* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
* This week we will read Parashat Balak, the seventh parasha in Sefer Bamidbar.
* Our parasha relates the story of Balak, the King of Moav, who fears the nation of Israel — with their revolutionary message for the world— so he decides to curse them. He turns to the prophet Bilaam to curse the people, but God thwarts his efforts, and only blessings come out of his mouth.
* Some of these blessings have become famous, such as, “Hen am ke’lavi yakum”—“Behold, a people will rise like a lion” (the source for the name of last month’s Operation Rising Lion launched against Iran) and “Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov” — “How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel,” which is recited in our daily prayers.
* Following the Torah reading, we read the haftarah, which is taken this week from the Book of Micha and includes the stirring verse: “He has told you, O mortal, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you — Only to do justice, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your God.”
* This Sunday we will observe the fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which commemorates the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem by the Romans. This fast marks the beginning of a period known as “The Three Weeks,” which culminates on Tisha B’Av, the day the holy Temple was destroyed. These are days of personal and national soul-searching, as we dedicate ourselves to correcting the sins and failures that led to the destruction and work towards building a better future.
Besorot Tovot and Shabbat Shalom
