Balak – Page 9 – Peninim on the Torah

“And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him.” (22:22)

Hashem warned Bilaam not to curse the Jewish nation. Bilaam had the gall to attempt to defy Him. Hashem sent a Heavenly angel to block Bilaam’s path. The angel stood there with a drawn sword. Yet, Rashi describes this angel as an angel of mercy, sent by a compassionate G-d to prevent Bilaam from committing a sin which would catalyze his self destruction. The donkey who saw the angel saw a menacing angel brandishing a sword. Yet, he is described as an angel of mercy. In The Pleasant Way, Horav Avraham Pam, z.l., derives a compelling lesson from here. Life is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5761

“And Moav was disgusted in the face of the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:3)

The parsha details how Balak and Bilaam sought every opportunity to curse Klal Yisrael. They tried everything to do away with the Jewish People. In the end, when they saw that all their efforts had failed, they brought out their young women and relied on the yetzer hara, evil-inclination, to perform the function in which he excels. Regrettably, this approach met with success, as many Jews fell prey to the yetzer hara’s blandishments. We wonder why Bilaam waited so long to attempt this proven method of destroying Klal Yisrael’s spiritual stature. Why did he try the methods that were at…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5761

“If the men came to summon you, arise and go with them…G-d’s wrath flared because he was going.” (22: 20,22)

The question is apparent: Hashem instructed Bilaam to go with them. Bilaam listened and joined Balak’s emissaries. Why then was Hashem so angry with Bilaam for following His orders? In his sefer Be’er Moshe, the Ozrover Rebbe, z.l., explains that when Hashem commands a person to do something, it is different than when a human asks another person to do something for him. When one person asks another to perform a function for him, his primary concern is that the activity be done, that his request be carried out. He does not really care if the person acts willingly or…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5761

“He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Yisrael.” (23:21)

The Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh once spent Shabbos in a city that was home to a large chassidic following. It happened that on that Shabbos a darshon, an ethical lecturer, who would travel from city to city speaking from the podium admonishing its inhabitants regarding their religious observance, also spent Shabbos in that community. The Baal Shem Tov was a person who empathized with all Jews. In his desire to provide the speaker with a large captive audience, he personally attended the drasha, lecture. The chassidim understandably followed suit. The darshan went up to the lectern and spoke penetrating words…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5761

“How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael.” (24:5)

Rashi says that Bilaam was prompted to praise the Jewish home when he observed that the entrance to each person’s home was not aligned one opposite the next. He was impressed with their modesty. In the Talmud Sanhedrin 108a, Chazal give an alternative explanation that does seem to coincide with Rashi’s. Rabbi Yochanan says that from the blessing of that evil one (Bilaam), we are to ascertain what was originally in his heart. He wanted to curse them, that there should no longer be houses of Torah study and houses of worship, but he ended up saying, “How goodly are…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5760

“And Moav was disgusted in the face of the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:3)

The parsha details how Balak and Bilaam sought every opportunity to curse Klal Yisrael. They tried everything to do away with the Jewish People. In the end, when they saw that all their efforts had failed, they brought out their young women and relied on the yetzer hara, evil-inclination, to perform the function in which he excels. Regrettably, this approach met with success, as many Jews fell prey to the yetzer hara’s blandishments. We wonder why Bilaam waited so long to attempt this proven method of destroying Klal Yisrael’s spiritual stature. Why did he try the methods that were at…

Home -> 5760 -> Balak

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5760

“If the men came to summon you, arise and go with them…G-d’s wrath flared because he was going.” (22: 20,22)

The question is apparent: Hashem instructed Bilaam to go with them. Bilaam listened and joined Balak’s emissaries. Why then was Hashem so angry with Bilaam for following His orders? In his sefer Be’er Moshe, the Ozrover Rebbe, z.l., explains that when Hashem commands a person to do something, it is different than when a human asks another person to do something for him. When one person asks another to perform a function for him, his primary concern is that the activity be done, that his request be carried out. He does not really care if the person acts willingly or…

Home -> 5760 -> Balak

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5760

“He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Yisrael.” (23:21)

The Baal Shem Tov Hakadosh once spent Shabbos in a city that was home to a large chassidic following. It happened that on that Shabbos a darshon, an ethical lecturer, who would travel from city to city speaking from the podium admonishing its inhabitants regarding their religious observance, also spent Shabbos in that community. The Baal Shem Tov was a person who empathized with all Jews. In his desire to provide the speaker with a large captive audience, he personally attended the drasha, lecture. The chassidim understandably followed suit. The darshan went up to the lectern and spoke penetrating words…

Home -> 5760 -> Balak

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5760

“How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael.” (24:5)

Rashi says that Bilaam was prompted to praise the Jewish home when he observed that the entrance to each person’s home was not aligned one opposite the next. He was impressed with their modesty. In the Talmud Sanhedrin 108a, Chazal give an alternative explanation that does seem to coincide with Rashi’s. Rabbi Yochanan says that from the blessing of that evil one (Bilaam), we are to ascertain what was originally in his heart. He wanted to curse them, that there should no longer be houses of Torah study and houses of worship, but he ended up saying, “How goodly are…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Balak, 5759

Make for yourself a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole; and it shall be that everyone that is bitten when he sees it, shall live. (21:8)

The narrative stimulates a number of questions: Why did Moshe Rabbeinu fashion the serpent of copper? Why not of another substance, such as clay or wood? Is there a relationship between the word nachash, serpent, and the word nechoshes, copper? Why was this serpent placed upon a pole? How is one who is bitten by a serpent cured simply by gazing at the serpent? Horav Avigdor Miller, Shlita, addresses these questions in his commentary on this parsha. The serpent is a symbol of the yetzer hora, evil inclination. The yetzer hora’s strength lies in its ability to be elusive, to…

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“And an angel of Hashem stood on the road to impede him.” (22:22)

“And Moav was disgusted in the face of the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:3)

“If the men came to summon you, arise and go with them…G-d’s wrath flared because he was going.” (22: 20,22)

“He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Yisrael.” (23:21)

“How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael.” (24:5)

“And Moav was disgusted in the face of the Bnei Yisrael.” (22:3)

“If the men came to summon you, arise and go with them…G-d’s wrath flared because he was going.” (22: 20,22)

“He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Yisrael.” (23:21)

“How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael.” (24:5)

Make for yourself a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole; and it shall be that everyone that is bitten when he sees it, shall live. (21:8)

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