Parshat Balak; Numbers 22:2-25:9 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This portion, Balak, is named for the Moabite King who feared the Israelites as they journeyed toward the Promised Land. The Israelites are encamped on the steppes of Moab opposite Eretz Yisrael and have defeated in battle two different kingdoms already, Sichon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. The Israelites have gained strength since they left Egypt almost four years previously and united as a community and as an army.

Balak wants an edge over the Israelites without engaging them in battle directly and sends for a prophetic specialist, Baalam to curse the Israelites. Baalam is a non-Hebrew prophet. He lives by the Euphrates and Balak’s messengers, elders who are themselves experts in the arts of divination went to find him and bring the king’s plea for help.

Baalam however is reluctant to help. Baalam is indeed a prophet and the Torah records that God speaks with Baalam. How interesting that God has direct communication with a prophet who is dedicated to another religion! Like Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law and himself a high priest of the Midianites, God can be present for them.

God speaks to Baalam and tells him that he may not go with the king’s messengers. This Baalam conveys. But the king sends more dignitaries and offers of riches to provide curses against the Israelites. God gives permission to Baalam to go with the king’s dignitaries but will only be able to speak the words that God gives to him.

Baalam disappoints king Balak because even though the king wants the Israelites cursed—blessings flow from Baalam. These blessings are directly from God who becomes manifest to Baalam. Three times, Baalam and the king, Balak, offer seven sacrifices at special high altars overlooking the encamped Israelites. And three times, Balaam’s prophecies with blessings are stated. Balak the king says, “I called you to damn my enemies and instead you have blessed them these three times! (24:10).”

God protects the Israelites and provides great blessings for them even through the mouth of a non-Jewish prophet.

And yet Baalam—though subject to God’s words –is not looked at with favor in Jewish tradition. He represents pagan religion and in the closing words of the Torah portion—the Children of Israel are led astray by the intermingling and marriage of Israelite men with Moabite women who bring them to worship the pagan god—Baal-peor. Later in the book of Numbers, chapter 31 in the war against the Midianites—Baalam is killed for his role in advising the Midianites and Moabites on the weaknesses of the Israelites. He could not curse them—because God’s blessing was stated, but traditionally it is understood that Baalam advised the Moabites and Midianites that the Israelites could be infiltrated and converted thus helping to weaken them!

In 1967, in Jordan in Deir Allah, an archaeological dig discovered a plaster wall remnants with inked inscription in a local dialect with Aramaic and South Canaanite characteristics. These inscriptions were a previously undiscovered prophecy attributed to Baalam! This was written about by Professor Jo Ann Hackett of Harvard University in Balaam Text from Tell Deir Alla

Parshat Chukat; Numbers 19:1-22:1 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

This week’s Torah portion Chukat has a very strange episode recorded in it. The Children of Israel following the deaths of Miriam and Aaron are unsettled. Two of the three leaders of the people have died. Moses is old and the Children of Israel are marching closer and closer to the Promised Land. They have begin to engage local people in battle as they encounter them. We learn in Chapter 21 of Numbers that the Canaanite, king of Arad heard that Israel was advancing he attacked. Some were captured but the faith of Israel helped them succeed and defeat the Canaanites when they prayed for deliverance. The Israelite’s faith was rewarded by God. And yet, in the next verse, Israel’s doubts start to eat away at them.

They complain bitterly against both God and Moses. They long for Egypt. They whine about the lack of water and food. They have decided that they “loathe this miserable food. (Numbers 21:5). Their faith is waning. And these are complaints we have heard before from the Children of Israel. But this is not an opportune time for there to be such rancor in the people. They must come together and be united if they are going to march forward to settle the Promised Land.

God sends seraph serpents. These fiery snakes bite the Children of Israel and many die. This episode jars the Children of Israel greatly from their disillusionment and they plead to Moses to intervene. They seem to recognize that their lack of faith and their own bitterness caused their doubts to surface and indeed destroyed some of their own. So Moses does intercede with God and we gather from the text that these seraph serpents—or fiery serpents withdrew. But God tells Moses to make a copper seraph serpent and mount it on a staff and that anyone who was bitten and looks at it will be healed! You

This would seemingly be in contradiction to all that has been previously taught about idolatry in our Torah. And yet the copper serpent was commanded by God as an antidote to the snakes themselves. It wasn’t the copper serpent that healed—but the Israelites faith that healed them and this is a very important point. But you do have to appreciate God’s own sense of humor! The seraph serpent is translated as fiery serpent—fire being orange and red—and perhaps the venom from these snakes inflamed the skin as well. God tells Moses to make a copper or bronze serpent—and the color of copper or bronze can be the colors of flames. In fact in the desert of Israel there are important copper mines and archaeologists have found copper serpents in various excavations.

When the Israelites’ faith is strong—they succeed in their efforts. This is evidenced by the success they achieved against the Canaanite king of Arad who attacked first. But when the Children of Israel’s faith is weak they are plagued. Thus God provides them with inspiration through the copper snake. This will be a visible token that can inspire them and remind them of the healing power of their faith in God.

Especially as two of the leaders that they have known throughout their journey from Egypt are now dead, the copper snake helps to

Parshat Korach; Numbers 16: 1-18:31 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

No doubt that democracy has been good for the Jewish people. In democratic countries like the United States and Canada, the Jewish people have blossomed. In the United States our principle of the separation of church and state has allowed Judaism to claim its own sacred space for its people. Even though there is a Christian majority in the U.S. with deep Christian roots and even though at times there has been layers of discrimination for Jews, the democratic ideals of equality have informed the way in which Jews have been able to participate in society. Each human being, each citizen is equal no one being better than the other person. Each citizen has a vote and a voice to use and can rise to leadership if their peers agree.

At first reading, this week’s parasha, Korach, would seem to be a similar message given by the leader of a rebellion against Moses. Korach, Moses’ cousin, also a Levite along with two other of the tribe of Reuben, Dathan and Abiram rise up against Moses and Aaron and challenge their leadership of the Israelites in the desert. Korach, Datan and Abiram gather 250 additional chieftains, prominent men to join in their dispute over who should rightly lead the Israelite people. Korach claims the voice of equality. He comes from the same social caste and leadership caste—the tribe of Levi, as does Moses and Aaron. Korach says, “For all the community are holy, all of them and Adonai is in their midst. Why do you raise yourselves above God’s congregation? (Num. 16:3).”

Korach’s claim is that he is equally entitled to be the leader of the Israelites. After all, isn’t the entire Israelite nation holy to God? Even in last week’s parasha, Shelach, it tells us that in wearing the tzitzit “Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God. (Num. 15:40).” Korach believes there is equality to the Levites and indeed to the whole Jewish people founded in the commandment of holiness to God. What makes Korach’s claim even more legitimate is that there are another 250 in his caucus that agree!

This is certainly something Moses and Aaron must contend with. They cannot ignore such a plea or such a rebellion. But Korach and Datan and Abiram have forgotten something more fundamental. It is true that the Israelites as a nation have a special covenant with God and are holy to God. All Israelites are holy. But the fledgling Israelite nation, only recently made to wander for an additional generation in the desert, is shaped by God. God chose the leadership not the people. God chose Moses and Aaron to lead the nation. Thus Korach, Datan and Abiram are not just challenging Moses and Aaron but their rebellion is challenging God’s authority.

Moses makes this clear when he sets up a test of who is favored by God. Moses tells Korach, “…and tomorrow put fire in them and lay incense on them before God. Then the man who Adonai chooses, he shall be the holy one. You have gone too far, sons of Levi.”(Num.16:7).

Korach and his followers become the offering themselves. As Aaron’s sons Nadav and Abihu once tried to offer alien fire on the altar and became a sacrifice so too Korach and his followers. “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households that belonged to them. (Num. 16:32)” Then a fire comes forth from God and consumes the additional 250 leaders who followed the three ring leaders of the rebellion.

God has made clear who was chosen for leadership.

In our day and time it is not always so easy nor is the picture of leadership clear. But one does need to examine the context in which Korach challenged Moses and Aaron’s authority. He tried to take advantage of a time when the Israelite nation was in a difficult place. God had just decreed that the Israelites were not to enter the Promised Land for another 40 years because of their lack of faith. The 12 spies had lied about what they saw in the Promised Land and whipped the Israelites into a negative frenzy that filled the Israelites with fear, doubt and faithlessness. Then Korach, Datan and Abiram come along and try to further fuel this fire of fear and doubt among the Israelites. This time they whip a frenzy of fear and hopelessness about the leadership of the nation.

The message of our parasha continues to reinforce the message of the book of Bemidbar/Number that faith in God will bring about the Promised Land and rebellion and lack of faith doom us to wandering in the wilderness. Korach’s rebellion is one more reminder of this message to us and perhaps, we can in our time, try to build our faith so we can climb out of the wilderness of hopelessness.

Parshat Shelach Lecha; Numbers 13:1-15:41 By: Rabbi Denise L. Eger

In this week’s parasha, Shelach Lecha in the book of Numbers, Moses saves the Jewish people! After a group of representatives that were appointed from each tribe cross over the Jordan into the Promised Land to check things out, they return to the encampment of the tribes and present an inaccurate picture of the situation there. “The country we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers All the people that we saw in it are of great size (Num. 13:32).” They spread lies about the land and its inhabitants. They exaggerate and tell outright lies in their reconnaissance reports. Rather than be inspired by the bounty of the land, they return to the Israelites with deep fears and a lack of faith in their ability to conquer the land. With the exception of Caleb and Joshua, each of the tribal representatives are negative about the land of Israel and whip the people into a frenzy with their exaggerations and negative talk of Eretz Yisrael.

The scouts’ fears about being able to take the land and settle the land spread like an infection in a people already cranky and tired after its desert dwellings. “All of the Israelites railed against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt the whole community shouted at them, “or if only we might die in this wilderness!” (Num. 14:2), they say. The Children of Israel have already forgotten the many miracles they have lived through and seemingly have forgotten that God has been with them on this journey to the Promised Land. They exhibit a tremendous lack of faith as a nation and once again seem more than willing to be swayed by the few rather than their amazing journey of survival.

God too gets impatient. It is as if this insolence is the last straw. “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?” (Num 14:11). God has had it with the People’s lack of faith. God promised them the land. Why don’t they just believe it? Have they forgotten their deliverance and redemption from Egypt already? Have they forgotten the walls of water of the Red Sea? Have they forgotten the food provided for in the desert—the manna and the quail? Have they forgotten the majestic moments of covenant at the foot of Mt. Sinai? Clearly they have and God is not happy with them. In truth God is deeply hurt and angry. So much so that God is ready to start over. The lack of faith is so infectious that God now has lost faith in the children of Israel!!!!

But Moses comes to the rescue; restoring balance to the sacred covenantal relationship of God and the Jewish people. Moses intercedes with God on the Israelites behalf and in so doing helps God to calm down and reframe the moment. How amazing is Moses in this moment. That he can so intimately converse with the Eternal One and help God refocus and renew the covenant in love. Moses reminds God of God’s own words from Exodus: “The Eternal slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression yet not remitting all punishment…” (Num. 14:18 and Ex. 34:6-7). In fact the words that follow have become part of our Yom Kippur liturgy—“And the Eternal One said, I pardon as you have asked ” (Num. 14:20). Moses’ request for kindness, gentleness and forgiveness is granted by God. Most importantly we get a glimpse of the amazingly intimate relationship between God and Moses and we can see in their relationship a model of love and caring, respect and honor.

Moses takes a moment of doom for the Israelites and transforms God’s raw emotion of anger and disappointment and hurt and helps to move God towards the scale of compassion and love. The Israelites’ lack of faith –that God would be with them in the Holy Land and in their ability to settle land becomes prophetic. God does indeed withdraw from this particular group of people in the sense that this generation will not be the one to settle the land. Rather it will be their descendants. And so in this portion the judgment against Israelites for their lack of faith and for the scouts who spread lies about the Promised Land is announced. This generation who left Egypt of the Children of Israel will not enter the land—but their descendants will. Only Caleb and Joshua who were among the scouts who spoke positively of the land and expressed their faith in God and tried to cheer and inspire the Israelites toward their mission to settle the land will cross over the Jordan.

We learn from this section the price of lies. We learn from this the price of lack of faith. Our lack of faith in God was contagious and spurred God’s lack of faith in us. Perhaps we expect better of God—certainly Moses did and reminded God of that very fact. When we ignore those we love or take advantage of them or take them for granted all the time—hurt, anger and disappointment grow. Sometimes we all need to be reminded of the faith we have in one another. In Judaism our prayers help us to do just that—restore not only our own faith but perhaps uplift and reassure God and others of our love and that we don’t take them granted. May we learn to be like Moses who can help turn hurt and anger into love and forgiveness.