R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Balak: “A People Like a Lion” episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 24, 2026 · 10 MIN

R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Balak: “A People Like a Lion”

from Ta Shma · host Hadar Institute

Bilam’s prophecies are rich, dense, and enigmatic. One in particular was emphasised recently in 2025 when the war with Iran took its name from Bilam’s words: “a people like a lion” (am ke-lavi). What does this phrase mean? What kind of people are “like a lion”? What does this mean for our identity as Israel? And what use of power does Bilam’s analogy suggest? 

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 24, 2026

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R. Avital Hochstein on Parashat Balak: “A People Like a Lion”

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