Divar Torah from Rabbi Guy Dvir
This week's Parasha tells of how a king named Balak went and hired a sorcerer named Bilam to curse the Jewish people. Bilam says to Balak that he is unable to do so without getting God's permission first. God says to Bilam "You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people, for it is blessed!" (Numbers 22).
The Midrash explains the dialogue between God and Bilam; "God said to Bilam, "You shall not go, so Bilam said ," What if I curse them from here", to which God responded , "Don't curse them". So Bilam said, "So how about I bless them?", to which God responded, "For it is blessed - They don't need your blessing." As the parable goes; "They say to a bee, Not your honey and not your sting".
The Midrash says that Bilam wished to bless the people and that God told him not to. The Hida (17th century) asks how could it be that a wicked man like Bilam wished to bless the Jewish people. After all, he hated the Jewish people deeply and wanted to curse them. Why then would he want to bless them?
The Hida answers that sometimes a blessing can do more harm than good, as in the case of Laban who blessed his baby sister Rivka that she should become into a multitude of nations. The Midrash says that God made Rivka barren and unable to have children for a long time so that Laban the wicked should not think that his blessing had any positive influence on Rivka. When wicked people give blessings to righteous people it can be harmful. However, if the righteous person is already blessed on his own, then the blessing he receives from the wicked cannot harm him, since nobody will make a mistake in thinking that the blessing came from the wicked person's blessing. In such a case, even the blessing of the wicked can have a positive impact.
This explains why Bilam wanted to bless the Jews, not because he loved them, but because he hated them. He thought that his blessings can cause harm the Jewish people. But God told him that the Jewish nation is already blessed and don't need his blessing. In other words, his blessings could not harm them, but could only help them. When Bilam heard this he immediately changed his mind.
Shabbat Shalom
Our Great Sephardic Rabbis Originated by: Ike Sultan
This week Special The Jews of Spain The Jewish community in 1300 ... to be continued... The Jews in Spain were Spaniards, both as regards their customs and their language. They owned real estate, and they cultivated their land with their own hands; they filled public offices, and on account of their industry they became wealthy, while their knowledge and ability won them respect and influence. But this prosperity roused the jealousy of the people and provoked the hatred of the clergy; the Jews had to suffer much through these causes. The kings, especially those of Aragon, regarded the Jews as their property; they spoke of "their" Jews, "their" Juderias, and in their own interest they protected the Jews against violence, making good use of them in every way possible. There were about 120 Jewish communities in Christian Spain around 1300, with somewhere around half a million or more Jews, mostly in Castille. Catalonia, Aragon, and Valencia were more sparsely inhabited by Jews. Although the Spanish Jews engaged in many branches of human endeavor-agriculture, viticulture, industry, commerce, and the various handicrafts-it was the money business that procured them their wealth and influence. Kings and prelates, noblemen and farmers, all needed money, and could obtain it only from the Jews, to whom they paid from 20 to 25 per cent interest. This business, which, in a manner, the Jews were forced to pursue in order to pay the many taxes imposed upon them as well as to raise the compulsory loans demanded of them by the kings, led to their being employed in special positions, as "almoxarifes", bailiffs, tax-farmers, or tax-collectors. The Jews of Spain formed in themselves a separate political body. They lived almost solely in the Juderias, various enactments being issued from time to time preventing them from living elsewhere. From the time of the Moors they had had their own administration. At the head of the aljamas in Castile stood the "rab de la corte", or "rab mayor" (court, or chief, rabbi), also called "juez mayor" (chief justice), who was the principal mediator between the state and the aljamas. These court rabbis were men who had rendered services to the state, as, for example, David ibn Yah.ya and Abraham Benveniste, or who had been royal physicians, as Meïr Alguadez and Jacob ibn Nuñez, or chief-tax-farmers, as the last incumbent of the court Rabbi's office, Abraham Senior. They were appointed by the kings, no regard being paid to the rabbinical qualifications or religious inclination of those chosen. |
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| | A Weekly Parasha Lesson by Jonathan Pedoeem
Weekly Parsha summary Balak / 39 malachot
This week's Parsha starts off with the nation defeating the Emorites and the Bashanites. Moab's neighbors' the king of Moab Balak is afraid he is next. He sends a messenger to Baalam a famous sorcerer and prophet. Balak wants him to curse the Jews. That night G-d came to him and told him not to curse the Jews because they are blessed. Baalam tells the kings messengers that G-d doesn't allow him to do this. The king sends more messengers telling him that if he does do this he will receive riches. G-d appears to him again and says he can go but only under one condition he can only say the words G-d lets him say. On his journey to the king, G-d sends him an angel with a sword, he didn't see this but his she-donkey did. The donkey refused to move, Baalam strikes her. Miraculously the donkey spoke asking him why he did such a thing. Eventually G-d lets Baalam see the angel. The angel punishes him for hitting the donkey. In addition the angel reminds him that he can only say what G-d allows him to say. Balak does all that Baalam tells him to do to prepare. G-d happens to come to Baalam and tells him what to say. Baalam blessed B'nai Israel. Balak gets mad and asks him what he is doing, Baalam reminds him that he can only say what G-d lets him say. Before he leaves Baalam prophesies what will happen soon (taking over Israel). At the end of this Parsha the nation does the sin of Baal Peor.
10) Lush- kneading
This action is making something out of particles and liquid. An example of this is mixing water with sand to make thick mud. Another example is mixing water with powder to make a paste. Rabbi Dovid Ribiat permits soaking matzo or dunking cookies in milk because these foods disintegrate with contact of liquid. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daily Thought Supplement:
The Torah compares people to trees, but there are four kinds of trees:
One is the thorn, which no one will take, for it is useless. It was created only to harm others; these are the wicked.
The second is the bramble, and people take shelter beneath its branches and leaves; these are people who engage in the way of the world.
The third is the fruit tree, like those who perform mitzvot and are compared to a fruit, but people do not benefit from the body of the tree, itself.
The fourth is the cedar, regarding which people benefit from the body of the tree, in construction. This is like a person of Torah; the person is purified in all of his travels and ways, even in his normal conversation. Still, some cedars are better for one person's construction and some for a mast for a ship at sea and so it supports thousands of people; so there is a scholar who is good for those who are around him, near to him, and then there is a scholar who leads his world, like the captain of a ship. This is the meaning of "Like cedars upon the water," that we use them on the water.
(Netziv to Bamidbar 24:6)
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On Shabbat Miketz 5769, the Sephardic Wing of Congregation AABJ&D was dedicated in memory of Mr. Albert Jacob, z’l. Albert and Doreen Jacob's vision, passion for tradition and love of our shul are what made our Sephardic Sanctuary as beautiful as it is today. He will forever be remembered, in our minds and hearts, as a baal Tzedakah, a man who loved Torah and a man of integrity . 
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