THE HUMAN NAMES OF THE PARASHOT
So, this "teaching" is on Parasha Balak. Why name the Parasha after such a "rasha".. The commetators teach that a parsha should not be named after a wicked person. So why Balak? What is Balak's redeeming quality?It is in this parsha that the coming of Mashiach is mentioned by the prophet Balaam. A time when the transformation of evil will be completed. A time when total Torah observance will be again as in the time of King David.
So then I began to wonder about all of the other Parshaot that were named after people and tried to figure out what I learned from them and whether they were rasha's or not.
NOACH - The commentaries leave it open as to whether he is truly righteous or only in his generation. I learn do the very best I can and what others may think of me may be none of my business.
SARAH - THE LIFE OF - The commentators call Sarah righteous. (Who am I to judge, but I do have questions). What do I learn from Sarah? Search for another way before you eliminate someone from your life.
YITRO - What do I learn. I learn that I can't quite grasp Yitro. Obviously brilliant. Trying to get his son in law, Moshe, to be a husband and father and hearing what Hashem does for the Jews, Yitro joins them and then Yitro leaves and returns to his people to teach them the Torah - Perhaps it is too much for him to see his daughter and grandsons neglected. Does he return? It, for me, is not clear. I think Yitro is a great Seeker and a disappointed parent.
KORACH - Commentators find him unrighteous - and yet, almost all of the commentaries I have read (few as they are) seem to find Korach's motives kosher but his behavior selfish and bad. Is this because he is an Ivrit? What I learn is that wanting what another has is wasting your life.
BALAK - As discussed above. But what I learn from Balak is to look at what is in front of you. The Yiden were encamped around his territory and meant to do him no harm. But his fear got in his way and he could not see clearly. (Which is why I don't fly).
PINCHAS - Again, commentaries seem to agree that he is righteous but that none of us are to do what Pinchas did. Think before you act - unless you are involved in saving a person's life.
My drash is on Parsha Balak. But it is really Balaam I am intrigued with.. I read the following passage in Wikipedia and found it so interesting that I am including it below.
In rabbinic literature Balaam is represented as one of seven gentile prophets; the other six being Beor (Balaam's father), Job, and Job's four friends (Talmud, B. B. 15b). In this literature, Balaam gradually acquired a position among the non-Jews, which was exalted as much as that of Moses among the Jews (Midrash Numbers Rabbah 20); at first being a mere interpreter of dreams, but later becoming a magician, until finally the spirit of prophecy descended upon him (ib. 7).
According to a negative view of Balaam in the Talmud, Balaam possessed the gift of being able to ascertain the exact moment during which God is wroth - a gift bestowed upon no other creature. Balaam's intention was to curse the Israelites at this moment of wrath, and thus cause God himself to destroy them; but God purposely restrained His anger in order to baffle the wicked prophet and to save the nation from extermination (Talmud, Berachot 7a). The Talmud also recounts a more positive view of Balaam, stating that when the Law was given to Israel, a mighty voice shook the foundations of the earth, so much so that all kings trembled, and in their consternation turned to Balaam, inquiring whether this upheaval of nature portended a second deluge; the prophet assured them that what they heard was the voice of God, giving the sacred law to the Israelites (Talmud, Zeb. 116a).
According to Jewish legend, Balaam was made this powerful in order to prevent the non-Jewish tribes from saying: "If we had only had our own Moses, we would be as pious as the Jews."
Balaam died at the age of 33.
Shabbat shalom
No comments:
Post a Comment