Numbers Chapter 24 - Torah Reading for Balak
Vers 1:
וַיַּ֣רְא בִּלְעָ֗ם כִּ֣י ט֞וֹב בְּעֵינֵ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ לְבָרֵ֣ךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלֹא־הָלַ֥ךְ כְּפַֽעַם־בְּפַ֖עַם לִקְרַ֣את נְחָשִׁ֑ים וַיָּ֥שֶׁת אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּ֖ר פָּנָֽיו׃
Now Balaam, seeing that it pleased HaShem to bless Israel, did not, as on previous occasions, go in search of omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness.
Balaam realized that HaShem wanted him to bless the people. Balaam devises a ruse. Now if he pointed out to HaShem that the people had sinned, perhaps a curse would have an effect. So he looked to the desert, where the people had made the golden calf.
What Balaam overlooked was that HaShem is merciful. The people had repented, and HaShem had forgiven them.
We are all human and all make mistakes. Mistakes with our fellow man we must make good with our fellow man, mistakes with HaShem we make right with Him.
We can do this, for example, by saying the prayer of the Repentant.
Prayer of the Repentant: O God, I have erred, sinned and willfully transgressed before You, and I have done that which is evil in Your eyes, especially with the sin(s) of ... (state the specific sins or errors). I am sincerely ashamed of my sins, and I repent and firmly undertake not to do so again. Please God, in Your infinite grace and compassion, forgive me sins and transgressions and grant me atonement, as it is written: "let the wicked abandon his way and the man of iniquity his thougths; and let him return unto God, and He will show him compassion, and to our God, for He will pardon abundantly. And it is written; "Do I desire at all that the wicked should die, says the Lord, God; it is rather that he return from his ways and live!" (The Divine Code p. 93)
Brought By Angelique Sijbolts
Angelique Sijbolts is one of the main writers for the Noahide Academy. She has been an observant Noahide for many years. She studies Torah with Rabbi Perets every week. Angelique invests much of her time in editing video-lectures for the Rabbis of the Academy and contributes in administrating the Academy's website in English and Dutch. She lives in the north of the Netherlands. Married and mother of two sons. She works as a teacher in a school with students with special needs. And is a Hebrew Teacher for the levels beginners en intermediate. She likes to walk, to read and play the piano.
Sources
The Divine Code
Sefaria
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