How could Moses instruct Pinchas to kill Zimri if 'zealots may strike him' is a law that is not formally instructed?

This source-based Torah study examines the question: How could Moses instruct Pinchas to kill Zimri if 'zealots may strike him' is a law that is not formally instructed? It follows the canonical Hebrew discussion through the weekly portion and the classical sources cited there, preserving the distinctions and review status of the original. This localized layer is for study and discovery only; it is not a practical halakhic, medical, legal, safety or pastoral ruling.