Chukas-Balak - 7th Portion

Join me as we learnish for Shabas Pares combined chapter 23 verse 27. Yesterday's Torah reading we learned about the blessings that Bum began to give the Jewish people with Balik being very upset by the very fact that he brought him to curse the Jewish people and all that came with blessings. He tells him and we concluded that Balok tells Bum, don't even curse them. Don't give them any blessings. And here we are today as we continue with the blessings that Bum gives the Jewish people and the episode that happens after this event with the Jewish people following the idolatries of the Moabites. Verse 27. Perhaps I will take you now. Come with me. We'll go to a different place. I perhaps God will ascent and agree and you'll be able to curse for me from there. This wasn't like a command and he tells them you will command like in the future. Maybe God will agree and will then you'll be able to curse them from there. to the peak of the overlooking the wasteland as we mentioned previously yesterday's reading that Bulock was a very big superstitious magician and therefore he saw that the Jewish people may and will get harmed because of the power the idolatry of the poor but he did not know how he said maybe the curse will be good for them from there and Rashi there concludes that though there may be astrologers and people that are the psychics and divinities and all they come up with all these different types of things but they see things but they don't know what they see ver chapter I'm sorry verse 29 Therefore build for me with this seven altars. Prepare with me seven bulls and seven rams. 30 did as said to him and he brought a bull and and he offered a bull and a ram on his altar. Chapter 24 verse one. And bum saw that the Jewish people are good in God's eyes and therefore to good in God's eyes to bless the Jewish people. So he did not go to the practice that he usually did with his meditative divinities divinations and in trying to confuse and to influence that God should allow him to curse the people using the terminology like the snakes. And therefore he turned his face towards the Sinai desert. He said I don't have to check any longer by God. Hashem doesn't want to curse them. He doesn't do it says a double terminology like he did twice before. The word doesn't mean snakes but it means like we mentioned previously the word god is not a sorcerer or a divinator therefore uses the terminology he didn't go this way to try to create some type of magic or whatever may be that maybe god will all of a sudden come and acquies and listen to him like he desires god God wants but doesn't want to curse them. Ask I'll mention their sins and hopefully this way the curse will happen because of their sins and like the Tarum explains that he turned towards the desert they the place where they have committed the sin of the golden calf hoping that this way by remembering the sin that the Jewish people did that will cause a curse to them. Verse two, Bum raised his eyes and he saw the Jewish people are resting according to their tribes are dwelling according to their tribes. And he came upon him the spirit of God. of besides mentioning the sin of the golden calf that was by the desert he tried to instill within them an evil eye. This is one of the three attributes of bum in fact that's mentioned in ethics of our fathers an evil eye spirit great and a broadened soul before a person who thinks of himself greatly and highly what does it mean that we're resting according to the scribes he saw that every tribe is individually encamped with one with each other and they wouldn't blend with each other because they know then who the families are as and therefore they were careful not to go into a family who they may not know what its lineage is. Another thing he saw he saw that the doors are not facing one another one should not be able to see inside the other's friend's tent in a way of modesty that the doors were um not directly opposite one another. This way one cannot see into each other's hand because he had that spirit of God. Therefore he came into his heart that he should not curse them. And he says the following in verse three and he began to recite this parable. And he said, "The word of Bam, the son of of and the word of a man with one open seeing eye and an eye that sees prophetically." Rashi the son of like because of meaning the extra VV in the word the extra VV in the word both of them were greater than their fathers was the son of he was his father was considered like his son in kingdom meaning that he wasn't uh teper was not even as great as a So too bum was greater than his father when it came to prophecy meaning the same idea when you talk about a coin in the days of the Persian Empire where they would talk about the coin which was worth a half a mana the mana is a sign of a price meaning a sign to a person who's greater than his father that's the terminology that they would call him over here it's referring to that he had one eye which had a hole in it and therefore was like oppressed was like pushed it was pushed outside and because the eye was not in its proper lid therefore it looks like that the eye was misplaced and it looks open and the word and the desire when it talks about wine which became um prohibited because a non-Jew touched it. So therefore he talks about how long does a person have to touch it. amount of time that a person would put the actual hole and close the hole and make sure that it's plastered and it would dry explained the rabbis explained what is this talking about that dislocation of his eye socket because he said before that who can count the quarters meaning the Jewish people in fours that they were encamped in four camps meaning that God counts the children of the Jewish waiting when will come this drop that from it will create the great he said to himself somebody who's holy and only who thinks about holiness is thinking about when and how the drop of a holy person is going to become because he made he desecrated and he mocked God therefore one of his eyes were blinded others explain the word comes from the word an open eye. This is also the way that says the very fact that it said one eye means that he only had one eye open not two because the relative said so the fact that it was blind in one eye. Verse four, the word of the one who hears God saying who sees the vision of Almighty. He sees the vision of the Almighty lying down with open eyes lying down with open eyes that he's able to lie down and see. is that the only time that he sees God's vision is when he's lying down when God revealed to he didn't have the power to stand on his feet and fall to his feet because he was uncircumcised and therefore would be disgusting that God should be able to speak to a person who's standing upright while he's uncircumcised. Therefore, he would fall straight down on his face and would be facing the floor while God would be talking to him. We find a similar thing that Abraham every single time when God appeared to Abraham, so too he would fall to his face. Only after he was circumcised and then was he able to speak to God while standing upright. Verse five, how good are the tents, oh Jacob, your encampments, O Israeli, because he saw that their doors were not facing to one another. Therefore he says how beautiful are their camps that they have the ways of modesty the way you're encamped another explanation how great is the tent of where the where the tabernacle was going to be and the holy temple which was going to be in their times of Israel that you able to bring sacrifices to atone for your sins they're resting even when they are destroyed them even when the tabernac le and the holy temple were destroyed. They're still protecting over the Jewish people because they are like collateral that they are there that they were taken because of their sins of the Jewish people. They were destroyed. The fact that they were destroyed atone for the sins of the Jewish people as we say in the book of lamentations that God concluded or got rid of his anger or allowed his anger to be consumed on the fact that he destroyed the holy temple. How did God's anger get consumed and finished? Was because he put set fire in Zion by destroying the holy temples. Six extend far into the future like streams, like gardens by the river, like the fragrance of alows that are by the garden that were planted by God. And like God pitched the cedars by the water. Rashi explains these words. This is going back to what he said before on the words that the very fact that the Jewish people are situated and how they're resting is that they're um that they continue to extend and they're seen from a distance. The rabbis have explained From the blessings that Bum gave them, we can see what he really intended and what he wanted to curse them about. And therefore, when God trans transversed what he should say, meaning he did not allow him to say what he wanted to say, then he blessed him from those kind of curses that he really wanted to say like the Talmud describes in the tract of Sanhedrin. The word is a type of fragrance. It comes from the word of is a type of fragrance that is uh of aloe that is mentioned that he that he mentions here. Where did God plant them? As it says over here that the word can also mean from the word like the tents meaning like God doesn't mean actually not a fragrance but the word can also mean like the tents that God planted may meaning that he made the heaven like a tent covering over everything as it says like God spread the heaven like a tent over all of us to protect us the word of like a pitching a tent We find this also by tents not only by plants or trees. It says that he in that he pitched his tent. He planted his tent by his garden from his well. So and as the tarum explains as well what this refers to that the kingdom is referred to water and the same way water um that because they used to anoint the kings by the water. meaning his success that what he sees and what he plants should grow and to be successful when somebody plant something by the water which is a lot of water. So therefore you can hope oh we didn't do the verse but we'll do it do the verse in just a moment. Verse seven water will flow like from your wells and your seed will have abundant water. Your king will will be raised will raise over a gag and your kingdom will be exalted as we mentioned previously from your waters that this is a sign of success like something that's planted by the water that it's able to grow and it grows in plenty that their first king who is going to be king soul will conquer Amalik and he will also capture the king Amaliker. This is no longer referring to Shaw but this is talking about after the spoils of Amalik being that they didn't wipe everything out. So therefore he continues about that the Jewish people's kingdom will continue of Yakov more and more that after King Saul will come David and Shalom which are from the tribe of Yehuda and then from that tribe it will no longer uh they will continue to be the kings forever. Verse eight, the God who has brought them brought you out of Egypt with the strength that he possesses his loftiness. He will consume the nations that are your adversaries. adversaries, their skin and their bones, dye his arrows in their blood and divide up their land. Who's the one that made the Jewish people so great? The God that took them out of Egypt is with his loftiness and his strength. If you will be able to get rid of those enemies that are also making them problems and the bones from those that cause them issues. What does the word mean? Over here we talk about his they will die as arrows and blood. What does the word mean? Explains this is the interpretation of the the who gives the different commentaries. He says that it comes from the terminology to break that it means that he'll that this will cause uh he causes it that for example that somebody is going one who causes pain to the Jewish people therefore their cup will never be corrected will always be broken says it comes from the word comes from the word bones skin of their bones like we mentioned when we translated that he uh he he consumes from the skin of their bones. That means with his teeth he is able to take off the skin off their bones and then sucks the marrow out from it and therefore leaves the bone with nothing left to it. So this is what it means that God consumes the enemies and takes everything that they have and all they're left with is bones. Explains that in their land they will inherit. That the explanation meaning that God will take their land and divide it and give it over to the Jewish people. It says the people who made problems mean people who create cause divisiveness. So too we find the same terminology is used in the book of judges that referring to the times that they will split their land and it will be given to the Jewish people as an inheritance. lifter. One can explain the word. So too when it talks in Psalm 127 says like arrows in the hands of a strong person that the verse over here is saying that the arrow of God will then spill the blood of those that cause hatred or those that hate the Jewish people. Meaning God will dip his finger and die. the blood and and dye the blood and and color the blood meaning without their blood that over here is talking about Rashi wants to stick to the words like your your feet will be uh dipped in their blood and this word is over here telling us that you can have these two interpretations which can both be the same because you're coloring the blood you're dying the blood also looks like a person who's injured ed and hurt with the blood as well. So over here we're talking about that these arrows will be died with the blood of the enemies as well as they themselves will be beaten. Verse Nar, you will rest and dwell in your hand like the strength of a lion and like a fearsome lion that no one dear arouse. Those that bless you will be blessed and those that curse you will be cursed. like their target explains the Jewish people will settle in their land with strength and might and nobody will bother them. Verse 10. And Bollock got even angrier or more furious with Bumap and he clapped his hands. And bullik says to you to curse my enemies. And over here you now bless them these three times. What is the word? He banged his hands one on the other. Verse 11. And now you run away. Flee back to your place that I will give you great honor. However, God has prevented you from receiving any honor from me. Verse 12. Haven't I said, "Haven't I even told your angels that came, your messengers that came to me, haven't I told them the same exact thing from the very beginning? That what 13 immediately that even if was to give me a house full of gold and silver I cannot go against I can't transgress what God tells me to do say good or bad me from my own heart whatever God tells me whatever God tells me I can only speak that's what I speak over here doesn't say like I said earlier here because he knows that he's been ruined so to speak in God's eyes and therefore he is being chased away and he does not have that power any longer. Verse 14 the now and over here Bum continues being that Bulock was now finally convinced that Bum Bum can Bulock was convinced that Bum cannot help him but he was aware of the spiritual ability. So therefore, bum could continue. Bum therefore contains and says I'm going to my nation, I'm going to I will go I will advise you what this people will do to your people in the end of days 14. Now that I am like a regular person, why? Because I don't have any more the divine presence upon me. And let me give you some advice. If you want me, if you want to do something bad to these people, let me tell you some advice. Let me give you some advice of what their god does not like because their god hates promiscuity, detests permiscuity. You should know that Bum was the one that advised Moab to be able to make and seduce the Jewish people to a level of permcuity because he knows that God detests permiscuity. And therefore, if you do this to this nation, then you they you can do something bad to them. And that's why later on it's referred to the evil that Bum decided to do. This is a shortened verse. And he says as follows, I'm going to give you advice that you can cause them that they should make a mistake. Not only that, I'm also going to tell you what's going to happen to the Moabites in later in the end of days, which is as we find as he's going to say, then the Tarum explains and gives you the verses that are missing here that he's saying, I'm going to tell you what to do to the Jewish people now so you can try to get them. But let me tell you what's going to happen to you, the Moabites, in the end of days by the Jewish people. And over here, Bam begins his prophecy. Verse 16, He began to recite his parable and he says here the words of Bumal I'm sorry and he begins this parable and he says the word of bum the son of the word of a man with one open eye that sees the word of one who could hear God saying and knows the mind of the most on He sees the Almighty. He sees a vision of the Almighty. He sees a vision of the Almighty. Fallen yet with open eyes. What it means? He knows God's wisdom. He knows exactly when God gets upset. So therefore, he can utilize it to be able to use it against individuals. 17. I see do see something indeed that's going to happen to Moaf however but not now but not I behold it but not so soon a star will shoot shoot forth from Yakov and a staff will arise from Israel and it will strike the princes of Moav the character and undermine the descendants of Seth of face. Let's see what this is. This is a prophecy that's referring to the time of the coming of Miach. I see the greatness of Jacob and his greatness. now is not going to be to full greatness but it's going to come in a later time like the explains that something's going to break for that the star is going to come out like an arrow means the greatness and the and the luck of the Jewish people will be at its top staff meaning to be a king that rules and governs will destroy the princes of Moab This is referring to David when it talks about in the book of Samuel and he was able to wipe out those princes of Moab and it tells us about how many people and all the people of Moab became servants for David. The wordar comes from the word that he will um he will undermine from the book of kings talking about how it's bu making a hold doing something from underneath when you don't realize different terminologies that over here where the the English translation would be per so to over here means the fear of king David would be on all the people of of the of seth what does it mean the people of means all the nations because all of them came from Seth who was of the son of Adam. Verse 18 and Adam will be possessed and the Jewish people by the Jewish people and seer will be become the possession of the Jewish people his enemies and the Jewish people will prosper. Um verse 19 and the ruler will come out of Jacob which is referring to Messiah and will destroy the remnant of the capital city which of which of the Romans there will be another ruler that will come from the descendants of Yakov and he will destroy them completely. David is going to start the job and then there's going to be someone who's going to completely destroy them the most important the capital city of Adam which is Rome this is referred to the king Mashiach it says that it will rule from and there won't be any remainder of as verse 20 and then he saw Malik when he saw He saw what was going to happen, the punishment of Amalik and he began to recite a parable and he said Malik will be the first of the nations to attack the Jewish people and his end will be an everlasting destruction at the Jewish people's hands that God will ultimately wipe them out. stack will be put on in Malik. He saw the and he recognized the punishment that's going to come to Malik that they will be eventually wiped out. Why are they going to be all completely wiped out because they were the first ones to start up with the Jewish people to fight with the Jewish people as soon as they came out of Egypt. And this is the way the Tarum explains that the Jewish people will eventually eradicate Amalik. As we say in the book of Deuteronomy, you should eradicate any remembrance of Amalik. 21 and then when he saw the Canaanites and he raised began to recite his parable and he said, "How firm is the dwelling place of your nest? It's set in a cliff." What this means, Rashi explains. He saw once he mentioned, he also mentions the Canites because the Canites were always living next to the Amalikites. As we find so therefore he mentions them after here, he sees the greatness of Israel who was the father-in-law of Moshe that his children ultimately convert. says that when it talks about the families who were there amongst the Jewish people that were scribes, he mentions where they were and the Talmud explains that they were the ones that came to the uh study hall to study and to listen to the words of Torah and they continued to study Torah which were the the descendants of Israel. He's referring to the Cancites. And he says, "I'm wondering where did you get the ability that you should be lucky enough to have a firm dwelling place. You were together with me to be able to plot." Bam is saying, "You Israel were together with me to plot against the Jewish people." When Pharaoh asked, "What do we do with the Jewish problem?" And now you are in the strength and the power of the Jewish people verse 202. For if the Canaanite homeland will be laid to waste, how far how far will Assyria take you captive? That means you'll still survive and you will return with the other exiles. As Rashi explains, he's going back onto the Canaanites. How lucky are you are that you able to stand firm with the strength that you are not going to be destroyed from the world. Even if you may have to worry, you may have to suffer together with the Jewish people. You're going to be exiled together with the 10 tribes with the king of Asher in the time of you're going to be uprooted from your place from the place that you were settled. What's the big deal? Because as he continues and wherever he's going to take you into captivity or into exile aims at this does not mean you're going to be destroyed completely. you're just going to be relocated and move from place to place and eventually you're going to come back together with the exiles Jews. verse 23 and he and he raised his parable and he said began to recite his parable and he said alas who can survive these things being that he mentioned the captivity of the Assyrian Empire he said who can live with himself self to be able to survive from all these nations and still continue to be from being placed upon all these things and still having all these terrible decrees and punishments come upon them will come along and they will mix up all the nations and there'll be a time that these that they will fight against the Assyrian Empire as he continues to say in verse Kitim and the ships will come from the Kites, the Inu asher, and they will afflict the Assyria, the Inu A, and afflict those on the other side on the eastern side, the gamade, but they too, which was referring to Rome will perish forever. He's referring to the boats and the Keites who are they'll come with boats which is referring to the Romans with big boats meaning that their big armies will be there and they are going to fa wage war against the Assyrian Empire the Inu and the Keites are going to subdue them and they're going to afflict them and they're going to take the other nations that are on the other side of the river as well which is referring that the Assyrian empire that exiled the Jewish people are going to then be attacked by the Roman Empire. This is the same prophecy that refers to that even those that are killed, they're going to be killed himself. Meaning that he saw that the kingdom of Edom of the Roman Empire is like a wild animal that's gets stronger attacks those around it. But then eventually that animal gets attacked as well. The word seems big boats. How do we know that means that? As it says in Isaiah the explains of big boats. Verse 25 got up and went back to his place. The gambul also went on his way. Chapter 25 verse one. The Torah now tells us about the incident of the Jewish people in the Jewish people settled in the Jewish people commit promiscuity with the daughters of the Moabites. That was the name of the place as we mentioned previously. This was the idea that Bum gave to Moaf as described in the tract of in the Talmud verse two. And they invited the people to feast offerings to their gods. And the Jewish people then ate and they also bowed down to their gods. Meaning the Torah begins by telling us first about the concept of permiscuity and then concludes with idolatry because both of these sins were intertwined with one another. What happened was when a person was overcome by promiscuity and and he says to her why don't you come to me to be for a wife and she takes out this image of the idolatry from her pocket and she tells them bow down to this that means if you want me to come to you then you have to listen to me and this is the way the women seduced the men to be able to f bow down to their idolatry and to be promiscuous with them. Verse three and the Jewish people that became attached to God became angry with the Jewish people. The reason why it was called the reason it was called was because the word means to reveal because they would reveal before them as if they were going to the bathroom and allow defecate upon this idol. And that was the way that they would serve it by defecating on it because God was angry and sent a plague amongst them. And God said to Moshe, "Take all the leaders of the Jewish people and hang them before God. Hang them hang them before God facing this negot." And this way the God's anger will be removed from the Jewish people. Take the judges that they should be able to judge the people who are serving the poor. What should they do? Who should you hang? Not the leaders. You should hang those who are serving the idolatry of poor. The word explains means to hang. Like it says in the book of Samuel, they took the wanted to take revenge. They hung them. It says clearly that they were hung. However, one who serves idolatry is killed by stoning them. However, all those that are stoned after they're stoned, they're hung. So therefore, in this case, they were hung as well. Facing the sun, the meaning that everybody should see because the sun reveals and clarifies the wounds that are sinned. How was that? There was a cloud of glory that was over the Jewish people that was blocking the sun. would then fold and would shine on the individuals that are guilty. Verse five, and Moshe said to the judges of the Jewish people here, you must kill the men who became attached to the Balpa by stoning them and hanging them as we previously mentioned. Verse five, every single one of the judges had to kill at least two people. How many judges were there? Was 70,000 from that means how many were killed was then 8,600 people were killed. I'm sorry. There were 7 thou 78,600 judges. That's how many judges there were. I'm sorry. 78,600. Each one of them had to kill at least two. So times that by two until you have how many people were guilty? 157,200. Verse six is and behold a man of an Israelite man B came and he approached and he and he brought and he approached before his brothers the midnight woman before Moshe in front of all the Jewish people. Meanwhile, they were weeping at the entrance of the tent of meeting. So he brought this Midionite woman before Moshe and before all the Jewish people. What was going on here? What was he trying to do? The tribe of Shim came to Zim. He was their leader. They said to him, "We're being accused of we're being judged to be killed and you're just sitting here." What did he do? He went and collected 24,000 Jews and went and got a a Midionite woman as it says the Talmud tells us and he brought this wood midionite woman to her name was Kazur and he told her why don't you come be to me like a wife she said to him but I'm the I'm the daughter of a king she was a princess my father told me don't listen only take a big one she says don't worry I'm a leader of a tribe you can come to me and I'll take you soanis who was the midionite woman kosbasur cusp the daughter of S in front of Mosha. What does it mean in front of Mosha? They said he went parading the woman in front of Mosha and he said this that woman am I allowed to have her or not? If you're going to tell me I'm not allowed to the daughter of how were you able to marry her? She was a Medidionite woman. Well, of course that was before the giving of the Torah. She were converted over here. Then everybody was like Noahites. It was a whole different story. They are crying. They forgot for a moment what the is, what the law is. That if a person is publicly with an Aramite, with a non-Jewish woman, anybody who is there has the zealousness amongst them can go and uh do what they are supposed to to kill this individual. Go. They all didn't know what to answer and therefore the Jewish people saw that he didn't know what to answer. And they all started crying by the golden calf. God Moshe was able to stand up to 600,000 people. He took it and crushed it. And over here, Moshe doesn't know what to do. The reason is because God made the pin came along and he should be able to take the reward as we see later on because he stood up and took the matter into his hands. Verse seven saw what was going on here that the Jewish people were standing in shock. Moshe doesn't know what to answer or Moshe also is not answering the son of the son of the he got it from amongst everybody there and he took his spear in his hand. What does it mean? He saw the action and he remember what the law is. He said to Moshe, "Haven't I received from you that is that if a person who has an affair with a with a Aramite woman the zealous can be the one to take the law into their hand." So Moshe said to him, "The one who reads the letter should do what it says in it." Meaning, if you're the one that's telling me what it says in the law, go ahead and do it. If you reminded me what that is, then you are the one that should be able to do it. With that, he took a spear to be able to follow what the law was. Verse eight. And he went after the Israelite woman into the tent. And then he pierced miraculously was able to pierce both of them. The Israelite man and the woman through the reproductive organs and the plague seized amongst the albin from amongst the Jewish people. Rashi eluba. What does it mean? oil into the tent. What does it mean by when hers into her stomach? He put the spear into both reproductive organs of hers and his. And therefore, everybody was able to see that he didn't do this for no reason. And this was many many miracles happened to when he did this event. Number one, that he was able to get into the tent. Number two, that he was able to take them out without without the spear um without him uh getting impure because of it and different things that happened. And this stopped the plague and everybody was able to see that this was something that therefore the Jewish people did not try to attack and take revenge on Pinas because they quickly saw that this was something that God approved of is explained there in the Talmud. Verse 9 and the people that died in the plague were 24,000 people that died during that plague. Once Zimre's uprising was squashed, the judges were then able to finish executing those who were guilty of idolatry. And this concluded the plague and concluded the saga of the Moabites trying to come against the Jewish people. This concludes the Torah readings of Hukas and Bolo combined.