כלי יקר — לכן אמר הנני נתן לו את בריתי שלום

Q — The verse says 'לכן אמר הנני נתן לו את בריתי שלום' — but it's not specified to *whom* Moshe is supposed to say it (no 'לו'). And 'הנני' typically means Hashem says it directly. Why the awkward indirection?

A — Kli Yakar's reading: 'הנני' refers to Moshe, not Hashem. Hashem is telling Moshe: announce publicly *yourself* — 'in my name, I am giving him brit shalom.' Why does Moshe need to be the announcer? Pinchas had ruled a halacha in front of his teacher Moshe — exactly the kind of breach for which a student is rebuked. People might therefore assume Moshe held a grudge against Pinchas. Hashem instructs Moshe to publicly bless Pinchas — to make absolutely clear there is no friction between rebbe and talmid. The grammar (no 'לו'; first-person 'הנני' from Moshe) encodes the public reconciliation. Compare Sanhedrin 82b: 'הקדם לו שלום' — preempt with peace.