Balak

📜 The Story

Balak, the king of Moab, saw that the Israelites had beaten strong nations on their way through the desert, and he was scared. He did not want to fight them. Instead, he sent messengers to a sorcerer named Balaam. He asked Balaam to put a curse on the people of Israel so it would be easier to defeat them.

Balaam could speak with God, but he wanted honor and money from Balak very badly. God told him not to go with the first messengers. Then Balak sent even more important officials, and God let Balaam go, on one condition: he could only say the words God put in his mouth.

On the way, something surprising happened. Balaam's donkey saw an angel of God standing in the road with a sword, but Balaam could not see it. Three times the donkey turned aside, and Balaam hit her in anger. Then God opened the donkey's mouth, and she spoke to Balaam! Only then did God open Balaam's eyes so he could see the angel too.

Balaam and Balak climbed to high places to look down at the camp of Israel. Balak built altars and brought offerings, hoping to hear a curse. But every time Balaam opened his mouth, a blessing came out instead! One of his blessings is 'Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov,' 'How good are your tents, Jacob.' Many Jews still say it every morning when they come into synagogue. Balaam even said, 'A star will come out of Jacob,' a hint of Israel's great future.

At the end of the parsha, some of the Israelites sinned with the women of Moab and Midian and worshiped their idol, Baal Peor. A terrible plague broke out. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the priest, bravely stepped in and stopped it. The parsha teaches that no one can harm the people of Israel unless God allows it.