Shabbat Shalom!
Welcome to Balak / One Who Lays Waste - this week’s Torah reading
Prophecy 5, 131, 132;
Numbers 22:2-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8;
Matthew 21:1-11;
Numbers 22:2-25:9
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. 3 And Moab greatly feared because of the people, for it was many. And Moab was
vexed by the presence of the sons of Israel. 4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, Now this assembly is licking up all
that is around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field. And Balak the son
of Zippor was king of Moab at that time. 5 And he sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor which is beside
the River of the land of the sons of his people, to call for him, saying,
Behold! A people has come out of Egypt. Behold! it has covered the eye of the
earth, and it is sitting next to me. 6 And now please come, curse this people for me, for it is stronger than I.
Perhaps I will prevail, that we may strike them, that I may drive them out from
the land. For I know that whoever you bless is blessed, and whoever you curse is
cursed. 7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian left with the rewards of the
seer in their hand. And they came to Balaam and spoke the words of Balak to him. 8 And he said to them, Stay here tonight, and I will bring back word to you,
even as YAHUVEH may speak to me. And the leaders of Moab stayed with Balaam. 9 And ELOHIM came to Balaam and said, Who are these men with you? 10 And Balaam said to ELOHIM, Balak the son of Zippor king of Moab has sent to
me, 11 saying, Behold, a people has come out of Egypt which covers the eye of the
earth. Now come, curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to overcome it and
drive it out. 12 And ELOHIM said to Balaam, You shall not go with them. You shall not curse
the people, for it is blessed. 13 And Balaam rose in the morning and said to the leaders of Balak. Go to your
land, for YAHUVEH has refused to allow me to go with you. 14 And the leaders of Moab rose up and came to Balak. And they said, Balaam
refuses to come with us. 15 And Balak sent yet again, more leaders and more honorable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam and said to him, So says Balak the son of Zippor,
Please do not be hindered from coming to me, 17 for I will honor you with very much riches; and all that you say to me I will
do. And please come, curse this people for me. 18 And Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, If Balak would give to
me his house full of gold and silver, I could not go beyond the mouth of YAHUVEH
my ELOHIM, to do anything, small or great. 19 And now you also please stay here tonight. And I shall know what more YAHUVEH
may speak to me. 20 And ELOHIM came to Balaam at night and said to him, If the men have come to
call you, rise up, go with them and say only the thing that I speak to you; it
you shall do. 21 And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey and went with the
chiefs of Moab. 22 And the anger of ELOHIM glowed because he went. And the Messenger of YAHUVEH
set Himself in the road, as a foe against him. And he was riding on his donkey,
and two of his young men with him. 23 And the donkey saw the Messenger of YAHUVEH standing in the road, and His
sword was drawn in His hand. And the donkey turned out of the road and went into
a field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn it back into the road. 24 And the Messenger of YAHUVEH stood in a narrow path of the vine-yards, a wall
being on this side and a wall on that. 25 And the donkey saw the Messenger of YAHUVEH, and she pushed herself to the
wall and crushed the foot of Balaam against the wall. And again he struck her. 26 And again the Messenger of YAHUVEH passed on and stood in a narrow place,
where there was no way to turn, either to the right or to the left. 27 And the donkey saw the Messenger of YAHUVEH, and she lay down under Balaam.
And the anger of Balaam glowed, and he struck the donkey with his staff. 28 And YAHUVEH opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, What have
I done to you that you have beaten me these three times? 29 And Balaam said to the donkey, Because you have insulted me. If only there
were a sword in my hand now I would kill you. 30 And the donkey said to Balaam, Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden
all your life long to this day? Was I ever known to do so to you? And he said,
No. 31 And YAHUVEH opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Messenger of YAHUVEH
standing in the road with His sword drawn in His hand. And he bowed and fell on
his face. 32 And the Messenger of YAHUVEH said to him, Why have you struck your donkey
these three times? Behold, I have come out as an enemy because your way is
contrary to Me. 33 And the donkey saw Me and turned aside before Me these three times. If she
had not turned aside surely now I would have killed you and saved her alive. 34 And Balaam said to the Messenger of YAHUVEH, I have sinned, for I did not
know that You stood against me in the way. Now if evil is in Your eyes, I will
turn back by myself. 35 And the Messenger of YAHUVEH said to Balaam, Go with the men. But only the
word that I speak to you, it you shall speak. And Balaam went with the leaders
of Balak. 36 And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, and had gone out to meet him, to a
city of Moab which is on the border of Arnon, which is in the outermost border, 37 then Balak said to Balaam, Sending, did I not send to you, to call for you?
Why did you not come to me? Am I not truly able to honor you? 38 And Balaam said to Balak, Behold, I have come to you. Now am I able to speak
anything at all? The word which ELOHIM puts in my mouth that I will speak. 39 And Balaam went with Balak. And they came to Kirjath-Huzoth. 40 And Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam and to the leaders
who were with him. 41 And it happened in the morning, and Balak took Balaam and caused him to go up
to the high places of Baal. And from there he saw the edge of the people. *~Numbers Chapter 23 ~*
1 And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven
bulls and seven rams for me here. 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken. And Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a
ram on the altar. 3 And Balaam said to Balak, Station yourself by your burnt offering, and I will
go on; it may be that YAHUVEH will come to meet me, and I will declare to you
the things which He reveals to me. And he went to a high place. 4 And ELOHIM came to Balaam, and he said to Him, I have set up seven altars. And
I have offered a bull and a ram on the altar. 5 And YAHUVEH put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, Return to Balak, and you
shall say this. 6 And he returned to him. And, lo, he was standing by his burnt offering, he and
all the leaders of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable and said, He has led me from Aram, Balak king of
Moab; from the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse Jacob for me; and,
come, rage at Israel. 8 How shall I curse him whom El has not cursed? And how shall I rage at him at
whom YAHUVEH has not raged? 9 For from the top of the rocks I see him, and I behold him from the heights.
Behold, it is a people that shall dwell alone and not be reckoned among the
nations. 10 Who can count Jacob’s dust, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let
me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his! 11 And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my
enemies, and lo you have surely blessed. 12 And he replied and said, Must not I take heed to speak what YAHUVEH has put
in my mouth? 13 And Balak said to him, Now come with me to another place where you will see
it; only you will see its edge and shall not see all of it; and curse it for me
there. 14 And he took him to the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven
altars, and offered a bull and a ram on the altar. 15 And he said to Balak, Station yourself by the burnt offering while I go to
meet Him over there. 16 And YAHUVEH met Balaam and put a word in his mouth and said, Return to Balak,
and say this. 17 And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt offering, and Moab’s
chiefs with him. And he said to him, What has YAHUVEH spoken? 18 And he took up his parable and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; give ear to
me, son of Zippor. 19 El is not a man that He should lie, or a son of man that He should repent.
Has He said, and shall He not do it? And has He spoken, and shall He not make it
good? 20 Behold, I have received word to bless; yes, He has blessed; I cannot reverse
it. 21 He has seen no iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen mischief in Israel. YAHUVEH
his ELOHIM is with him, and the shout of a king is in him. 22 El who brought them out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the wild
ox. 23 For there is not a spell against Jacob, nor any fortune telling against
Israel. Now it is said of Jacob and Israel, See what El has done! 24 Behold, the people shall rise like a lioness and like a lion he shall lift
himself up; he shall not lie down until he eats the prey and drinks the blood of
the slain. 25 And Balak said to Balaam, Do not curse it at all, nor bless it at all. 26 And Balaam answered and said to Balak, Did I not speak to you, saying, All
that YAHUVEH speaks, that I will do? 27 And Balak said to Balaam, Come, please, I will take you to another place. It
may be that it will be right in the eyes of ELOHIM to curse it for me from
there. 28 And Balak took Balaam to the top of Peor, which looks toward the wilderness. 29 And Balaam said to Balak, Build seven altars for me here, and prepare seven
bulls and seven rams for me here. 30 And Balak did as Balaam said; and he offered a bull and a ram on the altar. *~Numbers Chapter 24 ~*
1 And Balaam saw that it pleased YAHUVEH to bless Israel, and he did not go, as
at other times to seek spells. And he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping, by its tribes. And the
Spirit of ELOHIM was on him. 3 And he took up his parable and said, The saying of Balaam the son of Beor, and
the saying of the man whose eyes have been opened; 4 the saying of him who hears the Words of ELOHIM, who sees the vision of the
Almighty (Shaddai), fallen down, yet with open eyes: 5 How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel! 6 They are spread out like valleys, like gardens by a river; and YAHUVEH has
planted aloes, as cedars beside the water. 7 He makes water flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters;
his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom exalted. 8 ELOHIM who has brought him out of Egypt is for him like the lofty horns of the
wild ox; he shall eat up the nations that are his foes, and shall break their
bones in pieces, and shall pierce them through with his arrows. 9 He has crouched; he has lain down like a lion, and like a lioness; who shall
rouse him up? Blessed is everyone that blesses you, and cursed is everyone that
curses you. 10 And Balak’s anger glowed against Balaam, and he struck his hands together.
And Balak said to Balaam, I called you to curse my enemies; and, behold, you
have altogether blessed them these three times. 11 And now, flee to your place. I said to honor you with great riches, but,
behold, YAHUVEH has kept you back from honor. 12 And Balaam said to Balak, Did I not speak to your messengers that you sent to
me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond
the mouth of YAHUVEH, to do good or bad of my own heart. What YAHUVEH speaks,
that I will speak. 14 And now, behold, I go to my people. Come, and I will counsel you what this
people shall do to your people in the latter days. 15 And he took up his parable and said, The saying of Balaam the son of Beor,
and the saying of the man whose eyes are opened; 16 the saying of him who hears the words of El, and he knowing the knowledge of
the Most High who sees the vision of the Almighty (Shaddai), falling down, yet
with open eyes: 17 I shall see him, but not now; I shall behold him, but not near. A star leads
forth out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel and shall dash the
corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of tumult. 18 And Edom shall be a possession; and Seir shall be a possession, for his foes;
but Israel shall do mightily. 19 And one out of Jacob shall rule, and will destroy the survivors from Ar. 20 And he looked upon Amalek, and took up his parable and said, Amalek was the
first of the nations, but his latter end is to destruction forever. 21 And he looked upon the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Your
dwelling place may be enduring, and your nest may be set in a rock. 22 But the Kenites shall be consumed, until Assyria shall carry you away. 23 And he took up his parable and said, Alas! Who shall live when El does this? 24 And ships shall come from the coast of Cyprus, and they shall humble Assyria,
and they shall humble Eber, and he also shall come to destruction forever. 25 And Balaam rose up and left, and returned to his place; and Balak also went
on his way. *~Numbers Chapter 25 ~*
1 And Israel lived in Shittim. And the people began to fornicate with the
daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people to the sacrifices of their Elohims. And the people
ate and bowed themselves to their Elohims. 3 And Israel was joined to Baal-Peor, and the anger of YAHUVEH burned against
Israel. 4 And YAHUVEH said to Moses, Take all the leaders of the people and hang them up
to YAHUVEH before the sun, that the fierce anger of YAHUVEH may be turned away
from Israel. 5 And Moses said to the judges of Israel, Each one of you kill his men, those
who joined to Baal-Peor. 6 And, behold! A man of the sons of Israel came and brought in to his brothers a
woman of Midian, before the eyes of Moses and before the eyes of all the
congregation of the sons of Israel groaning at the door of the tent of meeting. 7 And Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw. And he
rose from amidst the congregation and took a javelin in his hand, 8 and went in after the man of Israel, into the tent room. And he pierced both
of them through, the man of Israel and the woman, through her belly. So the
plague was stayed from the sons of Israel. 9 And those that died by the plague were twenty four thousand.