Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5772)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
22:20 Hashem tells Bilam “kum lech etam” in pasuk 22 Hashem is furious at Bilam for going. Rashi explains that Bilaam understood that it wasn’t the true wishes of Hashem, yet he longed to go. His inner inner wishes; Hashem deals with the inner wishes, the truth of the truth. The Torah is the truth of the truth.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5771)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
It is so striking how the absolute text of the Chumash gives a positive impression of Bilaam and Rashi consistently brings the Chazal to the contrary. The great wonder is that Hashem Himself is the author of the Chumash and is the One that is giving the positive outlook and Rashi seems to be pushing to the negative.
The lesson is that the awesome, great darkness of the falsehood which we must overcome actually originates from Hashem and He expects us to overcome the darkness and to reveal the truth.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5770)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Amazing, Balak wants to enlist Bilaam to enter the spiritual world to attempt to conquer Bnai Yisroel, the children of Hashem. So common today, that people confuse the world of mysticism and spiritualism with being connected with Hashem.
Hashem should open our eyes and lead us to the truth.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5768)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Upon contemplating the epidsode of Bilaam and Balak the degree of their general mentality of spiritual consciousness is amazing. They relate to it as a true reality. This can be said for all who lived in that generation and many generations to follow, Bnei Yisroel and gentiles alike. This is indeed a tool and stepping stone to enable one to understand and achieve a closeness to Hashem.
Contemporarily, and likewise in the recent past generations the sensitivity of recognition of the world of ‘ruchnius’, including the appreciation and significance of giving and receiving brachos has greatly diminished and is almost non-existent. This was probably caused by the great industrial revolution and advancement in research and science, the invention of the microscope, and secrets discovered by x-rays. Everything has to be ‘real’ and to be able to be measured, seen and felt. We have been raised in a generation that many of the true spiritual concepts were uprooted and were labeled superstitious and the blindness of the dark and middle ages; it is the “seeing is believing” age.
Bilaam and company definitely fell into the depths of wickedness but his generation had so much going for them for great spiritual capacities. They had their test and failed. The test of our generation is reinstating the sensory perception of true spiritual values and feelings. This is imperative to truly serving Hashem and keeping His Torah. The key to this is learning certain sifrei mussar and chasidus.
Have a wonderful Shabbos and a true kirvas Hashem.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5767)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
Bilaam was seemingly given the green light and Divine approval to carry out his goal to embark on a course to harm Klal Yisroel. It is therefore difficult to understand why he was so severely criticized for his wicked agenda. The explanation is that the obstacles that presented themselves by repeatedly meeting resistance was a Divine message for him to back down and reverse his program. This is very consistent with something often quoted in the name of the Chazon Ish that after several unsuccessful attempts to dial a telephone number one should take this as a Divine sign to desist.
This brings to the surface one of the most critical and crucial issues of our trials and tribulations in fulfilling the Torah. We are intensively engrossed in a vital dvar mitzvah that has far-reaching consequences and find ourselves up against obstacles; we hear the idealist voice calling out that because of the importance of the mitzvah the satan is presenting difficulties for us to overcome. This is our test to stand up to. On the other hand, are these Divine signs for us to back down and desist??….
It is of utmost importance that we recognize the urgency and difficulty of this issue and to cry out to Hashem for His Divine assistance. We should be zocheh to have the insight to fulfill the true will of Hashem.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5766)
By Mordechai Dolinsky
Bilaam, through the auspices of his Divine inspiration, praised Klal Yisroel specifically for their modesty. “Mah Tovu Oholecha Yaakov”. Likewise, the Medrash in our parsha (20:22) reflects the idea that one of the four attributes of Klal Yisroel responsible for their redemption from Mitzrayim was the modesty on the part of the women.
What a meaningful, significant message for us today, steeped in a society callous to even the most basic values of feminine modesty. This is not the framework for elaboration on this vital issue but it is so imperative for us idealists representing the Will and Glory of Hashem in this generation, to comprehend and fulfill.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5765)
By Mordechai Dolinsky
There is an awesome lesson to be learned from Bilaam; an individual blessed with such a level of prophecy, higher than Moshe Rabeinu, yet it did not lead him to greatness. What more can a person ask for to be blessed with the greatest insight, the highest levels of prophecy.
If he is not searching for the truth and isn’t inspired to use his life for the will of Hashem and to spread kavod shamayim, he can have the greatest Divine spiritual gift of insight and it won’t lead him anywhere.
On the flip side one can be lacking all the spiritual gifts but is motivated to look, search and yearn and he will find the true closeness to Hashem and his true purpose.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5764)
By Mordechai Dolinsky
In our parsha when Bilaam finally came forth with brachos for Clal Yisroel it states as follows: Mah Tovu Oholecha Yaakov–focusing on the great attribute of carefulness and concern on the issue of modesty and tznius. This is a matter for which we need fortification, support and inspiration during these dark times; a generation of degeneration in these matters. We are living in a time of tremendous breakdown of values of modesty. On one hand one might find this depressing, but on the other hand the opportunity for accomplishment is infinite.
Have a wonderful Shabbos.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5760)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
I have always found this Parsha to be one of the most puzzling. The tremendous contrast between the presentation of Bilaam from the simplicity of the text of the Chumash that seems so positive and complimentary and the image of him transmitted to us by the Chazal that is painted with such a repulsive negativity. From the beginning of the episode the behavior of Bilaam seems to be of the highest quality.
To the initial request of Balak in pasuk 5; I shall do only as Hashem shall tell me.
In pasuk 13 he replies: Return to your land for Hashem has vetoed my going. In pasuk 17 when Balak offered Bilaam anything he wanted he answered: Even if you reward me by filling the house with silver and gold I cannot transgress in a small or big way the will of HaShem.
In Pasuk 8 he was told to go and speak only as instructed. He went with enthusiasm, knowing full well that he might have to say things not in his interest.
In pasuk 38 when Balak questioned Bilaam about his delay and hesitation in coming his reply was: Can I say anything except for the words that HaShem puts in my mouth?
From pasuk 7-10 he was loyal to the text of the blessing to Klal Yisroel. And when criticized by Balak he exclaimed that he could only speak the word of HaShem.
Again in pasukim 18-24 he so eloquently verbalized the precious blessings that are a part of our Rosh HaShana davening. When criticized, again he repeated his declaration of loyalty to the word of HaShem.
Every one of these proper, positive utterances is shown by Rashi to be really selfish and destructive. In the first two statements he was complaining that the emissaries should be of higher stature so that he could receive more honor. The third statement reflects the tremendous greed he had for others’ riches. In the next statement, though he was to act against his will and ‘was up against the wall’, he still had hopes of campaigning to curse, not to relinquish his evil intent. What is this big case being built up against this Bilaam who is seemingly such an innocent soul?
The first point that has to be made clear is that the quality and insight that Bilaam had as a prophet was on an extremely high level. The Chazal tell us in the Medrash 20:6 that when Bilaam so honestly and so innocently answered HaShem’s inquiry as to the nature of his visitors, the title that he was crowned and complimented with was ‘urinal’—“karon shel mai raglayim”. Instead of describing his callers he should have declared: Hashem who nothing can be hidden from, why are You making this inquiry? Someone of his stature of true insight should have made this exclamation. In the same line of reasoning but on an even simpler level, when one considers what was actually transpiring here, it is really mind boggling. Bilaam, approaching Hashem, seriously considered the possibility that he could convince, achieve or petition a curse against Klal Yisroel– the beloved children of Hashem, the chosen nation, the most cherished and loved, the only nachas Hashem has from His whole creation. We have had wicked enemies who made attempts to harm us using avoda zara or kochos hatumah, but the thought of harming Klal Yisroel through HaShem–how absurd.
This brings us to one of the most basic issues and perplexities. How is it possible for anyone with any understanding and insight into Hashem ever able to do anything against His will? Starting from Adam who probably had the greatest realization of His Presence down the generations to us, how do we understand ourselves capable of ever transgressing His Will? It is the miracle of free will which is one the greatest miracles in the creation.
Bilaam took this too far as explained, and with this perspective we can understand the lowness of every one of his steps, which was the true view of Chazal which Rashi presents.
“HaShem, distance us from what You hate, and bring us close to what You love”.
Bs”d
Parshas Balak (5761)
by Mordechai Dolinsky
The obvious theme of our parsha this week, Parshas Balak, revolves around brachos and klallos. The simple connotation of these subjects has mystical overtones. There is, however, important, practical lessons we can glean.
We find in Pirkei Avos 5:19 something very striking; Chazal show the contrast between Avraham Avinu and Bilaam. We must understand that besides being the founder of Klal Yisroel, Avraham Avinu was one of the most outstanding human beings that existed in the world. The fact that there is any recognition of Hashem in the world today is only because of him. The fact that any type of comparison is made between the two says that there is some important trait that they had in common.
One of the initial statements of communication that Hashem bestowed upon Avraham Avinu 12:2 was “Hevai Bracha”—you will be a blessing. And as Rashi explains: “The blessings are put into your hand”. Bilaam, too, was versatile in giving blessings and curses.
Bracha is a mechanism in the Creation of tapping a special source of increase of power and abundance, accomplished primarily through the power of speech and mental focus. This is not to be confused with Tefilah, which is appealing and petitioning before Hashem.
It is imperative that we relate to bracha in the right light for it affects our lives in a greater way than we can imagine. We live in a society and religious circles that a good part of our etiquette and forms of speech contain greetings and salutations that are actually expressions of blessings, brachos. It then becomes a habitual form of speech without any awareness of the connotation of bracha. A bracha without specific intent brings blessing. However there is no comparison to what it accomplishes, when it is accompanied by our positive thoughts.
If when we say “good morning” it is accompanied by our thinking “you should succeed immensely in all your endeavors; Torah studies, business accomplishments, housework etc.” the power it has cannot be compared to an empty verbal expression.
When we try to pinpoint the numerous brachos, the list is almost endless. Yasher Koach to the gabbai, gezundheit for the sneezer, mazel tov for a million reasons, have a nice trip, refuah sh’layma, hearty appetite……..
Above all we must believe that the words bring blessing. Look how devastated Eisav was that he lost the brachos. In our sedra everything revolves around the power of bracha and the opposite. It should inspire us to the power of the word.
Gut Shabbos—enjoy the cholunt, a good shluf, wonderful shalom bayis…..
sending...
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