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for PARSHAT CHUKAT

for BALAK

Bilam: The Prophet and the Consultant

Is Bilam really such a 'bad guy?' Indeed, God's anger with his decision to travel with Balak's messengers suggests that his true intentions may have been to curse Am Yisrael. However, this fact may prove exactly the opposite - that Bilam is a man of high moral stature! After all, over and over again, Bilam overcomes this personal desire to curse Yisrael and blesses them instead, "exactly as God commands him." In fact, his final blessing of Am Yisrael appears to have been on his own initiative. Why then do Chazal cite Bilam as the archetype "rasha" (a wicked person)? Simply for once having 'bad intentions?' This week's shiur attempts to answer this question by reconstructing what really happens in Parshat Balak, based on other Parshiot in Chumash.

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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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Did Moshe Really Sin?

Remember that feeling of "it's just not fair" after the first time you read the story of Mei Meriva? Whatever it may have been that Moshe did wrong - his punishment seems much too harsh. In this week's shiur, we attempt to tackle this complicated "sugya" by viewing it from a broader perspective.

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When Did the Mei Meriva Incident Take Place?

Just about everyone takes for granted that the Mei Meriva incident takes place in the 40th year. The reason for this is quite simple - Mei Meriva takes place immediately after the death of Miriam, and Miriam died in the first month of the fortieth year - didn't she? Let's double check this assumption by taking a closer look at that pasuk: "And Bnei Yisrael [the entire congregation] arrived at Midbar Tzin on the first month, and the people settled down in Kadesh; there Miriam died and was buried." Note, that we are only told that this took place on the first month, but there is no mention of the year at all! So why does everyone assume that it is year forty?

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Parah Aduma: What's a Chok?

What does "Chukat HaTorah" mean? In this introductory phrase of Parshat Chukat, the word "torah" is usually understood as 'the entire Chumash,' while "chok" is usually understood as a 'law that doesn't make sense' (or at least has no obvious reason). In the following shiur we suggest an alternate definition of the words "chok" and "torah" that will help us better understand the details of Parshat Parah. (Part II of the shiur focuses on Parshat Parah's Haftara, where the navi Yechezkel finds special meaning in this concept of "tahara" from "tum'ah" as it becomes an important stage in the redemption process.)

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Menachem Leibtag