This Shabbats Torah Parasha is Balak, a mysterious and important lesson for the ages. Last week we read in Parasha Chukat that the Jews are at the borderlands of Eretz Canaan and all of the Generation of the Spies has died, including Aaron and Miriam {Moshes Brother and Sister}. Parasha Chukat ended with Am Yisroel defeating the king of Bashan, Og and Sichon king of the Amorites with massive divine miracles. The only reason they were destroyed was because they would not let Israel pass through their land to the place that Hashem promised them. They were asked kindly whether the Jews could pass, and they were not even threatened by the Jewish people.
Hashem smote them furiously:
Chukat - Bamidbar 21
22. "Let me pass through your land. We will not turn into fields or vineyards, nor drink well water. We shall walk along the king's road, until we have passed through your territory."
23. But Sihon did not permit Israel to pass through his territory, and Sihon gathered all his people and went out to the desert toward Israel. He arrived at Jahaz and fought against Israel.
24. Israel smote him with the sword, and took possession of his land from Arnon to Jabbok, as far as the children of Ammon, for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.
25. Israel took all these cities, and the Israelites dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon and all its villages.
26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites, and he had fought against the first king of Moab, taking all his land from his possession, as far as Arnon.
So that is behind us now, and in Parasha Balak we learn that the king of Moab, named Balak, was very frightened of the Children of Israel. He suffered an irrational fear, like Pharoah did that the Jews would consume the land... So he sent for the gentile master of prophecy amongst the nations whos name was Bilaam.
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 22
4. Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, as the ox eats up the greens of the field. Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.
5. He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of his people, to call for him, saying, "A people has come out of Egypt, and behold, they have covered the "eye" of the land, and they are stationed opposite me.
Now Bilaam was a priest of Midian, the same place where Moshe spent his exile from Egypt for more than 70 years. Yitro, his father-in-law, was the High Priest of Midian {Kohain HaMidian}. We know that Yitro was a master of Avodah Zarah and that is why Balak sent to Midian to find a person who had a 'mouth' to curse the Israelites like Moshe had a mouth to 'bless' them.
Well, of course it is also well known to us that Moshes power did not come from his mouth, it came from the combination of his traits, foremost his humility, his wisdom, and his clear vision of Hashem. But Bilaam was a master of black magic and was able to cast spells and curse people effectively. But even Bilaam knew that he would have difficulty in cursing Hashems special people.
So Balak ends up sending two sets of dignitaries to bring Bilaam back to Moab so that he may curse the Jews. Both times Bilaam makes the parties wait overnight so that he can speak with Hashem. We learn from this that Bilaam was only able to have his prophecy during the night, unlike Moshe who could talk to Hashem day or night.
The first time Bilaam tells them that Hashem will not let him curse the Jews. As it reads:
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 22
9. G-d came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"
10. Balaam said to G-d, "Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab has sent [them] to me, [saying]:
11. "Behold the people coming out of Egypt, a nation, has covered the 'eye' of the earth. Come and curse them for me, perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out."
12. G-d said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people because they are blessed."
But Balak was not a king who would take no for an answer. He assumed that Bilaam was holding out for more high-level dignitaries and more money as a reward. We read:
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 22
15. So Balak continued to send dignitaries, more and higher in rank than these.
16. They came to Balaam and said to him, "So said Balak the son of Zippor, 'Please do not hesitate to come to me.
17. For I will honor you greatly and do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.'"
That night when Bilaam consulted with Hashem, Hashem allowed him to go. This was Hashem testing Bilaam through his free will. Bilaam thought that eventually Hashem would relent and allow him to curse the Jews.
20. G-d came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If these men have come to call for you, arise and go with them, but the word I speak to you-that you shall do."
Next comes the famous story of Bilaams donkey. Bilaam rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey. Bilaam thought that this was such a righteous deed to do, but Abraham did it long before when he rose to bring Yitzak to the Akeidah. Hashem sent an angel to block the path of Bilaam and Bilaam became enraged at his donkey and ended up striking it.
Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey and it spoke to him.
27. The she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it crouched down under Balaam. Balaam's anger flared, and he beat the she-donkey with a stick.
28. The Lord opened the mouth of the she-donkey, and she said to Balaam, "What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"
29. Balaam said to the she-donkey, "For you have humiliated me; if I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."
30. The she-donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your she-donkey on which you have ridden since you first started until now? Have I been accustomed to do this to you?" He said, "No."
Rashi points out that Bilaam was 'into' bestiality with his donkey... There is a hint to that in this pasuk:
Rashi
Have I become accustomed: Heb. הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי. As the Targum [Onkelos] renders [lit., have I learned to do this?]. Similarly,“Does man learn (יִסְכָּן) for G-d?” (Job 22:2). Our Rabbis, however, expounded this verse in the Talmud: They [the Moabite dignitaries] said to him, “Why aren’t you riding on a horse?” He [Balaam] said to them, “I sent it out to pasture.” [Immediately, the she-donkey retorted, “Am I not your she-donkey?” He said to her, “Just for bearing burdens.” She retorted, “on which you have ridden.” He said to her, “Only on occasion.” She retorted,“since you first started until now, and not only that but I provide you with riding by day, and with intimacy at night, (interpreting Heb. הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי as”I heated you up,") as is stated in Tractate Avodah Zarah [4b].
The angel allows Bilaam to proceed on his mission, once again with the promise ", but the word I will speak to you-that you shall speak.".
So Bilaam undertook the task of cursing the Jews. He built seven altars and brought seven sacrifices, he did this because up till then there had been seven sacrifices made by the three patriarchs Abraham, Yitzak, and Yaakov. Rashi explains:
Rashi
the seven altars: “I prepared seven altars” is not written here, but “ the seven altars.” He said to Him, “Their patriarchs built seven altars before You, and I have prepared [seven] corresponding to them all.” Abraham built four-“There he built an altar to the Lord Who appeared to him” (Gen. 12:7); “Abraham moved from there to the mountain… [and built an altar there]” (ibid. 8); “Abraham pitched his tent [and built an altar there]” (ibid. 13:18), and one on Mount Moriah (ibid. 22:9). Isaac built one-“He built an altar there” (ibid. 26:25), and Jacob built two-one in Shechem (ibid. 33:20) and one in Beth El (ibid. 35:7). - [See Mid. Tanchuma Balak 11, Tzav 1, Num. Rabbah 20:18]
But it was all for nothing because at the end of the day Hashem would not allow Bilaam to curse the Jews...
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 23
5. The Lord placed something into Balaam's mouth, and He said, "Return to Balak and say as follows."
6. When he returned, Balak was standing next to his burnt offering, he and all the Moabite dignitaries.
7. He took up his parable and said, "Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east [saying], 'Come, curse Jacob for me and come invoke wrath against Israel.'
8. How can I curse whom G-d has not cursed, and how can I invoke wrath if the Lord has not been angered?
9. For from their beginning, I see them as mountain peaks, and I behold them as hills; it is a nation that will dwell alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations.
10. Who counted the dust of Jacob or the number of a fourth of [or, of the seed of] Israel? May my soul die the death of the upright and let my end be like his."
What a beautiful blessing came from this Rashas mouth... And what Chutzpah for this wicked man to even think he would die the death of the upright and have the same death as the Jew.... And Balak was insulted:
11. Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them!"
12. He answered, saying, "What the Lord puts into my mouth that I must take care to say."
So Bilaam tried once again to curse the Jews, this time from a different angle or perspective. Balak took Bilaam to a mountain where he could see all of the encampment of the Jewish people. But once again Bilaam would fail miserably, Hashem would not allow him to utter curses, only blessings...
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 23
18. He took up his parable and said, "Arise, Balak, and hear; listen closely to me, son of Zippor.
19. G-d is not a man that He should lie, nor is He a mortal that He should relent. Would He say and not do, speak and not fulfill?
20. I have received [an instruction] to bless, and He has blessed, and I cannot retract it.
21. He does not look at evil in Jacob, and has seen no perversity in Israel; the Lord, his G-d, is with him, and he has the King's friendship.
22. G-d has brought them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness.
23. For there is no divination in Jacob and no soothsaying in Israel. In time it will be said to Jacob and Israel, 'What has G-d wrought?'
24. Behold, a people that rises like a lioness (See Malbim) and raises itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of the slain."
Balak will give Bilaam one more chance. This time he takes him to another vantage point to attempt to curse the Jews... Once again Bilaam brings seven sacrifices on seven altars and rose to look at the children of Israel. This last attempt yields one of the best blessings in the Torah.
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 24
3. He took up his parable and said, "The word of Balaam the son of Beor and the word of the man with an open eye.
4. The word of the one who hears G-d's sayings, who sees the vision of the Almighty, fallen yet with open eyes.
5. How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!
6. They extend like streams, like gardens by the river, like aloes which the Lord planted, like cedars by the water.
7. Water will flow from his wells, and his seed shall have abundant water; his king shall be raised over Agag, and his kingship exalted.
8. G-d, Who has brought them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness He shall consume the nations which are his adversaries, bare their bones and dip His arrows [into their blood].
9. He crouches and lies like a lion and like a lioness; who will dare rouse him? Those who bless you shall be blessed, and those who curse you shall be cursed.
Here we learn that Bilaam was a one-eyed prophet whose eye was gouged out at some time. It says "the word of the man with an open eye" and Rashi learns this from the midrash:
Rashi
with an open eye: Heb. שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן. His eye had been gouged out and its socket appeared open. This term שְׁתֻם is mishnaic;“enough time to bore a hole (יִשְׁתֹּם) [in a cask], seal it, and dry it” (A.Z. 69a). Our Rabbis said, Because he said, “the number of the seed of Israel” (23:10), implying that the Holy One, blessed is He, sits and counts the seed that issues from the Israelite sexual unions, waiting for the drop from which a righteous man will be born, he thought, “The One Who is holy, and Whose ministers are holy should direct his attention to matters such as these?” On account of this, Balaam’s eye was blinded (Mid. Aggadah). Some say that the phrase means “of the open eye,” [meaning of clear sight], as Onkelos renders. As for its saying, “with an open eye” rather than “with open eyes,” this teaches us that he was blind in one eye. — [Sanh. 105a]
But this was Bilaams last 'strike' of three strikes and Balak had had enough of this evil Wizard...
10. Balak's anger flared against Balaam, and he clapped his hands. Balak said to Balaam, "I called you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.
11. Now, hurry back to your place. I said I would honor you greatly, but the Lord has deprived you of honor."
After this Bilaam gives Balak his prophecy for the end of days, that Israel will rise in power and the wicked nations will be defeated.
But then things start to fall apart for our brothers and sisters in Shittim. Our yetzer hara for forbidden women started to flare up, as it is written:
Parasha Balak - Bamidbar 25
1. Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of the Moabites.
2. They invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods.
3. Israel became attached to Baal Peor, and the anger of the Lord flared against Israel.
So quite naturally Hashem became enraged at his silly childrens transgressions and had Moshe round up those who had been involved in these illicit relations and hanged them...
4. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang them before the Lord, facing the sun, and then the flaring anger of the Lord will be removed from Israel.
5. Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Each of you shall kill the men who became attached to Baal Peor.
6. Then an Israelite man came and brought the Midianite woman to his brethren, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
This is the beginning of the story of Pinchas, who in zealous rage ran a spear through the prince of Simeon, Zimri and the Midianite woman named Cozbi.
7. Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen saw this, arose from the congregation, and took a spear in his hand.
8. He went after the Israelite man into the chamber and drove [it through] both of them; the Israelite man, and the woman through her stomach, and the plague ceased from the children of Israel.
There are some halachas concerning Rodef which we learn from this pasuk. I have heard it said that while Pichas was attempting to kill Zimri that if anyone had killed Pinchas they would not be guilty of murder, because at the time he entered the chamber he was considered a Rodef. But in the end what Pinchas did was righteous and meritorious in Hashems eyes, because as we learn in next weeks Parasha that Pinchas is awarded in this life by being made a Kohain which until then he was not able to be.
This concludes this weeks Parasha discussion. If anyone would like to discuss this please feel free to post in this thread , or write me a private message...
muman613