Balak Parsha Summary: The True Story of Bilam and Balak

A little bit different this week… because it’s been a while since we had a nice, straightforward story in the parsha.  Not that this IS a nice, straightforward story, but at least it’s one you can tell your kids pretty clearly.

This story is also available in printable PDF eBook format, as I mentioned a couple of weeks ago.

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The Story of

Bilam and King Balak

במדבר כ"ב

from Numbers 22:2

A bad king named Balak was
scared of bnei Yisrael.
King Balak wanted to win
a war against them,
but Hashem always
helped them.

He called Bilam,
a bad navi, to
come curse them. 
Bilam said no.  King Balak
said he must come.
So Bilam got on his donkey.
The donkey walked and walked.
Then the donkey saw a malach.
The malach was standing
in the road.  The road was blocked!

Bilam could not
see the malach.
So he hit the
donkey.    The donkey did not go.  It talked!
It said, “why do you hit me?”
Then Bilam saw the malach.
The malach had a sword.

But the malach did not stop
Bilam.  The malach said
Hashem did not let him curse the Jews.  Then the malach let him go.
King Balak took Bilam to look down at the Jewish camp.  Bilam looked and looked.  Hashem told Bilam
what to say.  Bilam said,
“How wonderful
the Jews are!” 

King Balak was angry. 
“That is not a curse!” he said. 
“Try again.”    They went to another spot to
look down at the Jewish camp.
Hashem told Bilam what to say.
Bilam said,
“Hashem always
protects
the Jews!”

King Balak was very angry. 
“That is not a curse!” he said. 
“Try one more time.”
They went to one more spot
to look down at the Jewish camp.
Hashem told Bilam what to say.
Bilam said, “Ma Tovu -
The tents of the Jews are so great.”

Bilam said,
“Hashem will kill their enemies!”    King Balak was done.
“Get out!” he told Bilam. 
“You did not help me at all!”

So Bilam went back to his home.
The plan of bad king Balak had failed.