In this week's reading, Balak, we find the prophet Bilaam wanting to curse the Jewish people and not being able to. Gd changed his curses into blessings. We find a very deep evil meaning of Bilaam inside each one of us and an interesting tool to prevent it<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This week's Torah portion is Balak<\/strong>, named after the king of Moav<\/strong>, who harbored such deep hatred for the Jewish people that he sought their complete destruction. As the Jewish people journeyed through the desert toward the Land of Israel, they needed to pass through Moav. King Balak, however, not only refused them entry\u2014he plotted to destroy them entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To carry out his plan, Balak hired Bilam<\/strong>, the most renowned prophet among the non-Jews, to curse the Jewish people. But as we know from the Torah, Bilam ultimately failed. Gd intervened and transformed Bilam's intended curses into blessings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But this isn't just a historical tale. The Torah isn't merely a book of stories\u2014it's a Living Guide<\/strong>, reflecting what happens within each of us. Every character, every event, reveals aspects of our own inner world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So who is Balaam inside of us?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To understand Bilam, we first need to look at someone else: Amalek<\/strong>. Just as Amalek was an external enemy of the Jewish people, it also represents an internal spiritual enemy. And here's where things get interesting\u2014Bilam and Amalek are intimately connected<\/strong>, both linguistically and conceptually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hebrew Connection: Bilam and Amalek<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you don't read Hebrew, there's a fascinating connection between the names Bilam (<\/strong>\u05d1\u05dc\u05e2\u05dd<\/strong>)<\/strong> and Amalek (<\/strong>\u05e2\u05de\u05dc\u05e7<\/strong>)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This wordplay reveals a deep connection between these two forces\u2014not just in the story, but within us<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What Does Amalek Represent?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amalek symbolizes two core traits that are deeply destructive to spiritual growth:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What's the Antidote? Yirah and Ahavah<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Now let's flip the coin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two powerful spiritual tools we can use to overcome the Bilam and Amalek within us: Yirah (awe\/fear of Gd)<\/strong> and Ahavah (love of Gd)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These two qualities are also deeply linked\u2014just like Bilam and Amalek.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yirah \u2013 Awe of Gd<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not fear in the sense of terror. It's the deep sense of respect<\/strong>, reverence<\/strong>, and accountability<\/strong> that comes from recognizing Gd as the one who gives us life, sustains us every moment, and watches over us. When we truly feel that, we naturally avoid acting against His will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ahavah \u2013 Love of Gd<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Love of Gd is about wanting to do good\u2014not out of fear or obligation, but from a place of gratitude<\/strong>, joy<\/strong>, and connection<\/strong>. We want to please Gd because He loves us and has given us so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fighting Bilam and Amalek Within<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So how do we transform our internal Bilam and Amalek?<\/p>\n\n\n\n By cultivating fear and love of God<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This transformation turns our inner \u201ccourses\u201d<\/strong>\u2014our bad habits, doubts, arrogance, or coldness\u2014into blessings<\/strong>. Just like Bilam, who opened his mouth to curse and ended up blessing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Prayer for Transformation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n May it be G-d's will that we work on ourselves deeply and truthfully\u2014developing both fear of God<\/strong> and love of Gd<\/strong>. May these tools help us battle the Bilam and Amalek within us, so we can transform negativity into holiness, arrogance into humility, and indifference into passion for good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let the blessings flow from within us.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In this week's reading, Balak, we find the prophet Bilaam wanting to curse the Jewish people and not being able to. Gd changed his curses into blessings. We find a very deep evil meaning of Bilaam inside each one of us and an interesting tool to prevent it This week's Torah portion is Balak, named\u2026 Read More \u00bbParashat Balak \u2013 Word relationship: love and fear<\/span><\/a>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30321,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3326],"tags":[3415,3505],"series":[],"class_list":["post-30323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-balak-en","tag-fear","tag-frear"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/00EnglishParasha-1.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/avatar1400.jpeg","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"castbox":{"key":"castbox","url":"","label":"CastBox","class":"castbox","icon":"castbox.png"},"rss":{"key":"rss","url":"","label":"RSS","class":"rss","icon":"rss.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/tuviaserber.com\/en\/feed\/podcast\/rabino-tuvia-serber","embedCode":"\n
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Amalek dared to attack the Jewish people right after the miraculous Exodus from Egypt, despite the awe and fear surrounding them. This act reflects the\u00a0pride<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0ego<\/strong>\u00a0that drive someone to oppose even that which is clearly beyond them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
Our sages teach that Amalek represents\u00a0spiritual coldness<\/strong>\u2014a refusal to care, to feel, to be moved. Bilam, who spoke directly with Gd, still chose to rebel. This is Amalek: knowing the truth and remaining unmoved by it.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n\n
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Parashat Balak – Word relationship: love and fear<\/a><\/blockquote>