B"H

Friday, Tammuz 11, 5780 / July 3, 2020

 

In Parshat Balak, we read that Balak, King of Moab, called on Bila’am, a gentile prophet to come curse the Jewish people, who were close to his land, so that he could wage war against them and win. 

 

G-d came to Bila’am in a dream and told him not to go.  But later, seeing that Bila’am wanted so much to go, G-d told him if he stands to benefit personally from this he may go, but he is not allowed to curse the Jews. 

 

The Torah tells us that when Bila’am heard that G-d gave him permission to go, although he had many servants, his hate for the Jewish people was so great that he himself saddled his donkey to go to Balak. On the way, an angel blocks his way.  The donkey who saw the angel turned away from the road and walking in a narrow path, squeezed against a stone wall, crushing Bila’am’s foot. Bila’am, who didn’t see the angel, hits the donkey three times. The donkey opened its mouth and reprimands Bila’am for hitting it.  In this parsha is the famous Biblical story of the talking donkey.

 

Q.   Whom did the nation of Moab, who wanted to destroy the people of Israel, descend from?

 

A.    They were descendents of Lot, who was Abraham’s nephew.

 

Q.     Which great Jewish personalities descended from Balak, king of Moab?

 

A.     King David and his son, King Solomon came from Ruth, who was the granddaughter of Balak.

                                             

Q.   Why would G-d give the power of prophecy to someone like Bila’am?

 

A.   Our sages explain, that the nations complained to G-d, “If You only gave us a prophet like Moses, we would be a better people.  G-d then chose Bila’am as their prophet.  However, instead of guiding them to better their ways, Bila’am ended up misusing his G-dly powers in the wrong ways.

 

Q.   Why would the Torah name a Parsha after Balak, who wanted to kill the Jewish people?

 

A.   The Talmudic sages explain that because of the forty two sacrifices which Balak brought, as we read in this Parsha he merited that Ruth descended from him and from Ruth came King David and King Solomon, who built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Although Balak’s intentions for bringing the sacrifices were not good ones, it was only in order to bribe G-d so that He will allow Bila’am to curse the Jewish people, yet, the fact that he brought all these sacrifices stood in his merit.

 

It is because of Ruth, King David and King Solomon, who were descendants of Balak, that the Parsha is called by his name, Balak..

 

SHABBAT  SHALOM

 

Montrealcandle lighting time: 8:28 / Shabbat ends: 9:43