Chukkat: Main points include The Red Heifer; the death of Miriam; Moses hitting the rock; the journey around the Land of Edom and the complaints resulting in snakes and scorpions; the death of Aaron and the wars with the Canaanites, Sichon and Og.

Balak - the king of Moab, hoping to succeed where others had failed, sent for the prophet Bilam, to come and curse the Israelites. At first, G-d objected to Bilam going to Balak, He later agreed, yet was angry with him that he went. The well-known scene of Bilam's talking donkey follows. (22:21-35)

Bilam warned Balak that he would have to say whatever G-d told him to say. Three times, Balak was disappointed, as Bilam blessed the people instead of cursing them. Then Bilam left, but not before predicting a glorious future for the Israelite Nation.

But there was a sting in his tail. The sedra concludes that the Israelites succumbed to the advances of Midianite and Moabite ladies, who seduced them to immorality and idolatry. This seems to have been Bilam's parting shot to Balak - "don't try and beat them in battle or with words; bring them down with immorality, then their

G-d will not save them".

Points to Ponder

1.Our sages label Bilam as Bilam Harasha - Bilam the 'Evil One' a man of arrogance:

a) Bilam told Balak's messengers: "G-d won't let me go with you", implying that they weren't good enough. (Compare 22: 12 &13)

b) The Israelite prophets used the phrase: Ne'um Hashem - thus says G-d, whereas Bilam said Ne'um Bilam- thus says Bilam! (24: 3, 15).

c) When the Israelites fought a war with the Midianites, one of the people killed was Bilam. (31:8) Our sages say that he was caught up in the battle, because he was actually encouraging the Midianites, as indicated above.

2. Bilam and his donkey - In Ethics of the Fathers, Chapter 5, we are told that the mouth of the donkey was one of ten items G-d created at the very end of the Creation, preserved until needed. It is possible that Bilam was so consumed with his hatred of Israel, and his lust for money, that he didn't see what even his donkey saw. Hence the saying that 'there are none so blind as those who don't want to see." Some commentaries suggest that this entire incident was a vision.

3.Why was G-d concerned that Bilam should bless the people, rather than curse them? Can words hurt?

Anyone who knows of the Palestinian incitement against Israel, or of the blood libels against Jews, knows very well that words can hurt and kill. Balak and his people might have been emboldened by curses against Israel and launched a war. And, given Bilam's fearsome reputation, the Israelites might have lost heart had they known that curses had been levelled at them, by him.

Shabbat Shalom