Parashat Balak 2025: When Slandering Goes Wrong

Torah: Numb 22:2-25:9

Haftarah: Micah 5:6-6:8

Brit Chadashah: Rom 11:25-32

Main Sections:

King Balak recruits Balaam.

Balaam has a conversation with his donkey and sees an angel.

Balaam’s four oracles.

Idolatry in Peor, Phinehas intervenes.

The Jewish people were on the threshold of the Promised Land. During their long years in the wilderness, they had grown and matured in many ways. The unbelieving generation had passed away and Israel had fought kingdoms and had to trust God. Now, they came full circle and were once again ready to possess their promise. Enter the Moabite King Balak… King Balak planned to stop Israel from pursuing God’s will. The method he employed was to hire a sorcerer named Balaam to curse Israel. God intervened and instead of cursing Israel, Balaam blessed them and ended up cursing the land of Moab in his last oracle.

After this failed attempt, scripture records that Israel began to have relations with Midianite women and were participating in idolatry. Rev 2:14 stated, “But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balam, who was teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before Bnei-Yisrael, to eat food sacrificed to idols and to commit sexual immorality.” (TLV) Balaam’s last act of treachery was to advise King Balak on how to exploit Israel’s weaknesses so that the Adonai would curse them directly. This manipulation and entrapment worked, and the anger of God was kindled once again. When weak character traits and lack of boundaries meet temptation and opportunity, our efforts at being godly people can be at risk.

We’ve all had bad days, times we were impatient, jealous, or envious of others. We have had times when we felt threatened or were just too competitive with those around us. We have fallen into wanting to look or sound important or wise and that has led us at times to say ugly things about people. It is easy to use our critical and judgmental nature to target others for all kinds of reasons. Balaam had a gift of being judgmental and finding fault. The reputation he gained for cursing others gained him the attention of kings. When he could not curse Israel, he created a condition that would exploit them. God was not only against Balaam’s cursing those he had blessed, but he was also against targeting them and entrapping them.

When we think about holiness of speech, we need to look at what we advocate and endorse. We can be dedicated to using our words and sentiments to build the kingdom of God in others or we can fall into the habit of tearing others down and destroying what the Ruach HaKodesh wants to build in them. Many times, we do not consider the impact of our words and behavior. We do not see or value our opportunities to help build bridges so that others can come to God, and instead choose to cast stumbling blocks, throw haymakers, or gossip our way down a long path of emptiness.

We cannot say that we love God and hate people, harbor animosity, or unforgiveness against them and think we are okay. In Lev 19:16, Moses instructed the people of Israel to not go about spreading slander, nor are we to bear false witness (Deut 5:17, speaking falsely produces a bad reputation for another. That is why the person who does this is called motzi shem ra). Even when we are ambivalent towards the pain of another and refuse to have compassion, God is not pleased. Evil speaking is associated with godless people (Prov 11:9) and we can be defiled by what we say and do (Mark 7:20:23). We cannot slander our neighbor in secret, be arrogant, or haughty without offending our Creator (Ps 101:5). Scripture tells us that concealing hatred and slandering others is foolish (Prov 10:18). James said to not speak evil against another (James 4:11). Peter taught us to put all evil speaking away (1 Peter 2:1) and Paul instructed Timothy to avoid people who behave this way (2 Tim 3:1-5).

Evil speech (lashon hara) is important in the Tanakh and the Brit Chadashah. Of the eight sections of scripture in the Brit Chadashah that deal with lists of sins that can offend God, evil speech, specifically slander or the damage it causes, is listed in five of them. Our words are so powerful they will either acquit us or condemn us before God (Matt 12:36-37).

We are not to wish or pray ill-will or evil on people (Luke 6:27-28) but as much as possible strive for forgiveness and reconciliation (Col 3:13) so that our conscious and heart can be clear. Scripture forbids us to rejoice (gloat) when people we don’t like experience failure (Prov 24:17-18). In other words, when God is disciplining or reaching for others, mocking them will result in God stopping his work due to our actions corrupting his purpose. The sages acknowledge that lashon hara hurts the speaker, the hearer, and the one spoken about (BT, Arakhin 15b). With so much damage going around there is nothing good about slander, gossip, or any form of corrupt speaking that lends itself to faith, healing, or being a witness.

In Luke 9:51-55 Yeshua and his disciples were going to Jerusalem and were planning to stop in a Samaritan village. When the Samaritans found out they were going to Jerusalem they turned them away. When the disciples saw this two of them offered to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, but Yeshua rebuked them for their arrogance. I have heard people pray violent prayers against those who have hurt them. I’ve been in those broken places as well. It is hard to pray for God’s mercy when you have been hurt. Our healing, however, is not linked to us seeing vengeance carried out against another. Our healing comes from God and his cleansing of our hearts is what unites us closer to him.

Our words and behavior are the two things that align us with the purpose of God the most. We are to speak for the rights of the unfortunate, defend the rights of the afflicted and needy (Prov 31:8-9), and pursue justice (Is 1:17). When our words are godly (good speech is lashon hatov) they are fountain of life (Prov 10:11), they will lend to the building of others (Prov 18:21) and are like apples of gold in settings of silver (Prov 25:11). Pure speech makes our prayers powerful and effective (James 5:16). If our words are to reflect the righteousness of HaShem, they will produce godliness in those who hear and will be spoken with the intention of leading others to him. The gift of healing is not solely in a prayer that is prayed for the sick. Sometimes it is in kind words, forgiveness, encouragement, and the simple act of loving another. Those simple but powerful words can heal hearts, mend souls, and help others to catch a desperately needed glimpse of the love of God.

Shabbat Shalom

Rav Calev Lehrer

Next Feasts

Rosh Hashanah begins at sunset, Sept 22^nd and ends at sunset on Sept 24^th.

Yom Kippur begins at sunset, Oct 1^st and ends at sunset on Oct 2^nd.

Sukkot begins at sunset, Oct 6^th and ends at sunset on Oct 13^th.

Hebrew words to know:

Motzi Shem Ra- Putting out or giving a bad name, slander.

Lashon Hara- Evil speech.

Lashon Hakodesh- The holy tongue (ie Hebrew).

Lashon Hatov- Good speech.