Numbers 22:2-25:9 - Micah 5:6-6:8 - John 16:12-23

This week's edition of The Set Table contains:

Questions and Commentary on Shabbat Balaq
Chayyei Yeshua - A Devotional Commentary on the Besora Reading
In Summary
Looking Ahead

Questions & Commentary on Parashat Balaq

1. In Pirkei Avot 5:8, it says, "There were ten things that were created on the Shabbat eve at twilight.  They are the mouth of the earth; the mouth of the well (i.e. that provided Israel with water in the wilderness); the mouth of the donkey (of Bilam) . . . the rainbow (of Noah); the manna; the staff (of Aaron), . . . and the Tablets (of the Ten Commandments)." Why is Bilam's donkey important enough to be created by God on the last day of creation?  What does this teach us?

Rabbi Jason Sobel

Before we can intelligently answer this question we must first ask another question. What is the connection between the ten things that were created on the eve of Shabbat at twilight? One connection is that their existence was dependant upon Adam's sin.  According to Jewish tradition, if he had not sinned, the world would have become Olam haTikkun, a perfect world. Due to Adam and Eve's transgression, the perfection of the world has been delayed until the time of Israel's final redemption through Messiah.  As we pray in Alenu, "Therefore we hope to see . . . for the perfection of the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty."

Therefore if Adam & Eve would not have sinned there would have been no yetzer hara (evil inclination) and thus there would have been no need for the majority of the ten things listed in Pirkei Avot 5:8. However, as a result of the yetzer hara we inherited from Adam, all humanity has a propensity to sin. This is demonstrated by the list above as follows: the "mouth of the earth" and "the staff (of Aaron)" was created on account of the rebellion of Korach and his cohorts; the "mouth of the well" and the "manna" because Israel disobeyed God and had to wander for forty years; to "the rainbow" due to the wickedness of people during the days of Noah and the flood; and "the mouth of the donkey" in order to rebuke Bilam for his disobedience.

Even though the connection between these ten things is now clearer, we must still ask why these things were not created until right before Shabbat? According to tradition, man sinned on the same day that he was created, day six.  The Lord however waited until the very last moment of creation, to make these other things, because God hoped that Adam would repent before Shabbat began, thus reversing the effects of his sin, and thereby negating the need for the things mentioned above. In other words, Adam and Chava would have been given a second chance and would have been aloud to stay in Gan Eden. The power of teshuva and its connection to Gan Eden is found in the talmudic story of Elazar ben Doradia, a life-long flagrant sinner who repented shortly before his death and was granted a share in Gan Eden (b. Avoda Zara 17a).  This story sounds very similar to the thief who hung on the cross next to Messiah Yeshua and was also granted a place in Gan Eden after he made teshuva (repentance).  According to Sages, God would have done the same for Adam and Eve if they would truly repented. I however believe that this would not have been done merely through the merit of their repentance but through the promised seed of the women mentioned in Genesis 3:15, the Messiah. 

A second key lesson is brought by the late Reb Chaim Shmulevitz, long time Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva.  Reb Chaim wrote in relation to these passages,

This last minute creation (of the donkey's mouth in Avot 5:8) was not needed to protect Israel from the effects of Bilaam's curse; they were protected by Hashem's annulment of the curse.  Rather it was for the sake of Bilaam, the ultimate attempt to have Bilam turn back from his evil path.  In the last fleeting moments of creation, a special attempt was made to save this despicable would-be-annihilator of Israel.  So great and important is every human being, no matter what his particular situation at the moment might be....  We are enjoined to emulate Hashem in all his ways.  This concern for the dignity of every person is an attribute of Hashem which we must follow.

2. What is the significance of the talking donkey mentioned in this week's parasha?

Joshua Brumbach

Parashat Balaq speaks of a non-Jewish prophet (Bilam) who was hired to curse the people of Israel. Multiple times Bilam attempts to curse Israel, and each time God causes him to speak a blessing instead of a curse. 

In the middle of the parasha, Bilam sets off on his donkey in another attempt to curse Israel. However, a strange thing happens. On the way, God sends an angel to bar the way of Bilaam. Seeing the Malach HaShem, the Angel of the LORD blocking its path, three times the donkey refrains from continuing and each time Bilam beats the donkey. After the third time, God enables the donkey to speak, responding, "What is it I have done to you that you beat me these three times?" (Numbers 22:28). It was not until God enabled Bilam to see the Malach HaShem that Bilaam truly realized what was happening. 

So what can we learn from this? Often many of us are like Bilam. For one reason or another we become caught up in our own desires, blind to God's purposes, and to the needs of the community around us. When anyone or anything attempts to keep us from doing something in pursuit of those desires, we beat them too. So in the end, we are hurting not only ourselves, but those around us without any consideration. 

Yet, other times in life we feel like the donkey. We are working so hard to do the right thing and to avoid the entrapments along life's path. It seems life just keeps beating us and beating us despite our best attempts. Like the donkey in the parasha, many of us often feel like screaming out, "Why do you continue to beat me?" 

In either situation, we are letting our circumstances get the best of us. When we lose faith, lose hope, and lose sight of where God is leading us, we end up getting beaten down by the world around us. We need to be people of clear vision. After all, the book of Mishlei (Proverbs) states, "Trust in the LORD with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God, and God will make your path straight (3:5-6)."

Julie David

John 16:12-23 - "This World Will Have Much Trouble, but I Bring you My Peace"

When the messiah comes, there will be a universal recognition of the truth of Torah and the God Who gave that Torah at Mount Sinai. All Jews will return to the Land of Israel, where they will throw off the yoke of their enemies and undergo a complete spiritual revival. They will embrace the faith of their forefathers and dedicate themselves to God's service forever.

Aish - a leading center of Jewish learning

In this besora study, Yeshua explains in ambiguous terms what will happen at his departure from the world. His disciples do not exactly understand where Yeshua is going and why he has to leave. They do not understand that by Yeshua's leaving, something greater would befall the world - the Ruach HaKodesh (John 16:7, 8). As he prepared to depart, Yeshua explained that if he did not leave, the "counselor" would not come to them. The process, he said, will be very painful, and likened it to a woman giving birth, who forgets the pain of childbirth upon seeing her infant for the first time (16:21). Uncertain of how to proceed, the disciples are prepared only to grieve at the loss of their Rabbi and the unpredictable future.

Since the time that Messiah has not been on the earth the world has overflowed with much suffering. The pains of this world include loss, death, disease, hunger, poverty, emptiness, meaninglessness, and despair. We live in times of tragic wars, insurmountable natural disasters leaving people utterly without, and a time of serving gods of material worth and empty promises. We have seen our people turn away from Hashem in futile attempts to pursue hollow undertakings.

Our Messiah, however, He is greater than all of this. He has given the world the Ruach HaKodesh to guide us in truth and to encourage us of what is to come . . . glory to Yeshua our Messiah (16:12-14). The coming of Messiah is central to our faith and the hope of our people. By learning to love Yeshua through the convictions of the Ruach HaKodesh, may we bring about hastily the return of our Messiah. Although we experience suffering now, we will forget all of our sorrows when we see for the first time, our Messiah's visage, anxious to return and be glorified by all people, when the truth of Torah and the incredible elation of our Messiah, Yeshua will be witnessed. Let us eagerly await the return of Messiah and sing, "Mashiach!, Mashiach!, Mashiach!"

NEXT WEEK'S READINGS - PARASHAT PINCHAS