Balak

Found 12 Search results

  1. What Does the Lord Require of You

    Haftarot: Balak

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    Micah's prophecy emphasizes the dependency on God and man's spiritual status as determining factors in our relationship with God. Balak understood the significance of the spiritual factor, and summons Bilam to assist him. Bilam's offerings do not express internal spirituality, but rather an attempt to appease God using magic. Micah objects to sacrifices that are not accompanied by a deep spiritual feeling, acknowledgement of our dependency on God, actions of righteousness and justice, and appreciation toward the Divine.

  2. Bilam and Balak

    Rabbi Ezra Bick

    This lesson will focus on the dialogue between Balak and Bilam throughout the parasha, which frames the story. Balak presses Bilam to curse Israel, and Bilam insists that he will only do as God commands. The message of this episode emphasizes the difference between Balak's beliefs in the power of magic, and the Torah's belief in God, which is represented by Bilam, who experienced both worlds, and demonstrates which prevails.

  3. Balak and Bil'am

    Rabbi Amnon Bazak

    What is the main message of the parsha, which seemingly does not deal with the narrative of Am Yisrael at all? By examining the various episodes in the parsha we notice the characteristic that Balak and Bilam have in common – the stubbornness that prevents them from perceiving and acknowledging God's control of the world.

  4. Bilam and Balak (Audio)

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 12 minutes

    This lesson will focus on the dialogue between Balak and Bilam throughout the parasha, which frames the story. Balak presses Bilam to curse Israel, and Bilam insists that he will only do as God commands. The message of this episode emphasizes the difference between Balak's beliefs in the power of magic, and the Torah's belief in God, which is represented by Bilam, who experienced both worlds, and demonstrates which prevails.

  5. Why Kill Midyan and Spare Moav?

    Ramban on Parshat Pinchas

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 37 minutes

    God tell Moshe to fight the Midianites, but the sin of Ba’al Pe’or occurred with the daughters of Moav. Furthermore, God specifically says not to attack Moav! Ramban considers and critically evaluates varying approaches: Is the sin of planning and concocting worse than carrying something out- were the Midians merely using the Moavite women as their weapon of choice? Was Moav to be saved because of future righteous descendants? Was motivation a factor- Moav involved out of fear, and Midian out of malice? Is there a difference between attacking borders and attacking people’s souls? Is God’s exclusion of Moav related to this story, or to the covenant between Lot and Avraham?

  6. Balak - A View from the Outside

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 19 minutes

    Parashat Balak is one of the most fascinating parshiyyot. Most of the Torah is centered around Am Yisrael, but in this parasha, Bnei Yisrael are in the periphery - it is an opportunity to view ousrselves from the outside. Is Balak a villain, or is he doing what he thinks is necessarily to protect himself? The King of Moav apparently does not feel threatened, but disgusted by the arrival of Bnei Yisrael. Moav wants to focus on the flaws of Am Yisrael, but our own viewpoint to the world should look at the big picture: what are the general trends of the people?

     

     

     

     

  7. What Makes God Laugh

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

    As we learn from Parshat Balak, Pagan prophets like Bilam had not yet learned the lesson we must all one day learn: that what matters is not that God does what we want, but that we do what He wants. God laughs at those who think they have godlike powers. The opposite is true. The smaller we see ourselves, the greater we become.

     

    This article is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

  8. What Makes God Laugh (Audio)

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | 10 minutes

    As we learn from Parshat Balak, Pagan prophets like Bilam had not yet learned the lesson we must all one day learn: that what matters is not that God does what we want, but that we do what He wants. God laughs at those who think they have godlike powers. The opposite is true. The smaller we see ourselves, the greater we become.

     

    This lecture is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

  9. What -and Why - are the "Kesamim" sent by Balak to Bilam?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  10. Balak - a King Suppressing Revolt?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  11. Parshat Balak - The Book of Bilam

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 35 minutes

    We look at Parashat Balak, and find a stormy relationship between Balak and Bilam. Something strange going on--  why have we jumped away from the main story of Bemidbar to a strange self-contained story- the “Book of Bilam”? Why does it appear in the Torah -what is the connection to the rest of Bemidbar? 

    Bilam's hubris - his grand claims and arrogance followed by the demonstration that he does not see as much as his own donkey, turns into a commentary on the character of someone else: Moshe. Bilam is a foil for Moshe's prophecy and humility.

     

  12. Parashat Balak and Israel's Unique Relationship with God

    Rabbi Jonathan Snowbell | 34 minutes

    Parashat Balak is an island within the book of Bemidbar. What is it doing there?

    We look at the story of Bilam's "negotiation" with God and discover that the story may teach us lessons about the relationship between God and Israel in unexpected ways.