Parashat Balak
11th July 2025
Week of 6-12 July 2025
Torah portion: Numbers 22:2-25:9 Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8
Theme: Do Justice, Love kindness, and Walk Humbly with Your God
The Prophet Micah sets the tone for this parashah with his poignant plea: “O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Answer me! For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of slavery” (6:3-4). And now, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (6:8).
As the parashah opens, the Israelites are in the Plains of Moab across the Jordan from Jericho. Balak, the king of Moab, aware of what the Israelites had done to the Amorites, is overcome with fear. He looks to the land of his kinsfolk, and summons Balaam, a seer at Pethor on the Euphrates, to come and curse the Israelites. Balak is quite confident that he will then be able to defeat the Israelites and drive them out.
However, God intervenes three times. The first occurs when Balak sends elders of Moab and Midian to obtain the services of Balaam, but God informs Balaam, “You shall not go with them and you shall not curse the people” (22:12). Balak then sends more distinguished officials to Balaam, promising him great honors and compliance with whatever he might ask. Again, Balaam refuses: “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the command of the Lord, my God” (22:18). At night, God comes to Balaam, instructing him to go with Balak’s men, but to do only what God will tell him to do. In the morning, Balaam saddles his donkey, and accompanies Balak’s officials (22:21).
On route, three times, the angel of the Lord blocks the road. Initially only the donkey can see the angel; and he refuses to proceed even with Balaam’s prodding. God enables the donkey to speak, demanding an explanation for Balaam’s cruelty. When Balaam complains that the donkey is making a fool of him, the donkey recalls his faithful service over many years, deserving respect. Balaam finally sees the angel with sword drawn, berating him for his treatment of the donkey, and Balaam apologizes.
When Balak hears that Balaam has arrived, he takes him to Bamoth-Baal and then to Zophim at the top of Pisgah, and then to the top of Peor overlooking the wasteland. At each of those places, they have a view of the Israelites: altars are constructed, sacrifices are offered, and an oracle is declared by Balaam. When Balak, who anticipated curses on Israel from Balaam, hears the blessings of Balaam, he reacts in anger and dismisses Balaam, but not before Balaam utters two additional oracles, prophesying “a star shall come out of Jacob and a scepter shall rise out of Israel,” and announcing that Amalek will perish.
The parashah closes tragically. At Shittim, in the Plains of Moab, some Israelites had intercourse with Moabite women and participated in sacrifices to Moabite gods; a plague ensued. Moses had the chiefs of the people and others impaled in broad daylight, in the hope that the Lord’s anger might be appeased. In that same spirit, seeing an Israelite leading a Midianite woman into his tent, Phineas took a spear and killed them both. Then the plague stopped, having claimed 24,000 lives. We recall the prophet Micah’s lament: “O my people, what have I done to you, in what have I wearied you. Answer me!”
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. The power of cursing or blessing is a thread running through this parashah. Are you aware of an experience of both or either of those? What affect has each had on you?
Bibliography: Coogan, Michael D., editor, The New Oxford Annotated Bible, Oxford University Press, 2001.
This week’s Parasha Commentary was prepared by
Diane Willey, Canada
Bat Kol Alumna: 2005, 2006
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