Shalom,

This week's parashah is Balak – בָּלָק – Bamidbar/Numbers 22:2 - 25:9, but it's mostly about Balaam, the prophet called upon by Moabite King Balak to curse the Israelites. Instead, Balaam blesses them with words that we repeat in many of our services: "How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling-places, O Israel!" But the parashah also takes a dark turn when some men of Israel, led astray by Moabite women, are afflicted with a plague, which is lifted after the zealous Pinchas impales a Midianite woman and her Israelite lover. 
Join in on Zoom to read and discuss parashah Balak this Saturday in the study led by Aviva and Yehudah Plaut. No prior knowledge is necessary and a variety of views are welcome. Contact Us – Kona Beth Shalom