Daily Chumash Sunday Balak – Balak requests from Balaam to curse the Jewish people

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Rishon

  1. Balak requests from Balaam to curse the Jewish people:
    • The meeting to discuss the threat: Balak the son of Tzippor, the king of Moav at that time, saw all that the Jewish people did to the other nations and Moav became very frightened of the Jewish people. Moav met with the elders of Midian and discussed the threat that “Now they will chew up our entire surroundings like the ox chews the vegetation of the field.
    • Hiring Balaam: He sent emissaries to Balaam the son of Beor to come curse the Jewish people. They told him that a nation has left Egypt and has covered the eye of the land and is now standing opposite me [i.e. Moav]. “Now, please come and curse this nation for me, as they are much more powerful than me, and perhaps I will be successful in driving them out, as I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whom you curse is cursed.” The emissaries arrived at the house of Balaam to deliver the request.

 

  1. The response of Hashem to Balaam, and Balaam to Balak:
  • Hashem instructs Balaam not to go: Balaam replied to the messengers that they should stay the night as he must discuss with Hashem whether he may fulfill their request. Hashem appeared to Balaam and inquired as to who the visitors were. Balaam replied that they are messengers of Balak, the king of Moav, who are asking from him to curse the nation who left Egypt. Upon hearing Balaam’s reply, Hashem told him not to go with them and not to curse the Jewish people, as the Jewish people are blessed.

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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