From the Rabbi

As we enter high Summer and prepare for Tisha B'Av, the darkest day ion the Jewish calendar, we read some of the most interesting and challenging Parshiot of the year. This week, is one of the Torah portions, named after a Non-Jew. Noach was the first, and Yitro the father-in-law of Moses the second in which the Ten Commandments are given.

"Balak," as this week’s portion is called, was the Evil King of Moab. The story is really about the even more Evil prophet Billam- who was hired by King Balak to curse the Jewish people in the desert of Sinai, We have chronologically jumped 38 years ahead to the last of the 40 year journey in the "Midbar" or Desert and the Nation of Israel are young and hardened by these 40 years in the desert. Moshe their 120 year old Leader and teacher knows that he will die before the Children of Israel go into The Land of Israel still called Canaan, to conquer the land. 

Balak, the King of Moav, the people who are descended from the daughters of Noah, is terrified that The Israelites will try to destroy his Kingdom as they pass his territory which was in modern day Trans-Jordan. Billam, is seen in the Midrash and Kabbalah as almost the “evil twin” of Moses, so spiritually powerful that just his words could be destructive. Several times, Billam went up on to a mountain, offers sacrifices to the Gods of Moab and opened his mouth to curse the Jews. Miraculously, Hashem prevents him from speaking evil and instead only words of praise and beauty come forward. The line we say when we enter a Synagogue "Ma Tovu, Ohalecha Yaacov - How goodly and peaceful are your Tents oh Jacob, your dwelling places oh Israel" come from Billam's, instead of the curse he intended. When the King hears of the blessing instead of the curse he is incensed and slaps Billam in the head. He promises the evil prophet all the riches of the kingdom to deliver the curse but to no avail.

In the end, Billam's last ditch effort is to send the young maidens of Moav into the Jewish camp to tempt the young men of Israel. He is partially successful and only the efforts of the great Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron the first High Priest save the Jewish people from destruction. It never ceases to surprise and enlighten me how amazing and ahead of its time the Torah was and is in its exploration of the human psyche and experience. I believe the Torah was telling us so many years ago, that the Pen is mightier than the Sword. Words can harm even more deeply than physical violence.

 It is the "idea" of Hamas that is even more harmful and destructive then the horrible evil perpetrated on October 7th. They seek to destroy the entire Jewish people and all we stand for, not just the 1200 people they killed and the many hostages they took and are still torturing, Thank God we have the physical strength to repel Hamas. Do we have the mental and spiritual resolve for the long haul needed to utterly defeat them and all who hate the Jewish people. We have survived many Holocausts in our long 3800 year history. We should all double our efforts to combat our own evil speech-"Lashon Harah" and our resolve to continue to teach Torah, love, sharing and kindness to the entire world.

Shabbat Shalom,
Cantor Marty