As I watched the news of this week unfold my heart became increasingly heavy. Kidnappings, murders, shellings, and calls for revenge have left me speechless and pained. Usually when I read Parshat Balak I focus on the beautiful words that the wizard Bilaam sang from the edge of a cliff, showering blessings upon the people […]
Balak: Turning Curse Into Blessing
While Bilaam was supposed to curse the Israelites, he did not just bless us, but he also gave us a part of our liturgy, which we still recite today. For more information about Rabbi Danny, please visit RabbiDanny.com The opening and closing music for this podcast is Coming Out of the Dark by Matt Stamm. […]
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Listening to our Talking Ass – Balak בלק
Listening to our Talking Ass – Balak בלק by romemu. For more information please visit romemu.org. http://media.blubrry.com/jcasttotalfeed/www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/jcastnetwork.com/storage/romemu/173.mp3Podcast: Download
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Balak: Different Ways to God
With talking donkeys and angels we can miss the fact that Bilaam has a conversation with God. What does this teach us about the ways to get to God? For more information about Rabbi Danny, please visit RabbiDanny.com The opening and closing music for this podcast is Coming Out of the Dark by Matt Stamm. […]
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We Need Both Views
I love Parshat Balak. How can one not enjoy a moment of comic relief – and the tale of a talking donkey!? OK, I will date myself and admit that I did enjoy re-runs of Mr. Ed when I was growing up. Yet, beyond the comedy there is much seriousness, and much we can learn. […]
BLESS: Birthday Blessings In Disguise (Balak)
Welcome to WORD. A weekly word from the world’s best seller. In this weeks episode, Amichai Lau-Lavie focuses on the word BLESS, and the Torah portion, Balak. To subscribe or read the text version of this blog, and to learn more about Amichai Lau-Lavie please visit Amichai.me. http://media.blubrry.com/jcasttotalfeed/www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/JCastNetwork.com/storage/word/037.mp3Podcast: Download
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Balak: A Misunderstanding Of Words
How often are words misunderstood or misinterpreted when they are written down in an e-mail or in 140 characters? As Bilaam tried to curse the Israelites, all he was able to do was bless them, and provide us with a cautionary tale about what can happen to our words once they are written or spoken. […]
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Torah Commentary – Balak
A wicked king, a talking donkey, a wizard whose curses miraculously turn to blessings – “Shrek Meets Harry Potter?” No! It’s the Torah Portion, Balak. Balak is one of my favorite Portions – both for its teachings and for some wonderful personal memories associated with it. Decades ago, in Israel, I had the pleasure of […]
Balak Limerick
This week’s parasha tells the story of Balak, the Moabite king who hired the pagan prophet, Bilam to curse the Israelites. Bilam, as the story goes, could only say the words that God put in his mouth. As a result, instead of cursing, he gave us the beautiful blessing: Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael! […]