Parsha

The Land of Israel being the ideal homeland of the Jews is that it is the only one. It is ideal, and nowhere else

Because Avraham is no longer physically with us in our world, this personal role is fulfilled through the exercise of the divine attribute that Avraham exemplified – that of chesed (kindness). When the power of the kindness of Avraham is made to resonate in the world, then we will know that the redemption is at hand.

And the Devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Many of us have lost it because we don’t see the true value of it. What would having the Beit HaMikdash add to my life that I don’t have already?

Even though the realm of evil may at times become stronger, one need not fear as he has hope and faith that Hashem is with us.

The Chovos HaLevovos gives us a chilling deterrent from speaking lashon hara. He warns us that if we speak lashon hara about someone, Hashem will take away some of our merits and give them to the person we spoke badly about.

Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. -Carl Zwanzig

once Aharon dies and they confront the king of Arad, they decide upon a different journey in which they will enter Israel through the “side door.”

It was necessary to have an equal number of people going to war, as were assigned to pray. This was to highlight the awareness that it was not the strength of those fighting that determined their victory over the Midyanim, but the prayers of the other 12,000 soldiers.

I realized that although he was in his late 80s, he wanted to walk from the bungalow all the way to the parking lot – a great distance – in order to personally greet her upon her arrival. That left an indelible impression upon me, of how a husband is supposed to show a wife that she is wanted.

The last time the Torah mentions Aharon actually saying anything of his own volition, is when Miriam speaks lashon hara against Moshe. Aharon’s words are a plea for Moshe to pray to G-d to heal their sister.

An Egyptian whose ancestors committed genocide against our people may be accepted as a convert after three generations, but a Moabite and Amonite – who never gave us bread and water, they may never be accepted?

Moshe knows he’s running out of time, he wants to make his final request of Hashem.

How could we err and think, like the Jews of Hungary did, that the nations of the world will protect us during times of tribulation? When the inhumane policies of the evil Hitler, yemach shemo, had already affected most of the countries in Europe after four years, people still paid no attention.

The successful relationship between husband and wife makes the home into a sanctuary as it says, Ish v’isha shalom beineihem, Shechina shruyah beineihem – A husband and wife, if there is peace between them, then the divine Presence dwells between them.

What is the biblical source for not causing pain to animals?

In the human experience, there’s no guarantee of a safe and successful landing and return. What is critical is not the ultimate destination, but the values we bring to the journey of life.

When you feel that the world is going mad, it is important to return to our sources. Our Torah portion this week reminds us that what we are experiencing today has occurred before.

How important are failed plans and plots, such that the Torah needs to mention any of them at all?

Parashat Balak is a very interesting parasha in that it relates an incident that none of Am Yisrael observed directly.

Balak realized that the land of the Amorites, including the strip of land between the Arnon River and the Yabbok river which formerly belonged to Moav, was eventually destined to be taken over by the Jews in accordance with G-d’s promise to Avraham.

Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil. -Plato

Bilaam’s hope is to reduce the power of Israel by carving away at our fighting men through spiritual means, so that they will be removed from the army as they are condemned to perdition for their transgressions.

Not only is our disposition and attitude critical in disquieting circumstances, but every word we utter during challenging times is significant.

As you get better in chess, you just can’t rely on your opponent to make a mistake. Better players won’t make mistakes.

Yes, he looks rather ridiculous as he makes one poor decision after another, and that is rather the point.

What exactly did Moshe and Aharon do wrong in the incident of "Mei Meriva"?

In America, where he arrived from Europe in 1941, mitzvah observance had become moribund, increasingly disconnected from the modern world. The Rebbe reversed this trend by demanding more Torah, more Jewish brotherhood, more Jewish education.

The Torah tells us that Nadav and Avihu died because they brought a “strange fire” before Hashem (Vayikra 10:1). But Rashi says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer that they died because they taught Torah in front of their master, Moshe.

All men's souls are immortal, but the souls of the righteous are immortal and divine. -Socrates