Chukas-Balak - 5th Portion

Join me as we learn Chumash for Thursday, the fifth Torah reading of Parshas Chukas Balak combined. Chapter 22, verse 13. Yesterday's Torah reading we read as the king of Moab, Balak, sends messengers to Bil'am to ask him to come curse the Jewish people. This way he'll be able to conquer them. What if when they were over them and fight them and uh get them out of his land. Bil'am is more than thrilled as he hates the Jewish people more than Balak. However, he needs God's approval. Today we continue with the discussion with Bil'am and God if he can go and do what Balak requests. Verse 13. Vayakom Bil'am baboker and Bil'am got up in the morning Vayomer el sarei Balak "Go and tell to the ministers of Balak "Lochu l'artzechem, go back to your land, ki me'ein Hashem l'sit et haloch imachem, cuz God does not allow me to go with you." Lahaloch imachem. Rashi, 13. El im sarei gedolim imachem. He tells them I can't go with you cuz God wants more important dignitaries that I should walk with. Lifnei Hashem gevuya. That That That's teaching us that Bil'am was an egomaniac. V'lo ratza l'galot she b'reshut Hashem hu holech imachem, he did not want to tell them that he is governed by what God wants him to say. Elo b'lashon gasa, he spoke in a very egotistic manner. L'ficha Balak, therefore Balak continued to send ministers to him. 14. Vayakumu sarei Balak and the ministers of Moab came Vayavi'uhu el Balak and they came to Balak Vayomru and they said "Me'ein Bil'am aloch imanu, Bil'am refuses to come with us." Vayosef Balak shluchim sarim rabim u'chvadei me'eilam, so so Balak continued to send dignitaries more numerous and higher in rank than these that he already sent. Verse 16. And they said to him, "So you have Balak said the king Balak of the king of Balak, the son of Zippor, said as follows, 'I'll not summon a Mayhall my ally. Do not hesitate to come to me.'" Verse 17. "I will give you great honor." "And whatever you tell me, I will do. But just please come and curse these people for me." Verse 17. "Even more than I paid you in the previous times, I'll pay you this time." Verse 18. And Balaam answered to the people of Balak as follows. "Even if Balak were to give me a full storehouse of silver and gold, I will not be able to transgress what God tells me." "The God, my God, to do either big or small." Rashi, "Balak basically has the madman. This is teaching us that Balaam was so desired other people's money." He said, "Really, he really should give me all his weird ounces of silver and gold for the curses that I'm going to give." "Cuz if not, he's going to have to hire big armies." "It's a doubt whether they'll be victorious or not. But I, with my curses, I'm for sure will be victorious." Over here, Balaam was left with no choice, and he had to reveal that God governs what he says. And he prophesies here, "I'm not able to go against what God says. I cannot take away the blessings that the Jewish people have been already blessed with, and therefore I can't go and curse the Jewish people. Verse 19. However, stay here today as well tonight. And I'll let you know what God tells me to say what God will tell me. His mouth caused him to say something wrong. Meaning that he compared himself Meaning he said the same thing to the people that he was he said the same thing's going to happen to the people that were previously. You're also going to go away disappointed cuz God is not going to tell me allow me to curse them. He's not going to change the words from blessing to curse. All you can pray for is that he should not continue to bless them. The kindness not be. And over here and mistakenly he prophesized that he's actually going to give more blessings than intended initially. Verse 20. If these people came to call you get up and go with them. The only thing that I tell you to do must you do. Rashi. If I clear a show car if you think that you're going to gain from it the sovereign at the little less car and you think you're going to get reward about it then you think you're going with them. You're not setting if you're going to say blessing or curse. You're not going to say what you're going to do then you can go. The however, you should know all only the things that I allow you to say will be able to say after we came still and all went maybe I'll be able to convince God to be able to say something that I against the Jewish people. Now we continue with Balaam's journey. Verse 21. Balaam got up in the morning and he saddled his donkey his female donkey, and he went with the ministers of Moab. He himself went. How terrible hatred destroys any any level of hierarchy because he himself went and saddled his own donkey. God said, "Russia, you evil man." Their great-grandfather Abraham already proceeded the Jew. As it says, "Abraham got up in the morning and he saddled his donkey to do what God says." With the ministers of Moab, he was equal with them that they wanted to hurt the Jews. And that he went. And an angel stood in the way to suddenly to disturb him, to pose a threat, to thwart this idea. And two servants going with him. Rashi, Russia Balaam saw that God was disappointed with this. However, he still desired to go though that he saw that God was not happy about it. To suddenly to thwart it, it was a king of it was the angel of mercy. And he tried to avoid him from sinning, that he shouldn't sin and lose everything. Two servants with him. From here we learn that a very that goes out on his travel two people should go with him to serve to be as assistants to him because it says that because just in case one is needed, even though one technically only needs one person because let's say if the one is needed so with one he goes away, there should always be somebody that can help or they can also help each other. Verse 23, the donkey, the female donkey saw the angel of God who is standing in the way. The sword is drawn in his hand. Therefore, the donkey veered off the way. In the field, the donkey to get her back on the road. Balaam didn't see the donkey, but God sorry, Balaam didn't see the angel, but the donkey did see the angel. That God gave the animal more permission to see godliness and spirituality in the angel more than the human. Because a person because it has knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, therefore, when it sees terrible angels, right away it can be scared and awful and become And he had a sword sword holding in his hand. This evil guy let go of his warfare, which is usually the sword. And he came to use something else. He wants to come against the Jewish people with their mouth, meaning with God, which is the work, which is the warfare of the Jewish people. So, God says, I'll take his warfare and I'll go and come to him with his warfare. That's why we find at the end what happened to Balaam. Balaam was actually killed by sword, which is his warfare. Here we find the idea that yes, the human can go crazy from seeing, but not the animal cuz the animal doesn't have that knowledge to be able to be concerned or discern the difference between a good angel, bad angel, and become because of it. Verse 24. So, the angel of God stood in the path of the vineyard. God was there was a fence on one side but God a fence on the other side so therefore there was no way that he can make a detour. Rashi In the pathway gives different verses that we can find that the word means in a path in a way in a in different verses that allude to the same terminology. Generally when we talk about a fence we're talking about a fence of stone so therefore there was nothing able that he was able to go to. Verse 25 Donkey saw the angel of God and she pressed against the wall and she pressed leg against the wall and she continued to beat the donkey. He pushed herself against the wall that he means that he is the donkey itself somebody else that means the leg of leg of him. Verse 26 and the angel of God continued to pass further ahead of them. And stood in a narrow place there's no place to turn right or left. Love it in front of continued to go a distance before to be in front of it in another area that it should not be able to go we find another places and they went before them the word means past before them that they came in front of them. The explains why three places why three places the three forefathers of Yaakov, every single one of them first Avram in the way, then Yitzchak stood in the way, then Yaakov stood in the way to stop him from going to curse the Jewish people. Verse 20 seven. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, verse 27. And the donkey saw the angel of God. And therefore it crouched and therefore it crouched down under Balaam. It sat down. Balaam got angry at it and he also got angry at him and he continued to beat the donkey with a stick. Verse 28. And God opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Balaam, "What did I do to you that you struck me these three times?" Why does he use the terminology like in other places? This is a hint. You are trying to to disconnect or to hurt a nation which is going to celebrate three festivals. The same terminology. You are going Verse 29. Balaam said to Balaam, "What did the donkey because you rebelled against me?" You've humiliated me. If I would only have a sword in my hand, I would have killed you right now. Rashi You made a mockery of me. He had such an embarrassment with the ministers that were going with him. This person is going to kill an entire nation with his mouth. But for his own donkey he has to use a stick. It was embarrassing for him. So the donkey responded to Balaam. Hello Yanni here saying how should I have to lie? Am I not your donkey, your personal donkey that you have ridden on me always? My old car from then other is until today. I ask you to come to have I been accustomed to be disobedient to you? Last is a whole kite to do something like this to you. By Emma he said no. Rashi I ask you to come to get a gummy like the tiger says. Am I uh like the tiger says a mail of a leaf on a Am I used to doing this type of work for you? I'm not I always followed what your orders. So to it says in that a person can kind of person learn the ways of God that micro 7 but almond. The rabbis explain this in the Thomas as follows. I'm really the minister said to Balaam. Why didn't you go on your horse? Why did you take your donkey? I'm really he said cuz I would provide the horse is better than a donkey. Cuz a donkey is usually used for carrying loads. I'm really he said to them. I sent them to go pasture. And therefore I'm taking this donkey only for this time. Can I have a second of the like it says in the tract of a video sir. And that's why the donkey says, "What do you mean I I'm the donkey? What are you telling the ministers they always take a horse? No, you take this donkey all the time. Don't make up stories that the horse is some place out of service." Verse 31 for you got to show them saying to Balaam and God opened the eyes of Balaam. I got a small and he saw the angel of God needs to be standing in the way. And he's standing in his with a sword drawn in drawn in his hand. I you guide and he bowed down and he yielded if I start going up and then bow down to bow down to him by his face. Verse 32 I you may really love Malachi Shem and the angel of God said to him, "Al Malachi says I shall be why did you beat your donkey these three times?" Hini at Sasi behold I was the one that came out to thwart your way that you should not go there. And because you were so excited to go there because you hastened you quickly went out on this journey against me. Rashi Kiyorat Negri saying Hakmi Shadrach and the three come. These all these of the mission learned one word based out of many different words that means one word tells us a lot of different words. The word Yarat can be an abbreviation for the word Yarat Asan Atasa. I saw that you went and therefore you went off the way meaning you saw the way you saw it was afraid and therefore went off the way. Like Kilema Likinosi Ulakni Teni you wanted to get me angry this is against my will or female according to simple interpretation means the way was scared and therefore because of that it went off the way or the word Lashin Atet which also means like out of quick you haste because you saw the way and you wanted Balaam the man who wanted to get God angry and you quickly wanted to do it to be able to go against what God said Kamoya David desire the king I dare to show me he brings another place where the word Yarteni comes from the word Ratzi desire. The fires of Menachem Yoddi that God saying to you are trying to appease me to show them all the Maknitem that righteous are there to be able to appease and make God happier and say do things which are wonderful. However, the evil not only do they not make appease God but on the contrary they do things which are antagonizing and frustrating. Verse 33. But you don't know you're also take the funny column and what happened was that you didn't see it but the donkey saw him therefore the donkey went out of its way turned aside three times. All I know is that maybe the one the reason why the donkey went to the side was because it was turning away before me. He now I got always I would have killed you and I would have let the donkey live. All I know is that if only surely it doesn't only mean if but also only if only meaning that's why the donkey got angry. And this is a message this passage is a little bit out of order. Meaning it says I would have killed you. The word gam in this case is meaning you wanted to kill the donkey. I would have killed you and including the donkey. Why are you saying that the angel is saying after And now we now that you were rebuked and you didn't couldn't go through this rebuke. I I didn't kill her. You would have killed her because you didn't want other people to say look I had this debate with the donkey and I couldn't win a debate over a donkey. And because of that you were embarrassed and you wanted to kill her. So here we see that the Torah cares for the respect of the creations. Okay. That people shouldn't say that this bill wasn't able to come through with the donkey wasn't able to have a argument win an argument with the donkey. So here we see even about bill when it comes to this type of debate and this type of argument and this type of discussion where the Torah tells us the idea is that not as a punishment but the concept of this discussion of showing that bill shouldn't be embarrassed in front of the animal and therefore this terminology that the Torah uses is between the animal and donkey the animal and bill where the angel says he would have killed them both or which one he would have killed in isn't said. Verse 24 34 if I came or Billam or Malach Hashem. Going back to that point that even though that even though Billam was humiliated by the donkey, God chose dignity to the human over the animal. So that the angel would have killed the donkey as we mentioned. By Yamer Billam or Malach Hashem, Billam said that the angel of God hot to sing I have sinned. Kilo ya dighty I did not know kiata nita of the crossing that you're standing in the way. Laba dera along the way that you did not know you're standing in the road before me. Faata now I'm rabe nacho if you feel that I what I'm doing is wrong if you're displeased with it I surely I'll go back. Kilo ya dighty gam is a good news and this is also an embarrassment for Billam. I'll call for call that he had to come and forcefully agree show how what you must have been he used to praise himself so you day a day not exactly what God wants as we're going to see later on. The PB and lawyer back and over here he says clearly I don't know. I'm rabe nacho shuvli if you think it's bad I'll go back. What is this coming to tell us didn't he see that God told him not to go and God would didn't want he should go. Lahas he was saying words of hotspa. He was speaking disrespectful in front of God negative mutual visual only. Hashem said and this is what he says who bought me to vani lahas. He's saying God tells me to go at the Malach and you the angel come with that little and say I shouldn't go. Lama bakah. Shai mar govern I'm used to that God says one thing to a person. Umala has max and the angel goes back on his word for example I'm going to tell God take your son and bring him as a sacrifice by the Malach and through an angel he takes away his word after so too. I'm rabe nacho don't know how to wash up if you think I'm not the right guy I'll go back that means he's trying to make a mockery of God saying God you mixed up you tell me to go then you send an angel not to go and that's not the first time you find you did this before by Abraham. And this is the hotspa that Balaam is talking, this is the disrespectful way that Balaam is talking to God. Verse 35. And the angel of God said to Balaam, "Lech im anashim. You can go with these people. However, you should know that you should know that the only thing that you're going to be able to speak is going to be the words that I tell you. That's what you're going to say. With the ministers of Balak. Rashi, that's ultimately what you want to do. The place that a person ultimately wants to go, that's where he's led. The FS, however, the thing this is not only a command but a warning that you will not be able to change the words of prophecy that you're being told to go. Another explanation means go with these people because your portion, your lot is with them. You're going to be destroyed together with You're happy to curse the Jewish people just like them. 36. Balak heard that Balaam came and he went to curse him. He went to greet him at the city of Moab, which is by the border of Arnon, which is at the edge of his border, edge of his territory, of the Moab territory. He sent messages to let him know when he's on the way to Moab. That means to the capital of where they were. The most important city that they had of Moab. Look what these people want to destroy. Verse 37. Balak said to Balaam, "I sent for you. I didn't I send to you so many dignitaries to call you? Why didn't you come to me? I'm incapable of honoring you." He prophesied himself prophesied that he's going to come walk out in an embarrassing way from this. Balaam 38 Balak and Balaam said to Balak Here I am. Here I came to you. After now I have no power to say anything. Will I I have no I have any power to say anything? Only the thing that God puts in my mouth are you saying I don't have those are the only words that I will be able to say. As we'll see in the coming Torah readings of what those blessings that end up saying to the Jewish people. This concludes the fifth Torah reading of Parshat Chukat and Balak combined.