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

B"H

Tuesday, Tammuz 15, 5780 / July 7, 2020

This week’s Parsha is Pinchas.  Now we do the same Torah readings in Israel and in the Diaspora. The Parsha is named after Pinchas, who was the grandson of Aaron, the High Priest (Kohen Gadol). 

Parshat Pinchas comes after Parshat Balak.  Both carry the name of a person.  But, while Parshat Balak carries the name of a wicked king who wanted to destroy the Jewish people, Parshat Pinchas is named after the righteous Pinchas, who stopped a plague which caused the death of 24,000 Jews.

The Parsha begins, "And G-d spoke to Moshe, saying: Pinchas, the son of Elazar the son of Aaron the priest, has turned away My wrath from the children of Israel and I did not destroy the children of Israel in My anger.  Therefore I say: Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace (Shalom).”

Pinchas stopped the plague when he killed a leader of a tribe of Israel who sinned with a Midyonite woman in the presence of Moshe and the people of Israel. The Torah tells us that Moshe and the people were crying, as they didn’t know what to do.  It was only due to the zealous act of Pinchas, who, reminded Moshe what the law was, and with Moshe’s permission, killed them both, which removed G-d’s wrath from the people.

Although Pinchas’ act may not have been viewed as an act of peace, yet, in this case it served to save the Jewish people and brought about peace between G-d and the Jewish people.

Our sages say that Pinchas and the Prophet Elijah are one and the same. One of the many functions of Elijah the Prophet is that he attends every Brit (circumcision). 

The Mohel (the one who performs the circumcision), announces before the Brit that there is a special chair set aside for Elijah the Prophet and invites Elijah to the Brit, to stand by his side and help him with the circumcision.  One of the reasons it is such a great mitzvah and merit to attend a Brit is that we come face to face with Elijah in the same room!  We may not see him, but he sees us and blesses not only the baby, but also the family and friends who are in attendance. Elijah-Pinchas brings blessings here, just like he did for the Jewish people in the desert.

One of the reasons we stand up when the baby is brought into the room for the Brit is in honor of Elijah, the Propjet, who enters with the baby.

Q.   Why wasn't Pinchas a Kohen before this act, when his father and grandfather were Kohanim?

A.   Although the priesthood is passed on automatically from father to son, this special status was to be transmitted only to future generations after G-d appointed Aaron and his sons to become Kohanim.  It did not apply to any of Aaron's grandchildren who were living at that time.  As a result, Pinchas, who was already born, was not a Kohen until G-d rewarded him the priesthood for his heroic act.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Wednesday, Tammuz 16, 5780 / July 8, 2020

Highlights of this week’s Parsha, Pinchas: G-d grants Pinchas, who was the grandson of Aaron, the High priest, the covenant of peace and proclaims Pinchas a Kohen (priest) to serve in the Mishkan/Temple.

G-d commands Moshe to take a count of the Jewish people.  The counting was for men over the age of twenty.  The total was 601,730.

In the Parsha we also read about the specific sacrifices which G-d commanded to bring in the Temple on each of the holidays; Rosh Chodesh, Passover, Shavuot, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, Sukkot.  On each of the holidays we read from this Parsha the portion concerning that particular holiday.  Thus, Pinchas is the Parsha from which we read most during the year.

Q.   Why did G-d want Moshe to count the people at this time?

A.    This counting took place after Jews sinned and were punished by a plague which took the lives of 24,000 Jews.  Rashi compares this counting to a shepherd whose flock was attacked by a pack of wolves who killed many of the sheep.  After chasing away the wolves, the shepherd counts the remaining sheep to know how many were spared.  So, too, after the plague which took the lives of 24,000 Jews, Moshe, their faithful shepherd, counted his flock to know how many were spared.

Counting something is a sign that the object is important to the owner.  G-d wanted the Jewish people counted now to show that although they sinned, his affection and love for them was still there.

Another reason: This counting took place very close to Moshe’s death, when he had to pass on the mantle of leadership to Joshua.  Just like when Moshe took the people out of Egypt, G-d told him their count (600,000), so too, now, that he had to give them over to Joshua, as their new leader, he gave them over with an exact count.

Q.    Why are all the holidays recorded in this Parsha?

A.    Parshat Pinchas is usually read in the beginning of the Three Week period when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temples.  Reading now about the holiday services in the Temple gives us hope and encouragement that one day, very soon, we will again serve G-d in the Holy Temple.

Q.    Is there any mitzvah we perform today that replaces sacrifices?

A.    Prayer.  The Talmudic sages say that, prayers were established in place of sacrifices.  The three daily prayers were established, after the destruction of the Temple, instead of the sacrifices

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY