WEEKLY TORAH
WEEKLY TORAH
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PARSHAT BALAK
Have you ever wondered whether the nations of the world have prophets, or is the gift of prophecy reserved only for the Jewish Nation?
We're all familiar with the great Jewish Prophets who served Hashem throughout history. These fearless men and women criticized the morals of their day while teaching a nobler way of living. They were guided by Hashem's divine revelation and boldly communicated that message to the people. But what about Prophets for the other nations?
Parshat Balak tells about a renowned Gentile Prophet, Balaam, who was hired to curse the Jewish Nation. Balak, the King of Moab had seen the powers of Hashem and he was scared.
Strong nations had fallen before Israel so Balak decided to try something different. However, a funny thing happened to the Prophet, on the way to cursing the Israelites. A divinely inspired mood suddenly overtook him, and instead of cursing the Jews, he blessed them in a dramatic and most beautiful poetic language!
Among Balaam's blessings is the phase "I see him (Israel) from the peak of flinty rocks" (Bamidbar 23:9). Rabbi Y. M. Kagan, in his teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Sichot relates that our sages compare B'nai Yisroel to flintstones (not the cartoon characters).
Like a flintstone, we have the rock solid foundation of our forefathers and like flint, we have an eternal spark. Even when immersed in water for thousands of years, the flint never loses its fire producing ability. So too are our people, as Balaam couldn't help but see. Each of us has an unbreakable heritage and when approached with loving kindness - no matter how long we've been submerged in the exile, our spark can be fanned into a roaring flame.
So remember, as long as you've got your flint and stone, it's never too late to build that fire of Torah and Mitzvot to bring light and warmth to the world.
Kol Tov! Our best to you...it's all good. Shabbat Shalom, CM
CHADISH FORUM - PLEASE TELL US
This week we learned about a Prophet named Bilam who was not Jewish. Did you know that his words are the first we say when entering a Shul? Why? And why would Hashem give the gift of Prophecy to the other nations?
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