Our Torah portion for this week (i.e., parashat Balak) is named after a fretful Moabite king (בָּלָק) who sought to curse the Jewish people by hiring the services of a wicked Midianite “prophet” named Balaam (i.e., bil’am: בִּלְעָם). King Balak’s plan was to employ Balaam’s sorcery (i.e., kashafut: כַּשָׁפוּת) against the Israelites to prevent them from entering the Promised Land. Similar to the delicious irony that befell the villain Haman in the Book of Esther, however, King Balak’s scheme was upended, and the curse he sought to put on the Jewish people was repeatedly pronounced as a blessing by Balaam instead. After several foiled attempts, Balak fretfully dismissed the prophet, but before departing from the dejected king, Balaam ironically prophesied the destruction of the Moabites and the victorious establishment of Israel.

The shameful story of Balaam reveals that “there is no enchantment against Jacob, no divination against Israel” (Num. 23:23). Ein od milvado (אֵין עוֹד מִלְבַדּו) – no weapon or scheme devised against God will ever prosper (Isa. 54:15-17).

Balak Podcast:

In the second part of the “Shavuah Tov” audio broadcast for this parashat Chukat I go into further detail by considering: 1) the significance of the mysterious Red Heifer (פרה אדומה) sacrifice, 2) the gospel message of the nachash nachoshet (the “bronze serpent”), and 3) the sin of Moses… Please note that that this H4C podcast continues the discussion for Parashat Chukat Podcast (part 1).

Chukat Audio Podcast:

Our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Chukat) begins, zot chukat ha-Torah (זאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה), “this is the decree of Torah” (Num. 19:2). The language here is both striking and unique, suggesting that what follows, namely, the ritual of the parah adumah (פרה אדומה) or “red heifer,” is nothing less than “the seminal decree” of the entire Torah… If we think about the meaning of the mysterious decree of the red heifer, however, we will realize that its ashes were used to create the “waters of separation” (i.e., mei niddah: מֵי נִדָּה) to cleanse people from contact with death (i.e., separation). To fulfill God’s vital decree, however, required sacrificial love, since the priest who offered this service would become defiled (separated) for the sake of the healing of others… The Hebrew word for love is ahavah (אַהֲבָה), from a root verb (יָהַב) that means “to give.” Love means giving of yourself to benefit another person (John 15:13). The central decree of Torah, then, beyond our ability to rationally understand, is that God’s love is so great that it is willing to become dust and ashes on our behalf so that we might find blessing and life.

This Shavuah Tov broadcast also provides detailed discussion about the mitzvot (commandments) of the written Torah, including the subcategories of chukkim (decrees), mishpatim (rules or judgments), eidot (testimonials, holidays) with a discussion of the oral tradition’s corresponding categories of halakhah (oral law) and its subcategories of gezeirot (“fences”), takkanot (case laws), and minhagim (customs). Throughout special attention is given to how Yeshua the Messiah is the Substance and Inner Meaning of all true Torah, and how sacrificial love is the idea of the Red Heifer itself.

Chukat Podcast:

Note:  For Part Two, click here.