Bilaam, the Prophet of the Woke

This week's Torah portion of Balak focuses on the unholy alliance  between the Moabite king of that name and Bilaam, the infamous heathen  prophet. In addition to being a great philosopher and humanitarian,  Bilaam is an accomplished sorcerer endowed with a unique quality -- his  curses always come true. Balak hires Bilaam to curse the Children of  Israel, to prevent them from entering into their land. Why? What had the  Israelites done to provoke his ire? Nothing. Just because they exist.  G-d turned Bilaam's curses into blessings, but we sure learn a lot from  Bilaam's intentions. Rabbi Chaim Richman and co-host Jim Long have a spirited, learned discussion on the man Bilaam, shedding much light on this amazing Torah portion and  it's powerful relevance for today's world! ___  Rabbi Chaim Richman  Jerusalem Lights | Torah for Everyone    Please support the work of Jerusalem Lights, a USA recognized 501 ( c ) 3 non-profit organization to enable these productions to continue and grow:   Paypal: [email protected]   or:  https://paypal.me/JerusalemLights?locale.x=en_US  In the USA:  Jerusalem Lights Inc.  Post Office Box 16886 Lubbock Texas 79490   In Israel: Tel. 972 54 7000395  Mail: PO Box 23808, Jerusalem Israel    Subscribe to our newsletter at https://www.rabbirichman.com   Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUpVZ_6uuXGnknp2dJD6pSA/featured F ollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RabbiChaimRichman