Today's Learning Eruvin 8:11-9:1 O.C. 14:4-15:1 Sponsored by Bava Metzia 4 the Meth family Yerushalmi-- in honor of Avi's birthday Pesachim 18 Professor and Mrs. Gil Ginsburg on their 35th wedding anniversary Martin and Michelle Swartz on the yahrzeit of grandfather John Hofmann A"H Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz PARASHAT BALAK Vol. VIII, No. 37 (372), 16 Tamuz 5754, June 25, 1994 From the verse in our parasha (24:5), "How good are your tents, Yaakov, your dwelling places, Yisrael," Chazal derive that a synagogue retains its holiness even when it is in ruins. Rav Yishayah Horowitz (the "Shelah haKadosh") explains: Even though Hashem's anger at the Jews was manifested through the destruction of the two Temples and the exile of the Jews among the nations, it was all for the best, just as a father punishes his child for the child's own good. The destruction of the Bet haMikdash was the beginning of its rebuilding, for through that destruction and the exile, the sins of the Jews are wiped out. This is why we show respect to a ruin just as to a standing shul. When Aharon built the Golden Calf on the 16th day of the month of Tamuz (today's date), he said (Sh'mot 32:5), "Tomorrow will be a holiday to G-d." Chazal say that "tomorrow" sometimes means "after a time." In the future, the 17th of Tamuz and all of the other fast days related to the destruction of the Temple will be holidays, for then we will truly appreciate how the destruction was the beginning of the building of a more glorious Temple. (Shnei Luchot haB'rit: Parashat Balak) ************************************ What was the purpose of the miracle in which Bilam's donkey spoke him? Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk explains as follows: Hashem told Bilam to speak only the words which Hashem commanded. Hashem then put blessings in Bilam's mouth rather than the curses which Bilam had planned to utter. But why go to all the "effort"? If Hashem wishes that the Jewish people should be blessed, let Bilam say what he will and it will have no effect! The answer is that Hashem wanted to implant fear in the minds of the nations of Canaan. This could be done by showing that the greatest prophet/sorcerer in the non-Jewish world was powerless against the Jews. However, what if the nations thought that Bilam was not bested by G-d, but rather that the Jews had bribed Bilam? Then Hashem's purpose would not be served. Therefore, Hashem caused Bilam's donkey to speak in front of the nobles of Moav, demonstrating that supernatural forces were at work. (Meshech Chochmah) ************************************ "Bilam said to the donkey, 'Because you mocked me! If only there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you'." (22:29) Rav Baruch of Kosov asks: Why did Bilam say, "I would now have killed you"? He explains: Rashi writes that this incident left the nobles of Moav wondering, "This man (Bilam) is traveling to destroy an entire nation with his mouth, yet he needs a sword to kill the donkey!?" Bilam's intention, says Rav Baruch, was to head off this question. Chazal say that Bilam's ability to curse arose from his knowledge of the precise moment in the day when Hashem "burns" with anger. At any other time of day, Bilam was no more powerful than another human. Bilam said, "If only there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you"--at certain other times I would not need a sword, but now I do. (Yesod haTorah) ************************************ Chazal say that although there was never again a prophet among Bnei Yisrael like Moshe (see Devarim 34:10), there was one among the gentiles. That was Bilam. The reason for this is so that the gentiles could never complain that Hashem gave the Jews a prophet and did not give one to the gentiles. However, asks Rav Menachem Mendel Stern of Sighet, the gentiles may still complain: "Look what kind of prophet You gave us!" How is having a Bilam a consolation for not having a Moshe? Every person, explains Rav Stern, has two sides to his soul. One side is good, the other is bad. Moreover, the evil of the bad side is in direct proportion to the goodness of the opposite side. (This is how a person retains his free will.) Accordingly, the very "greatness" of Bilam's evil demonstrates the enormous potential for good that was within him. He even could have been comparable to Moshe. (Derech Emunah) ************************************ The mishnah (Avot ch.4) says that anyone who has a good (i.e., generous) eye, a humble spirit, and meek soul is a disciple of Avraham. Anyone who has the opposite traits is a disciple of Bilam. Rav Shalom Noach Brazovsky (the Slonimer Rebbe) shlita suggests that every person can use this guidance as a barometer of where he stands. (quoted in miMa'ayanot haNetzach p.280) ************************************ "Yisrael settled in [a place called] 'Shittim' and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moav." (25:1) Rav Tzadok haKohen writes: The name "Shittim" implies "shtut"-- foolishness. This is the trait which leads to immorality. The cure for foolishness and immorality is Torah study. Symbolizing this is the fact that the Aron (ark) which housed the Tablets was made of shittim (acacia) wood. (Machshevot Charutz p.14) ************************************ CHUR BEN KALEV BEN YEFUNEH died 16 Tamuz 2448 Chur was the son of Kalev ben Yefuneh and Miriam the Prophetess (Moshe's sister). Chur was, in turn, the grandfather of Betzalel, the artisan of the mishkan. On the fortieth day after Moshe ascended to Har Sinai, Bnei Yisrael mistakenly came to the conclusion that he would not return, and they made the Golden Calf, as related in the Torah. Chur stood up to Bnei Yisrael calling them, "People of a chopped neck"--meaning that they have incurred the death penalty. Chur's expression also may mean that Bnei Yisrael had a short memory, as if they had no heads, for they had forgotten the miracles that Hashem had done for them. Immediately, they murdered him. The Torah (Sh'mot 32:5) states, "Aharon saw, and he built an altar before [the calf]." "What did he see?" the Midrash Rabbah asks. "He saw that Chur had been murdered." The gemara (Sanhedrin 7a) explains that Aharon reasoned, "If they kill me they will fulfill the verse in Eichah, 'If a kohen and a prophet will be killed in Hashem's tabernacle,' and then there will never be an atonement for them." For the sin of the Golden Calf, by contrast, he knew that they could be forgiven. Chur was one of the two people that Moshe had taken with him when he climbed the mountain overlooking Yehoshua's battle with Amalek. The Torah says that Moshe sat with Aharon on one side and Chur on the other--"Echad (one) on this side and echad on this side." Rav Avraham Stern (father of the well-known Debrecener Rav) cites the opinion of Tosfot that this group represented the merit of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. He explains that the names of the Patriarchs (Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov) combined have 13 letters (in Hebrew), and the names of the Matriarchs (Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah) have the same number. Thirteen is the gematria of the word "echad." Accordingly, "Echad on this side and echad on this side" means, the Patriarchs on one side and Matriarchs on the other. (Melizei Esh) ************************************ DONATIONS TO HAMAAYAN ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE