Overview
of the Weekly Reading: Balak (in
Israel)
Chukat
/Balak outside Israel To
be read on 12 Tamuz 5766 (July 8) Torah:
Numbers 22:2-25:9
Haftorah: Michah 5:6-6:8 (mentions Billam, Balak,
and their plots) Pirkei
Avot: Chapter 6 in Israel (Chapter
5 outside of Israel)
Balak
is the 7th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and 40th overall,
and 35th out of 54 in overall length
Balak
opens with Balak, king of Moab, hiring Balaam, the gentile prophet, to curse the
Jews. Despite Balaam's numerous sacrifices and attempts to curse the Jews, all
he succeeds in doing is blessing the Jews! When Balaam and Balak realize the futility
of trying to curse the Jews, they decide to try to cause the Jews to sin and thus
arouse G-d's anger toward them. The parsha concludes telling how many of the Jews
sinned with the Moabite women, worshipped their idolatry, and were punished subsequently
with a plague. One of the tribal princes even sinned publicly, but was killed
by Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, whose act of zealousness simultaneously staved
the plague.
FROM
THE MASTERS OF KABBALA (K:4066/Balak)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:4066/Balak) But
when He finally did create Adam, Adam sinned and was expelled from His Presence.
Aza and Azael spoke up before the Holy One: "Our original claim has been
justified. Behold, the Man that You made has sinned before You." He replied
to them: "Do you think you could have done better in his situation?"
What did the Holy One do? He cast them down from their level of holiness. For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site. * * * * * From
the holy Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:4066/Balak)
There were two types of [people that made
up] Israel [in that generation]. The first was the Jews themselves who lived in
that generation, the source of whose souls were sparks of Moses' [soul], who in
turn derived from Abel. (This is explained in our exposition on the generation
of the desert, on the verse, "And a new king arose over Egypt.") For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site. * * * * * From
Rebbeinu
Bachya
(O:4066/Balak)
As soon as Bilaam had concluded singing
the praises of the Jewish people, i.e. their moral superiority over the other
nations, G-d removed this spirit of prophecy from him. He reverted to relying
on charms and that is why he wound up being killed by the sword instead of securing
for himself the death of the righteous he had wished for himself. For
the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM
THE CHASSIDIC REBBES (V:4066/Balak) "A
star steps out of Jacob and a scepter rises out of Israel." (24:17)
Although
one passage in the Jerusalem Talmud states that this verse refers to Moshiach,
another interprets it as referring to every Jew. This seeming contradiction is
resolved by the Baal Shem Tov, who said that every Jew contains within him a spark
of the soul of Moshiach. Furthermore, this spark is more than just a latent aspect;
every Jew is able to bring that spark out into the open, bringing about the actual
manifestation of Moshiach by means of Torah and mitzvot, which effect a purification
and refinement of the physical world. This will be achieved in macrocosm with
the coming of Moshiach, who will reveal the world's goodness and holiness.
(Peninei
HaGeula)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE from
the Chabad Master series, produced by Rabbi
Yosef Marcus for www.ascentofsafed.com
and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH
THIS WEEK (M:4066/Balak)
"What this people will do to your people in the end of days." (Numbers
24:14)
In the end of days, before the arrival of Moshiach, an attempt
will be made to turn "this people" into "your people," i.e.,
to transform the Jewish people into a nation like any other, indistinguishable
from non-Jews in custom and habit.
(Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshischa)
(From L'Chaim #376)
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:4066/Balak)
"Balak",
the name of this week's Torah portion, was the name of a non-Jewish king who attempted
to destroy the Jewish people. How can the Torah name a portion after such an evil
person? The Talmud points out that Balak, the king of Moab, was the ancestor of
Ruth the Moabite, who was the ancestor of King David, and from whom eventually
will come the Mashiach. (Sotah 47:1)
Thus, this lineage reveals that
from a destroyer of the Jewish people will come our final redeemer, Mashiach.
Balak represents the transformation of darkness to light - the turning over of
the idolatrous kingdom of Moab to the sacred kingdom of David and the King Mashiach.
Just as Balak was transformed from evil to good, darkness to light, so too are
we reminded by his name as the Torah portion's title that if we make the effort,
every obstacle can be overcome and the light revealed. *** This Shabbat
is the 12th of Tammuz, the date the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak
Schneerson, was released from prison in 1927, having been jailed for encouraging
his disciples to teach Judaism. The following is an adapted excerpt from what
our generation's Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, said about
his predecessor, father-in-law, and spiritual master. The emphasis is on how a
Jew serves G-d, a task that is assisted by the guidance of a rebbe, or spiritual
mentor: There is great pleasure in using some experience or knowledge you
have, especially Jewish wisdom, to illuminate and even eradicate the darkness
in someone else's life. Indeed, it is not just wonderful; sometimes, to retain
our perspective we need to do it… Similarly, we sometimes must make
a spiritual journey beyond ourselves. It is so easy to become sedentary, guiding
our lives by old premises that may no longer apply. More than just temporarily
stopping the momentum of our lives to examine where we are and where we are going,
sometimes we need to totally break out of the trance, to completely escape our
confines. The habits and stigmas that fill our lives are put on hold, to be re-analyzed
afterwards. The route of this journey is not one that we choose ourselves.
Rather it must be on the King's Highway, the path of G-d, the King of the world.
The directions are right there, revealed to us by the Torah we study, by the rabbis
in our lives, and particularly by the spiritual guide that each person must choose
for him or herself. And even when you travel on the King's Highway, be careful
not to become a tourist, only seeing the sights, becoming absorbed in the scenery,
standing in the middle, passive. It is crucial to push ahead, to reach our goal,
to complete the journey. The purpose of the King's Highway is to lead us the capitol
of the King - and eventually to the King's palace. Once in the palace, we proceed
to enter the chamber of the King, and then to meet the King Himself, the Holy
One, blessed be He. This is the goal of every Jew, to become one with the King.
And this is the meaning of the words "The Jewish People, the Torah, and the
Holy One, blessed be He are all one". When we are willing and ready
to totally devote our lives to G-d even for a short while, we transcend our finitude
and commit ourselves to reaching the ultimate goal. Pick a mitzvah. Make
it yours. Slow down and concentrate on the words you pray. Lend a helping hand
and act cheerful, even when you'd rather not. By making a concerted commitment,
we unify ourselves with G-d. Our day-to-day lives reach a new level of reality,
and we ourselves are transformed for the better. So, who's waiting? Start the
journey! Now!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S.
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