Thursday, 10 July 2025

Shabbos Tzetl: Balak

4:59pm - Candle Lighting, Friday
6:00pm - Havdalah, Saturday
(Melbourne Australia)
Eruv Status: TBA cosv.org.au/eruv/
Good Shabbos!


17 Tammuz - Sunday
6:06am - Fast Begins
5:48pm - Fast Concludes


Please click here to view the Yeshivah Shule Tzetel for Shabbos Parshas Bolok. Please click here to view the PDFs of Weekly Publications.


LAMPLIGHTER

ZICHRON YAAKOV


PARSHAH IN A NUTSHELL
Numbers 22:2–25:9
The name of the Parshah, "Balak," refers to Balak, king of Moab, and it is found in Numbers 22:2

Balak, the king of Moab, summons the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel. On the way, Balaam is berated by his donkey, who sees, before Balaam does, the angel that G‑d sends to block their way. Three times, from three different vantage points, Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings issue forth instead. Balaam also prophesies on the end of the days and the coming of Moshiach.

The people fall prey to the charms of the daughters of Moab, and are enticed to worship the idol Peor. When a high-ranking Israelite official publicly takes a Midianite princess into a tent, Pinchas kills them both, stopping the plague raging among the people.



HAFTORAH IN A NUTSHELL
Micah 5:6-6:8
This week's haftorah makes mention of the incident of Balak the king of Moab hiring the sorcerer Balaam to curse the Jewish people — the main topic of this week's Torah reading.

The prophet Micah prophesies about what will occur after the war of Gog and Magog, the war which precedes the coming of the Messiah and the Final Redemption.

"And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples — like dew sent by G‑d, like torrents of rain upon vegetation that does not hope for any man and does not wait for the sons of men." The prophet describes how G‑d will remove the idols and sorcerers and how He will destroy the Jews' enemies.

The prophet Micah then goes on to rebuke the Jewish people for not observing G‑d's commandments, calling as witness the "mountains and hills" — a reference to the Patriarchs and Matriarchs — and reminding them of the great things G‑d had done for them. He took them out of Egypt and replaced the curses that Balaam son of Beor wanted to utter against them with blessings.

The Jewish people respond by saying that they do not know how to serve G‑d and ask for guidance. The prophet reminds them of the Torah, and that all they need to do is contained within it: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what G‑d demands of you: but to do justice, love kindness, and walk discreetly with your G‑d."


SAGES ON THE PARSHAH

Curse me this people, for he is mightier than me (22:6)

The Hebrew phrase atzum hu mimeni ("he is mightier than me") also translates as "he is mightier from me." For in truth, the might of the people of Israel is Moshiach, who (via Ruth the Moabite, ancestress of King David) is a descendant of Balak!

(Shaloh)

https://w2.chabad.org/media/pdf/111825.pdf


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