A Thought on Parshas Balak

"...hen am ka'lavi yakum...kara shochav ka'ari..." "...this nation will rise like a lion... it will rest like a lion..." (23:23; 24:9) The Heaven-sent visions of Bila'am forecast the ascendance of the Jewish nation in their glorious future. He speaks in inspired poetry, some of which is captured in the above verses. Therein, he portrays the Jews in their homeland with imagery depicting them as lions, as the "king of beasts." The lions in these two images are, variously, arising and poised, or poised in repose. There are a number of interpretations of these images. The Bechor Shor offers that the first image of the lion perched and poised is a reference to the era of the Temple. Our nation will be proud and steadfast in its committed service to HaShem. We will stand proud and not lie down nor rest from doing what is right. The second image, that of the lion at rest, captures another facet of that same era in time. The lion at rest remains intimidating; no one dares to disturb the lion when it is at ease. During the best times in our history, the nations of the world leave us alone, and appreciate us from afar. When we are doing what is just, and living righteous lives, the world around us lets us be. As Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt'l, the sainted father of my great rebbe Rav Simcha Wasserman zt'l observed, the separation between Jew and gentile is meant to be similar to the division between light and darkness, day and night: they are not the same entities. They are meant to remain separate. When we do what we are meant to do, there is a safe distance between us which promotes our continuing our avoda. When, however, we attempt to mimic and assimilate, there is a natural response built in to the cosmos - the nations will draw away from us, forcing us to feel isolated in a less favorable manner. This seems to be the concept of the Bechor Shor as well. When we are not afraid to be Jews and live as Jews should, the world does not interfere with our practices and our faith. We can remain at rest, not needing to defend ourselves, when we are faithful and fearless about our dedication to HaShem's Torah. When we lack the pride of the lion, however, there is indeed grounds for us to be fearful. This week is known to be the week of the murder of Rav Elchonon, many of his family, and his students in the Kovna ghetto during the Second World War. May HaShem avenge his and their lives, and may their great merits influence and help protect us. Good Shabbos. D Fox