Parashat Balak / פרשת בלק
The Daily Pesuk for, June 25, 2018 / 12,Tamuz 5778
Numbers 22:13-20 (8 p'sukim)
Numbers 22:13-20 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
13 So Balaam got up in the morning and said to the officials of Balak, “Go back to your country, for Adonai has refused to let me go with you.”
14 So the Moabite officials got up, went back to Balak, and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” 15 Balak again sent other dignitaries, more numerous and honored than these previous ones.
16 They also came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Please let nothing keep you from coming to me! 17 I will richly reward you, and everything you tell me I will do! Just come now and curse this people for me!”
18 But Balaam answered Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak gave me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot cross beyond the mouth of Adonai my God, to do anything small or great! 19 But now, you may spend the night here, too. Then I may find out anything else Adonai may say to me.”
20 God came to Balaam by night and said to him, “Since the men came to you to summon you, arise and go with them. However, only the word I tell you are you to do!”
13 וַיָּ֤קָם בִּלְעָם֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־שָׂרֵ֣י בָלָ֔ק לְכ֖וּ אֶֽל־אַרְצְכֶ֑ם כִּ֚י מֵאֵ֣ן יְהוָ֔ה לְתִתִּ֖י לַהֲלֹ֥ךְ עִמָּכֶֽם׃
14 וַיָּק֙וּמוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ן בִּלְעָ֖ם הֲלֹ֥ךְ עִמָּֽנוּ׃
15 וַיֹּ֥סֶף ע֖וֹד בָּלָ֑ק שְׁלֹ֣חַ שָׂרִ֔ים רַבִּ֥ים וְנִכְבָּדִ֖ים מֵאֵֽלֶּה׃
16 וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ ל֗וֹ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ בָּלָ֣ק בֶּן־צִפּ֔וֹר אַל־נָ֥א תִמָּנַ֖ע מֵהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֵלָֽי׃
17 כִּֽי־כַבֵּ֤ד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלַ֖י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֑ה וּלְכָה־נָּא֙ קָֽבָה־לִּ֔י אֵ֖ת הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה׃
18 וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־עַבְדֵ֣י בָלָ֔ק אִם־יִתֶּן־לִ֥י בָלָ֛ק מְלֹ֥א בֵית֖וֹ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב לֹ֣א אוּכַ֗ל לַעֲבֹר֙ אֶת־פִּי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת קְטַנָּ֖ה א֥וֹ גְדוֹלָֽה׃
19 וְעַתָּ֗ה שְׁב֨וּ נָ֥א בָזֶ֛ה גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְאֵ֣דְעָ֔ה מַה־יֹּסֵ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה דַּבֵּ֥ר עִמִּֽי׃
20 וַיָּבֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֥ים׀ אֶל־בִּלְעָם֮ לַיְלָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ אִם־לִקְרֹ֤א לְךָ֙ בָּ֣אוּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֔ים ק֖וּם לֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֑ם וְאַ֗ךְ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֹת֥וֹ תַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
There is something peculiar about today's pesukim. Pesuk 18 says: אֱלֹהָי which means "My God". Why does this wicked false prophet/soothsayer describe the God of Israel this way? All the sages agree that God choose a gentile prophet to bless Israel to make a point. There is something about God using Gentiles to bless and provoke Israel.
It is commonly known that when the Messiah comes, one of the characteristics would be that the Gentiles would flock to Him... as we see in Isaiah...
Isaiah 11:10 It will also come about in that day
that the root of Jesse will stand
as a banner for the peoples.
The nations will seek for Him,
and His resting place will be glorious.
11 It will also come about in that day that my Lord will again redeem—a second time with His hand—the remnant of His people who remain
It is much easier, (for many reasons) for non-Jews to put their trust in Yeshua the Messiah traditionally, than it has been for Jews.
Isaiah 60:3 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
Nations will come to your light,
kings to the brilliance of your rising.
While this is a true sign of the Messiah's coming, Balaam's statement may not be sincere. The great medieval commentator Ibn Ezra describes pesuk 18 here in this way: "Balaam was a stargazer and an astrologer. When he saw that someone's unlucky moment had arrived, he would curse that person, and when evil would befall that person, Balaam would be credited as a 'prophet'."
However, Balaam was nothing more than a shyster, who was simply greedy and huckstering his "prophetic credentials" for a profit. (i.e. a prophet for profit).
We see this same insincere desire to be a prophet of the One True God in the Brit Chadasha...
Acts 16:16 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
It so happened that as we were going to prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination, who was bringing her masters much profit from her fortune-telling.
We should make no mistake in thinking that this kind of spiritual trickery does not exist today. We see it on the television, some false teachers "selling" the Gospel, and promising things that are not accurately taught in the Word of God.
We also see that it is possible for those who are practicing the same trade as Balaam to repent:
Acts 8:9 Now a man named Simon had been practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, saying he was someone great. 10 They all were paying special attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 11 And they kept paying attention to him, because for a long time he had astonished them with his magical arts. 12 But when they believed Philip proclaiming the Good News about the kingdom of God and the name of Messiah Yeshua, both men and women were immersed. 13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued with Philip. And when he saw signs and great miracles happening, he was continually amazed.
14 Now when the emissaries in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the message of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 They came down and prayed for them to receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh. 16 For He had not yet come upon them; they had only been immersed in the name of the Lord Yeshua. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Ruach ha-Kodesh.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Ruach ha-Kodesh was given through the laying on of hands by the emissaries, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this power to me, too—so that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Ruach ha-Kodesh.”
20 Peter said to him, “May your silver go to ruin, and you with it—because you thought you could buy God’s gift with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be pardoned. 23 For I see in you the poison of bitterness and the bondage of unrighteousness!”
24 Simon replied, “Pray for me, so that none of what you have said may come upon me.”
May we all be spiritually sensitive to the hucksters that are all around us, and may the Ruach Hakodesh protect our hearts and minds and give us Discernment today and everyday.
Amen.
Pesukim פסוקים are the "verses" of Scripture divided into Parashaot (Portions) read in the synagogue each week. On Monday's & Thursdays there are 3 divisions of the week's Parasha read and on Shabbat all 6 are read including a Maftir (added), which makes up the final Pesukim (verses) of the Parasha totaling (7) Aliyot each week. Rabbi Eric will give a short d'rash on each of the daily Pesukim that make up the week's Parasha for a good daily dose of Torah. For more explanation on how the Torah is read and divided daily and weekly in the Synagogue see the following links:
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