Balak – Page 11 – Peninim on the Torah

And Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emorites…Behold a people has come out of Egypt, see, they cover the face of the earth. (22:2, 5)

This is a paradigm of the sad tale of history, notes Horav Moshe Swiftz, zl. The gentiles acknowledge only that which the Jews have done to the Emorites. Did Balak also notice the violence which the Emorites perpetrated upon us? The gentiles see the Jew through their unique spectacles. They stand ready to condemn any Jewish action committed rightly or wrongly, without consideration and without empathy. Their eyes are closed; their senses are numbed with indifference to the plight of the Jew. Balak said, “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt. See, they cover the face of the earth.” …

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5757

Behold, a man of Bnei Yisrael came and brought a Midyanite woman near to his brothers. (25:6)

During a meeting of rabbonim held in Yerushalayim, an individual raised a question to the august assemblage. Suddenly an older man arose and addressed the group, “My friends, I am beyond the age of seventy, and I can, therefore, assure you that I am beyond being tainted by the pursuit of honor. I suggest that we render the following decision…” He went on to state his “humble” opinion. Upon hearing this, Horav Leib Chasman, zl, who was one of the attendees at the meeting, stood up and emphatically said, “With all due respect, I must disagree with my colleague. It…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5757

Behold! A man of Bnei Yisrael came and brought a midyanite woman near to his brothers…And they were weeping at the entrance to the tent. (25:6)

The Midrash states that when Zimri brazenly brought the pagan woman before Moshe, he asked him, “Ben Amram, is this woman permitted to me — or forbidden?” “She is forbidden,” replied Moshe. Zimri countered, “If she is forbidden, who permitted you to marry your wife, since she is the daughter of a Midyanite priest?” Moshe did not respond. This caused the people around him to begin weeping. Moshe did nothing to counter Zimri’s brazenness. Surprisingly, he did not even implore Hashem to put a stop to Zimri’s insurgence. The Midrash adds that Hashem inquired of Moshe, “Where is the wisdom…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5757

Hashem’s wrath flowed because he was going. And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him….The angel of Hashem stood in the path of the vineyards. (22:22,24)

The Torah does not consistently use Hashem’s Name. In the beginning, when it states that Hashem’s wrath flared, the Torah uses the Name Elokim, which implies the attribute of din, justice. Afterwards, it says that Hashem dispatched an angel to save Bilaam from sin. The Torah now employs the Name Hashem which implies the attribute of rachamim, compassion. Why is there a change in Hashem’s relationship to the situation? The Chofetz Chaim, zl, explains that Bilaam was ostensibly endowed with a special neshama, soul. He had the ability to attain very high levels of spiritual achievement. Alas, he used his…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5756

“And the words of the man with the open eye.” (24:3)

The Talmud in Sanhedrin 105 interprets “open eye” as referring to the fact that Bilaam was blind in one eye. Targum Onkeles defines “open eye” as meaning that Bilaam had special vision in one eye. How does Onkeles’s explanation coincide with that of the Talmud? The Baal Shem Tov suggests that the two interpretations complement one another. In order to attain the level of nevuah, prophesy, one must be a kadosh, holy person. Kedushah is achieved by purifying each organ of one’s body and sanctifying it. Indeed, this was what the Navi would do. Bilaam, however, had a problem. He…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5756

“Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up unto Hashem in the face of the sun.” (25:4)

Many Jews accepted the invitation of the Midianite and Moavite women to join them in a sacrificial festival to their god, Baal–Peor. Although it was not the leaders of the tribes that sinned, they did not manage to prevent others from committing the gravest sins with the pagan women. Sforno comments that their sin progressed gradually. They began by exhibiting licentious behavior with the pagan women, followed by eating their sacrifices, until, ultimately, they began worshiping their idols. The apathy the leaders demonstrated by observing thousands succumbing to the wiles of the yetzer hora without themselves doing anything in protest,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5755

“And he (Balak) sent messengers to Bilaam the son of Be’or to Pethor.” (22:5)

The main character in our parsha is Bilaam. This parsha, however, is called Balak after the evil king who invited Bilaam to join him in cursing and destroying the Jews. This emphasis implies that the individual who is maliciously manipulating behind the scenes is more ruthless than he who does the actual cursing. Regrettably, we are often confronted with people who put on a veil of piety and religious superiority while subtly slandering others in such a manner that no one would ever connect them to any malevolent activity. They incite others to do their destructive work for them. These…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5755

“And the she-donkey turned away from the road and went into the field … and the angel of Hashem stood in the path of the vineyards, a fence on this side and a fence on that side … and (the angel) stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn.” (22:23,24,26)

Rashi cites the Midrash Tanchuma which explains that the angel’s threefold appearance symbolizes that Bilaam’s efforts to curse the Jews, descendants of the three Avos, Patriarchs, were all in vain. It was as if each time a different Patriarch blocked the path of Bilaam’s donkey. The first time the angel appeared, ample space remained for the donkey to escape on either side. This indicated that had Bilaam wished to curse Avraham’s descendants, he would have had two options. He could curse the offspring of either Avraham’s son, Yishmael, or of Avraham’s wife, Keturah. He was not, however, permitted to curse…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5755

“And Hashem opened the mouth of the she-donkey … And the she-donkey said to Bilaam, ‘Am I not your she-donkey that you have ridden all your life until this day?'” (22:28,30)

The “mouth of the she-donkey” — or the miracle of the she-donkey’s speech — is mentioned as one of the ten supernatural phenomena which originated during the period of time between the end of the sixth day of Creation and the commencement of Shabbos. We can glean profound lessons from the necessity for such a miracle. We would like to place emphasis upon the actual statement the she-donkey made and the lessons we learn from it. Horav Yitzchak Rabinovitz, z.l., who was better known as Reb Itzele Ponievezer, used the following homiletic illustration to admonish a group of ill- mannered…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5753

“And the donkey saw the angel of Hashem… and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field.” (22:23) – “And the angel of Hashem stood in a hollow way between the vineyards, a fence (being) on this (side) and a fence (being) on this (side).” (22:24) – “And the angel of Hashem again passed, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left.” (22:26)

Horav Chaim Ehrentrau, z.l., points out that the three places at which the angel stood opposite Bilaam, barring his path, symbolize man’s three points of digression from freedom towards his ultimate loss of bechirah, free-will. In the beginning, the road towards sin appears to be a wide opening, from which it is easy to turn away to the right or left — or even turn back. This was Bilaam’s original situation. He could have returned to his home and redeemed himself. The sinner who remains adamant, continuing along his path of evil, encounters a narrower path. Although return from this…

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And Balak the son of Tzippor saw all that Yisrael had done to the Emorites…Behold a people has come out of Egypt, see, they cover the face of the earth. (22:2, 5)

Behold, a man of Bnei Yisrael came and brought a Midyanite woman near to his brothers. (25:6)

Behold! A man of Bnei Yisrael came and brought a midyanite woman near to his brothers…And they were weeping at the entrance to the tent. (25:6)

Hashem’s wrath flowed because he was going. And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him….The angel of Hashem stood in the path of the vineyards. (22:22,24)

“And the words of the man with the open eye.” (24:3)

“Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up unto Hashem in the face of the sun.” (25:4)

“And he (Balak) sent messengers to Bilaam the son of Be’or to Pethor.” (22:5)

“And the she-donkey turned away from the road and went into the field … and the angel of Hashem stood in the path of the vineyards, a fence on this side and a fence on that side … and (the angel) stood in a narrow place, where there was no room to turn.” (22:23,24,26)

“And Hashem opened the mouth of the she-donkey … And the she-donkey said to Bilaam, ‘Am I not your she-donkey that you have ridden all your life until this day?'” (22:28,30)

YEARS

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