Balak - Consistent Spirituality

Why did Bilaam attain prophecy if he was just an 'ordinary' magician? Why do the nations of the world complain and how does Bilaam serve as their prophet? What is the difference between the approach of Bilaam and the nations as opposed to Moshe and the Jewish people? How does Moshe have the ability to remain humble despite his greatness, while Bilaam immediately falls?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast. (Audio)

Running time: 19:49

Pinchas - Leadership by Example

Why does Bilaam direct Balak to cause the Jewish people to sin through immoral behavior with the daughters of Midian? What was the character of the leadership of Doson and Aviram in the rebellion of Korach? How does the same principle apply for good, as expressed in the leadership of Joshua?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 18:24

Balak - Threshold Immorality

After 540 years of existence as the Jewish people, why do they face such a great test in licentious behavior just as they are entering Israel? What is parallel to Avraham and his interaction with Sodom as he is about to conceive Isaac? What is the concept of the 'Shittim River' which causes those who drink of it to be involved in licentious behavior? Why was there a special desire for this type of behavior immediately before the rebuilding of the Second Temple?

Find out in this week's parsha podcast.

Running time: 25:11

Balak - Truth and Will

Bilam seems to be a good guy. Why do chazal paint him in such a bad light - Bilam Harasha!Why do we have this funny interaction where the donkey knows about the malach even before Bilam? What is the point of the malach standing there if it won't end up killing Bilam anyway? What is Bilam's fundamental character flaw? The midrash stresses that Bilam spoke to Hashem in a dream at night, thus indicating his inferior quality of prophecy. But lemaaseh, he experiences prophetic moments with his poetry during the day - so what is the meaning of it? What is the significance of the comparison between Bilam and Avraham?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Running time: 30:05

Balak - The mystery of Bilam

How could Bilam, an evil lowlife, be able to merit such a lofty level of prophecy? Why does his donkey speak? Why is he able to speak about the end of days, which only Yakov and Moshe speak of in the Torah itself? What is the deeper connection between the story of Bilaam and the story of Pinchas?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Balak - Swallowing development

From where did our chazal see that Bilaam was so evil? What was his fundamental character flaw? Why did he experience such a strange miracle, namely the speaking donkey? Why did he speak of the End of Days? Why is the story followed by the prince of the tribe of Shimon's sin? What is the connection to the previous theme?

Find out in this week's Parsha Podcast.

Recognizing Moshiach

In Bilaam's brachos of the Jewish people, he relays a message that was intended just for us, sitting on the threshold of the end of days. In perek כד passuk יז Hashem's plan is revealed in the statement דרך כוכב מיעקב וקם שבט מישראל - A star will shoot out from Yakov, and a ruler will arise from Yisrael. The Or Hachaim explains that this double description of Moshiach, either as a star or as a ruler, describe the two possible ways Moshiach can arrive. He can arrive like a star, in a miraculous manner, or like a regular ruler, rising naturally. He explains further that this depends on the state of the Jewish people. If they are meritorious, and the redemption comes in the time of אחישנה - the hastened time - then Moshiach will be like a star. Otherwise, Moshiach will come in a natural manner, in the time of בעתה, or the preordained time. This second choice is what Zechariah describes when he talks of Moshiach coming עני ורוכב על חמור - a pauper riding in on a donkey.

On this concept, Rav Shimon Kessin explains that Moshiach ben Yosef, who we are speaking of here, is a direct reflection of the Jewish people as a whole. The reason for this is very deep, but on the surface level, let us just say that Moshiach has agreed to a 'deal' with Hashem that however low the Jewish people have fallen, he will enter into the darkness that they have created, and suffer there with them in order to balance out the judgment and give them a chance to repent. This does not mean that Moshiach is punished for the sins of the Jewish people, Heaven forbid, but rather, that he takes upon himself to suffer on their behalf, and thereby open the door for them to repent before their final judgment is brought down upon them.

The result of this is that Moshiach ben Yosef literally reflects the spiritual state of the Jewish people. If the Jewish people are righteous, then Moshiach comes in 'like a star,' looking like the great righteous individual he is. If the Jewish people are on a low spiritual level, however, then Moshiach appears to be someone on a low spiritual level as well! Thus, if we had to guess who Moshiach ben Yosef is today, he is definitely not someone who would appear to be a great tzaddik! This concept is somewhat counter-intuitive, but there is a deep explanation as to why this is so.

One of the interesting results of this is that for thousands of years, the nations of the world - the descendants of Esav and Yishmael - have believed that they have replaced the Jewish people. They back this claim by saying that it is clear that they are the correct ones because they are the ones who are ascendent in the world - they have the תפארת and עז - the spiritual beauty and physical strength. They would claim that the Jewish people have been rejected by Hashem and that is why we are in such a lowly state.

When Moshiach finally reveals himself, they will see that he is not exactly what they had expected - he is not someone who seems to be a paragon of righteousness, rather his piety will be covered with layers of darkness and externalities, just like the Jewish people he represents. When they see such a person and it becomes absolutely clear that he is indeed Hashem's chosen Moshiach, it will be clear that those who had seemed righteous and dignified all along - the nations of the world - were not true representatives of Hashem's plan, but rather it was the trampled nation of the Jews, who seemed so lowly, who truly were the beacons of Hashem's light. This, says Rav Kessin, is the explanation of what is going on in the psukim in Yeshaya (end of perek 52 through perek 53) which is speaking both about the Jewish people and Moshiach ben Yosef himself, as both will look in the time right before Moshiach, and how the nations will react to his revelation.