Balak (parsha)

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Balak (בלק – Hebrew for “Balak,” a name, the second word, and the first distinctive word, in the parshah) is the 40th weekly parshah or portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the seventh in the book of Numbers. It constitutes Numbers 22:2–25:9. Jews in the Diaspora generally read it in late June or July.

The lunisolar Hebrew calendar contains up to 54 weeks, the exact number varying among years. In years with more weeks (for example, 2007 and 2008), parshah Balak is read separately. In years with fewer weeks (for example, 2006 and 2009), parshah Balak is combined with the previous parshah, Chukat, to help achieve the needed number of weekly readings.

Balaam and the Angel (painting by Gustav Jaeger)

1 Summary
2 Commandments
3 Haftarah
4 Further reading
5 External links

[edit] Summary

[edit] Balak’s invitation to Balaam

Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, grew alarmed at the Israelites’ military victories among the Amorites. (Num. 22:2–4.) He consulted with the elders of Midian and sent elders of Moab and Midian to the land by the Euphrates to invite the prophet Balaam to come and curse the Israelites for him. (Num. 22:4–7.) Balaam told them: “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as the Lord may instruct me.” (Num. 22:8.) God came to Balaam and said: “You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.” (Num. 22:9–12.) In the morning, Balaam asked Balak’s dignitaries to leave, as God would not let him go with them, and they left and reported Balaam’s answer to Balak. (Num. 22:13–14.) Then Balak sent more numerous and distinguished dignitaries, who offered Balaam rich rewards in return for damning the Israelites. (Num. 22:15–17.) But Balaam replied: “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, big or little, contrary to the command of the Lord my God.” (Num. 22:18.) But Balaam invited the dignitaries to stay overnight to let Balaam find out what else God might say to him, and that night God told Balaam: “If these men have come to invite you, you may go with them.” (Num. 22:19–20.)

Balaam and the Ass (painting by Rembrandt)

[edit] Balaam and the donkey

In the morning, Balaam saddled his donkey and departed with the dignitaries, but God was incensed at his going and placed an angel in Balaam’s way. (Num. 22:21–22.) When the donkey saw the angel standing in the way holding his drawn sword, the donkey swerved from the road into the fields, and Balaam beat the ass to turn her back onto the road. (Num. 22:23.) The angel then stationed himself in a lane with a fence on either side. (Num. 22:24.) Seeing the angel, the donkey pressed herself and Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he beat her again. (Num. 22:25.) The angel then stationed himself on a narrow spot that allowed no room to swerve right or left, and the donkey lay down under Balaam, and Balaam became furious and beat the ass with his stick. (Num. 22:26–27.) Then God allowed the donkey to speak, and she complained to Balaam. (Num. 22:28–30.) And then God allowed Balaam to see the angel, and Balaam bowed down to the ground. (Num. 22:31.) The angel questioned Balaam for beating his donkey, noting that she had saved Balaam’s life. (Num. 22:32–33.) Balaam admitted his error and offered to turn back if the angel still disapproved. (Num. 22:34.) But the angel told Balaam: “Go with the men. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Balaam went on. (Num. 22:35.)

[edit] Balaam’s blessing

Balak went out to meet Balaam on the Arnon border, and asked him why he didn’t come earlier. (Num. 22:36–37.) But Balaam told Balak that he could utter only the words that God put into his mouth. (Num. 22:38.) They went together to Kiriath-huzoth, where Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and they ate. (Num. 22:39–40.) In the morning, Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-Baal, overlooking the Israelites. (Num. 22:41.) Balaam had Balak build seven altars, and they offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. (Num. 23:1–2.) Then Balaam asked Balak to wait while Balaam went off alone to see if God would grant him a manifestation. (Num. 23:3.) God appeared to Balaam and told him what to say. (Num. 23:4–5.)

Balaam returned and said: “How can I damn whom God has not damned, how doom when the Lord has not doomed? . . . Who can count the dust of Jacob, number the dust-cloud of Israel? May I die the death of the upright, may my fate be like theirs!” (Num. 23:6–10.) Balak complained that he had brought Balaam to damn the Israelites, but instead Balaam blessed them. (Num. 23:11.) Balaam replied that he could only repeat what God put in his mouth. (Num. 23:12.)

Then Balak took Balaam to the summit of Pisgah, once offered a bull and a ram on each of seven altars, and once again Balaam asked Balak to wait while Balaam went off alone to seek a manifestation, and once again God told him what to say. (Num. 23:13–16.) Balaam returned and told Balak: “My message was to bless: When He blesses, I cannot reverse it. No harm is in sight for Jacob, no woe in view for Israel. The Lord their God is with them.” (Num. 23:17–21.) Then Balak told Balaam at least not to bless them, but Balaam replied that he had to do whatever God directed. (Num. 23:25–26.)

Then Balak took Balaam to the peak of Peor, and once offered a bull and a ram on each of seven altars. (Num. 23:27–30.) Balaam, seeing that it pleased God to bless Israel, immediately turned to the Israelites and blessed them: “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel! . . . They shall devour enemy nations, crush their bones, and smash their arrows. . . . Blessed are they who bless you, accursed they who curse you!” (Num. 24:1–9.) Enraged, Balak complained and dismissed Balaam. (Num. 24:10–11.) Balaam replied once again that he could not do contrary to God’s command, and blessed Israelites once again, saying: “A scepter comes forth from Israel; it smashes the brow of Moab.” (Num. 24:11–24.) Then Balaam set out back home, and Balak went his way. (Num. 24:25.)

[edit] The sin of Baal-peor

While the Israelites stayed at Shittim, the people went whoring with the Moabite women and worshiped their god Baal-peor, enraging God. (Num. 25:1–3.) God told Moses to impale the ringleaders, and Moses directed Israel’s officials to slay those who had attached themselves to Baal-peor. (Num. 25:4–5.) When one of the Israelites publicly brought a Midianite woman over to his companions, Phinehas son of Eleazar took a spear, followed the Israelite into the chamber, and stabbed the Israelite and the woman through the belly. (Num. 25:6–8.) Then the plague against the Israelites was checked, having killed 24,000. (Num. 25:8–9.)

[edit] Commandments

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are no commandments in the parshah.

[edit] Haftarah

The haftarah for the parshah is Micah 5:6–6:8. When parshah Balak is combined with parshah Chukat, the haftarah remains the haftarah for Balak.

[edit] Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these classical sources:

Numbers 31:8, 15–16.
Deuteronomy 23:4–7.
Joshua 13:22; 22:11–34;24:9–10.
Micah 6:5.
Nehemiah 13:1–2.
Psalm 106:28–31.
Gildas Hamel, The Deir 'Alla Inscription. (See also Jo Ann Hackett, Balaam Text from Deir 'Alla. Chico, Cal.: Scholars Press, 1984. And see also J. Hoftijzer & G. van der Kooij, The Balaam Text from Deir `Alla Re-evaluated: Proceedings of the International Symposium Held at Leiden, 21-24 August 1989. New York: E.J. Brill, 1991.)
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 4:6:1–7.
4 Maccabees 18:12.
Instruction for Catechumens, and A Prayer of Praise of God for His Greatness, and for His Appointment of Leaders for His People, in “Hellenistic Synagogal Prayers,” in James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 2, 687–88. New York: Doubleday, 1985.
Pseudo-Philo 18:1–14; 28:1–4.
Mishnah: Sanhedrin 9:6; Avot 5:6, 19.
Matthew 2:1–12. (See also R.E. Brown, “The Balaam Narrative,” The Birth of the Messiah, 190–96. Garden City, N.Y., 1977.)
2 Peter 2:15.
Jude 1:11.
Revelation 2:14.
Babylonian Talmud Sotah 11a; Sanhedrin 105b–106a.
Numbers Rabbah 20:1–25.
Zohar 3:184b–212b.