Parashat Balak / פרשת בלק
The Daily Pesuk for, June 27, 2018 / 14,Tamuz 5778
Numbers 23:13-26 (14 p'sukim)
Numbers 23:13-26 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
13 Then Balak said to him, “Come now with me to another place where you can see a part of them only, not all of them. Curse them for me from there.”
14 He took him to Lookout Field on top of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
15 “Stay here beside your offering,” he said to Balak, “while I am meeting over there.”
16 Adonai met Balaam there and put a message into his mouth, and said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.” 17 So he went to him, and behold, he and the princes of Moab were standing beside his offering.
Balak asked him, “What did Adonai say?”
18 So he uttered his oracle and said:
“Rise, Balak! Hear me, son of Zippor!
19 God is not a man who lies,[a]
or a son of man who changes his mind!
Does He speak and then not do it,
or promise and not fulfill it?
20 Look, I received a command to bless.
He has blessed—I cannot change it!
21 No misfortune is to be seen in Jacob,
and no misery in Israel!
Adonai their God is with them
—the King’s shout is among them!
22 God is bringing them from Egypt
with the strong horns of the wild ox!
23 There is no sorcery effective
against Jacob,
nor any divination against Israel!
Now it will be said of Jacob and Israel,
‘See what God has done!’
24 The people rise like a lioness,
like a lion who does not rest
until he eats his prey
and drinks his victim’s blood!”
25 Then Balak said to Balaam, “Do not curse them or bless them at all!”
26 Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Haven’t I told you, ‘All that Adonai says, I must do?’
13 וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו בָּלָ֗ק ׳לְךָ־לְכָה־נָּ֨א׳ אִתִּ֜י אֶל־מָק֤וֹם אַחֵר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אֶ֚פֶס קָצֵ֣הוּ תִרְאֶ֔ה וְכֻלּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה וְקָבְנוֹ־לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃
14 וַיִּקָּחֵ֙הוּ֙ שְׂדֵ֣ה צֹפִ֔ים אֶל־רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֔ת וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
15 וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב כֹּ֖ה עַל־עֹלָתֶ֑ךָ וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִקָּ֥רֶה כֹּֽה׃
16 וַיִּקָּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיָּ֥שֶׂם דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֑יו וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃
17 וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהוָֽה׃
18 וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃
19 לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃
20 הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃
21 לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃
22 אֵ֖ל מוֹצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֽוֹ׃
23 כִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃
24 הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
25 וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם גַּם־קֹ֖ב לֹ֣א תִקֳּבֶ֑נּוּ גַּם־בָּרֵ֖ךְ לֹ֥א תְבָרֲכֶֽנּוּ׃
26 וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃
Pesuk 21 offers the most eye opening and compelling thoughts of this day's reading. It is very interesting to see all the differences in how this one pesuk gets translated.
The TLV Messianic rabbinical translators and scholars chose to translate the word אָוֶן "Av-e-n" as "misfortune". Strong's concordance definition is:
"From an unused root perhaps meaning properly to pant (hence to exert oneself, usually in vain; to come to naught); strictly nothingness; also trouble, vanity, wickedness; specifically an idol: - affliction, evil, false, idol, iniquity, mischief, mourners (-ing), naught, sorrow, unjust, unrighteous, vain, vanity, wicked (-ness.)"
So this word "Aven" can be translated several ways, including iniquity, as is translated in the Chumash (Hebrew first 5 Books), by Jewish scholars. There also seems to be a very similar connection to the more common word for "sin"...עָוֹן pronounced "Av-ō-n" (long O sound). It is different in the sense that it uses an Ayin instead of Aleph, and the vowel marking is also different, but essentially very similar in it's meaning.
Delitzsch translates the pesuk even further, "God sees not און , worthlessness, wickedness, and עמל , tribulation, misery, as the consequence of sin, and therefore discovers no reason for cursing the nation."
Rashi says of this same pesuk:
"He does not look at evil in Jacob: According to the Targum [Onkelos it means: I have looked. There are no idol worshipers in Jacob]. Another interpretation: Its literal meaning can be expounded beautifully. The Holy One, blessed is He, does not look at evil in Jacob. When they transgress His word, He does not deal punctiliously with them to scrutinize their wicked deeds and their iniquity in violation of His law. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 14, Num. Rabbah 20:20]"
לא הביט און ביעקב וגו': כתרגומו. דבר אחר אחרי פשוטו הוא נדרש מדרש נאה. לא הביט הקב"ה און שביעקב, כשהן עוברין על דבריו אינו מדקדק אחריהם להתבונן באוניות שלהם ובעמלן שהן עוברין על דתו:
What seems to be common in both the rabbinical and the Messianic understandings is the theme of unmerited favor that Israel has with Adonai. (i.e. Grace). As then, I believe the same is true today regarding Israel's place and standing with God. Many Bible translators and scholars, (at least on the Christian side), have traditionally placed Israel as a nation transitionally "under judgement" and condemnation. Ignoring this passage along with thousands of other pesukim that speak to this same issue, these translators assume that since God did chastise Israel in the past, that He has forsaken them and is altogether finished with the Jews, and Has preferred to choose someone else in their stead: (i.e. the church). Again, this leads to Replacement Theology, which we reject.
This pesuk gives us a true understanding of just how God looks at Israel's "Sin", whether it is translated "mischief" or "wickedness" or outright "sin".
GOD PERCEIVED NO INIQUITY IN ISRAEL!
Does that mean that they were not "sinners"? It is very much the same with us as believers today. The Biblical concept is called "JUSTIFICATION". Does Israel "deserve" or "merited" this kind of favor from God? Do we? Certainly not! However, God's choseness and His ability to make us justified by His Righteousness, is what gives us this "Unmerited Favor" (i.e. Grace).
Israel had it then, and it also has it today - GOD IS NOT MAD AT THE JEWS! AND HE NEVER WILL REPLACE THEM!
GOD ONLY HAS ONE BRIDE - GOD IS NOT A POLYGAMIST!
The best way to understand this favor is Shaliach Shaul's explanation in...
Romans 8:29 [AMP] For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers. 30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity].
Judicially, in the court of Heaven, we as believers, both Jews and those from the nations have been declared free from the guilt of sin. (i.e. acquitted in the courts of Heaven). In our "Position" and "Status" we are Justified and Sanctified.
If you have been Born-Again, you are a recipient of this same Divine Favor and Grace. You may not "feel" like you deserve it, and certainly on our own, we do not. But it is not based on us or the abilities of our flesh, anymore than it was dependent on that generation that was already judged to die in the Wilderness, yet God protected Israel from Balaam's curse!
We are Abraham's children, and as B'nei Avraham, we have the same favor and righteousness our ancestors had, and we need to keep in mind the process of how this happens spiritually:
Romans 4:13 For the promise to Abraham or to his seed—to become heir of the world—was not through law, but through the righteousness based on trust. 14 For if those who are of the Torah are heirs, trust has become empty and the promise is made ineffective. 15 For the Torah brings about wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there a violation.
16 For this reason it depends on trust, so that the promise according to grace might be guaranteed to all the offspring—not only to those of the Torah but also to those of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”). He is our father in the sight of God in whom he trusted, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence that which does not exist. 18 In hope beyond hope, he trusted that he would become the father of many nations according to what was spoken—“So shall your descendants be.” 19 And without becoming weak in faith, he considered his own body—as good as dead, since he was already a hundred years old—and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 Yet he did not waver in unbelief concerning the promise of God. Rather, he was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that what God has promised, He also is able to do. 22 That is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”
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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