LEAD TIDBIT
Unique Even among the 17
The first 91.3% of Parshat Balak (a 95-pasuk parsha) tells us about the failed attempt of Balak and Bil'am to harm the people of Israel. What is unique about this parsha is that we - the people of Israel - were totally oblivious to the events, and completely uninvolved. We can say that all the rest of Chumash had many eye-witnesses who could tell the next generation what had happened to them. The great events of the Exodus, the Splitting of the Sea, Matan Torah, wandering through the Wilderness - were all witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people. So too were the devastating events of the Golden Calf, Sin of the Spies, Korach's rebellion, et al. But while the Jewish people were going about their daily activities, unknown to them, on a hilltop overlooking their encampment, were two villains dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish nation. Not one Jew, including Moshe Rabeinu, knew what drama was playing out on that hilltop.

Except that G-d chose to include the episode of Balak and Bil'am in His prophecy to Moshe Rabeinu, known as the Torah. G-d wanted us to know what happened - what threat was directed towards us, and how He protected His people.

37 sedras of the Torah's 54 contain mitzvot. Some only 1 or 2; others as many as 50, 60, 70 and more. Of the 17 sedras with no mitzvot, most do actually have mitzvot that are counted elsewhere. Some contain moral lessons akin to mitzvot. Parshat Balak stands alone, and its message is fairly simple and straightforward, as expressed in the Sedra Summary on the next several pages.

Just as the first (long) parsha of Balak shows us what happens (or doesn't) when G-d is "on our side", the second (short, 9-pasuk) parsha shows us what happens when He is not. Balak and Bil'am and a host of other enemies are powerless against us - because of our relationship with G-d and His protection of and partnership with us. But anger Him, as we did with the orgiastic idolatrous behavior as described towards the end of the sedra, and we become our worst enemy. Our choosiness is not unconditional. We are obligated, not just privileged. We need to know this and act accordingly.

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