Mark Call – Torah Teaching for Parsha “Balak”

This week’s annual Torah cycle reading is parsha “Chukat,” (Numbers 22:2-25:9) and represents a unique shift from the story of the mixed multitude “in the wilderness” to that of a pagan king who – much like Pharoah before the Exodus – is afraid of the people now lead by Moses.

And it’s a story that is part comedy, part prophecy, and a large part Today’s Headlines.

The Erev Shabbat reading:

The Sabbath Day midrash begins where the story leaves off. Can a nation once undeniably blessed manage to curse itself?

Balak: “How did an ancient pagan prophet tell us about TODAY’s plague?”

The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash: