1. The Unique Spelling of Pinchas
The portion of Pinchas—Pinchas—raises an interesting question about how his name is spelled in the Torah. Technically, one might expect it to be spelled Pei Nun Ches Samach, but if you look in the Chumash—the Five Books of Moses—you’ll see it’s actually spelled Pei Yud Nun Ches Samach. There’s an extra Yud inserted into his name. The Zohar explains that this Yud was added as a special merit.2. The Significance of the Extra Letter
Why did Pinchas receive this extra Yud? The Zohar teaches that it was a reward for his devotion to Hashem, especially regarding forbidden relationships. Pinchas acted zealously and decisively when he killed Zimri ben Salu and the Midianite woman, standing up for Hashem’s honor in a moment of crisis. Because of this unwavering commitment, Hashem gave him the additional letter Yud as a mark of distinction.3. Yosef HaTzadik and the Gift of a Letter
The Zohar notes another example: Yosef HaTzadik also received an extra letter in his name. In the Torah, Yosef is spelled Yud Vov Samach Feis, but in Tehillim—Psalms—there is a verse that refers to him as Yehosef, with an added Hey. This addition was also due to Yosef’s strength in resisting the advances of Potiphar’s wife, maintaining his integrity under great temptation. For this act, he was granted the Hey.4. Letters from Hashem’s Name as a Reward
Both the Yud and Hey are letters from Hashem’s own name—Yud Kei Vov Kei. By granting these letters to Pinchas and Yosef, Hashem signified that they had earned a special closeness to Him through their self-control and commitment to His ways. They became worthy of having part of Hashem’s name embedded within their own names, highlighting their spiritual achievement.5. Ish and Isha: The Divine Presence in Marriage
The Gemara in Sotah discusses another connection between these holy letters and human relationships: “Ish v’isha zahu Shechina shruya beneihem—if a man and woman merit it, the Divine Presence dwells among them.” Both words—Ish (man) and Isha (woman)—share the root Aleph Shin, which spells “fire.” Marriage can be fiery or passionate by nature. However, if you look closely at their spellings: Ish has a Yud between the Aleph and Shin, while Isha has a Hey at the end. Together, these form Yud Kei—the first two letters of Hashem’s name—signifying that when there is merit in a marriage, Hashem’s presence rests within their home.6. The Testimony of Hey and Yud Amongst the Tribes
Rashi brings another example from our parsha regarding how each tribe is listed: “L’chanoich mishpachas ha-chanoichi,” “L’zarach mishpachas ha-zarachi,” etc., where each family name receives an extra Hey at the beginning and a Yud at the end. Rashi explains that this was done because other nations taunted Bnei Yisrael by claiming they were not truly children of their fathers—suggesting Egyptian men fathered them during slavery. To counter this accusation, Hashem placed His own letters—the Hey and Yud—around each family name as testimony that these are indeed legitimate Jewish families.7. The Exception of Yimno and Its Meaning
There is one exception: by the family of Yimno, Rashi points out that no additional letters are needed because its very spelling already contains both a Yud at the beginning and a Hey at the end—Yimno itself testifies to its legitimacy without further embellishment.8. Living with Hashem’s Name: A Contemporary Lesson
All these examples highlight how special it is to have even part of Hashem’s name associated with us—a reward for spiritual strength and purity. In today’s world, maintaining moral clarity can be challenging amid constant temptations and distractions. We must strive to keep our minds pure and our actions aligned with Hashem’s will. When we do so—when we put “Yud” and “Hey” before us—we invite Hashem’s presence into our lives, becoming worthy vessels for His blessings and support in all we do.