"If you didn’t know that the Torah has a sense of humor, you probably missed the story of Balak and Bilaam,
a tale of two highly influential leaders, who, driven by fear and greed, team up against the perceived threat of a rising nation with G-d on their side"
WHEN I READ THIS, IMMEDIATELY CAME TO MIND OUR PRESENT SITUATION, THE TWO RULERS CAUSING HAVOC IN THE WORLD (Persia and Edom) AND OF COURSE THE RISING NATION IS ERETZ HAKODESH.
Rabbi Kahanov, of Jacksonville, Florida continues:
The great spin artist, Bilaam – a self proclaimed world organizer and do-gooder, professing great ideals while at the same time available for hire – and his royal friend Balak, make complete clowns of themselves as they refuse to accept the fact that they are up against the more powerful force of holiness and will not take no for an answer. Their arrogance and greed leaves them spiraling downward in humiliation and disgrace.
You got to admit that the notion of a speaking donkey, who finally sets his highfalutin yet clueless master straight, makes for some great sitcom material. But, as you can imagine, there is more to this story than humor. As with every Torah narrative, it contains a profound and relevant lesson.
While Israel remained encamped in the desert near the border of Moav they had no way of knowing that Balak, King of Moav sent a delegation to the revered magician and prophet – Bilaam, seeking his services and employ in cursing them, so that they may be defeated in war. But the guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.
There is no lack of Bilaam-style visionaries or Messiah’s in our own day and age – prophets who cling to irrational dreams and ideas long after they are proven wrong and destructive, even as they find themselves decline into complete disgrace and mockery. (more here)
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