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Daily Chizuk #1637
Weekly Parasha
Greatest Treasures: Lessons in Protection from Parashat Balak
Parashat Balak: Our Greatest Treasures
The pasuk says at the beginning of this week's parasha that Balak saw all that Yisrael did to the Emorim and he became afraid. Rav Moshe Sternbuch asked, why did Balak become afraid specifically from the Jew beating the Emorim? They had done much greater things before this which should have caused Balak to become afraid of them, like obliterating the Mitzrim or Kriyat Yam Suf. The Rabbi quoted from the Kli Yakar who answered, what Yirsrael did to the Emorim is referring to a different episode, namely when Yaakov Avinu, whose name is also Yisrael, defeated the Emorim with his tefilot back in parashat Vayechi, before Yetziat Mitzrayim. Balak said to himself, if the Jews can take down an entire nation using their prayers, how are we going to stand up to them? This is why he hired Bilaam, who also had powers with his mouth. Later on in the parasha, when Bilaam blessed the Jewish People, he was in awe of how they wake up every morning like lions to grab mitzvot, putting on tallit and tefillin and reciting keriyat shema. These are our greatest treasures. The more we use the power of our mouths for good, the more blessing will come down from Hashem.
We have tremendous powers with our mouths. We can say kind words to others, we can read Tehillim, we can learn Torah, we can pray to Hashem. These are our strengths. This is what Balak feared, and this is what Bilaam knew was our secret. Let us utilize these precious gifts that Hashem gave us and do them all the right way.
Shabbat Shalom!
The pasuk says at the beginning of this week's parasha that Balak saw all that Yisrael did to the Emorim and he became afraid. Rav Moshe Sternbuch asked, why did Balak become afraid specifically from the Jew beating the Emorim? They had done much greater things before this which should have caused Balak to become afraid of them, like obliterating the Mitzrim or Kriyat Yam Suf. The Rabbi quoted from the Kli Yakar who answered, what Yirsrael did to the Emorim is referring to a different episode, namely when Yaakov Avinu, whose name is also Yisrael, defeated the Emorim with his tefilot back in parashat Vayechi, before Yetziat Mitzrayim. Balak said to himself, if the Jews can take down an entire nation using their prayers, how are we going to stand up to them? This is why he hired Bilaam, who also had powers with his mouth. Later on in the parasha, when Bilaam blessed the Jewish People, he was in awe of how they wake up every morning like lions to grab mitzvot, putting on tallit and tefillin and reciting keriyat shema. These are our greatest treasures. The more we use the power of our mouths for good, the more blessing will come down from Hashem.
We have tremendous powers with our mouths. We can say kind words to others, we can read Tehillim, we can learn Torah, we can pray to Hashem. These are our strengths. This is what Balak feared, and this is what Bilaam knew was our secret. Let us utilize these precious gifts that Hashem gave us and do them all the right way.
Shabbat Shalom!
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