Parshat Balak

538 related texts · Page 15 of 60

King Balak hires Balaam to curse Israel, the talking donkey, and Balaam's blessings instead of curses. Numbers 22:2-25:9.

Zepho's Prayer

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 1:449

It’s a story filled with surprising alliances, desperate prayers, and… well, a healthy dose of mistaken identity. So, picture this: Zepho, a king with a problem. He’s about to go t...

PrayerWisdom

Ahithophel in David's Court

Ginzberg Legends of the Jews 6:114

The sages teach us that God bestowed three gifts upon the world: wisdom, strength, and wealth. But these gifts, potent as they are, come with a caveat. If they originate from God, ...

CreaturesKing DavidEstherPrayer

Bilam's Transgression

Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar Rabbah 20:10

The story, as it unfolds in the Book of Numbers, centers on Balak, king of Moab, who is terrified by the approaching Israelites. He hires Bilam, a non-Israelite prophet known for t...

HeavenSoulHoly Land

The Blessings Of The Sabbath

Tree of Souls

It's more than just a day off. It's a portal, a moment when the entire cosmos shifts. According to ancient wisdom, Shabbat isn't just about our rest, it's about the universe taking...

CreationHeavenHell/GehennaMessiah

The Stolen Blessing

Tree of Souls

That feeling, that raw, unfair sting, is at the heart of the story of Jacob and Esau, and the stolen blessing. The scene is set: Isaac, now old and with failing eyesight, calls for...

HeavenPatriarchsAdam & Eve

Mystical Contemplation and Blessings

Kabbalah Baal HaSulam's Preface to Zohar 33:1

Why this level of intricacy?" That’s a question many have grappled with when diving into the Zohar, the foundational text of Jewish mysticism. Specifically, we're going to look at ...

Mysticism

Pillars of Existence and Blessings

Other Texts Peri Etz Hadar 1:5

Maybe there's more to that feeling than you realize. Jewish tradition, particularly through the lens of Kabbalah, teaches us that even the simple act of eating is laden with spirit...

CreationTorahMysticismSoul

Midnight Prayer and Blessings

Other Texts Peri Etz Hadar 4:4

And when it comes to Peri Etz Hadar – the "Fruit of the Goodly Tree," that is, the etrog – that feeling goes into overdrive. It's a whole system for elevating what we eat. Specific...

MysticismPrayerShekhinah

Blessing of Rabbi Tam

Other Texts The Wars of God 3:14

to this a bit. The esteemed Rabbi Tam, of blessed memory, as we learn, was deeply troubled by these developments. He saw these new approaches to Kabbalah as a breach, a violation o...

TorahMysticismPrayerWisdom