Pajad David - Parasha Balak

 

Balak

 

What the King of Moab Feared

It is written, “Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorite. Moab became very frightened of the people, for it was numerous, and Moab was disgusted in the face of the Children of Israel” (Numbers 22:2-3).

We need to understand why Balak was so afraid of the Children of Israel, so much so that he and his entire people were disgusted with life because of their fear. We also need to understand what the parsha states a few verses later: “For I know that whoever you bless is blessed” (v.6). The Sages have said that Balak told Bilam that he knew this because Bilam had helped Sihon to defeat Moab (Tanhuma, Balak 4; Bamidbar Rabba 20:7). This is difficult to understand, for what proves that since Bilam helped Sihon in his victory over Moab, he could also help Balak to defeat the Children of Israel? As we know, the Children of Israel went through more difficult wars than this (e.g. the war against Amalek), yet emerged victorious from them all.

We may explain this by saying that the wicked Bilam knew the secret of the Children of Israel’s success, namely that unity reigned among them. As we noted, “Moab became very frightened of the people, for it was numerous” (Numbers 22:3), meaning that the Children of Israel performed numerous mitzvot in unity. That is, what one person didn’t perform, another person did perform, resulting in the performance of all 613 mitzvot. This is what Balak was so afraid of. Therefore even before laying out his request to Bilam, Balak explained to him that the entire reason for the Children of Israel’s success lay precisely in the unity that reigned among them, as testified by the verse: “Behold, a people has come out of Egypt” (v.5). Here the expression “has come out” is in the singular, meaning that the people acted as a single person with a single heart. Furthermore, “Behold, it has covered the face of the earth” (ibid.), means that it rules on earth and defeated Sihon and Og, who had protected them, for Israel possessed great strength due to its unity. The people dwelled in the tents of Torah and the service of G-d, all in love and unity.

Hence Balak told Bilam that what he wanted from him was to “come and curse this people for me” (v.6). In other words: Give me some advice that will lead to infighting, something that will create dissension and hatred among them, thereby damaging their unity. In that case, “Perhaps I will be able nakeh [to strike] it” – the word nakeh implying menakeh, to deduct (Tanhuma, Balak 4; Bamidbar Rabba 20:7). If Balak could sow division among them – even leading some of them to hate one another – he would be able to chase them from the land. When their unity would be shattered, Balak could conquer them without difficulty, since even the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes them when they are not united. Balak’s logic was sound, for the Sages tell us that Jerusalem was destroyed because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza. Balak knew just how greatly Hashem detests discord and dissension, for even the Torah was not given to the Children of Israel until they were united, as it is written: “Israel encamped opposite the mountain” (Exodus 19:2). Here the term “encamped” is in the singular, which led the Sages to say that they encamped “like a single person with a single heart” (Mechilta, ad loc.).

Therefore Balak’s wicked plan was to sow division among the Children of Israel, as the passage states: “My people, hear now what Balak, the king of Moab, planned” (Micah 6:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, is asking Israel to always remember Balak’s destructive plans, for all his attempts to destroy Israel rested on an idea, not on force, an idea that sought to separate and divide the Children of Israel in order to strike them. Since Balak knew that the Children of Israel’s entire success lay in unity, he decided to adopt the same strategy for his own people as well. He even decided to make peace with the Midianites, as we read in the verse: “Moab said to the elders of Midian” (Numbers 22:4). Here the Sages note that the Midianites and Moabites had always been enemies, as the verse states: “…who defeated Midian in the field of Moab” (Genesis 36:35). Therefore how could they suddenly make peace now? Here we learn that Balak the king of Moab realized the power of unity, which he learned from Israel. Hence Balak and his people decided to make peace with the Midianites, using the power of their unity against the Children of Israel in order to defeat them.

We have thus resolved the two difficulties that we presented at the outset. Balak and his people were so afraid of Israel that they were disgusted with life, for they understood the power of unity. This is why they feared the Children of Israel, since they were solidly united. This also resolves our second difficulty, which was why Balak asked Bilam to provoke dissension and division among the Children of Israel. Their aim was to cause Israel to lose the power of unity so that Balak could defeat them. However in His great compassion, Hashem thwarted the plans of the wicked, for after Balak adorned Bilam with honor, gold, and silver to convince him of joining with him – yet he saw that Bilam was not doing what was expected of him – Balak sent him back, as the verse states: “Now, flee to your place” (Numbers 24:11). Their alliance therefore crumbled, and they were unable to defeat Israel.

From all that has been said, we learn just how great the power of unity is. Furthermore, the Sages tell us that when the Children of Israel are united, even if they worship idols, the attribute of justice cannot strike them (Tanhuma, Shoftim 18). This is not just some platitude, but a sure and proven thing. The generation of Ahab demonstrates this, for although they worshipped idols, they were always victorious in war. In fact they never even lost a single soldier (Yerushalmi, Peah 1:1)! Why did they merit this? It was because none of them disparaged people, stirred up hatred, or provoked strife.

All this can serve as a great motivation for us. Let us also adopt these ways, infuse them into our hearts, and conduct ourselves toward every Jew with love and fraternity. Let us be united like a single person with a single heart, for in so doing we will be assured of defeating our enemies, and no nation will have power over us.

The Tzaddik Shall Live by His Faith

It is written, “The donkey saw the angel of the L-RD and crouched beneath Bilam. Bilam’s anger flared, and he struck the donkey with the staff. … [The donkey] said to Bilam, ‘What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?’ Bilam said to the donkey, ‘Because you mocked me! If only there were a sword in my hand, I would have killed you now!’ The donkey said to Bilam, ‘Am I not your donkey that you have ridden all your life until this day? Have I been accustomed to doing such a thing to you?’ He said, ‘No.’ Then the L-RD uncovered Bilam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the L-RD standing on the road with his sword drawn in his hand. He bowed his head and prostrated himself on his face” (Numbers 22:27-31). We need to understand how a donkey could have seen an angel standing on the road, yet Bilam did not see it until Hashem opened his eyes. Is it not written, “The words of one who hears the sayings of G-d, knows the knowledge of the Supreme One, and who sees the vision of Sha-dai” (Numbers 24:16)? Here the Gemara asks, “He did not even know the mind of his animal, so how could he know the mind of the Most High?” (Berachot 7a). We also need to understand why G-d did not open the mouth of the donkey before Bilam’s leg was pressed against a wall, prompting him to want to kill it.

We shall explain this according to a statement made by the Sages: “With the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, one could see from one end of the world to the other. Yet as soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, beheld the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion, and He saw that their actions were corrupt, He arose and hid it from them…. For whom did He reserve it? For the tzaddikim” (Chagigah 12a). From these words, we learn that if G-d’s creations had not sinned, it would have been fair for them to see from one end of the world to other, all due to the great light that Hashem made at the beginning of Creation. However since He knew that they would become corrupt, only the tzaddikim are allowed to see from one end of the world to the other. In fact this light was never hidden from them. From whom was it hidden? Only from the wicked, for they sin and are not worthy of using this great light.

As a result, it is not surprising that the donkey saw the angel, for a donkey does not have an evil inclination and the primordial light was not hidden from it. Therefore it could see what no one else could. On the other hand, Bilam did not see it because he was an evildoer, a man who corrupted his ways, and furthermore he possessed no faith. Even when he saw, he did not understand what he was seeing and paid no attention to it. Yet when the Holy One, blessed be He, perceives that a person has no faith and sees nothing, He opens his eyes. How does G-d do this? It is by sending hardships upon a person, for it is through hardships that the soul of man awakens to repentance. Hence G-d sent hardships upon Bilam, for his leg was pressed against a wall and he suffered greatly as a result. Hashem finally opened the mouth of the donkey so Bilam could realize that these hardships were sent to him because he went to curse Israel. In any case, since Bilam was a great evildoer, he did not reflect upon this and still proceeded to curse them.

Generally speaking, whoever does not possess faith cannot perceive anything. The wicked Bilam, because he did not believe in Hashem, did not perceive things, and conversely the tzaddikim, because they do believe in Hashem – as it is written: “The tzaddik shall live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4) – can see from one end of the world to the other. We know that the tzaddikim were the eyes that saw everything occurring in the world. How many times did they save lives! How did they achieve this? It was by not becoming impure through sin. They believed in Hashem and were granted permission to use the great light that was made at the time of Creation.

A friend once told me that a Jew went to see my uncle, the tzaddik Rabbi Nissim Pinto Zatzal (the brother of my father Zatzal), who was living in Montreal. This Jew told my uncle that one of his enemies had informed the government that he did not pay his income tax, though he could not prove otherwise. Government workers came to see this Jew, going through his home and taking papers and documents with them. Needless to say, he was afraid of being punished. The tzaddik told him, “Tomorrow they will call your home and apologize for what they have done. In addition, they will return some money to you.” The next day, government workers called him to apologize, saying: “We don’t know why we sent people to your home yesterday, because it’s clear that you don’t owe us any money. In addition, we noticed that you paid more than what you owed, and we’re going to reimburse you.” I heard another incredible story about my uncle: One day as he was at home speaking with one of his friends, he suddenly stopped and said: “Someone is going to arrive and give me a great deal of money,” and he mentioned a certain amount. My uncle continued: “As soon as that person leaves, someone else who needs that very same amount – not more or less – will arrive, and I’ll take out the money brought to me by the first person and give it to the second.” A few hours later, someone came to see my uncle with a certain amount of money and asked for a blessing. My uncle blessed him, and he left. They counted the money, and discovered that it was exactly the amount that my uncle had mentioned. As soon as this man left, a woman arrived in tears and said: “Rabbi, my daughter is getting married tomorrow, but I don’t have enough money to cover all the expenses!” My uncle asked her how much she needed, and she mentioned the very same amount that the first person had brought. My uncle then took out the money and gave it to her, and she left happy. What characterizes those who have not sinned – those who live by faith and who fear sin – is that they see what no other eye can see, since others sin but they do not. Hence the Sages have said: “The verse states, ‘All the people saw the voices and the flames’ [Exodus 20:15]. It is normally impossible to see voices. Yet here, just as they saw flames, likewise they saw voices. Why did the Children of Israel merit seeing voices in a supernatural way? It is because they possessed faith, as it is written: ‘The people believed’ [ibid. 4:31] and, ‘They believed in the L-RD and in Moses His servant’ [ibid. 14:31]” (Mechilta D’Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai).

The Favors of the Wicked are Bad for the Jewish People

In this week’s parsha, the Torah goes into detail regarding all the blessings which the wicked Bilam gave to the Children of Israel, something that requires an explanation. The Sages have said that there is not a single superfluous letter in the entire Torah (Pesikta Zutrata, Pinchas 29:35), and the Gemara states that Rabbi Akiva interpreted the meaning of the crowns on the Torah’s letters, deriving numerous laws from them (Menachot 29b). A secret is hidden within each word, and each letter holds meaning. That said, why did the Torah describe all the blessings of the wicked Bilam in detail, since they made no sense whatsoever? After all, he did not bless the Jewish people willingly and sincerely!

To explain this, we shall expand a little on what is written in Parsha Vayishlach, where Jacob moved his children and possessions across the river: “Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until the break of dawn” (Bereshith 32:25). The Sages have said that this “man” was Esau’s guardian angel, and that he fought Jacob throughout the night (Chullin 91a; Bereshith Rabba 77:3). The text states, “He saw that he could not prevail against him [Jacob]” (Bereshith 32:26), meaning that when Esau’s guardian angel saw that he could not defeat Jacob, “he touched the hollow of his [Jacob’s] hip.” Jacob began to limp, and the angel said to him: “Send me away, for dawn has arrived” (v.27). Jacob replied, “I will not send you away unless you bless me.” Thus “he blessed him there…. Therefore the Children of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip, which is upon the socket of the hip, to this very day” (vv.30-33).

We need to think about this. Why did Esau’s guardian angel strike Jacob precisely on the hip, rather than elsewhere? We also need to explain why Jacob asked him for a blessing, since he did not lack any. Indeed, Jacob had received blessings from his father Isaac (Bereshith 27:28-29), and G-d Himself had blessed Jacob by saying: “Behold, I am with you. I will guard you wherever you go…for I will not forsake you” (ibid. 28:15).

The Sages have explained (Midrash Aggadah) that Jacob told the angel to willingly acknowledge the blessings that had been given to him by his father Isaac, blessings which Esau had contested. Yet even according to this view, our astonishment still remains, for why would Jacob want Esau’s guardian angel to acknowledge these blessings? How would such an acknowledgement change things, since Isaac had blessed him? Even G-d Himself had blessed Jacob and promised to protect him! That said, what would be gained by the approval of Esau’s guardian angel? Was this the only way in which Jacob’s blessings would be fulfilled, or else be delayed?

The Sages have said, “It is a Halachah – it is known that Esau hates Jacob” (Sifri, Beha’alotcha). This Halachah, namely that Esau hates Jacob and seeks to attack him, is known and there is no need to proclaim it. However Jacob wanted to tell the whole world something else, something in addition to this, which we shall now explain.

When Esau’s guardian angel chose to strike Jacob on the hip, we must say that he had a special objective in injuring his leg. This is because we accomplish many mitzvot with our legs, mitzvot that cannot be accomplished otherwise. Indeed, the zealous use their legs to fulfill mitzvot as soon as possible, which is why he struck Jacob’s leg, so as to introduce a degree of laziness into his performance of mitzvot and prevent him from promptly fulfilling them. In fact the word tzolea (“limping”) evokes the word atzlut (“laziness”), and if Jacob had remained lame, laziness would have remained for all the generations. The Children of Israel would thus have fulfilled mitzvot imperfectly, without preparation, for the deeds of the Patriarchs are a sign for the children.

Hence when the angel asked Jacob to send him away because dawn was approaching, Jacob replied: “I will not send you away unless you bless me” (Bereshith 32:27). In other words, he would not send the angel away unless he first annulled the laziness that he had introduced into Jacob. It was not because Jacob needed this blessing, for it too had not been given willingly and sincerely. Rather, it had been given against the wishes of Esau’s guardian angel, whose time had come to sing praises before G-d (Chullin 91b). Jacob also did not receive a blessing from him on this account, as it is hinted at in the verse: “Therefore the Children of Israel do not eat the sinew of the hip.” Rather, he wanted to show and prove to the whole world, as well as to his offspring for all the generations, something incredibly wonderful and special. What was it?

Those who try to strike the Jewish people attempt to accomplish this by infusing them with laziness! When they do not succeed, they claim to only want the good of the Jewish people. However their favors are not good. They have no intention of helping Jews, and are instead seeking their own good. If they do them a favor, it is despite their true intentions, and furthermore they want to receive a reward for it [just as Esau’s guardian angel blessed Jacob despite his intentions, for he wanted to ascend to Heaven to sing praises]. In this regard the Sages have said, “All the favors of the wicked are bad for the righteous” (Yebamot 103a).

According to all this, we may say that the Torah discusses all the blessings of the wicked Bilam in detail throughout Parsha Balak in order to teach us just how deep Bilam’s hatred for the Jewish people truly was. It is also to teach us how all his blessings were completely worthless, just useless words, because he did not bless the Children of Israel willingly and sincerely. In fact the Torah recounts that Bilam initially wanted to curse them, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “You shall not curse the people” (Bamidbar 22:12). It was only when Bilam saw that he could not curse them that he went to bless them despite his true intentions, all in order to infuse jealousy and hatred into the heart of the nations towards the Jewish people.

Furthermore, Bilam wanted to receive a reward for doing this, as it is written: “Bilam arose in the morning and saddled his donkey” (v.21), meaning that he acted with tremendous haste, wanting to imitate Abraham and receive a reward for it. However the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: “ ‘Evil one, their father Abraham has already preceded you,’ as it is said: ‘Avraham rose early and saddled his donkey’ [Bereshith 22:3]” (Rashi on Bamidbar 22:21). This is why the blessings of the wicked Bilam were worthless, for although he outdid himself – since he blessed them despite his true intentions – he only had his own interests at heart.

To prove this, we note that Bilam eventually advised Balak on how to defeat the Children of Israel, telling him: “The G-d of these [people] hates lewdness…. Come, and I will advise you [on how to destroy them]” (Sanhedrin 106a). If Bilam had loved Israel and sincerely blessed them, how could he contradict himself by advising Balak on how to wipe them out? This clearly proves that on the inside, Bilam hated them and did not want to bless them.

This is why the Torah goes into great detail about all this, teaching us that the same applies to all the wicked. Even if we think that they sometimes want the good of the Jewish people, it is simply not true. They are acting this way despite their true intentions, for they only seek their own benefit. Such “favors” from the wicked are bad for the Jewish people, as the Sages have said: “All the favors of the wicked are bad for the righteous.”

 

Fulfilling Mitzvot With Your Entire Being

It is written, “Israel settled in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab” (Bamidbar 25:1). It is also written, “Pinchas the son of Elazar, the son of Aaron the kohen saw, and he stood up from amid the assembly and took a spear in his hand” (v.7). On the words, “[he] took a spear,” the Zohar states that the term romach (“spear”) alludes to the 248 (ramach) limbs of man (Zohar III:237a). When Pinchas aroused himself with zeal for Hashem, he went into action with all 248 of his limbs.

This presents a problem, for books of Mussar and Chassidut tell us that every mitzvah which a person does must be performed with all 248 limbs and 365 sinews. In fact the 248 limbs correspond to the 248 positive commandments, and the 365 sinews correspond to the 365 negative commandments (Makkot 23b), which together comprise the 613 commandments. The mitzvah of sukkah, which we accomplish with all of our 248 limbs and 365 sinews – since we enter the sukkah with our entire bodies, and even with our clothes – constitutes a lesson for all Torah mitzvot, one that teaches us to perform them with our entire being. Yet in that case, why did Pinchas only arouse his 248 (ramach) limbs when he was enflamed with zeal for Hashem? Why did he not include his 365 sinews as well? The truth is that he actually did perform this mitzvah with his 365 sinews as well, something alluded to in the words “[he] took a spear beyado [in his hand].” Here the term beyado seems redundant, for it would have been difficult for Pinchas to take a spear with his feet. Hence why tell us that he took it “in his hand”? It is because the term beyado has the same numerical value (counting the term itself) as gido (“his sinew”) – thus alluding to the 365 sinews. Hence he “took a romach [spear] beyado [in his hand]” – romach for his 248 limbs, and beyado for his 365 sinews.

This represents a very great principle, meaning that we must literally grab hold of every mitzvah and fulfill it with our entire being. This is something of paramount importance in serving G-d. It is also something that is difficult to do, for by nature every person is proud, and if he fails to nullify his pride and does not submit to Hashem before fulfilling a mitzvah, he will fulfill it incompletely, for he will not have performed it with his entire being. In order to nullify the pride that is in his heart, a person must correctly prepare himself to fulfill a mitzvah. In this way, he will know before Whom he is standing, and he will deeply humble himself. In the opposite case, he will not be able to properly fulfill a mitzvah because of the pride that dwells within him. How do we prepare ourselves correctly? We can imagine an alcoholic when he sees wine: As soon as he catches a glimpse of it, he can no longer divert his thoughts from drinking. Nothing will be able to distract him, and he will find no rest until he drinks some.

The same applies to the spiritual realm. When someone readies himself to fulfill a mitzvah, as soon as he begins preparing himself, he will no longer divert his attention from it for anything in the world. All his thoughts will be focused solely on fulfilling the mitzvah at hand until he has done so, for only in this way – in thinking about what he has to do – will he know why he does it. Then his heart will automatically be filled with humility, and he will carry out the mitzvah with his entire being.

If we are correct in this regard, it would seem that this constituted the difference between Avraham and Bilam. They apparently did the very same thing, insofar as they both rose in the morning to prepare for a mitzvah. To prepare himself for the sacrifice of Isaac, as Hashem had commanded him, Abraham “rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey” (Bereshith 22:3). Likewise, Bilam “rose in the morning and saddled his she-donkey” (Bamidbar 22:21), for he was leaving to bless the Children of Israel.

Nevertheless, Bilam’s blessings are considered useless words, for he did not sincerely bless them. Rather, he blessed them just so he could show the Holy One, blessed be He, that he wanted the good of Israel. In his heart, however, Bilam despised them.

The difference between the two of them is that Abraham rose early in the morning to prepare for a mitzvah that G-d had given him. He knew that in order to carry out Hashem’s will by sacrificing his son Isaac, he had to greatly prepare himself. Hence he did not turn his focus away from the mitzvah for an instant. In fact when the angel wanted to prevent him from slaughtering Isaac, he had to tell Abraham: “Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, nor do anything against him” (Bereshith 22:12). This was because Abraham was so intent on carrying out the mitzvah that nothing seemed capable of stopping him.

Such was not the case with Bilam. When he rose in the morning to go and bless the Jewish people, he had no intention of blessing them properly. This is because his blessings were not considered genuine blessings, but rather words said in vain. This is because they were not said sincerely and wholeheartedly, but against his will. When he went to bless the Jewish people, he did not really go to bless them, but to infuse hatred for them into the hearts of the other nations.

We must be very careful not to resemble Bilam in this regard. Because of our numerous sins, we see people who get up in the morning and proceed with vigor to

synagogue, where they don tallit and put on tefillin. We may think that there is no greater preparation for prayer, but in the final analysis such people allow themselves to speak Lashon Harah and utter useless words. How does this happen?

We must realize that their preparation for the mitzvah of prayer was not perfect. They were not focused on it, which is why they failed. If they had correctly focused on prayer, without turning their attention from it, they would certainly not have demonstrated such failings, and instead they would have prayed and fulfilled mitzvot correctly.

Hence it was crucial for Pinchas to prepare himself with all his 248 limbs and 365 sinews in order to accomplish the mitzvah of zeal for Hashem, without any jealously or personal pride entering his heart. Pinchas therefore arose amid the community, took a spear in his hand, saw the act, and remembered the Halachah. We may think that his intention was to teach a Halachah before his teacher, in which case he would have lost the reward of his mitzvah. We are therefore told that Pinchas acted with all his 248 limbs and 365 sinews, solely for Hashem.

 

With the Heart

On the verse, “The spirit of G-d was upon him” (Bamidbar 24:2), Rashi writes: “It entered his heart not to curse them” (which is why he blessed them by saying, “How beautiful are your tents”). The Siftei Chachamim explains that it is as if the verse said, “A different spirit took hold of him, the spirit of G-d, to bless them and not curse them.” Until now, what emerged from Bilam’s mouth did not come from his heart. It is only in this verse, in the blessing, “How beautiful are your tents,” that he experienced a heartfelt desire to bless them. This was the first time that his heart experienced such an awakening, when he saw the Children of Israel encamped by their tribes, imbued with holiness and modesty, at which point he uttered the deep truth that lay hidden within him. This blessing arose from the depths of his heart, not superficial like the rest, which is why it has endured for all time. It represents the pure truth, for he put his heart into it. This is what Rashi means by writing, “It entered his heart not to curse them” – this blessing came from the inner truth; it wasn’t just talk, which is why it was fulfilled.

From here we learn the importance of putting our hearts into every mitzvah we accomplish. We can pray every day, but in a completely superficial way, meaning without concentration, despite the verse that screams: “With its mouth and with its lips, it [the people] has honored Me, yet it has distanced its heart from Me” (Isaiah 29:13). We may sit down to study a book, and yet learn without concentration, impatiently waiting for the end so we can get up and leave, like a child who skips school. This is obviously not the path that Hashem has chosen, for the Holy One, blessed be He, commands: “Place these words of Mine upon your heart” (Devarim 11:18). In fact the essence of Torah must come from the heart, from the inner truth. In his wisdom King Solomon said, “My child, when your heart becomes wise” (Mishlei 23:15). What connection is there between the heart and wisdom? The answer is that if a person puts his entire heart into Torah, this Torah is solid, to the point that all wisdom will reside in his heart. Conversely, with Bilam it was only the blessing, “How beautiful are your tents” that endured for all time, for it was only into this blessing that he put his heart. Now when we put our heart into something, it lasts.

This is the meaning of the verse, “The living should take it to heart” (Kohelet 7:2). It is only when a person focuses all his attention on the meaning of life, on the goal of being human in this world, that he can distance himself from the evil inclination, destroy it, and draw closer to Hashem. In fact it is only by reflecting upon such concepts and examining the wisdom of the heart that we will feel compelled to better ourselves and improve our conduct.

When I was in London, someone came to see me for a blessing to have children. Through Hashem’s great mercy, a year later he had a son and came to thank me. Standing before me was this man, who was completely estranged from any trace of Judaism. I said to him, “Do you think that you should be thanking me?” He said yes.

“Think about it,” I told him. “Do you think you owe me any kind of gratitude?” In the end, he agreed and said, “It’s true, you prayed for me.” I then immediately asked, “To Whom did I pray?” Hesitating, he answered: “To G-d.” I then asked him, “Alright then…where is G-d in your life? How can you thank Him for the marvelous gift that He has given you?” He answered me, “I want to make a substantial donation.”

I didn’t leave him alone, however, for I asked: “But what will you give G-d?” He then innocently asked, “What can I give G-d? Will I make Him an offering?” I replied, “Thank Him by observing Torah and mitzvot, by putting on tefillin, by observing Shabbat.” All of a sudden he said, “But I’m a Reform Jew.” I was immediately taken aback, but quickly got back on track and said, “Know that you have been given this wonderful gift from the Holy One, blessed be He, not from Reform Judaism, which distances itself from Him.” That moment, thank G-d, became a time of great favor, for his heart became open to Torah, and words of truth entered it. He immediately committed himself to doing complete teshuvah. This is exactly what Rashi said about Bilam: His heart inspired him to bless the Children of Israel at a time of truth, with upright thoughts and great concentration. Under such circumstances, thoughts take root in the depths of the heart and produce the fruit of teshuvah and good deeds, for when we put our heart into something, it lasts.

A person who pays attention to his surroundings will ask why, in recent times, we have been using disposable plastic items, all made from petroleum products. The textile industry also uses a great deal of plastic. The reason is that in these last times preceding the Final Redemption, the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to draw all the sparks of holiness that have been dispersed throughout the world, even in the most distant places, including sparks of holiness hidden in oil wells. Hence G-d inspired the creation of these disposable items created from petroleum products, as well as all the other steps required in their production.

Thus a Jew finds himself at home and recites the shehakol blessing over a plastic cup or utensil, be it for a Shabbat meal or any other meal, and he says the blessing with the proper concentration. Through such blessings, all these sparks of holiness are drawn out and elevated to their rightful place. Even sparks found in rocks and dispersed throughout the world are elevated when marble or similar material is imported from various countries and used in the construction of synagogues and houses of study. Hence even these sparks are elevated. It is precisely now, just prior to the Final Redemption, that the Holy One, blessed be He, is hastening to liberate these sparks.

As a result, through the fulfillment of Torah and mitzvot, we draw forth and redeem the sparks of holiness that are found among non-Jews. Hence we must strengthen ourselves in Torah and mitzvot, and take upon ourselves the yoke of Torah with devotion and a sincere love for Hashem. With every mitzvah that we accomplish, we must make an effort to be focused and act solely for the sake of Heaven and the glory of Hashem.