Yisroel, the appointment of a new leader (Yehoshua) to head conquest of the Land, and Tamid and Mussaf sacrifices.

Why is Pinchas' reward not featured at the end of Parshas Balak and is instead presented at the beginning of this week's parshah? How does Pinchas' reward relate to the balance of Parshas Pinchas, which appears to deal with preparation for entry into the Land and permanent korban service therein?

Pinchas' act was not only important insomuch as it stopped horrific chillul Hashem. His zealotry was also crucial in its impact on the masses who were witness to Zimri's violation. The Torah recounts the pandemonium which reigned just before Pinchas stepped in (Bamidbar 25:6). The public idolatry at Baal Pe'or coupled with the heathen orgy tore everything asunder. Jewish existence was in a state of turmoil, and consciousness of Hashem's Law and Word was acutely compromised. Commitment to Hashem was unraveling and seemed to be bordering on irrelevant. Pinchas' act shocked the people back into spiritual reality and enabled them to reconnect to Hashem. This is the meaning of Hashem's reward of "sholom" (ibid. v. 12), for sholom is defined as wholeness, as connection between parties. In this case, the parties were Hashem and B'nei Yisroel.

It is thus understood why Pinchas is identified as Eliyahu Ha-Navi (v. Targum Yonasan ben Uziel, ibid.), for Eliyahu, too, will come to a world which has lost all sense of connection to Hashem and is steeped in false ideologies and acts of desecration, and Eliyahu will restore consciousness of Hashem and connection to Him with the herald of the coming of Moshiach.

Still, how do the importance of Pinchas' actions and his reward relate to the rest of the parshah?

Rashi and the Torah Temimah quote the Sifri regarding the commandment of the Korban Tamid (Bamidbar 28:1). The Sifri links this mitzvah with the appointment of Yehoshua and indicates that the Korban Tamid was to serve as a preventative against straying after idolatry. The Sifri states that just as Moshe "tasked" Hashem to provide a new leader for B'nei Yisroel, so did Hashem task Moshe (with the mitzvah of the Korban Tamid) concerning B'nei Yisroel, in order that the people not go astray after idols. How are the appointment of Yehoshua and the institution of the Korban Tamid in any way related?

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 36a) notes that the Korban Tamid is defined as "the korban which is exclusive to Me (Hashem)". This means that, unlike most other sacrifices (which are private), the Tamid is not identified with any one person or limited group. It is anonymous; the only specific being with whom it is identified is Hashem Himself. Thus, the Korban Tamid, which serves as a regularly-scheduled service of which Hashem is the sole focus, is understandably correlated by the Sifri with the departure of Moshe Rabbeinu and the appointment of Yehoshua. Moshe connected with Hashem through an apsaklaria ha-me'irah - a "clear lens". Moshe's prophecy was not one of images or hints; rather, his prophecy consisted of the very words of Hashem, and he could enter into a prophetic connection at any time. (Bamidbar 12:8, with Ramchal in Derech Hashem on "Nevu'ah") Once this direct, clear and continuous connection with Hashem would be lost upon the demise of Moshe, B'nei Yisroel would no longer have an intense, focused contact with Hashem; this, in turn, could lead to estrangement and the pursuit of other deities. The Korban Tamid, whose sole focus is Hashem, was hence instituted to maintain and reinforce a regular and robust connection with Hashem. This is the meaning of the Sifri. 

Let's continue with the theme of connecting to Hashem.

The story of the daughters of Tzelofchod is presented in the parshah, precipitated by the command of tribal inheritance of Eretz Yisroel. B'nos Tzelofchod were noted by Chazal as having been very righteous and possessive of a deep love for the Land of Israel (Rashi on Bamidbar 27:1), and for this reason did they seek to retain their family's shares in it. These women conveyed a great message, for they demonstrated how that which one might otherwise associate with materialism and personal wealth can be utilized for connection to Hashem. B'nos Tzelofchod loved the Land for its holiness; rather than viewing the Land as real estate or in other material terms, they addressed and yearned for its spiritual quality. Their message is at the core of the entire parshah, for the very theme of Parshas Pinchas, woven through its many topics, is connection to Hashem. B'nos Tzelofchod teach us that we must seek to connect to Him in all ways, and that we are mandated to use the physical to relate to Hashem, when the physical is in actuality spiritual.

The concept of connecting to Hashem when one is not in a capsule of kedushah is thus the motif of Parshas Pinchas. The ability and need to connect to Hashem in a setting of military conquest, without the prophecy of Moshe, as well as in any context which seems to abound in the material and/or lacks in the pristine spiritual, is the parshah's message.

It is thus understood why the sholom granted to Pinchas for his act serves as the introduction to the parshah, for the sholom attained and rewarded for Pinchas' action represents the ultimate restoration of our connection to Hashem. Under the most dire circumstances, Pinchas performed heroically and with kin'ah for Hashem's Name, resulting in the reconnecting of Hashem's people to Him; Eliyahu did the same and will likewise herald the reconnection of the world to Hashem in the time to come. This is why the narrative of Pinchas' reward of sholom, which illustrates the theme of connecting to Hashem, commences and introduces this week's parshah.