Chukas-Balak - Responsibility, Appreciation, Blessings

What’s said in this shiur

The opening of this shiur, in Parsha Podcast with Ari Goldwag’s own words — taken from the captions, so names and Hebrew terms may be approximate.

You're listening to the weekly parsha podcast with Ari Goldwag, recorded with Hashem's never-ending assistance in Ramat Beit Shemesh Israel of the 7th of Adar 5783 2023. This week in chutz la'aretz you'll be reading parshas Chukas and Balak and we in Eretz Yisrael will be reading parshas Balak. Balak is always an exciting time for me because it marks the completion of a round of parsha podcasts, which baruch Hashem we hit 16 years every single week putting out a parsha podcast for the last 16 years and once a year I put in a plug and I say please But, you know, the Torah expects us to to read between the lines and understand that although he says that he does go out with an intention to make some money on cursing the Jewish people. So, Chazal see him in a very negative light. They see him as someone who tries as best as he can to say negative things about Klal Yisrael and just doesn't succeed. Ultimately, he does succeed in giving advice to Balak to cause the Jewish people to sin because that is the way to take them out of favor in the eyes of Hashem as it were. But, if we look at his words carefully,

Jump to a moment

1. 0:00You're listening to the weekly parsha podcast with Ari Goldwag, recorded with Hashem's never-ending assistance in…
2. 3:04He he keeps saying these um poetic lines about the Jewish people. One of the most…
3. 5:38came into a relationship with Balak. And as a result of this relationship with Balak he…
4. 7:40The exact opposite. And we'll see this as he continues in the midrash as well in…
5. 10:15Did he have real Ruach Hakodesh? Did he have real divine inspiration? Was he just a…
6. 12:51Ilulei Avraham Avinu, am lo haya Balak. Why was it kfuyeh toyva? Kfuyeh toyva means a…
7. 14:55Avinu Balaam would not have existed because Lavan didn't have any sons before Yaakov arrived at…
8. 17:33curse the Jewish people or to think that I can curse them? Ultimately, really to bless…
9. 19:36that that darkness, that desire to come and curse, I would say it's connected to the…
10. 22:10to wish positivity upon other people and by doing so we draw positivity to ourselves. We…

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