Chukas-Balak - 4th Portion

Join us we learn Chumash for Wednesday Parshas Chukas and Balak combined the fourth Torah reading chapter 21 verse 21. Yesterday we learned about the battles that the Jewish people were the against the Amalekites as well as the Amorites who were trying to hide and hurt the Jewish people of God killed them and only afterwards the Jewish people realizing the great miracles that they survived through and as well the song that they saw with the well and the Torah now continues the journey of the Jewish people towards the land of Israel. We are now in Elul of 2487. As the Jewish people continue their journey towards the land of Israel conquering the Amorite kings that are before them of Sihon and Og the great giants. Though this time God does not tell Moshe to send angels or messengers to the kingdoms to ask permission to pass through their land. Moshe has learned from the behavior of God the same way by Egypt that he went first to Pharaoh and said let my people go or before God gave the Torah he asked the nations of the world if they want it. So too by Edom he asked if we can pass through the land and by Moab he asked if they can pass through the land and by Sihon as well. By some of them they circled around as Edom and Moab. However, as we're going to see in this Torah reading the nations the Amorite nations Sihon and Og God promises them that they will be victorious. They take them on even if they don't allow them to pass. The following the Isaiah takes us into the following Torah reading as well of Balak who is the king of Moab who then tries to hire a non-Jewish prophet Balaam to hurt the Jewish people. Chapter 21 verse 21. Vayishlach Yisrael malachim usichon. And Israel sent angels, messengers to Sihon. The Jewish people sent messengers to Sihon. Malachi Amori, the king of the Amorites, lay more saying verse 21 Rashi Yishlach Israel Malachi Over here it says that Israel, the Israelites sent the messengers. In other places it says that Moshiach sent them. That the one that sent them, Moshiach says, "And I sent angels from Kedemoth." So do we find them when they come to Edomite Yishlach Moshiach Malachi Malachi them. Then Moshiach sent the messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom. And by Yiftach it says, "And the Jewish people sent messengers to the king of Edom." So what's going on over here? Though these verses look like they're contradicting one another, they're actually complementing one another. What one is saying, the other one is opening. When one's closing, one door is closing, the other is opening. Meaning that each one is not explained sufficiently without the other. And it's telling us a very important lesson. Shem Moshiach who Israel That Moshiach is the leader is the Israelites the Israel and Moshiach and the Israelites is Moshiach. Lay more to tell you that the leader of the generation is like the entire generation. The Nasi is everything. As the Rebbe would always tell us that the leader, the Rebbe of the generation is the generation. Interesting to note that the generally Gimel Tammuz always comes out in Parshas Chukas with this Rashi is mentioned HaNasi who HaKolel, the leader is everyone. Includes everyone. Verse 22 Evra Ba'at Secha Let us pass through your land. We need to pass through it. We will not go into the field or into the vineyard. We will not drink from your wealth, but will go like a king. No, we ask until we pass through your territory. As we mentioned, even though he was not commanded by God to ask them for going through peacefully, he asked first to go through peacefully. Only if they wouldn't allow it, then did he take them on for war. Verse 23, not allowed the Jewish people to pass through his territory. But yes, he gathered his whole nation. He went out to greet the Jewish people in the desert. And he came to Yotzah to he arrived in Yotzah and fought against the Jewish people. >> [snorts] >> Rashi The reason why Sihon was the one that was the protector, he was the border patrol, because Sihon was a giant, he was strong, and all the nations of the land of Israel paid him a tax. That people with wars and no army should be able to pass. He was the so to speak the protection for everybody else. Once the Jewish people asked him, "Can we pass through your territory?" He said to them, "Call I'm only here just because I'm protecting from you guys everybody else. You think I'm going to let you go by? Absolutely not." And therefore, what did he do? He went out to war, not like all the other ones who just refused, but he went out to fight them. Ain't nobody going to have you. The people of Sihon were very strong. And if Heshbon was full of weak people like gnats, still nobody would be able to conquer them because Sihon himself was very strong. Even if he wasn't a city in a village which did not have any fortified walls, they still wouldn't be able to conquer him because he was so strong. How much more so that he was in which was a city he was a very very he was which was a very strong city and he was a very strong king. God said, "Why do I have to bother my kids to be able to go into the city, conquer the city and then conquer the king?" Lots of years and they can have to go conquer every city every little village and city. He gave God planted an idea into the people of the city of the war lots of to all come out of their cities and to all of them they all came to one place and that's why he says they came to and they beat them there and then they were able to take over all the place and from there the Jewish people went into their cities there was nobody there to stop them cuz all the armies came out and they were able to wipe them out all at once. There was no men there there was no men there it was only women and children there. Verse 24 the Jewish people wiped them out by their sword by they conquered their lands may I not be from to until as far as the Ammonites because the border of the Ammonites was protected and that's very very strong. Rashi What's so strong? Why were they so protected? Why were they strong? They were warned by not to start a war with them so therefore they were protected. Verse 25 The Jewish people took all these cities then dwelled in all the cities of the Ammonites and the Jewish people then dwelled in all the cities of the Ammonites the Heshbon, in the city of Heshbon, and the whole of Bashan and all its adjacent villages. Rashi's Bashan from all the villages that were next to it. Verse 26. Because Heshbon was originally part of the Moabite. And then because now the Sihon and now it was the city of Sihon, part of the Amorites. And it was waged war fought against the king of Moab Harisha in the first one. And the king of and the king of the the the Amorite Sihon took all his land beyond it from him at Arnon as far as Arnon. Rashi. Verse 26. Why does it have to tell us about what Sihon did and how he conquered it? Because since we learned that you should not start off war with the Moab, the Heshbon which belongs to Moab. Because of land which came and have all the land. They told Israel that means therefore the Torah has to tell us that Sihon took it from Moab. Now that Sihon took it from Moab, the Jewish people were able to take it away from Sihon because it's no longer Moab's. From him. Verse 27. Therefore therefore concerning this the parable has said Go you Heshbon. They came. They came to Heshbon, come to Heshbon. May it be built and established the city of Sihon. Rashi. What does this mean? That war that Sihon had against Moab. The people that say parables were referring to Balaam later on we're going to learn in next week's Torah reading or the following Torah reading that's connected with this one that the Balaam raises his voice, he says his parable Balaam Balaam and of father. The moment when they used to say boy you Heshbon, come to Heshbon, meaning those Amorites should come to Heshbon and cuz initially Sihon was not able to conquer Heshbon because it was such a powerful city. The Halah was Sihon has built on the he went and hired Balaam to curse the king of Moab. Once he cursed the king of Moab, that's why he was able to conquer it. That's why later on as we're soon going to read in the following Torah reading, that's why Balak says I died I know that your blessings work because you did it against me and I would lost the city of Heshbon. The bonus of Sihon here the city of Heshbon the same Sihon that will be built on the city of of Sihon the city that it's going to be his city. Verse 28. Because a fire has gone out from Heshbon. The city of Sihon. And a flame from the city of Sihon. They consumed Ar which was the capital of Moab. The masters of the altars of the Arnon river. Rashi. Once Sihon conquered Heshbon, so therefore a fire went out meaning to conquer other cities of the Moabites as well. That means he got the enthusiasm to go and conquer more. Ar Moab. The name of that place of that city of that area was called Ar in Aramaic. Ar Moab Ar Shalom Ar the city of Moab. Verse 29. Woe is to you Moab. You lost people of your god Chemosh. You've given your sons over as refugees and your daughters in captivity. Into the king of the Amorites Sihon. Ar Moab. Meaning this is all the curse Shakira smile if she must have been out of it. This is the curse that Balaam gave to the king of Moab that everything would be given over to Sihon. Chemosh Shamash Chemosh was the name of the god of Moab. No son and these are my like he gave the king they this idol gave the kids of Moab over as captivity as refugees. They were running away and trying to get safe from being killed as a swift and put his daughters in captivity. 30 and over Heshbon and even and their sovereignty over Heshbon is destroyed. and nothing at Asherah and maybe And then I had departed from Dibon. We laid waste as far as Nophah which reaches all the way until Medeba. I need them of what Malcolm they lost their kingdom of what Heshbon and even Malcolm's failed their rulership their sovereignty. So I had them over Heshbon and Moab had over Heshbon. Moab was gone. The king so do we find out even they lost anything that was there until Dibon shall serve meaning there was removed. Claimer serve near Medeba and was removed their ability the near means like a plow their old sovereignty that they don't longer have any control. Having the control and sovereignty over it as we find in the book of Kings they uses the terminology as well the money is near the David Avdi. and not shame shin the gush of this is a shin not a sin like not shame it's not shame. I don't know if I had meaning lotion shamama we desolated the place not not shame and we placed but we made it desolate. This is what the parables were saying this is what the prophets then said and not shame my son. And we made it completely desolate and I don't know if I had shamama I don't know if I had the week made we destroyed everything until the place called Nophah which was a city near Medeba. Verse 31 by Asia we saw by the The people settled in the land of the Amorites. Verse 32. And then Moshe after conquering these areas of Sihon, they continued to travel on. So therefore Moshe sent people to spy out the places of Yazer. And they conquered the captured villages. And they and dispossessing the Amorites who lived over there. Rashi Yishlach Moshe L'raglei Yazer. And he sent people to spy out the place of Yazer who conquered those areas. Those scouts that he sent there went they didn't wait for a response from Moshe. They saw that they were able to conquer it. They conquered it themselves. I'm really not secure in shame and we're not going to be like the first bad guys that went and come back and make people scared of what's going to happen. We know that the Moshe is giving us power. We have the power of Moshe that we can conquer and therefore they went even without coming back and giving a report to conquer those cities. Verse 33. And they went and they went and they turned to go towards the way of the Bashan. And the king of Bashan came out to greet them and his entire nation came out for war in a place called Edrei. And the king of Bashan came out to greet them and his entire nation came out for war in a place called Edrei. And Edrei in a place called Edrei. Verse 34. And God says don't be afraid of him I gave him in your hand. And all these people that are in his land. And you'll do to him like you did to Sihon the king of the Amorites that was settled in Heshbon. Rashi why was Moshe afraid? Why did God have to tell him don't be afraid? Moshe was afraid because this same Og was the one that saved Lot and he was the one that came and told him about Lot. >> [snorts] >> Who was the one that was saved? Who was the this was oak that was saved from the giant that was that was beaten in the valleys of the only one he was the only one remaining we read in the book of Deuteronomy when Moshe recounts the story he says only oak was the only one the remainder from all the great giants. What happened and Moshe then Then Moshe went and killed him and his sons and all his nations that I built he surely said until there was nothing left of him to there was nothing left. There was no survivors that you should and they took possession of his land Rashi 35 killed him on his own like the tells us in the chapter of that he picked up a mountain of three and what happened was that the town will describe what happened was all came the Jewish people holding a mountain over their head that was worth that was the size of three parts of and said I can just get rid of all you guys by dropping this entire thing and as he was holding it Moshe went and stuck him by and struck his ankle which made him go fall and that mountain fell upon him and buried him under the mountain. Talks about that he would just how tall he was that motion was 10 his staff was 10 and he jumped and he only hit him by his ankle. Verse chapter 22 verse one and the Jewish people traveled from there and they settled in the plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. These were the these were planes were no longer part of my own but they were called my own because they used to belong to Moab which is on the Arnon River, before Sihon conquered that territory that we previously mentioned. We now go into the next Torah reading. As we mentioned, Chukat and Balak are combined, so now we continue into the Torah reading of Balak. Many ask, why do we name a Torah reading after Balak, especially Balak who was an anti-Semite who hired Bil'am to be able to hurt the Jewish people? And the Chassidus explains that the Balak in the Torah reading of Balak we find one of the greatest blessings that are given to the Jewish people by someone who tried to curse the Jewish people. And over here we show what the purpose of the Torah and the objective of the Jews is to transform the physical into spiritual, to transform the negative into positive. Over here we have an individual Balak who tried as much as he can to hurt the Jewish people, but only the greatest blessings came to them. As we're going to see now with the story of Balak. Balak seeing and watching from a distance everything that the Jewish people did to the Amorites. Rashi, Balak from Tzippor. For all my Avashnayim of Ar, yeah, two kings, they were giants, they were massive. But to show you and we were dependent on them and they owned the Bnei Ammon and they were not able to stand before the Jews. Oh, no, how much more so how much more so we're not going to be able to do it. Therefore now Moab had to think of a whole new plan of what he's going to do. And therefore Moab and therefore Moab was now terrified because of the people. Because there's so many of them. Moab became sick due to the fact that of the threats of the Israelites, of the Jewish people around them. Who was petrified, he was afraid. He was disgusted by them, meaning that he was sick because of it. Verse 4. Said to the elders of Midian, Now this congregation is going to lick up everything around us. They're going to pillage every They're going to pillage us. They're going to eat up everything's there. Just like an ox eats up the greens of the field. And Balak the son of Zippor was the king of Moab at that specific time. What's going on over here? He's talking to the Midianites. He's a Moabite. What's happening? Rashi explains. Moab and Midian were enemies against each other. As we read in the book of Bereshit, that killed all the Midianites in the field of Moab. Midianites and the Moabites were fighting in war. Hello, what happens is they also saw that they were both afraid of the Jewish people. And once two enemies get together, they say, "Okay, we hate each other, but we also have a common enemy." And their common enemy was the Jewish people. So why did Moab go to Midian to get advice? Because they saw that the Jewish people are being victorious in that in natural normal natural way. Umru, they said, "Man, he can really get going." They said there must be the leader of these people The leader of their people grew up in Midian. Because it says, "Where was Moshe? He ran away to Midian." Let's ask the Midianites how Moshe works. What's his temperament? Umru, they said This guy, Moshe, what's his power? His speech. What he can do. Umru, they said, "Huh, if that's the whole power because of his prayer with God, we also have somebody that's good with God. Let's get somebody that's just as strong with the speech as well in talking to God. What does it mean like the ox that licks eats the grass? Meaning why they picked this? Because whatever a ox uh eats eats from the looks from the ground does not have a blessing meaning it's not going to grow again because the way the ox eats it's very tough and pulls it through it out of the ground. So therefore there's nothing left of it. So if they're like whatever they pillaging they're not having there's no hope for that going back to the original owner. At that time they all had meaning at that time because really Balak wasn't worthy to be a king. He was actually from the leaders of Midian. Once he died they knew they made him in charge for the time. Verse five. And he sent messengers to Balak. the son of beside in the city of Asher on the north that's on the river the land of his land of his people saying he I'm a nation has left Egypt. He has covered the face of the earth. And now they're right above they're stationed up right opposite me. Rashi beside like a person who is a money exchanger. Everybody is giving you money. You call the same so to everybody would go to Balak to ask him their problems. One simple interpretation that's the name of beside other word is beside that he would come there for an explanation and that's what it meant. the people of his nation because Balak came from the Midianites he sent them to his own people. This is what the prophecy that Balak was saying. You're going to be a king. You may ask why did God make that a evil man as Balak should have divine divine inspiration and have ability of prophecy. This was only that the nations of the world should have a complaint. Blaming and say Eloi you go London and VM if we would have prophets like Mosha because I don't know what if we would have done the right thing. What did God do? He gave them prophets for him part together they're the ones that made the biggest problems for them. Should be because initially the nations of the world kept the seven Noahide laws and had proper marital laws and were not promiscuous. The Muslims and as we learn at the end of the Torah reading who is the one that told them to become promiscuous this way to try to seduce the Jewish people was Bil'am. Meaning that this is going to be for his benefit for his benefit so you basically just going to give him a lot of money. As we see later on he says I'm going to hire you and I'm going to pay you for it. I'm going to ask so what if a nation left Egypt so what's the big deal? He said no that They covered the land and now that were protecting us they killed them. It doesn't say with a vuv without a vuv. They're about to close to me and they're about to wipe me out as well. They're about to wipe me out. Verse six please come and curse this nation because they're stronger than me. Maybe I'll be able to attack them. And chase them out of the land. Because I know whoever you bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed. Rashi Nakeboi Me and my nation will try to kill them. I'll deduct off the the word nak it comes from deduction like to minus off and it's talking about and this is what Balak's telling him. If I'm not going to be able to kill them entirely at least maybe I can minimize the pain minimize the damage and get less people. I know that you helped Sicha wipe out Moab because you gave him that extra curse. Verse seven. And the elders of Moab went to Ziknei Midian and elders of Midian. With all sorts of magic charms in their hand and they came to Balaam and they told him the words of Balak. All different kinds of magic tricks. I don't have my tools with me. Another explanation is meaning they had a trick up their sleeve. They said if he's going to come with us this time the first time that we're coming to him then we know that he is the real. If he's not going to come with us and he's going to try to delay then we know there's no use for him because since he is a faker he's a phony. He's a fraud. When he told them stay here overnight the elders of Midian said one second this guy here we don't have hope in this guy because he's delaying us. We don't need you. We are fraud. Shame on you for telling Balaam. Midian Who is the one that stayed? The people of Moab because the elders of Midian said we're not staying with this guy he has nothing to offer us. As we'll soon see in the following verses. So what did Balaam tell them? Stay here overnight and I'll tell you I will respond to you accordingly and accordingly Kishore Malachi, God will tell me. I said I might have been below and the elders of Moab stayed with below. Who left? The people of Midian because as we mentioned in the previous verse, they said if he's going to tell us to stay over, we don't think he's real. Why did they have to stay overnight? And the only time he had the divine inspiration from God was at night. So to my old and non-Jewish prophets love and so to love and when did God come and appear to him in a dream as it says in the book of Genesis. God came to him in a dream. Also, this is called the reason why this is only by night is like a person who goes to his mistress only in the middle of the night to be able to his concubine. This is not his regular way and method of doing it and therefore God was only doing it on the side show so to speak to be able to have them that they should keep quiet and not complain. God is going to advise me should I go with people like you? I'll go with you. It means waiting to see cuz maybe it's not dignified for me enough that I should go with such simple people. Maybe you'll have to send more respected and honorable people that I should go with. By the issue that they stayed with him that night. God came to below my and he said who are these people with you? What does it mean? Did the God not know? So Rashi explains. God came and gave him place to make a mistake meaning the only way he said maybe you don't know and below actually made a mistake. Maybe God doesn't know what's going on. Maybe not at all times does God actually know what's happening. So below says God doesn't know what's with me. That means God doesn't know what's happening all the time. So I'm going to find a time where God is not really paying that much attention and I'll be able to curse the Jewish people. And below says to God below the king of below the son of Zippor, the king of Moab, sent them to me. Balak even though God Balaam tells God even though I may not be important to you the kings consider me of value and of importance. Verse 11. What is Bala- what is Balak want? Here is a nation behold the nation came out of Egypt face of the earth. And maybe now you can come and curse them. Maybe perhaps I can be able to fight them and I can drive them out. Verse 11, Rashi. There's different terminologies that the Torah uses when it comes to cursing. One of them usually is in this case cover is stronger because he actually says God's name and he curses the people by God's name. I want to drive them out from the world meaning I want to kill them. Balak only said I want to drive them out of the land I don't want them coming through my land. I just don't want them next to me. Balaam hated the Jews more than Balak and he wanted to kill them completely. He hated them worse than Balak. Verse 12. Balaam and God said to Balaam do not go with them do not curse the people because they are a blessed nation they're already blessed. Balaam he said in came If you don't want me to go with them I'll curse them from my place. I don't have to go see them. Don't even curse these people. I will I will bless them. They don't need your blessing. They're already blessed. Marshall. This is an example that's given. They say to a stinging zero which is a stinging bee a stinging insect. It gives honey, too. And we tell this thing insect, I don't need your honey, and I don't need your sting. I don't need any of it. I don't need your blessings, I don't need your curses. So, too, God was telling Bilam, "I don't need your Stay where you are. We don't need your blessings, and you're worthless." This concludes the fourth Torah reading of Parshas Chukas-Balak combined.