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Poetic Midrash on Parshat Balak

This week we read a double parasha/portion from the Torah, Hukat-Balak (Numbers/Be'midbar 19:1-25:9). This week I will focus only on the portion of Balak. In this narrative, Balak king of Midian, hires the magician Bilaam to curse the Israelites. However, no matter how hard he might try, he may only utter words of praise. On his way to Balak, Bilaam encounters a fiery angel on the path. However, Bilaam does not see the angel. Only his donkey, who stops in his tracks and refuses to move, see it. Finally, after Bilaam begins to beat the donkey in order to get him to move, the donkey miraculously begins to speak. To paraphrase, he says "you've known me all these years! Doesn't the fact that I stopped dead in my tracks tell you that something is wrong? Open your eyes!" In reading this section, the old adage "never assume" came to mind. And so, this midrashic poem on the parashah. Shabbat Shalom, Steve Nathan Never assume Never assume For when you do