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Parshas Balak

Congratulations to Molly Michalle Pocrass and Jerilyn H. Pocrass, winners of our first Web and Bulletin contest. The following divrei Torah were the winning essays for this week’s contest. Thanks so much to everyone who entered! 

PARASHAT BALAK: The Unlikely King
by Jerilyn H. Pocrass

"Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites." Rashi talks about Balak. Although he was King of Moab, his title is not mentioned here, because he was renowned as a mighty warrior long before he became king. The Torah wishes to imply that not only the kings who relied on others to fight their battles, were cowed by Israel’s might, but even fearless Balak, an independent warrior was scared. It may also be that Balak was not a King at first; his people elevated him as a result of their fear of Israel. Balak was not even a Moabite. He was a foreign nobleman whom the Moabites appointed to lead them against Israel.

One commentator pointed out that this is typical of Jewish history. An unlikely leader rises to power, not because of his insightful foreign or domestic policies, but because he excels in hatred of Israel and inhumanity.

King Balak brings Balaam first to the heights of Baal to curse our nation. Harav S. R. Hirsh Z.L. explains that Baal was the god of physical things. Balaam tries to attack our physical well being. The second place was Tzofim, a place of seeing, of spiritual vision. He hoped he could bring Klal Yisrael down spiritually and challenge their spiritual abilities. The third place, the summit of Peor represented shamelessness - it raises the question as to whether Israel is moral enough to get the blessings of Israel. In the end, 24,000 Jewish people who worshipped Baal fell in a plague. What does the mean? It means that they did not pass the test of moral uprightness posed by Balaam.