Parsha Balak: Week of 6/27-7/3 2004

[iitb]

Parsha (http://www.chabad.org/parshah/TorahReading.asp?AID=45614)- Bamidbar (Numbers) 22:2-25:9
Haftorah (http://www.chabad.org/parshah/TorahReading.asp?AID=45614&name=Haftorah)- Michah (Micah) 5:6-6:8

There will be discussion this week...even if I'm talking to myself. ;)

[Henaynei]

read it :) waiting for discussion ;)

[mjterry87]

I am new to all of this. Now I read the links that Justin had posted, but what does it mean? What Parsha Balak week?

[Henaynei]

I am new to all of this. Now I read the links that Justin had posted, but what does it mean? What Parsha Balak week? Good question... The Torah (first 5 books of the Bible) is divided up, according to a very long standing tradition, into weekly readings. We end the cycle yearly at Simchat Torah (the festival - not Yafet ;) ) and begin on the first Shabbat after Simchat Torah with B'reshet (Genesis) ....... These weekly groups are each a p'rasha.

Each weekly reading is named for usually the first word or idea of each section. Thus, P'rasha Balak is the section that includes the story aobut Balak.

There is a companion reading each week called the Haftorah which comes from the Neviim (Prophets). These companion readings mirror, in some portion or echo, the Torah reading. However, the theme of the Haftorah portion may not resonate with the theme you picked up from the Torah portion. It is sometimes work to dig out the connection ;)

Here is a site that gives each P'rasha and the Haftorah reading as well as the Hebrew names and translations of the title of each p'rasha. It also includes suggested Brit Chadasha (Ketuvim Natzrim) readings. These have no tradition behind them and there are numerous lists out there in the MJ community. http://www.zmf.org/resources/torah_readings

Hope this helps ;)

[mjterry87]

Thanks, I thought I knew a lot about MJ, guess I was wrong though. :cry: :cry:

[Henaynei]

Thanks, I thought I knew a lot about MJ, guess I was wrong though. :cry: :cry: Don Quai!!! I doubt any of us here are foolish or arrogant enough to claim we "know a lot about MJism" - there are a few who can say "I know a lot more about MJism than I used to." Everyone of us learn every day ;)

[mjterry87]

I know, I was just kidding. It is just that in the past couple months that I have been following MJ I have learned so much.

[debi b]

I really love this part of the forum. I don't always comment because I don't want to appear to be "holding the floor" (not many seem to discuss the portions). Are they getting looked at here?

[WildCelt]

OK, I'll bite:

Why wasn't Bil'am surprised that the donkey spoke to him?
The text (at least mine) said HaShem "loosed" the donkey's tongue--does this mean animals once had the gift of speech but were, for some reason, "bound"?


When I read the text, I thought Bil'am was an upstanding guy (hey, he not only knew The Name, HaShem communicated with him!), but when I read a few commentaries, it was apparent the commentators felt he was a greedy charlatan, and not righteous at all.

[Talmidah]

It is also intimated that Balaam was responsible for the sons of Israel getting involved with the daughters of Moab. Since he was unable to curse them for Balak, he figured that this would be a way for the Israelites to bring the curse upon themselves.

[debi b]

Balaam is clearly a man that is complicated. He knows YHWH, YHWH speaks to him. He states that he will not go beyond the word that Adonai speaks to him, he knows how to communicated with YHWH. If one were to read only this passage there would be much confusion about his character.

How easy it is to apply this to our lives. There have been many people I have met over the years that gave me that first impression. A wise man once said, "watch the situation over a period of time and it will become clear". Living in such a microwave society we don't have much patience, but I have found this to be true - over a period of time things become clear.

Numbers 31:16 Behold, these caused the people of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.

Balaam was an active participant.

Joshua 24:9-10 Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and fought against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you; But I would not listen to Balaam; therefore he blessed you; so I saved you from his hand.

Balaam was trying to carry out the desire of Balak.

2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

Rev 2:14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Revelation really ties down Balaam's intentions. He said in Numbers he (Balaam) wouldn't go beyond what Adonai told him, but clearly he was the one who came up with the idea to snare Israel, and he died for his trouble.