ב"ה

Uncle Yossi Story Time
Three artists are invited to compete by creating a masterpiece to decorate a wall in the king's palace. One artist tries to win the competition without doing any work at all — but the wise king isn’t fooled and teaches him a lesson in honesty and fairness. (Based on the Talmud, Megillah, p.6b)

Parsha Curiosities: Balak
Balaam’s famous prophetic words “Ma Tovu” occupy a unique place of prominence in the Hebrew Scriptures, our daily prayers and Jewish liturgical compositions. Oftentimes even emblazoned on Holy Ark’s and Synagogue facades, they clearly contain many marvelous mysteries and secrets. Following a general intro, we initiate analysis of Rashi’s seemingly lackluster elucidation, which leads us into a journey of profound discovery as we mine the verse to reveal dynamic dimensions of insight. In the end, our return to the primary port of departure resonates with timely and relevant guidance about the singular importance of modesty in our modern age of hyper-promiscuity.

Letters and Numbers of Torah - Balak
One of the praises that Bilam says of the Jews is: (Numbers 23:24) "Behold, a people that rises like a lioness and raises itself like a lion." Rashi explains: "When [the Jewish people] awaken from their sleep... they show the vigor of a lioness and a lion in grasping mitzvahs." What is the connection between this week's portion and the Festival of Liberation of 12-13 Tammuz? How is this connected to the two letters 'hei' and 'nun'?

How to Study Torah - Balak
When King Balak hired the evil prophet Bilam to curse the Jews, G-d told Bilam, (Bamidbar 22:12) "Do not curse the nation for they are blessed." But when Balak sent more officers to ask Bilaam again, he told them, (22:19) "Stay here tonight, and I will know if G-d wants to say anything more to me." Why didn't Bilam answer that G-d had already told him not to go? Furthermore, why did G-d eventually allow Bilam to accept the task of cursing the Jews after having previously warned him not to?
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