Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch: Balak
The “black arts” don’t exist
The Torah only forbids magic because it tries to short-circuit Divine justice.
The Torah only forbids magic because it tries to short-circuit Divine justice.
With so many men dead, who would tell the youth about yetzias Mitzrayim?
Korach confused what we are with what we should be.
The spies misunderstood the nature of their mission.
A prophet’s words are not his own.
Abstinence leads to holiness but isn’t holiness itself.
Moshe didn't use his position to advance his children’s careers.
This parsha contains the secret to overcoming anxiety and self-doubt.
Judaism is supposed to be a springboard, not a crutch.
Stubbornness can lead us to, or away from, Hashem.
A metzora must control his instincts and forswear selfishness.
Judaism calls on us to serve G-d, not our own whims.
Judaism flourishes in light, not darkness.
A korban shelamim is the quintessential “Jewish” offering.
Clothes have the power to change us.
"Ain;t gonna work on Saturday" is a much loved children's song . But why does the Torah forbid some non-strenuous activities on Shabbat?
Hashem wants mature, robust adults serving Him.
The kohen’s avnet represents the life we should all live.
Thinking and acting must always go together.
The Torah quickly disabuses us of a popular notion.
Don’t smother the unique characteristics with which Hashem blessed you.
Matzah reminds us that we left Egypt thanks to G-d’s grace alone.
What exactly were Egypt's magicians up to?
Moshe didn't draw attention to himself, even as an infant.
Yosef targeted his brothers' feelings by appealing to their minds.
G-d wants us to accomplish, not just exist.
Pity comes naturally; sympathy doesn't.
Equality before G-d is supposed to govern human society.
Esav sought to escape Yaakov's influence.
G-d is our father… and our lawgiver.
Even if she could fool Yitzchak, there's no fooling G-d.
If he did, what happened to her?
Avraham rushed to serve pagan guests.
Avraham’s spirit elevated Hagar into an entirely different person.
A functioning society is impossible without objective language.
Imparting pure philosophical truth isn’t the Torah’s primary aim.
We all have a role to play in the divine plan.
Denying religious truth is often convenient.
A Jew can't ride on the coattails of the righteous.
One category of sin isn’t “better” than another.
The fate of a nation rests on its mothers.
Our actions – not “black arts” – determine our future.
Truth, not feelings, must govern our actions.
Supporting a family is no excuse for violating the Torah’s commands.
Truth isn’t equivocal, and we dare not present it as such.
Just verdicts are primarily the product of character, not IQ.
Our body must ultimately succumb to nature; not so our soul.
Hashem wants us to defend His honor.
Bilaam couldn’t harm us, but our own misbehavior did.
We’re all born with free will to choose right from wrong.
The physical world may affect our spiritual nature more than we realize.
Our ancestors didn’t know their arrival and departure dates.
Why are the Hebrew words for education and strangulation connected?
In Jewish law, a maidservant isn’t a lowly slave.
Hashem promised us three periods of exile – each one better than the next.
Why did Yericho’s walls crumble to the ground?
The Torah doesn’t demand the impossible.
Torah truth must permeate a person’s mundane life.
Private property comes with responsibilities – to others.
The laws of tzaraas are incomprehensible if we adopt the general translation.