Shabbat-B'Shabbato – ParshatBalak

No 1581: 17 Tammuz5775 (4July2015)

AS SHABBAT APPROACHES

The Ethics of the Prophets - by Rabbi Oury Cherki, Machon Meir, Rabbi of Beit Yehuda Congregation, Jerusalem

Bible critics insist that the prophets guided the people of their generation about moral principles only and were not interested in religious rituals. Their proof, as is quoted by Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in the Kuzari (Volume 2, 47), is from a verse in this week's Haftara: "Does G-d want to be appeased by thousands of rams, by tens of thousands of streams of oil, shall I give Him my firstborn as an atonement, the fruit of my womb to appease my soul? He tells you, mankind, what is good and what G-d wants from you – merely to do justice and to love kindness, and to go in humility with your G-d." [Micha 6:7-8].

Rabbi Yehuda Halevi gave the critics a worthy response. The prophets were talking to a society which had not even observed the most basic moral requirements. In such a culture, to become involved in exalted heavenly pursuits is nothing more than a travesty, which can be described by the verse, "a sacrifice by a wicked person is an abomination" [Mishlei 21:27]. This is not true for one who has acquired a basic level of morality, and a sacrifice by such a person is very welcome. "They will favorably be brought up on My Altar, and I will glorify My House of Splendor" [Yeshayahu 60:7].

And this makes it clear why the criticism of the sacrifices is juxtaposed to the actions of Bilam and Balak. "My people, just remember what Balak, the King of Moav, advised, and what Bilam replied to him" [Micha 6:5]. Bilam and Balak thought that offering sacrifices is something that is good in its own right even if it would serve such a terrible purpose as eradicating Yisrael, and they therefore brought more and more sacrifices. But in the end it was clear that the ethical principles that were upheld by the nation of Yisrael were much more important in setting the actions of the Divine guidance than the sacrifices by Bilam and Balak.

The exalted values operate within history through the nation of Yisrael, and they are the justification for its existence for all eternity. But they do not dependon the extent to which the nation remains loyal to them. Just the opposite may be true – at times it may seem to the casual observer that Bnei Yisrael do not adhere to the restrictions of general ethical behavior. However, one who sees the general viewpoint that can be seen from the tops of the mountains, "I will view him from the tops of the cliffs" [Bamidbar 23:9], can still say "How good your tents are, Yaacov" [24:5], even when Yisrael are camped in Shitim and turn to vain actions. Evidently this is what the prophet hinted at when he wrote, "From the Shitim to Gilgal" [Micha 6:5] – both when the people are their lowest level, that of Shitim, and when they are occupied with the exalted service in the Tabernacle at Gilgal.

The moral values which Yisrael is passing on to the world begin first of all with, "to do justice." That is, justice is a precursor that validates the trait of kindness. That is how the nation of Yisrael acts in its wars, whose purpose is to get back the land from those who stole it and to avenge the blood of those who were exploited. This then leads to "love of kindness," referring to a desire to do good to all of the creatures. And going in "humility with your G-d" is an expression of the highest possible role, to form a link between the world and the Divine. The secrets that are hidden from all the other creatures, which are the exclusive heritage of Bnei Yisrael, are what make theman appropriate channel for revelation to the entire world.

Rabbi Cherki is the head of Brit Olam – Noahide World Center, Jerusalem

*** A new book by Rabbi Cherki: "A Clear Viewpoint: The World and Man in the Teachings of Rav Kook" (in Hebrew). To order, phone: 050-5556775, or send mail to .

POINT OF VIEW

"A Nation Alone" – Is that a Blessing or a Curse?- by Rabbi Yisrael Rozen, Dean of the Zomet Institute

"Behold, this is a nation which dwells alone, and it is not taken into account with the other nations" [Bamidbar 23:9].

"When the nation of Yisrael remains alone and does not mix in with the other nations, it dwells with honor. But when it is among 'the other nations,' when it has a desire to become mingled with them, it will not be taken into account. They do not consider it as human but rather as if they were monkeys in the shape of a man." [Natziv, Haamek Davar].

Disturbed Foreign Relations

We are witness in recent weeks, months, and years, to a serious downward trend in our relationship with the other nations of the world. Examples are:The report of the Human Rights Commission that was sent to the International Court of Justice in the Hague; The increase in the calls for boycotting Israel in realms of international relations, academia, and economics; and the fact that the Vatican recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine, among other troubling phenomena in the realm of international relations.

If we assume that the State of Israel and the nation of Israel in general exist only in the realm of nature, this situation is unpleasant and can be viewed as a cause for worry. We can look for consolation in the realm beyond nature, in the bosom of the Divine angel of history – and also in the Torah portion for this week. The most notable phrase in the curses/blessings by Bilam is quoted above, that Yisrael is "a nation which dwells alone." This is not a statement of fact. It is a prophetic statement by Bilam which is seen as a curse but hides within it a blessing: "And your G-d was not willing to listen to Bilam, and for you your G-d transformed the curse into a blessing" [Devarim 23:6].

It goes without saying that we cannot rely solely on mysticism, and we must do all we can in a natural way. This is precisely the main point of the dispute that took place (and possibly continues to this day) between the Zionist approach and that of the Chareidim. Will redemption take place as a natural or a heavenly process? Will the ingathering of the exiles come as a result of the efforts of messengers of the nation and Zionist groups or only after waiting patiently to hear the shofar of Mashiach? The same is true for the international relationships of the country, in matters involving Israel and the other nations: Should we constantly invest in public advocacy and propaganda (?), mainly waging war against the one-sided UN organizations and against falsehoods that are prominent in the halls of academia and justice? We discussed this matter in this column two weeks ago. Even so, we must make sure that we understand that at the level of exalted awareness our existence as a nation depends on a different set of rules than for others, rules that do not follow normal nature. And it is necessary for Israeli diplomats to understand this, just as the spirit of redemption and Mashiach accompanies and goads on religious Zionism in all walks of life in our land, including settlement activity, security, and more.

Where is Yaacov Herzog?

In my youth, we were brought up studying a publication named "A Nation which Dwells Alone," written a year after the Six Day War (in 1968) by a unique Israeli diplomat, Rabbi Dr. (of Law) Yaacov Herzog (he was the son of the Chief Rabbi, Yitzchk Herzog, the brother of the late President Chaim Herzog, and the uncle of Isaac Herzog, the current head of the Zionist Camp Party). Here is what he said:

"With your permission, I want to make a statement that is heretical: Here is our great paradox. Classical Zionism did not realize that it had two basic problems. It understood neither the Jewish nation nor the Arab nation. The Zionist leaders wanted us to return to the regular path of the twentieth century. After the First World War, dozens of nations achieved some sort of independence, and we would also become independent here in our land. We would become a normal nation, free from the suppression of the exile and accepted throughout the world. But the facts denied this theory, and in my opinion with a forcewith which no other theory has ever been rejected. Political Zionism felt that the concept of 'a nation living alone' is an abnormal situation. But the truth is that this concept is the natural situation of the House of Yisrael."

Yaacov Herzog first became famous as a result of another publication of his, a record of a historic debate that he held seven years earlier (in 1961), refuting the claims of the British historian Arnold Toynbee, who accused Israel of "Nazi crimes" against the Arabs during the War of Independence. At the time, this debate appeared prominently in the world press, and as I saw it then – as a youth in Bnei Akiva –his words were a natural extension of the theological debates held in the courts of kings by the Ramban, in the Kuzari, and in other similar sources. I do not know if this genre is suitable for the generation of internet and facebook, but the principle is as strong as it ever was: We must fight back in the realms of the enemies with the full knowledge that we will always remain "alone."

Shining Solitude

We can assume that Herzog the rabbi/lawyer was familiar with the words of the Natziv that we quoted above from this week's Torah portion, and the implication that if we want to be like all the other nations "we will not be taken into account" – we will not be accepted, and we will always remain different than the others. He would also have been aware of the approach of the sages, that it is within our power to establish whether the tag "alone" will be a blessing or a curse. Will we sit in solitude as mourners or as people at a higher level than others? "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said, 'I said, And Yisrael will dwell in safety, alone, like Yaacov, in a land of grain and wine' [Devarim 33:28]. Now (that they have sinned), they will dwell alone, as is written, 'How did it come to sit alone?' [Eicha 1:1]." [Sanhedrin 104a].

This, then, is the blessing: Solitude as viewed from the outside can and must provide greater strength for internal unity.

LET YOUR WELLSPRINGS BURST FORTH

Going Like Hotcakes - by Rabbi Moshe Shilat, Director of "The Torah of Chabad for Yeshiva Students"

Our sages view the prophecies of Bilam not only as referring to the good traits of Yisrael themselves but also as a sign of how fond Bnei Yisrael are of the mitzvot. Bilam recognizes not only the fact that the Holy One, Blessed be He, has boundless love for Yisrael, but also that because of their deeds they are "worthy of being blessed" and that they cannot be cursed. Let us look at two elements of praise, as explained by the Rebbe of Lubavitch.

In his second prophecy, Bilam says, "Behold, it is a nation which will rise up like a lion cub and lift itself up like a lion. It will not lie down to rest until it has eaten its prey." [Bamidbar 23:24]. In addition to the simple explanation of this verse, which refers to the power of Yisrael, Rashi quotes the sages: "When they rise up from their sleep in the morning they gather their strength like a lion, in order to grab hold of many mitzvot – they put on tzitzit, they read the Shema, and they put on tefillin. It will not lie down –at night on their beds they devour and destroy every demon that comes to harm them. How do they do this? By reciting the Shema on their beds."

Not at all Calm

The need to rise up with strength like a lion in the morning is known to us, and it is mentioned in the beginning of the Shulchan Aruch. But what does it mean that they "grab hold" of the mitzvot? What would be wrong with just rising quickly in order to perform the mitzvot with joy?

The answer is that this illustrates another aspect of the love that Bnei Yisrael have for the mitzvot. After sleeping for a few hours, which can be viewed as a way of separating ourselves from life, and as we return to our awareness, we feel an element of panic. The first item that occupies our mind is to renew our contact with G-d. We need to feel close to G-d, and to do so we must "take hold" of the mitzvot. A person who feels hungry might eat his food calmly, but one who feels that he is about to starve to death grabs it excitedly.

So we wake up and grab one mitzva after another. And it is clear that the continuation of the day is also influenced by this action. The phrase to "grab" does not imply taking an unfair advantage but rather great love, just as a baby enjoys being picked up and hugged or kissed, not necessarily in an orderly fashion, and without any warning. In greater depth, the action of "grabbing" does not follow logic and an orderly sequence but is linked to a sense of dedication that is "beyond normal understanding." This is the spiritual movement that is necessary at the beginning of the service of G-d when a new day begins.

This action of "grabbing" also has another meaning. It can mean taking hold of something against the will of somebody else. The evil inclination wants to take control of us, and we "grab" ourselves back and repent. Fierce battles begin every morning, and we definitely "grab it away from him" and would like to destroy the evil inclination with the aid of the tzitzit, the tefillin, and the acceptance of the yoke of heaven. As Rashi writes about reading the Shema at night, "they devour and destroy every demon which comes to harm them." Grab away!

Quietly and with Dedication

In Bilam's first prophecy, he says, "Who can count the dust of Yaacov?" [23:10]. Aside from marking the large number of people in the nation, compared to the dust of the earth, Rashi adds another quote from the sages. "There is no reckoning for the mitzvot which they observe directly in the earth, such as plowing with a donkey and an ox together, to plant different species together (kelayim), to utilize the ashes of the Red Heifer, the use of earth in testing a woman suspected of adultery (sotta), and so on." What is so special about the dust of the earth in general and these specific mitzvot?

Dust has no taste. This is a hint of the acceptance of the mitzvot because we accept the yoke and we consider ourselves as nothing compared to the Holy One, Blessed be He, as is written, "My soul will be the same as dust in every aspect" [Berachot 17a; "Elohai Netzor," the end of Shemonah Essrei]. The most common examples of this phenomenon is with mitzvot which are called "chukim," which do not have an obvious logical explanation, like kelayim, the Red Heifer, and the dust of the sotta. These are not easily explained on a logical basis ("there is no reckoning for the mitzvot..." – quoted above).

Rashi gives as examples two types of mixed species and two positive mitzvot. All four of these mitzvot have the property that they are continuous ("there is no reckoning for the mitzvot..."). One aspect of the mitzva of the Red Heifer is that there should be some ashes held in reserve all the time, even when they is not being used for purification. The action of the dust of the sotta is relevant not only when a suspected woman is being given to drink. An innocent woman who is tested is blessed with beautiful children, so here again the results of the performance of the mitzva last for her entire life. Plowing and planting are constant activities in an agricultural society, and even though kelyaim is a negative mitzva, whenever planting and plowing are done in a proper way the mitzva has been performed through positive action.

Thus, in addition to the positive hysteria to quickly perform mitzvot in the morning, we are also linked to the mitzvot from a different angle – with modesty, ignoring any self-importance of our own in comparison with the Holy One, Blessed be He, and with constant dedication.

FROM THE TREASURY OF CHASSIDIC STORIES

Shabbat on Tuesday - by Zev Kitzis, Kibbutz Hadati Yeshiva and Bar Ilan University

Do we feel the sanctity of Shabbat itself, or could it be that the kugel, the white Shabbat table cloth, and the pleasant songs are what give us the special "Shabbat" feeling? This question was on the minds of the "holy brothers," Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhansk and his older brother, Rebbe Zusha. We are told that the two brothers had a fear that perhaps their feeling of sanctity on Shabbat was simply their imagination. Perhaps they did not feel the Shabbat itself but only the emotions generated by involvement with objects and the activities of the day. So the brothers decided to make an experiment: They would celebrate Shabbat on a weekday in order to see if they would experience similar emotions or if they would be able to tell that this was not a "real" Shabbat.

Here is the story told by the Rebbe of Porisov, as it was preserved in this Polish Chassidic family.