This week, I am extremely grateful to G‑d, as it marks the beginning of my third cycle of weekly Torah thoughts. I am grateful for being able to do it, and to all of you who read them. I am grateful to my wife Dina, who constantly pushes me to learn more and write these thoughts. I am grateful to add to your Shabbat tables and Torah groups. I am grateful to be alive and to be making a difference in all the ways that I can. I am honored that you read it, and motivated by your positive feedback and encouragement to continue.

Thank you,

Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Hurwitz, aka “Yitzi”

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This week we read how Balak and Balaam schemed to curse the Jewish people. G‑d protected them, not allowing Balam to curse the Jews. Instead, he blessed them. Balaam goes on to prophesy the coming of Moshiach. The portion ends off on a low note—of indecency and immodesty and the serving of the false deity Ba'al Peor.

I am amazed by the brilliance of our sages to choose haftorahs that encapsulate the theme of the parshah to a tee. Reading the haftorah helps us understand the theme of the parshah. 1

At first glance, the connection between this week’s haftorah and parshah is found in the words of the haftorah: “Please remember what Balak king of Moab advised, and what Balaam answered him . . .” 2 But this mention is only as part of a larger picture.

What are the essential themes of this parshah that the haftorah brings out? What specifically is this parshah, which has no mitzvahs, and haftorah asking us to do?

In the haftorah, the Prophet Micah prophesies about things that will happen with the coming of Moshiach. Then, he brings a complaint G‑d has to His people: “What have I done for you . . . I brought you up from Egypt . . . from a house of slavery I redeemed you . . . I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam . . . remember please what Balak advised and what Balam answered him . . . So you can know the righteous acts of G‑d . . . ”

It concludes with Micah saying that G‑d doesn’t care for grandiose gestures; rather, “He has told you . . . what is good and what G‑d demands of you, only, to do justice, to love loving-kindness and to walk modestly with G‑d.”

In the haftorah,3 Micah prophesies about things that will happen before the coming of Moshiach, “The remnant of Jacob will be among many nations,” and they will not put their trust in man, but only in G‑d, “like dew sent by G‑d, like heavy rain upon vegetation, that does not hope in man and does not wait for the sons of men … like a lion among the animals of the forest, like a young lion among the flocks of sheep ... .”

Then, he brings the complaint G‑d has to the Jewish people. “What have I done for you ... I brought you up from Egypt ... from a house of slavery I redeemed you ... I sent before you Moses, Aaron and Miriam ... remember please what Balak advised and what Balaam answered him ... So you can know the righteous acts of G‑d … .” Micah concludes by saying that G‑d doesn’t care for grandiose gestures; rather, “He has told you ... what is good and what G‑d demands of you, only to do justice, to love lovingkindness and to walk modestly with G‑d.”

The first verses of the haftorah connect to the end of the parshah, where some of the Jewish people were enticed into serving Ba’al. What was the service of Ba’al? People would defecate before it—the most base act of nature. At its core, it is giving credence to nature, as if nature is not in G‑d’s hands.

The Jewish people were about to enter the land of Israel. Throughout the 40 years in the desert, their lives were clearly in G‑d’s hands: Their food was the manna that fell daily from heaven; their water came miraculously out of a rock that traveled with them. There could be no denying that it was directly from G‑d. But now they would be entering the land and have to contend with nature; they would have to sow, plant and reap if they wanted food.

The question remains: Is nature a system that G‑d created and is now an entity of its own, or is it a facade and G‑d is really controlling everything?

Even though we live in nature and work with it in agriculture, business, health and more, we have to understand that G‑d really is in control.

The implications of this idea are tremendous. If one puts nature on a pedestal, he may consider doing things contrary to G‑d’s will because nature dictates that doing this action will give him the desired outcome. For example, according to nature, working seven days a week instead of six will bring in more money. If so, he may consider doing business on Shabbat.

But if he realizes that G‑d controls everything, including nature and his income, he will see the silliness in this way of thinking. Nature doesn’t have anything to do with his level of income; it is only the tool with which G‑d facilitates His will. Of course, a person has to make a vessel with which to receive G‑d’s blessing by engaging in business, but thinking that doing anything in contrast to G‑d’s desire will grant him any more than what is coming to him is silly.

This is the lesson the Jewish people learned from the episode of Ba’al just before entering the Holy Land. They were helped to realize that though they will be seemingly contending with nature, it is really all from G‑d.

When Moshiach comes, we will openly see how nature is controlled by G‑d, and we will turn directly to Him. We won’t put our hope in nature, and we won’t have to rely on any person.

The haftorah tells about the time just before the coming of Moshiach, when we once again will be entering the land. G‑d says that it will be “like dew sent by G‑d, like heavy rain upon vegetation, that does not hope in man and does not wait for the sons of men ... .”4 That it will be our great trust in G‑d, in this darkest part of the exile, that will bring Moshiach. Now that we are so close to the redemption, we must strengthen our trust and hope in G‑d, even to the extent that we don’t put any trust in man. A taste of the time of Moshiach.5

There is another connection to the parshah.6

The haftorah and parshah have two themes: gifts that are intertwined, and the key to receive both.

First, that G‑d saves and protects us from those who wish to harm us. He took us out of Egypt, and saved us from Balak and Balaam.

The second is that Moshiach is coming.

They are intertwined because the coming of Moshiach is the final redemption, protection and salvation of the Jewish people. Since G‑d’s presence will be open to all, evil will cease to exist. Hence, salvation, redemption and protection will be unnecessary.

The key is found at the end of the parshah and haftorah.

In the parshah we see that it was our failure to keep our laws and modesty that caused us to lose our protection.

The Haftorah says this in a positive way. It gives us three rules to follow: Do justice.7 (This means keeping G‑d’s laws, mitzvahs, etc.) Love lovingkindness. (In Torah language, love is not a feeling, but an act. Here, it means to do acts of lovingkindness.) Walk modestly with G‑d. (This means to be aware of His constant presence.)

When you are aware of G‑d’s presence, it is more than belief. Your relationship with G‑d has reached a point where you know He is there, and He is real to you. This changes the way you go about life—the way you talk, act, dress and even think become more refined because G‑d is part of your reality.

These three things are who we are. They are the definition of being Jewish.

Becoming who we are meant to be and taking on these three things—keeping G‑d’s laws, performing acts of lovingkindness and making Hashem part of our daily reality—is the key to bringing Moshiach as prophesied in our parshah.

May he come soon.