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From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 1997 2:15 AM To: Parasha-Page List Subject: Torah Weekly - Balak Reply-to: ohr@virtual.co.il From: "Ohr Somayach" <ohr@virtual.co.il> To: " Highlights of the Torah weekly portion" <weekly@virtual.co.il> Subject: Torah Weekly - Balak X-To: weekly@virtual.co.il
* TORAH WEEKLY *
Highlights of the Weekly Torah Portion
with "Fatherly Advice" Tidbits from The Ethics of our Fathers
Parshas Balak
For the week ending 14 Tammuz 5757
18 & 19 July 1997
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Overview
Balak, the king of Moav, is in morbid fear of the Bnei Yisrael. He summons
a renowned sorcerer named Bilaam to curse them.
First, Hashem appears to Bilaam and forbids him to go. But because Bilaam
is so insistent, Hashem appears to him a second time and permits him to go.
While en route, a malach (angel, messenger from Hashem) blocks the path of
Bilaam's donkey. Unable to contain his frustration, Bilaam strikes the
donkey each time it stops or wants to make a detour. Miraculously, the
donkey speaks, asking Bilaam why he is hitting her. The malach instructs
Bilaam regarding what he is permitted to say, and what he is forbidden to
say regarding the Jewish People. When Bilaam arrives, King Balak makes
elaborate preparations in the hope that Bilaam will succeed in the curse.
Three times Bilaam attempts to curse, and three times a blessing issues
instead. Balak, seeing that Bilaam has failed, sends him home in disgrace.
The Bnei Yisrael begin sinning with the Moabite women, and worshipping the
Moabite idols, and are punished with a plague.
One of the Jewish leaders brazenly brings a Midianite princess into his
tent, in full view of Moshe and the people. Pinchas, a grandson of Aaron,
grabs a spear and kills both evildoers. This halts the plague, but not
before 24,000 have died.
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Insights
Letting It All Hang Out
"...the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moav." (25:1)
It is axiomatic in our times that nothing is worse than having `hang-ups.'
Our role model is unrestrained freedom: Freedom from complexes. Freedom
from guilt. The pundits of the media invite us constantly to `let it all
hang out.' There is almost nothing of which we should be ashamed.
Homosexuality is no more than a matter of personal choice. Casual physical
relationships are the norm. Nakedness, we are told, is absolutely no cause
for embarrassment. The body is natural and therefore its processes should
give us no cause for shame whatsoever.
Interestingly enough, a vestige of modesty still creeps in here and there:
We have not reached the stage where all bodily functions are performed
openly in public. But really, according to current morality, there seems
to be little reason why this should be so.
We might think that `letting it all hang out' is a modern phenomenon.
However, there is a striking similarity between our own times and events
that happened over three thousand years ago.
After the Jewish People left Egypt, Balak, who was King of Moav at that
time, sent word to Bilaam, the prophet of the nations, to curse the Jewish
People. Bilaam was unsuccessful in his direct attacks on Israel. However,
he was able to make the Jewish People stumble by other means: His advice
was that the Moabite women should lure the Jewish men into immorality. The
mission of the Jewish People is to be a holy nation, and thus Bilaam knew
that licentiousness would provoke Divine wrath.
The Moabite women, however, exacted a price for their services. They
refused to have anything to do with the Jewish men until they had
worshipped their idol, baal peor.
How was baal peor worshipped?
A devotee of baal peor would eat lentils and beer, and then perform his
bodily functions in front of the idol. In fact, the more that one abused
the idol, the more devout was one's worship considered.
How was it possible for the Jews to be drawn after such a disgusting cult?
What was its allure?
The essence of the cult of baal peor was `let it all hang out.' The
underlying intention was to shatter all barriers. Once there are no
barriers, anything is permissible. If no physical process causes shame
then all morality speedily goes out the door.
Asinine Talk
"And Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey..." (22:28)
What does it mean when a donkey starts to speak?
The essential difference between Man and the animals is the power of
speech. Man is called "The Speaker." This is the quality that epitomizes
his elevation above the animals.
The power of speech is given to Man to elevate the physical world, to
inject spirituality into the physical.
Describing the creation of Man, the Torah says that Hashem "blew into his
nose a spirit of life." The Targum Onkelos translates this phrase as "He
blew into his nose a speaking spirit."
In the Hebrew language, the word for "thing" -- "davar" -- is connected to
the same root as "dibur" -- "word." Speech is the interface between the
world of things -- the physical world -- and the spiritual world.
When Man uses his power of speech to add spirituality to the world, he
fulfills his true purpose, he epitomizes the `speaking spirit.' He
elevates both himself and the world with him. But when he degrades the
power of speech by using it to curse and to denigrate, then Man becomes no
more than a talking donkey.
Sweeter than honey?
"Do not go with them; do not curse this people, for they are blessed."
(22:12)
"Hashem said to Bilaam `You shall not curse the people.' Bilaam said to
Hashem `If so, I will bless them.' Hashem said `They do not need your
blessing, for they are blessed.'
As the proverb says: "We tell the bee `Neither your honey, nor your
sting.'" (Rashi)
Which non-kosher animal produces kosher food?
The Bee. Although the bee is a non-kosher animal, honey is itself Kosher.
The reason that honey is Kosher is because honey doesn't actually come from
the bee's body. Rather, bees manufacture honey from the pollen that they
gather. However, the bee's poisonous sting does come from the bee's body
itself. (Yoreh Deah 81)
Bilaam was like the bee. All of his "honey" -- his sweet blessings and
prophecies about the Jewish People -- did not come from him. In no way
were they part of his nature. Rather, they were gathered from an outside
source. Bilaam's venomous curses and foul plots, however, emanated from
his true poisonous essence.
Tumor and Tumah
"Amalek is the first of nations." (24:20)
One of the most critical factors in operating on a patient with a
pathological disease is the necessity to remove all of the tumor. If any
of the diseased tissue is allowed to remain it will grow back and attack
the patient with renewed vigor.
The physical world mirrors the spiritual. Israel and Amalek stand at
opposite ends of the spectrum. Israel's role is to be a holy nation, to
live a life of kedusha. Everything that Amalek does is aimed at destroying
that life. The Torah refers to both Israel and its arch-enemy Amalek as
`firsts.'
That which is first contains everything that needs to be: A seed is a
perfect microcosm of the oak that it will be one day. A microscopic cell
has the entire genetic code to build a human life. In fact, any part of
the human anatomy has the genetic code to build the entire structure.
Israel is called `first.' "Holy to Hashem is Yisrael, the first of His
produce." To fulfill the Torah obligation of tithing to the Levites, all
it takes is one grain (Chullin 137).
Amalek is also called `first.' "Amalek is the first of nations."
Similarly, all it takes is one grain of tumah (spiritual corruption) to
spread throughout the entire body and infect everything.
Thus, the Torah commands us in the strongest terms to eradicate every last
vestige of the spiritual pathogen whose name is Amalek. For if even the
slightest trace remains, it will grow back with an awesome virulence.
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Haftorah: Micha 5:6-6:8
Walking Humbly
"O Man, what is good and what does Hashem seek from you, only to do justice
and love kindness, and walk humbly with your G-d." (6:8)
"To walk humbly with your G-d" -- this refers to the mitzvos of providing
for a bride and escorting the dead -- (Rashi).
To perceive the true essence of a person, one must see him both in moments
of transcendent joy -- providing for a bride -- and abject sorrow --
escorting the dead.
For in these moments of extremity, the inner qualities are revealed in
stark relief. Only then can it be seen whether he can be said "to walk
humbly with your G-d."
(Kochav M'Yaakov)
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Sources:
o Letting It All Hang Out - Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz
o Asinine Talk - Rabbi Nota Schiller
o Sweeter than Honey? - She'eris Menachem
o Tumor and Tumah - Rabbi Mordechai Y. L. Zakash
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Fatherly Advice
Tidbits from the Ethics of the Fathers
traditionally studied on summer Sabbaths
compiled by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach
If I do not achieve on my behalf who will achieve for me?
If I have achieved, what am I?
If not now, then when?
Hillel, Avos 1:14
No one but myself can achieve anything for me in spiritual growth. But
even when I have already achieved a measure of growth I must humbly measure
this gain against what is expected of me, always bearing in mind that the
opportunity I have in my youth may not be available in later life and the
chance I have to achieve in this world will certainly not be repeated in
the World to Come.
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