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PARACHAT BALAK - 30 JUIN 2018/ 17 TAMMUZ 5778

SOMMAIRE DE LA PARACHA : BALAK

Ne maudis pas ce peuple, car il est béni (Nombres 22 ; 12)
 

Dans cette paracha, le Peuple d’Israël s’apprête à passer près de la frontière de Moav, pour poursuivre son chemin. Cependant, le Roi de Moav, Balak, ne voit pas ceci d’un bon œil, persuadé que ce peuple nomade cherche à s’emparer de son territoire. Il fait donc appel à Bil’am, prophète des nations, pour maudire ce peuple afin qu’il puisse les repousser de ses frontières. Rachi, sur ce passage, nous renvoie à un dialogue entre H.achem et Bil’am. H.achem lui dit : Ne va pas avec eux (les princes de Moav). « Bil’am répond : Dans ce cas, je les maudirais d’ici même. H.achem : Ne les maudis pas. Bil’am : Dans ce cas, je les bénirais. H.achem : Ne les bénis pas ! Il est déjà béni ! Comme à une guêpe dont on ne voudrait pas le mielDonate

FAST OF 17 TAMMUZ

The 17th of the month of Tammuz is observed as a minor fast day, with eating and drinking forbidden from dawn until sundown. Like Tisha B’Av, which comes just three weeks later, the 17th of Tammuz (often called by its Hebrew name, Shiva Asar b’Tammuz) is said to commemorate not to just one calamitous event in Jewish history, but several tragedies of the Jewish people

QUE S’EST-IL PRODUIT LE 17 TAMOUZ ?

Cinq grandes catastrophes se sont produites ce jour là dans l’histoire juive:

Moïse brise les Tables de la loi en descendant du Mont Sinaï suite à la faute du veau d’or.

On arrête d’offrir les sacrifices quotidiens dans le premier Temple durant le siège de Jérusalem, les Cohanim (prêtres) ne pouvant plus se procurer d’animaux.

Une brèche est faite dans la muraille de Jérusalem avant la destruction du Temple en l’an 70 de l’ère vulgaire.

Avant la grande révolte, le général romain Apostamos brûle un rouleau de la Torah établissant ainsi un précédent pour les horribles autodafés de livres juifs à travers les siècles

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS – PARSHAT BALAK

All references are to the verses and Rashi's commentary, unless otherwise stated

1. Why did Moav consult specifically with Midian regarding their strategy against the Jews?
   22:4 - Since Moshe grew up in Midian, the Moabites thought the Midianites might know wherein lay Moshe's power
2. What was Balak's status before becoming Moav's king?
   22:4 - He was a prince of Midian.
3. Why did Hashem grant prophecy to the evil Bilaam?
   22:5 - So the other nations couldn't say, "If we had had prophets, we also would have become righteous."
4. Why did Balak think Bilaam's curse would work?
   22:6 - Because Bilaam's curse had helped Sichon defeat Moav.
5. When did Bilaam receive his prophecies?
   22:8 - Only at night.
6. Hashem asked Bilaam, "Who are these men with you?" What did Bilaam deduce from this question?
   22:9 - He mistakenly reasoned that Hashem isn't all-knowing.
7. How do we know Bilaam hated the Jews more than Balak did?
   22:11 - Balak wanted only to drive the Jews from the land. Bilaam sought to exterminate them completely.
8. What is evidence of Bilaam's arrogance?
   22:13 - He implied that Hashem wouldn't let him go with the Moabite princes due to their lesser dignity.
9. In what way was the malach that opposed Bilaam an angel of mercy?
   22:22 - It mercifully tried to stop Bilaam from sinning and destroying himself.

10. How did Bilaam die?
22:23 - He was killed with a sword.

11. Why did the malach kill Bilaam's donkey?
22:33 - So that people shouldn't see it and say, "Here's the donkey that silenced Bilaam." Hashem is concerned with human dignity.

12. Bilaam compared his meeting with an angel to someone else's meeting with an angel. Who was the other person and what was the comparison?
22:34 - Avraham. Bilaam said, "Hashem told me to go but later sent an angel to stop me. The same thing happened to Avraham: Hashem told Avraham to sacrifice Yitzchak but later canceled the command through an angel."

13. Bilaam told Balak to build seven altars. Why specifically seven?
23:4 - Corresponding to the seven altars built by the Avot. Bilaam said to Hashem, "The Jewish People's ancestors built seven altars, but I alone have built altars equal to all of them."

14. Who in Jewish history seemed fit for a curse, but got a blessing instead?
23:8 - Yaakov, when Yitzchak blessed him.

15. Why are the Jewish People compared to lions?
23:24 - They rise each morning and "strengthen" themselves to do mitzvot.

16. On Bilaam's third attempt to curse the Jews, he changed his strategy. What was different?
24:1 - He began mentioning the Jewish People's sins, hoping thus to be able to curse them.

17. What were Bilaam's three main characteristics?
24:2 - An evil eye, pride, and greed.

18. What did Bilaam see that made him decide not to curse the Jews?
24:2 - He saw each Tribe dwelling without intermingling. He saw the tents arranged so no one could see into his neighbor's tent.

19. What phrase in Bilaam's self-description can be translated in two opposite ways, both of which come out meaning the same thing?
24:3 - "Shatum ha'ayin." It means either "the poked-out eye," implying blindness in one eye; or, it means the "the open eye," which means vision but implies blindness in the other eye.

20. Bilaam told Balak that the Jews' G-d hates what?
24:14 - Promiscuity.

Written and Compiled by Rabbi Eliyahu Kane & Rabbi Reuven Subar
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
ProduMichael Treblow

PROVERBES JUIFS:

Quand Israël s'abaisse, c'est jusqu'au sable ; quand elle s'élève, c'est jusqu'aux étoiles.
 

Le plus fort est celui qui dompte ses passions

Rien n'empêche la personne de réussir que la timidité

Qui ne voit pas dans chaque étoile le sourire d'un enfant, ne sait pas regarder le ciel.

Être juif, ce n'est pas avoir une mère juive ou un père juif, c'est avoir des enfants juifs

Pour le vieil homme, chaque colline est une montagne.

Pour tomber, on se débrouille tout seul, mais pour se relever, la main d'un ami est nécessaire

Si le gendre est bon, tu as gagné un fils; s'il est mauvais, tu as perdu une fille

. Celui qui a été mordu par les serpents Craint aussi les lézards. »

Le menteur finit par ne plus obtenir créance, même en disant la vérité

Celui qui me flatte est mon ennemi,
Celui qui me réprouve m’enseigne

Celui qui ne risque rien Ne perd Ni ne gagne

LE SOURIRE DU CHABBAT / SHABBAT SMILE

Une jeune maman téléphone à son pédiatre :
– Docteur, j’ai acheté le livre que vous m’avez conseillé. Il est indiqué page 56: Quand bébé a fini son biberon, lavez-le à l’eau bouillante et nettoyer l’intérieur avec un goupillon.
– Oui et alors ?
– Alors…Mon bébé n’apprécie pas du tout ce traitement !

Un homme rentre dans un restaurant :
– Garçon ! Servez-vous des nouilles ?
– Bien-sûr monsieur, ici on sert tout le monde

A Hasidic man, with a long beard, payis, a a long black coat, and shtreiml (the traditional fur hat worn by Chassidic Jews), walks into a bar with a multi-colored parrot on his shoulder.

The bartender says: "Where'd you get that?"
The parrot replies: "Brooklyn. There's thousands of them."

A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did G-d make you?"

"Yes, sweetheart,"he answered, "G-d made me a long time ago."

"Oh,"she paused, "Grandpa, did G-d make me too?"

"Yes, indeed, honey,"he said, "G-d made you just a little while ago."

Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "G-d's getting better at it, isn't he?"

CHABBAT CHALOM

MAGHEN ABRAHAM

DAVID HASSON