Tall Tales of Balak and Bilaam: A Light of Messiah Shining Through

                                                                  Parashas Balak

                                                 Torat Hashem In The Eyes Of Gerim

                                                                 Rabbi David Katz

                             [Live Class Motzie Shabbat: Article In-Depth; details below]

                                                             

Parashas Balak and Bilaam’s prophecy is the climax of the Torah that takes place before a dramatic Messianic conclusion, one that concludes the Torah, until the credits and appendix are given in the form of an official end to Bamidbar followed with the reiteration of the Torah in Devarim. [Devarim is also called Mishna Torah –lit. doubled, retaught] From the very beginning we encounter the fear of Balak, very reminiscent of Rashi’s account of the Torah’s very first words, as he describes Creation’s account from the perspective of Nation’s seeking to claim territory from Israel. This is indeed Balak’s concern; this along  with every pertinent moment in the Parsha, such that we literally experience six thousand years of Torah history and knowledge of God in a jam packed Parsha that can only be seen from  the eyes of the Ger.

Bilaam’s eyes function as an anti-Ger, Amalekite [when joined with Balak – the letters of their names form “heart of Amalek”], while the Ger is the Light of the Moshiach from the Parsha’s opening words – “Ger”(ed) Moav before the Nation. [The term Ger here has multiple connotations that play into the intellect of the Parsha] In Parashas Balak, we are privileged to watch the dynamic mazal [divine movement and unfolding of reality] of Redemption of the Ger through the Ger. The Torah is woven of one fabric and seven wisdoms of Babylon, while the Messianic quilt is seen from the true wisdom of the Ger in a divine language that only he speaks.

The Parasha’s opening account of Balak’s perceptions and fears in the Land of Moav [language “Ger”; meaning fear, dwelled, etc.] are the flavor and operating system the engineers the Parsha into an accurate display of the entire Torah from Creation through Exiles and up to the Ultimate Final Redemption. The Midrash makes known several of the key factors that play into this account of divine reality, such as, “Israel and their Land”, “Israel intermingling with Nations” [for the good and bad], “Israel and their plunder” [also for the good and bad], “Israel’s border” [and the nature of expansion], “Israeli conspiracy” [to and fro],  “Israel at war” [attack of Israel, Torah, and/or Hashem to seek eradication of the Divine Plan], along with the “powers of speech” – i.e. conquering with Torah and Noahide Law that will bring the World to recognize God through the Mind as opposed to agencies of physical combat.

Under these terms, the Nations would wage battle with the cardinal figure in these war games in a Man named Moses, while fate would constantly erect the proverbial diviner [anti-Joseph (/Messiah)] in Bilaam. Whereas Israel is personally animated by the dazzle of God’s Presence amidst their camp, depicting a Holy Mazal that reflects the construct of Creation’s true essence [kabbalah], the power of Bilaam lies in his ability the perceive God’s hand moving along the surface like a snake. By engaging in the evil eye / loshon hara, guessing, and ignorance in God’s names, i.e. true kabbalah, Balak has honored Bilaam with an opportunity to gaze upon Israel, and give voice of praise [to the Other Side] through powers of exploitation, such that through windows of mazal, essential chinks in the armor can be brought to light and to the demise of Israel, quenching the fear of Balak and Moav.

Bilaam would then be seen with Balak in covert espionage expeditions, prowling alongside Israel, in constant communion with a god in the flesh, in attempt to highlight with powers of the mouth, the sinful ways of Israel. Yet Bilaam would soon be dismayed by a perception that recalls the proverbial Iyov. [Job]

Iyov was righteous before God, to the extent that the Satan came to testify against Iyov claiming that he isn’t tested, and should he be tested, he would sin before God. In the end, Iyov was tested, and through trials he did indeed prevail before God. One fascinating claim by Iyov however, was that he asked God, “Why bother me? I prevailed in the end anyways; couldn’t it have been a quicker redemption had you just left me alone?! Either way I was going to serve you!” Iyov’s claim that was while left alone, Holiness clings to service of God; this would explain the Creation of Adam, his fall, and his ultimate promised supernatural messianic repair. Likewise with Israel, before the heat of Moav was ignited, Israel clung to the garment of God’s will. Bilaam had no choice but to praise and Bless Israel.

By the time Bilaam throws in the towel of apparent defeat, he will have painted an incredible tale of Gerim in Torah, a Blessing and flow of mazal that dominates the whole Parasha and narrates all of existence with God!

As mentioned, the Parasha’s opening words [of the language “Ger”] depict the Jew in History and what will prove to be a story of Gerim amongst Gerim. Whether in relation to the Land of Israel [and thus Ger Toshav, achievement of Seven Laws of Noah; powers of war through speech – Oral Torah], exile and redemption – for the sake of Gerim, and understanding the truth of the Nation of Israel, and its association as a Ger among Gerim; all topics that come to grab attention in the End of Days, showing why the Redemption of the Ger is “Tachlis Geulah” [the plateau essence of redemption].

Even amongst Bilaam’s Blessings, he reveals: the prophetic wisdom of the Ger, in knowledge of Torah mazal, kabbalah [even if from the negative, by his lack of clear knowledge] which comes from Noah and his laws [obvious proof that Bilaam and Balak were adamantly against Laws of Noah], the position of the Ger in relation to Israel in brotherhood, Gerim brothers in Torah, tradition from Shem and Ever, Jews and Gerim from exile to Moshiach –in association to the Ger and his source from Jethro and attachment with Ten Lost Tribes that come back with Moshiach. Bilaam gives testimony in his Blessings that the Jew and the Ger are so intertwined and bound up from the Creation of both, in a saga that extends through Redemption, and brings Peace to Hashem’s Creation, while sanctifying Bereishit together in Torah. This is where Bilaam found a God that ironically he knew not.

Once Balak continued with his immoral ways and Bilaam returned to study the new mazal that he stumbled upon, the powers of Amalek finally materialized in the weakness of the mouth of the People; Bilaam’s god finally showed the path to impurity of this People, and it would come by the hands of his own brother – the Gerim. The Torah can be seen entirely in this distorted light, from Cain and Able, Abraham and Lot, Jafeth and Shem, Ishmael and Esav, Tribes and Joseph, and now through Moav and Midian in the guise of Israel and the Ger. As Bilaam watched Hashem [his god] pave the path to eternal exile, Hakadosh Baruch Hu [The Holy One Blessed Be He] was preparing the Tenth Red Heifer – for from impurity, comes Purity. Meanwhile Moses realized to remain silent, Pinchas rose and saw the Path to the Tree of Life and sanctified “sechel” – the intellect that lies beyond the plane of logic, a Ger in this World, the Purifying Light promised by the prophet Malachi, of which Pinchas is its messenger. For every Golden Calf there is a Red Heifer; for Every mundane world of empty action with Bilaam, there is a Mazal World of God that emanates upon us from the Upper World of Atzilus.

Bilaam saw that the men of Israel were not as interested in Moabite women the way that the women were interested their men. The story of Ruth and her roots from Eglon [descended from these unions] and her husband Machlon [who for that reason sought to give her Torah of the Ger Tzedek] personifies this dynamic. This shed light on a massive attack to Holiness from the position of Bilaam, as Israelite Men would fall victim to Midianite women instead, as this unfolded before not just Bilaam’s eyes, but the nation itself, and most importantly, Pinchas.

The Torah at the end of Bamidbar informs of a rare and enigmatic law that allows for foreign women under certain conditions to be taken as wives for Israelite men, in a quasi-ger / Jewish relationship that presents itself as perhaps one of the most difficult themes found in the entire Torah; its source is a remnant to the Torah that was taught from the mouth of Shem. What makes it even more astounding is that one opinion in the Torah even allows such a condition among Priests, as Pinchas was the foundation of this law. Bilaam saw that from a Tachlis Geulah standpoint, if this goes unanswered, the Torah would become finite, and come undone by the seams; the World would return to Chaos and Void, and Bilaam would have found his long lost curse, even if in a vacuum. The only problem with this guesswork is that Bilaam already witnessed the Redemption from the prophetic mazal sanctified in Israel. This is where Bilaam was given his chance at repentance, for he was about to perceive the very Light of Moshiach that he previously dreamed of.

Once Midian gained the upper hand with powers of immorality that threaten the existence of Torah from the negative energy that emanates out of doubt and shame, it was as if most of history came and went through a compression of redemptions and exiles, that resembled the elucidation of the mission that Adam inherited from God. Israel was suddenly about to join Adam on the path of despair, until in one moment’s notice, the Tachlis of Geulah flashed in one instant that would change destiny forever, and would bring Adam back to the path of the Tree of Life; Pinchas would hit the note [that functions like a node] of the Ger – Oral Torah Lefi Pshuto [Torah from the non-verse] – an action that can only be performed by the Messiah.

If the Torah is the repair of Adam [same gematria 611], and all is in the Torah, coupled with the Messianic vision of Bilaam that he perceived in real time, then before the eyes of all who stood there, the Light of Redemption can be said to exist in chapter 25 of the Torah, the Summer Torah readings, as to which it is said, “Moshiach is born on 9^th of Av” – the months of Tammuz and Av. What Pinchas did was so great, and so compact, the Torah itself would need to emulate Bilaam’s Blessings through 2000 years of Torah and 2000 years of Messiah giving Light to the original 2000 years of Chaos, in order to fully grasp the miracles that stood for Pinchas [of which it is said that there were many; a condensing of the miracles of all of Creation, that gives validity to life and death]. Pinchas rewrote Adamic [atomic] reality, for now the Torah reality would take hold, and now only would have to live itself out.

The [redemptive] Ger was now etched in stone, and for one small glorious moment, the Ger shone like the sun without its sheath as if in a scientific particle collider. All that is missing from the equation is intention – there will be a time when Pinchas completes the mission with his intention that he reiterates from a position of Messianic intent, upon which his Wisdom will be on display as a true Light to all Nations. In Torah physics, for every positive action, there is a need for an equal and greater reaction; every circumcision needs reiteration from after growth. Pinchas is thus promised to stand in the End of Days, as promised to Elijah [who is Pinchas] and to restore the Torah that Gog V’ Magog seeks to eradicate with a revisitation [and deceptive mutation], by bringing out the Torah with Messianic intentions from a position of Tachlis Geulah.

From the power of the Divine Mouth [“You should seek Torah from his lips, for he is an agent of God” – Malachi] that even Moses couldn’t open, will come the Torah of Shalom, that began with Shem to Abraham [Yirah (fear of Abraham) and Shalom (Peace of Shem)] on The Temple Mount of Jerusalem; a Messianic mission, that is retold through God’s Gerim, and in a Parasha that regurgitates Messiah mania through the Ger. We can say that for one moment in history, the Ger never shined brighter, as the higher sun stood that day for Pinchas, the Priest who came, went and stood for the Ger of God according to the Torah that is, was, and always will be written by words of Gerim, much like Parashas Balak – he who, ironically gave us God’s gift: The Ger Tzedek [as Ruth the Moabite gave us the final Messiah, Moshiach ben David – may he come soon speedily in our day, Amen].

Don't Forget Class Motzie Shabbat 11 P.M. [Tzfat Time] Parashas Balak

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[class sponsored by Ken and Brenda Jeffres] 

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