Parashat Balak
Numbers 22:2 - 25:9

Topics (click on any link)
Synopsis of the Torah portion
Spiritual insights into Parashat Balak
Key verses
Creative Midrash for Parashat Balak
   

Synopsis                                     return to top
Chapter 22
While Israel was encamped in the plains of Moab, Balak the king of Moab saw how numerous the Israelites had become. He feared that Israel will destroy him and his nation like they did to the Amorites, so he sent a message to Balaam, a man skilled in prophecy and divination, to put a curse on Israel so that he might defeat them and drive them away.

God came to Balaam and told him not to follow the request of Balak. Balaam refused to go, so after two more appeals, with promises of great reward, Balaam finally relented. God came to Balaam in a dream and told him that he may go with the Moabite elders, but he shall do what ever he is commanded.
The next morning Balaam left with the Moabite elders and God became angry with him. God placed an angel with crossed swords in front of Balaam's donkey. The donkey swerved off the road and he was beaten for disobedience. Once more did the angel of the Lord block the road and the donkey was beaten. On the third attempt the angel completely blocked the road preventing the donkey from swerving and he fell upon Balaam. God made the donkey to speak and he asked what he did that caused him to get beaten three times. Balaam replied that he was made into a laughingstock, at which point God uncovered Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel. God reprimanded Balaam for beating his donkey when it was God who was his adversary, for doing such an obnoxious errand, not the donkey.
Balaam told God that he made a mistake because he didn't realize the task was so offensive. Again, God said go with them but say nothing except what I tell you. Balak greeted Balaam when he arrived, and Balaam told the king that that he can utter only the words God commands him to say.

Chapter 23
Balaam instructed the king to build seven altars and have seven rams and seven bulls ready for sacrifice while I consult with God. God put the words of blessing into Balaam's mouth, which angered Balak for blessing the Israelites rather than cursing them. The king then brought Balaam to another location built seven altars for the sacrifices and again Balaam blesses Israel. In frustration, Balak said to not bless or curse them anymore.  Balaam replied that whatever God says he must do. Finally Balak brought Balaam to a third location and prepared the altars for sacrifice.

Chapter 24
This time Balaam turned his face towards the wilderness and once more words of blessing flowed from his lips. The enraged Balak screamed at Balaam that he was hired to damn the Israelites, not bless them. Balak then dismissed Balaam denying him of the riches he was promised. And Balaam said regardless how much wealth you could offer me, I cannot go against the word of the Lord. As Balaam left he predicted that Israel will be triumphant against all its enemies.

Chapter 25
While Israel was staying in the area the people profaned themselves by debauching the Moabite women who invited the people to sacrifice to their gods. The Lord became incensed. He demanded that the ringleaders be publicly impaled before the Lord in retribution for their crimes. Just as Moses was about to carry out the Lord's command, an Israelite brought a Midianite women over to his companions. Upon seeing this, Pinchas, a priest, reached for his spear and stabbed the Israelite and the woman. That act reversed the plague that God had brought upon the sinful Israelites.

Spiritual insights into Parashat Balak                                     return to top

Balak was the king of Moab, a desert people who feared the Israelites for they saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. So the king enlisted the aid of Baalam, a Midianite prophet to curse Israel and put an end to their God ordained aggression. But God said to Baalam, "Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed." After much persuasion with promises of a great reward Baalam consented but that night God came to Baalam and said to him, "If these men have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do."

What seems to come out of this is the human ability of free will. We can choose to do whatever we wish, but in the end God controls the outcomes. Yet God was incensed at Baalam's consent to go; so an angel of the Lord placed himself in his way as an adversary. When Baalam's ass caught sight of the angel standing in the way, the ass swerved from the road and went into the fields; and Balaam beat the ass to turn her back onto the road. Perhaps this familiar, fairy-tale like story of Baalam's ass serves to confirm that God can give animals the miraculous gift of speech and refined sight.  We too, could take this story and realize that obstacles placed in our way is God's attempt to reach out and teach us something of value. The tale concludes with Baalam's attempt, on three separate occasions, to curse the Israelites, however whatever curse Baalam had in mind, God saw to it that it turned into a blessing.

Key verses                                     return to top
This page is not a commentary on the text, but a chance for you to express your own comments and feelings in order to gain deeper insight into your own life.
Numbers 22:18
Balaam replied to Balak's officials, "Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything big or little, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.
Food for thought:
1. If Balaam is not an Israelite, but a Midianite, a relative of the King, how could the Lord be his God?
2. Are Midianites the Lord's people also? Don't forget Moses' father-in-law was a Midianite priest, the one who trained Moses early on.
3. Could Balaam, you or I do anything contrary to the Lord's command.

Numbers 22:31
Then the Lord uncovered Balaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, his sword drawn in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground.
Food for thought:
1. How is it that the donkey saw the angel three times and not Balaam? Isn't Balaam supposed to have prophetic qualities?
2. God told Balaam that he may go with the Moabites, but He will tell him what to say. Does this suggest that people have choice, but God has the final say? Do you think God influences what you think and what you say?
3. Balaam told the angel that he erred because he did not know the trip was obnoxious to the Lord. God said earlier that he could go. What is God's role in people's lives? How, like Balaam, would we know if he approves or disapproves of things that we do?

Numbers 23:8
How can I damn who God has not damned? How doom when the Lord has not doomed?
Food for thought:
1. This is an excerpt of the blessing Balaam recited in place of the curse. Is Balaam actually powerless in the presence of God?
2. Are we powerless in the presence of God or do we just think we can do what we wish?
3. What is the Torah trying to teach us here about choices?

Numbers 23:12
I can only repeat faithfully what the Lord puts in my mouth.
Food for thought:
1. Obviously God favors the Israelites, But why aren't the Moabites human beings with the same rights and privileges as the Israelites?
2. This verse is Balaam's reply to why he blessed Israel instead of cursing them. Why is he saying "faithfully"? Is he unsure? Is he not telling the truth?
3. Do you think there are certain things you say that God puts in your mouth?

Numbers 24:12-13
Balaam replied to Balak, "But I even told the messengers you sent to me, "Though Balak were to give me house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord do anything good or bad contrary to the Lord's command. What the Lord says, that I must say.
Food for thought:
1. By now Balak was disgusted with Balaam and this verse was his reply. How come Balak did not heed the message Balaam gave to the messengers?
2. How does the Lord’s commands determine what you or I do, whether good or bad?

Numbers 24:16
What I see for them is not yet, What I behold will not be soon:
A star rises from Jacob, a meteor comes forth from Israel;
It smashes the brow of Moab.
Food for thought:
1. This verse is Balaam's prediction of what will happen to Moab. What powers does Balaam have in order to prophesize?
2. How would we know if Balaam were a true prophet?
3. What is the Torah trying to tell us about prophecy?

Numbers 25:3-4
Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and the Lord was incensed with Israel. The Lord said to Moses, "Take all the ring leaders and have them publicly impaled before the Lord so that the Lord's wrath may turn away from Israel.
Food for thought:
1. After all the previous incidents of God's rage, how do you feel about God now?
2. Is God's anger for our benefit or His? Is he really that angry or is he trying to teach something to the Israelites?
3. Are there certain things you do that makes Him angry? How does He get revenge on you?

Numbers 25:7-8
When Pinchas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest saw this, he left the assembly and, taking a spear in his hand, he followed the Israelite into the chamber and stabbed both of them, the Israelite and the woman, through the belly. Then the plague against the Israelites was checked.
Food for thought:
1. What he saw was an Israelite bringing a Moabite women to one of his companions. What right did Pinchas has to kill another Israelite, let alone another person?
2. Did Pinchas commit murder? Certainly he committed the act without God's permission. You might recall the Aarons sons ignited holy incense without God's permission and died for it?
3. Why do you think the act that Pinchas committed was able to check the wrath that God sent upon the contemptuous Israelites?
 

Reflections:
The Rabbis of old would meditate on such questions, sometimes for weeks at a time, to help find deeper meaning in the
verses. You may wish to contemplate just one or a few of these questions at a time, rather than tackling them
all.  In what ways we any of your responses to the questions personally meaningful?

Suggestion:
Some of the questions here are of a personal nature which in some cases could be emotionally upsetting. If so, try
relaxing your body as much as possible and takes long slow breaths of air. That usually helps to relieve anxiety. 

Creative Midrash on Parshat Balak                                     return to top
 
Numbers 22:12
But God said to Balaam , "Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed".

The Rabbis of old would create parables, stories and narrative connections around such selected verses. What do you see between the lines, the sentences and the letters. The following questions can provide a launch pad upon which to create your own meanings of the Torah.

The king of Moab hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. Here Balaam has just asked God's permission to go with the king's dignitaries. Then God tells Balaam that if you were invited than you may go, but whatever I command you, that you shall do. What do you think is the point of all of this? Can Balaam do as he pleases? Does he have a choice? Do we have choices in our lives or are we destined to do whatever God commands. Do you think that this matter--of Balaam cursing Israel-- is so urgent that God intervened? What else would it take for God to intervene? Is there are difference between what God commands and His commandments? Why do you think the Torah is bringing this subject of choice up at this point in biblical time? Is Balaam a legitimate prophet? What do you think it takes to be a genuine prophet? Can anyone of us be a prophet today? How come God lets Bilaam go with the Moabites when God knows that whatever Balaam is instructed to say, it will be a blessing? Does God play a part in determining the outcome of human decisions?