Since Pinchas was a Cohen why was he allowed to kill Zimri and Cozbi?

Question

Since it says in the Torah that a Cohen is prohibited from being around dead people, then how come Pinchas who was a Cohen was permitted to kill Zimri and Cozbi.

"And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people":

— Leviticus 21:1

"And behold, one of the people of Israel came and brought a Mid'ianite woman to his family, in the sight of Moses and in the sight of the whole congregation of the people of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. When Phin'ehas the son of Elea'zar, son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose and left the congregation, and took a spear in his hand and went after the man of Israel into the inner room, and pierced both of them, the man of Israel and the woman, through her body. Thus the plague was stayed from the people of Israel. Nevertheless those that died by the plague were twenty-four thousand."

Numbers 25:6-9

Answer 1

Midrash Rabbah (20:26) Records 12 miracles that happened during this story. Two of them that are answer your question are as follows:

• Blood did not drip on Pinchas, so that he did not become impure

• G-d kept them alive so that they would not die and make Pinchas impure

Answer 2

Gemara Zevachim 101b:

They said well to him? - He holds that [the law of] aninuth at night is Scriptural. 'Another argument: surely Phinehas was with them.'

They said well to him? - He agrees with R`Eleazar.

For Rw Eleazar said in Rw Hanina's name: Phinehas was not elevated to the priesthood until he slew Zimri, for it is written, And it shall be unto him, and unto his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.

Rw Ashi said: Until he made peace between the tribes, for it is said, And when Phinehas the priest, and the princes of the congregation, even the heads of the thousands of Israel that were with him, heard etc.

Conclusion, Pinchas was not already Kohen when he Killed Zimri.

But without this, there are cases in which a Kohen is in duty to be unclean, when it is a Mitsva, as to bury a death person. There are also cases in which he need to kill persons. For instance the Halacha of Kanayim pog'im bo (as in the case of Zimri) it is true even for a Kohen. Or the case of killing a Rodef, Kohen is also in duty to kill him. Additionally he can make this with a pshute kley ets and can to throw it as a javelin. It is not difficult to kill someone without to be unclean, e.g. with a gun.

Note: to be around dead people is not an accurate definition. The dead make unclean by several kind of contact, touching, by tent, Massa, Chiburim. but around is not a contact

Answer 3

Why stop at Pinhas? The same question applies to the Hashmonaim, and any Cohen who fights in the army today. While a Cohen normally shouldn't allow himself to become Tameh met, there are exceptions - such as a Met Mitzvah. Another one of these exceptions is participating in a holy war such as defending the Israeli nation and killing Zimri.

Here is an interesting Halachic article discussing Cohanim soldiers in Israel today regarding them being allowed to continue blessing the nation during prayer.