Torah Portion of the Week

Balak בלק

Numbers 22:2–25:9

Parshat Balak is one of the Torah's most unusual narratives — a story told almost entirely from the enemy's perspective. Balak king of Moab, terrified by Israel's victories over Sihon and Og, hires the renowned gentile prophet Balaam to curse Israel. God forbids Balaam, then permits him to go but insists he speak only God's words. On the way, Balaam's donkey sees an angel blocking the path and famously speaks — the only talking animal in the Torah. Three times Balak positions Balaam on hilltops overlooking the Israelite camp, and three times Balaam opens his mouth to curse but pronounces blessings instead, including the famous 'How goodly are your tents, O Jacob' (Mah Tovu). Humiliated, Balak dismisses Balaam, who prophesies the distant future before departing. The parsha ends abruptly with the sin of Baal Peor: the Israelites are seduced by Moabite women into idolatry and immorality, a plague strikes, and Pinchas son of Elazar ends it by killing a brazen Israelite prince and a Midianite princess.

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1 of 6

Balak Summons Balaam

בלק שולח לבלעם

Numbers 22:2–22:20

Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sees what Israel did to the Amorites and is seized with dread. He sends elders of Moab and Midian to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor by the river, with fees for divination: 'A people has come out of Egypt; they cover the surface of the earth and are settling opposite me. Come, curse this people for me, for they are too mighty for me.' God appears to Balaam at night: 'You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.' Balaam refuses the first delegation. Balak sends more distinguished officers with greater promises of honor. God tells Balaam: 'If these men have come to call you, arise and go with them — but only the word I speak to you shall you do.'

2 of 6

Balaam's Donkey and the Angel

אתון בלעם והמלאך

Numbers 22:21–22:38

Balaam saddles his donkey and goes with the Moabite officers. God's anger flares because he goes, and an angel of the Lord stations itself on the road with a drawn sword. The donkey sees the angel and swerves into a field; Balaam strikes the donkey. The angel stands in a narrow path between vineyard walls; the donkey presses against the wall, crushing Balaam's foot; he strikes her again. The angel stands in a place so narrow there is no room to turn; the donkey lies down under Balaam. He strikes her a third time. God opens the donkey's mouth: 'What have I done to you that you have struck me three times?' Then God opens Balaam's eyes to see the angel, who tells him: 'The donkey saw me and turned aside three times — had she not, I would have killed you and let her live.' Balaam arrives at the border of Moab.

3 of 6

The First Two Blessings

שתי הברכות הראשונות

Numbers 22:39–23:26

Balak takes Balaam to Bamoth-baal, where he can see the edge of the Israelite camp. Balaam instructs Balak to build seven altars and prepare seven bulls and seven rams. God puts a word in Balaam's mouth; instead of cursing, he blesses: 'How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? From the tops of rocks I see them — a people that dwells alone, not reckoned among the nations.' Balak is furious and takes Balaam to a different vantage point — the top of Pisgah. Again seven altars, seven bulls, seven rams. Again Balaam blesses: 'God is not a man that He should lie... He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it. He has not seen iniquity in Jacob... the Lord their God is with them, and the shout of the King is among them.'

4 of 6

The Third Blessing — 'Mah Tovu'

הברכה השלישית — מה טובו

Numbers 23:27–24:13

Balak tries a third time, taking Balaam to the top of Peor overlooking the wasteland. This time Balaam does not seek omens but turns his face toward the wilderness and sees Israel encamped by tribes. The spirit of God comes upon him. He delivers his most exalted prophecy: 'How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys that stretch out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the water.' He blesses Israel's might and future, concluding: 'Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you!' Balak strikes his hands together in rage: 'I summoned you to curse my enemies, and you have blessed them three times! Flee to your place!'

5 of 6

Balaam's Final Prophecies

נבואות בלעם האחרונות

Numbers 24:14–24:25

Before departing, Balaam delivers prophecies about the distant future: 'I see it but not now, I behold it but it is not near — a star shall come forth from Jacob, a scepter shall rise from Israel, and shall crush the corners of Moab and destroy all the sons of Seth. Edom shall be a conquest.' He prophesies the fall of Amalek ('the first of the nations, but its end is destruction'), the Kenites, Asshur, and Eber. Then Balaam rises, returns to his place, and Balak goes on his way.

6 of 6

The Sin of Baal Peor and the Plague

חטא בעל פעור והמגפה

Numbers 25:1–25:9

Israel settles in Shittim, and the people begin to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab. The women invite the people to the sacrifices of their gods; the people eat and bow down to their gods. Israel clings to Baal Peor, and God's anger burns. God tells Moses: 'Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them before the Lord in the sun, that the Lord's fierce anger may turn away from Israel.' Moses tells the judges: 'Each of you kill his men who have clung to Baal Peor.' An Israelite man brazenly brings a Midianite woman before Moses and the weeping congregation. Pinchas son of Elazar sees this, takes a spear, follows them into the tent, and drives it through both of them. The plague halts — 24,000 have died.

Prophetic Reading

Haftarah הפטרה

Micah 5:6–6:8

מיכה

Micah recalls 'what Balak king of Moab plotted and what Balaam son of Beor answered him' — directly referencing the parsha. The prophet concludes: 'Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.'

Full Text

Parshat Balak

Numbers 22:2–25:9 · 104 verses

First Aliyah

ראשוןNumbers 22:2–22:12

Chapter 22

פרק 22

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2 וַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר אֵת כׇּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָֽאֱמֹרִֽי

3 וַיָּגׇר מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי הָעָם מְאֹד כִּי רַב הוּא וַיָּקׇץ מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

4 וַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל אֶת כׇּל סְבִיבֹתֵינוּ כִּלְחֹךְ הַשּׁוֹר אֵת יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה וּבָלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִֽוא

5 וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעֹר*(בספרי ספרד ואשכנז בְּעוֹר) פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עַל הַנָּהָר אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹ לִקְרֹא לוֹ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב מִמֻּלִֽי

6 וְעַתָּה לְכָה נָּא אָֽרָה לִּי אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּֽי עָצוּם הוּא מִמֶּנִּי אוּלַי אוּכַל נַכֶּה בּוֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ מְבֹרָךְ וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָֽר

7 וַיֵּלְכוּ זִקְנֵי מוֹאָב וְזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן וּקְסָמִים בְּיָדָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל בִּלְעָם וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו דִּבְרֵי בָלָֽק

8 וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֵלָי וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵֽי מוֹאָב עִם בִּלְעָֽם

9 וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם וַיֹּאמֶר מִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עִמָּֽךְ

10 וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים בָּלָק בֶּן צִפֹּר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שָׁלַח אֵלָֽי

11 הִנֵּה הָעָם הַיֹּצֵא מִמִּצְרַיִם וַיְכַס אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ עַתָּה לְכָה קָֽבָה לִּי אֹתוֹ אוּלַי אוּכַל לְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ וְגֵרַשְׁתִּֽיו

12 וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם לֹא תָאֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הֽוּא

2 Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

3 Moab was alarmed because that people was so numerous. Moab dreaded the Israelites,

4 And Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick clean all that is about us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time,

5 Sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor, which is by the Euphrates, in the land of his kinsfolk, to invite him, saying, “There is a people that came out of Egypt; it hides the earth from view, and it is settled next to me.

6 Come then, put a curse upon this people for me, since they are too numerous for me; perhaps I can thus defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that whomever you bless is blessed indeed, and whomever you curse is cursed.”

7 The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, versed in divination, set out. They came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message.

8 He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as GOD may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam.

9 God came to Balaam and said, “What do these men want of you?”

10 Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message:

11 Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from view. Come now and curse them for me; perhaps I can engage them in battle and drive them off.”

12 But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”