Hukkat Balak 5783

 B"H


Recently some very harrowing incidents have occurred in Erets Yisrael.  A terrorist attack left four martyrs, Hashem yikom damim.  While families and friends buried these martyrs, Arab mobs gathered to harass the burials.  They shouted pejoratives and threats at the Jews present.  Some Jews reacted violently and vandalized some Arab villages.  The result has been reciprocating fighting with some Jews being arrested for the fighting and some rabbanim, including Rabbi Yaakov Medan, insisting that Jews must refrain from these violent actions.  While the media attention has been imbalanced and hostile, for Jews to allow ourselves to be dragged into such reactions over verbal instigation is beneath the dignity befitting a Jew and infringes on the prohibition of hillul Hashem.

In Parashat Hukkat Balak we see Balak hire Bilaam to curse Am Yisrael.  This fails, as Am Yisrael is upright, so Bilaam is forced to bless Am Yisrael.  Balak learns that the blessing of Am Yisrael is founded in observing mitsvot.  Am Yisrael may not be physically strong or numerous, but we are guarded by mitsvot and promised our welfare by grounding ourselves in Torah.  Therefore, Balak devises a plan to cause Jews to solicit idolatrous prostitutes, leading to a very harrowing plague for Am Yisrael.

At times the enemies of Am Yisrael try to kill us, but failing to do that they look for our weak spot: to get us to turn away from Torah.  It is important to remember our strength is not founded in vain threats, physical strength, or money.  While it is important to maintain physical health and money for the sake of sustaining ourselves and performing mitsvot, our ultimate strength is from Torah.  We must occasionally rely on hitbonenut and Talmud Torah to focus ourselves, so we will not be driven astray by those who would have us to turn away from Torah and kiddush Hashem, because that is what maintains the strength and vitality of Am Yisrael.  

Shabbat Shalom.  

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