Parshas Chukas-Balak 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 25
- 2 min read
ויען ויאמר הלא את אשר ישים ה' בפי אתו אשמר לדבר ... (כג-יב)
MASHAL: R’ Yehudah Neischloss zt”l and R’ Chaim Brim zt”l were walking through the streets of Jerusalem when a haggard woman approached them. Excitement radiated from her as she announced that her daughter was finally engaged to a fine young man. R’ Chaim responded with immense joy, showering her with warm praises declaring that her future son-in-law was one of the finest young men around, comparing the young groom to legendary Torah scholars like the Chofetz Chaim and R’ Akiva Eiger in their generation.
Overwhelmed, tears of sheer joy streamed down the woman’s face. She wondered aloud if she merited such a blessing due to her ancestors’ prayers. R’ Chaim gently assured her that it was entirely in the merit of her own prayers.
After she left, R’ Yehudah asked if she was a relative. R’ Chaim admitted he had no idea who she was. He simply saw a broken woman whom Hashem placed in his path just so that he could offer her warm words of encouragement.
NIMSHAL: A central theme in Parsha Balak is that human speech is ultimately controlled by the Divine. Bilaam, the powerful prophet, was hired by Balak to curse the Jewish people. Despite his malicious intentions, Bilaam was completely powerless. He could only speak the exact words Hashem placed into his mouth. Consequently, his intended curses were miraculously transformed into beautiful, enduring blessings. The narrative of this parsha reminds us that Hashem ultimately guides our tongues. We must seize every opportunity to use our words to sanctify His name and shun any circumstances that might profane it.