Parshas Hashovua - Phony Kabalist

ולא קם נביא בישראל כמשה - אבל באומות קם.
ואיזה? זה בלעם בן בעור
ספרי דברים ל״ד:י

Mori V'Rabi Harav Hagaon Reb Shloima Miller Shlita quoted the Zohar Chadash, which states:

“Before a person is born, Hashem decrees upon him whether he will be a navi (prophet), a chacham (wise man), a baal Mikra u’Mishnah (master of Scripture and Mishnah), or one who possesses Ruach HaKodesh, etc.”

However, whether he will be a tzaddik or a rasha is not decreed — that is left to free will (bechirah).

Reb Shloima Miller pointed out that from here we see a powerful idea: a person can potentially possess Ruach HaKodesh and yet still be a rasha.

In other words, one may encounter individuals who appear to have spiritual insight or even so-called mystical or psychic abilities, yet this does not automatically define them as a tzaddik — and in some cases, they may not even be righteous.

Gedolim can make Mistakes

 

Even the איש אלוקים the מהר"ל                        can make mistakes The מהר"ל- דרך חיים פ"ה : י"ט points out & explains the differences between אברהם אבינו going to the עקידה and בלעם going to bentch the Yidden. One of the differences is by אברהם it says ושני נעריו עמו and by בלעם it says ושני נעריו אתו. The מהר"ל explained that עמו is less of a connection than אתו. אברהם was less connected to the שני נעריו than בלעם. The problem with this Toireh is that it's not true, but the  opposite is true. By אברהם it says אתו & by בלעם it says עמו. The Kotzker said it was done intentionally מן השמים to teach us that even a איש אלוקים like the גאון the מהר"ל can  also, make mistakes because he is a בשר ודם.

Parshas Bolok -curse

When Balak asked Bilam to curse the Bnei Yisrael, he said ארה לי , "curse me*".

Mori V'Rabi Harav Hagaon R.Shlomo.Miller shlita said,

In Parshas Lech Lecha, Hashem said," ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר I will bless those who bless you  and those who curse you I will curse".

Balak knew of this yet he insisted on having the Bnei Yisrael cursed. even though as a result of this, Balak himself will be cursed.

The שונאי ישראל attempt to harm the Yidden even when they themselves know they will lose out by doing so. The Nazis ym"s at the end of the war, instead of using their  trains for their war effort and save their own military,used the trains to transport the Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz.

The Brisker Rav Zt"l said that in Hallel we say סבוני כדבורים דועכו כאש קוצים when a bee stings it dies - so too the שונאי ישראל  attack us even though they will die as a result of it.

Even though Bilam blessed the Bnei Yisroel,( ואברכה מברכיך) he wasn't entitled to be blessed because it wasn't him who blessed the Bnei Yisroel It was Hashems Brocho coming out from Bilam's mouth.אמבצי

*see Orach Chaim

Boloks Curse On To Himself

When Balak asked Bilam to curse the Bnei Yisrael,
he said ארה *לי curse me.

Mori V'Rabi Harav Hagaon R.S.Miller shlita said,
In Parshas Lech Lecha, Hashem said," those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed".

Balak knew of this but still insisted to have the Bnei Yisrael cursed. even though he himself will be cursed as a result of this.

The שונאי ישראל attempt to harm the Yidden even when they themselves lose out in doing so.

The Nazis Y.m.s. at the end of the war, instead of using
their  trains for the war effort and save their army,
used the trains to
transport the Hungarian
Jews to Auschwitz.

Bilam wasn't the one who
blessed the Benei Yisrael.  

It was Hashems Brocho coming out from Bilam's
mouth therefore he wasn't
entitled to be blessed. 


see Orach Chaim

בלי עין הרע

According to תוס' הרי"ד, (Bava Kama 83a) a person can bring an עין הרע on oneself. He explains the Pasuk  " 'איכה ג)   "עיני עוללה לנפשי מכל בנות עירי) " My own (bad) eye did harm on myself, more than all daughters of my city"  Some learn Pshat in the Gemoro (Brachos 55b)   "ואי דחיל מעינא בישא דיליה"  one places on himself  עין רע    refers to the  The רע"ב (Bartenura) explains the Mishna in Avos (Perek 2: 11)    ר"י אומר עין הרע - מוציאין את האדם מן העולם The עין הרע is not from others on him but from the person himself. By not being satisfied and happy with what he has and being jealous of others, this is the עין הרע the cause for him to be removed from the world. In other words, it's not that others kill him but he kills himself. טוב עין הוא יבורך משלי כ"ב

Phony Kabbalists

 

ולא קם נביא בישראל כמשה - אבל באומות קם . ואיזה? זה בלעם בן בעור  ספרי דברים ל"ד:י  Mori V'Rabi Harav Hagaon R Shlomo Miller Shlita quoted the זהר חדש that says:            "Every person before he is born Hashem  is גוזר (decrees) on him if he will be a נביא a חכם a בעל מקרא ומשנה  a בעל רוח הקדש etc. However, if he will be a צדיק or a רשע is not decreed." (בחירה) Reb Shlomo Miller  pointed out We see from here that one can have רוח הקדש yet he is a רשע You can have a so-called Kabbalist who might have psychic powers yet he is not a צדיק and perhaps even a רשע

סוד הדבר

Five times the word דבר is mentioned  in Parshas Bolok

   אלה ה 'דברים אשר דבר משה

   במדבר כ"ב  כ'   - ואך את הדבר

             כ"ב  ל"ה - ואפס את הדבר

             כ"ב  ל"ח - הדבר אשר ישים אלוקים

            כ"ג ג'   -    ודבר מה יראני

            כ"ג  ט"ז -   וישם דבר בפיו

WHAT KIND OF A QUESTION IS THIS?

 

Parshas Hashavua בלק     WHAT KIND OF A QUESTION IS THIS?  ויאמר מי האנשים האלה עמך” במדבר כ"ב :ט “   Hashem asked בלעם: ” Who are these people with you?.” According to Rashi (Breishis 3-9) whenever Hashem asks a question it's always a rhetorical question just to start the conversation. (even for רשעים - קין & בלעם) At first glance, it would seem that R Bachya would argue on Rashi because R.B. holds when Hashem asks from רשעים it's done to mislead them so he can destroy them. (not a rhetorical question) Perhaps, R.B. will agree to Rashi that whenever Hashem asks a question it's always a rhetorical question even for רשעים. (like Rashi) Rashi explains the reason Hashem questions rhetorically so the responder will not be caught off guard 'וכו R.B. qualifies this reason to be true only for believers. Non-believers (רשעים) on the other hand, are unaware that it was a rhetorical question. They think, Hashem doesn't know the answer & therefore he asked the question. Hashem allows them to be misled that way so he can destroy them. ובזה מיושב הר' בחיי אמבצי  רש"י בראשית ג:ט (ט) איכה - יודע היה היכן הוא, אלא ליכנס עמו בדברים, שלא יהא נבהל להשיב אם יענישהו פתאום. וכן בקין (בראשית ד ט) אמר לו אי הבל אחיך. וכן בבלעם (במדבר כב ט) מי האנשים האלה עמך, ליכנס עימהם בדברים. וכן בחזקיה בשלוחי (אויל) מרודך בלאדן (ישעיה לט א):

zealots

 

פרשת השבוע בלק                                ויקח רמח בידו When immorality was involved, both פנחס & לוי, risked their lives by being קנאים, (zealots) yet פנחס was praised for his קנאות  and לוי, on the other hand, was ostracized for his קנאות  The Netziv in שו"ת משיב דבר explains, that practicing קנאות should not be done even by חסידים who are doing it for the sake and love of Hashem. It may only  be done by תלמידי חכמים using their הגיון תורה (Torah logic- Hashkafah)  (לוי was a 13-year-old boy when they killed the people of שכם)   אמבצי They are the only ones who know and understand the very minute and precise details as to when to be מקדש שם שמים by going out to fight for the cause and when to refrain from קנאות to avoid 'חילול ה. Perhaps, according to the Netziv, when in the future, there will be a need to be מקדש שם שמים by bringing traffic to a halt and the Egged buses to a standstill, etc. instead of 14-year-old Bachurim we should have the זקני ראשי ישיבה  who sit down on the pavement in the middle of the street and scream "Natzim" at the Zionist police who are trying to Shmad and torture all the Frum Yidden.

How old was Bilam when he was killed?

 1)   33 - 34    yrs.  Sanhedrin 106b

2)   over 60   yrs.  Zevachim 116a  Da'as Zekeinim mi Ba'alei Tosfos (Shmos 1)

3)   over 140 yrs.  Sanhedrin 106a Da'as Zekeinim mi Ba'alei Tosfos (Shmos 1)

4)   over 210 yrs.  Sanhedrin 106b Rashi

5)   over 400 yrs.  Sanhedrin 105a

1) A Min asked R. Chanina How old Bilam was etc.

2) The Goyim consulted Bilam during Matan Torah. The D.Z m B.T. assumes

Bilam at that time was at least 20 yrs. old, plus the 40 yrs. in the Midbar.

3) Bilam was one of Paroh's advisors when Moishe was born. Bilam at that time was at

least 20 yrs. old plus 80(in Mitzrayim) plus 40 (in Midbar)

4)  Bilam was one of Paroh's advisors when the Bnei Yisrael went down to Mitzrayim

5) Bilam and Lavan were both the same person.

Machlokes Rishonim  a) if it was the same Bilam or one was his grandfather,

b) if the Midrashim  argue with each other. 

Don't Ask

                            “Vayomer Mi Ha’anoshim Haeileh Imoch”  

                                 (Hashem asked Bilam ,”who are these people with you.”)

The Rabeinu Bachya (Bechaya) writes , “We don’t find anywhere in Tanach, Hashem asking questions,

except when he does so to Reshoim, to fool them so he can destroy them. That’s the reason Hashem

asked Kayin,” Ayhei Hevel Achicha”.

What about when Hashem asked,

1) Adam- Ayeka, (Breishis 3-9)

2) Moshe – Ma Zeh Beyadecha, (Shmos 4-2)

3) Eliyahu -Ma Lecha Poh Eliyahu, (Melochim 1- 19 -9)