Haftarat Parshat Korach
Haftarat Parshat Balak

Haftarat Parshat Korach - I Shmuel 11:14-12:22

Is having a king 'good for the Jews?' Anyone who has learned Sefer Shmuel would probably answer no, for Shmuel himself reacts very negatively to Bnei Yisrael's original request for a king. Why then does God allow a king? Furthermore, towards the end of this week's Haftara, Shmuel has the perfect opportunity to abolish the kingdom (when the people finally admit that they have sinned by asking for one. But instead of accepting their regret, Shmuel encourages Bnei Yisrael to keep their king! This week's shiur explains how the final pasuk of this week's Haftara provides a very simple answer for this very complex topic.

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Haftarat Parshat Balak - Micha 5:6-6:8

From a poignant statement made by the prophet Micha in this week's Haftara, it would seem that God finds little value in the offering of "korbanot." Why then are we going to spend the next 'three weeks' lamenting the destruction of the Bet HaMikdash? As we study this week's Haftara, we will attempt to answer this question.

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