Shabbos Kodesh

Shabbat Parshat  Chukat / Balak

and

Yud Beis and Yud Gimmel Tammuz

"The children of Israel journeyed and encamped in the plains of Moab opposite the Jordan near Jericho."

Now, after forty years of wandering and waiting in the desert to enter the Promised Land, the time had almost come. Before them led the path to the redemption, to enter the land, conquer and destroy the seven nations living there, anoint a king who would kill off the Amalekite people and build the holy Temple. As our rabbis teach us, if Israel would not have sinned, then the only holy books that would have been written are the five books of Moses - the Torah - and the book of Joshua.  

The nations went to any and all lengths to stop the redemption from happening

Now it was the dawn of a new age for mankind, but as the time approached, the nations, unable to come to terms with the Jewish people being chosen for the G-dly mission in this world, gathered to prevent this from happening.  

First Edom, Jacob’s brother, prevented the Jewish people from passing through their land and thus made the Jews journey around Edom, causing many Jews to despair because of the long journey. This, in spite of the fact that the Jewish people were willing to pay for their water and food while in Edom, even though the Jews had their own food and did not need the supplies of the Edomites. Who today would give up a chance to make some easy cash? Nevertheless, their great hatred and their desire to stop the Jewish people from entering the land got the better of them. 

Upon hearing that Aharon the High Priest died, we find the king of Canaan, who really were the Amalekites, coming to attack the Jewish people. In order to confuse the Jews, they disguised themselves as Canaanites, so the prayers of the Children of Israel would not be accepted by G-d. The nations went to any and all lengths to stop the redemption from happening. 

The Amorites climbed the highest mountains in order to attack the Jews, waiting for the chance when the Jewish people would pass underneath and they would be able to attack. But HaShem, with His great love for the Jews, caused the mountaintops to come together and thus destroyed all those who were waiting to ambush the Children of Israel. Another attempt to stop the Jews was averted.  

Next on the list were the two great and mighty kings, Sichon and Og, both giants and as strong as all the 31 kings who were in the Land of Israel at the time. Both came out to fight against the Jewish nation to stop them, but HaShem gave them both over to the Jews, who then dwelled in their cities.

On our journey to the land, we were faced with none other than the most unholy prophet of all time - Bila'am. The nations, upon seeing that they were unable to fight and win on the battlefield, much like today, tried a new tactic: cursing the blessed nation of Israel. With his war of words, Bila'am and the nation of Moab would stop the Jews from entering the land and finally destroy them. What they were unable to do on the battlefield, they would do with words. But still, HaShem does not abandon His chosen people, and all their curses were turned into blessings.

Some come at us through war - but they are unable

In the end all their attempts to stop the Jewish people and the redemption process did not come to pass

Today, too, as the Jewish people return to their home after 2,000 years and the redemption light gathers momentum, the nations cannot and will not come to grips with it, for it exposes their falsehood and shows the uniqueness of the Jewish people. And, as in times of old, today too the nations are trying every means at their disposal to stop the Jewish people from controlling and settling the Holy Land. Some come at us through war - but they are unable; the more sinister among them come with their mouths as if to bless us, but really babble a final solution to the Jewish problem. Too bad for them that they have not learned the lesson of history. The G-d of Israel does not and will not abandon His people, and like the nations before them who all fell, so too all who try to stop the redemption from coming into being will fall by the wayside, destined never to rise again.