Parshat Balak: It Was Just Tuesday – Shame, Blessing, and the Voice We Choose to...
In Parshat Balak, Bilaam never saw the people he was meant to curse. He viewed them from a distance; abstractly, impersonally. His words came not from relationship, but rather from obligation, from politics, from agenda. And yet they could have reshaped a people’s destiny.
Allied Enemies
Balak realized that Midyan and Moav, the erstwhile enemies, would have to make a truce and gang up as allies against Israel. But since G-d was on Israel’s side, there was no way he could prevent the Jews from ultimately taking over the land.
Fast Fallout & Three-Letter Sedras
Balak precedes the Fast of the Fourth Month (that’s what the navi calls Shiv’a Asar b’Tammuz) almost 80% of the time. That includes, in Chutz LaAretz, the years when Shavuot is Friday-Shabbat and the sedra right before the fast is Chukat-Balak.
Sight and Speech
Balak was evil – he did not want to elevate himself to the level of Am Yisrael, he wanted to reduce Am Yisrael down to his level, or even lower.
The Daf and on the Sale of Weapons
One may not sell lions to Gentiles, according to the Talmud, because lions can cause injury to the public (Avodah Zarah 16), to put it mildly.
Avoiding The Evil Eye
His father told him: You decide which yeshiva you want to go to. Don’t tell me your decision. When the day comes to leave to yeshiva, take your suitcase, go to the yeshiva, and I don’t want to know where you are going.
Where Religion And Nationhood Coincide
According to he Netziv, If Jews live distinctive and apart from others they will dwell safely, but if they seek to emulate ‘the nations’ they ‘will not be reckoned’ as anything special at all.
Chen And Now:Forbidden Praise & Esav’s Paradox
Though the Shulchan Aruch agrees with the Rambam’s broad prohibition, his final clause might offer some room for an answer. It is permitted to note the beauty of an idolator if the focus of the comment is to praise G-d and not the person.
The Root Of All Idolatry
Idolatry is insidious and it sneaks into the hearts of the unwary by way of small compromises and prohibited acts that appear insignificant at first.
When Hashem Asks for Your Phone
Rabbi Sauber told his class, We are about to learn about the greatest act of self-sacrifice that ever occurred.
From Last to First: The Story of the Nesi’im
The most obvious form of chesed is giving money, but this is far from ideal. Short-term monetary gifts do not usually solve a long-term struggle with poverty; the person will therefore remain dependent and poor.
Through the Mail Slot
If the borrower slipped payment through the mail slot without prior arrangement, and somehow it got lost in the household shuffle or some other manner, it is unclear whether this is considered valid repayment, replied Rabbi Dayan.
Daf Yomi
Exchanging Land?
‘Nor Shall You Show Them Favor’
(Avodah Zara 20a)
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Conclusion)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Masters of Deception – Chukat
It is impossible to reach an agreement with Amalek, because the only thing that will satisfy them is our obliteration and…G-d's name in the world can never be complete until Amalek is obliterated.
A Pivotal Pause For The Para Aduma
Unlike the two previous sedras of Shelach and Korach, each of which were two-thirds story and a third juxtapositional mitzvot, Chukat’s three mitzvot are part of the same mitzvah topic – namely, para aduma (the red heifer), with the bulk of the sedra being a string of episodes in the Midbar-wandering period.
I Have Tried To Become Wise But It Is Beyond Me
Because if it is corruption we are worried about, there is no greater corruption and source of impurity than the presence of death itself.
What’s Your Legacy?
We are living in a world of chaos, never sure what tomorrow brings. As I write these words it is impossible for me to know what our days will look like by the time you read my message.
Making Your Spouse First
The attitude that one knows that you’ve got my back isn’t born overnight. It’s achieved with a persistent series of small acts and gestures where husband and wife demonstrate that you are first in my book.
Reining In The Ego: When Even Horses Bow To Providence
Like many Israeli leaders, Netanyahu often peppers his speeches with biblical verses, usually used as cultural or historical touchstones rather than as expressions of personal religiosity. Keinon points out that Netanyahu’s use of the Shema prayer is less typical and perhaps indicative of a deeper religious arousal.
A Fascinating Din Torah
When one makes peace in his home, the Torah considers it as if he established peace among the entire Jewish Nation.
Were We Saved From Destruction Without Teshuvah?
Perhaps the fullest picture of what is truly unfolding emerges only when we consider most, if not all, of these perspectives together.
The Five Stages of Torah
Only when there is silence, and the complete absence of ego, can the truth be heard, understood, and accepted. The Torah is the absolute and whole truth and can therefore only be given when there is absolutely nothing else competing against it.
Losing Sleep for What Matters
Obviously, staying up all night isn’t about qualitative learning, but about demonstrating excitement. One only stays up late, or all night, for something truly important or exciting.
From Korach to Chukas
Destruction and death come to those who do not serve G-d out joy but out of fear alone.
July 4, 2025: The United States and American Jews at a Crossroads
In place of conventional warfare, terrorist organizations have emerged that have taken terrorist activities to a new level.
Ben Zoma’s Four Questions
We can learn from people with good character. And we can even learn from people with bad character how not to live our lives. We can extract true lessons when we hear how an enemy criticizes us. We can learn from children and those in all strata of society.
Silver Coins
The common practice is to use silver coins, whether silver dollars minted in the U.S. or special silver coins minted now in Israel with the proper silver content, concluded Rabbi Dayan. Where this is not possible, though, you can redeem with other movable items or possibly even cash of the requisite amount.