As the Jews were preparing to enter Eretz Yisrael, it was clear they had no intention to harm the nations they needed to pass. So what drove Balak to hire Bilam to curse them anyway? Judaism possesses a special gift for raising the lowest of the low to a high spiritual plane. Hear how to harness this power to help, and why it can frighten those steeped in evil.
What a unique Torah portion. Finally, get a glimpse what the anti-Semites say about us when we're not around. Rabbi Kahn explores how the roots of Balaam's powers stem from his power to evoke the 'ayin horah', the evil eye. He also compares this with other Tanach characters.
How do non-Jews view the Jews? Rabbi Kahn analyzes the qualities that Abraham bestowed on his descendants, and how Balak desperately tried to undermine their influence and crush their strength of character. Through which weakness was he able to cause the Jewish nation a terrible fall, and why was his plan able to work?
It was the last point in the desert journey, with the Land of Israel beckoning on the horizon. The people had reached the tremendous spiritual heights necessary to leave the desert, and their terrible downfall with the Golden Calf behind forever. And then they fell in a terrible way - again. How did their agonizing spiritual tumble shake the faith of their rock-steady leader Moses, and permanently demolish his chance of ever being able to enter the Holy Land?
Some Divine decrees were given, but how come reasons were not given for the rational mitzvot? Are we really expected to do things we don't understand? Hear an interesting discussion on this thorny issue plus other insights from the weekly parsha - such as when the wandering Jews encountered the greatest non-Jewish prophet, Bilaam, and his multiple attempts to curse them in the desert.
Bilaam was brilliant. He understood our relationship with Hashem, and if he could just hit one of our weak spots, our entire connection would fall apart. Rabbi Wagensberg describes the relationship we have, and the fascinating, but diabolical identity of Bilaam - our enemy from many years ago.
Did Bilam, a prophet of MosheåÕs caliber, sincerely believe he could curse the Jews without divine consent? Rabbi WagensbergåÕs rule that darkness attracts darkness helps explain what this evil man was trying to do åÐ and yet reassures us that we can all push ourselves over to the side of good.
The holier something is, the heavier the covering of impurity that veils it. Follow Rabbi Wagensberg’s colorful trail as he strips away the external ugliness to show the inner light of the difficult and tragic periods in the Jewish calendar, and within the soul of Ruth which was caught within Balak’s nation. What was Balak’s true aim in attempting to curse the Jews?
Sometimes we have to deal with people who appear to be the lowest of the low while at other times we find ourselves in the most difficult situation. But whatåÕs not always apparent is that these very people, places, times, or situations, could very well be the highest of the high. Once again Rabbi Wagensberg will fill us with hope in this lecture by revealing holy sparks that stem from the least expected places.
One of the most poisonous attitudes a Jew can take on is a sense of apathy, and a desire to simply get the rituals out of the way so we can continue on with our lives. The enthusiasm that must surround Torah observance can be frightening – as it was to Moav. Why were they scared enough to attempt to curse the Jews, and how did Bilaam himself admit that our fire to serve G-d was something impossible to bring down?