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Haftarah Parashat Parashat Chukkat – Balak

Micah 5:6 – 6:8

5:6 וְהָיָ֣ה׀ שְׁאֵרִ֣ית יַעֲקֹ֗ב בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כְּטַל֙ מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֔ה כִּרְבִיבִ֖ים עֲלֵי־עֵ֑שֶׂב אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יְקַוֶּה֙ לְאִ֔ישׁ וְלֹ֥א יְיַחֵ֖ל לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם׃

5:7 וְהָיָה֩ שְׁאֵרִ֨ית יַעֲקֹ֜ב בַּגּוֹיִ֗ם בְּקֶ֙רֶב֙ עַמִּ֣ים רַבִּ֔ים כְּאַרְיֵה֙ בְּבַהֲמ֣וֹת יַ֔עַר כִּכְפִ֖יר בְּעֶדְרֵי־צֹ֑אן אֲשֶׁ֧ר אִם עָבַ֛ר וְרָמַ֥ס וְטָרַ֖ף וְאֵ֥ין מַצִּֽיל׃

5:8 תָּרֹ֥ם יָדְךָ֖ עַל־צָרֶ֑יךָ וְכָל־אֹיְבֶ֖יךָ יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃

5:9 וְהָיָ֤ה בַיּוֹם־הַהוּא֙ נְאֻם־יְהוָ֔ה וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י סוּסֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהַאֲבַדְתִּ֖י מַרְכְּבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

5:10 וְהִכְרַתִּ֖י עָרֵ֣י אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְהָרַסְתִּ֖י כָּל־מִבְצָרֶֽיךָ׃

5:11 וְהִכְרַתִּ֥י כְשָׁפִ֖ים מִיָּדֶ֑ךָ וּֽמְעוֹנְנִ֖ים לֹ֥א יִֽהְיוּ־לָֽךְ׃

5:12 וְהִכְרַתִּ֧י פְסִילֶ֛יךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְלֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥ה ע֖וֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָדֶֽיךָ׃

5:13 וְנָתַשְׁתִּ֥י אֲשֵׁירֶ֖יךָ מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּ֖י עָרֶֽיךָ׃

5:14 וְעָשִׂ֜יתִי בְּאַ֧ף וּבְחֵמָ֛ה נָקָ֖ם אֶת־הַגּוֹיִ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֖ר לֹ֥א שָׁמֵֽעוּ׃

6:1 שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֖ה אֹמֵ֑ר ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָע֖וֹת קוֹלֶֽךָ׃

6:2 שִׁמְע֤וּ הָרִים֙ אֶת־רִ֣יב יְהוָ֔ה וְהָאֵתָנִ֖ים מֹ֣סְדֵי אָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י רִ֤יב לַֽיהוָה֙ עִם־עַמּ֔וֹ וְעִם־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִתְוַכָּֽח׃

6:3 עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖ וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃

6:4 כִּ֤י הֶעֱלִתִ֙יךָ֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וּמִבֵּ֥ית עֲבָדִ֖ים פְּדִיתִ֑יךָ וָאֶשְׁלַ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֖ה אַהֲרֹ֥ן וּמִרְיָֽם׃

6:5 עַמִּ֗י זְכָר־נָא֙ מַה־יָּעַ֗ץ בָּלָק֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מוֹאָ֔ב וּמֶה־עָנָ֥ה אֹת֖וֹ בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֑וֹר מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל לְמַ֕עַן דַּ֖עַת צִדְק֥וֹת יְהוָֽה׃

6:6 בַּמָּה֙ אֲקַדֵּ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה אִכַּ֖ף לֵאלֹהֵ֣י מָר֑וֹם הַאֲקַדְּמֶ֣נּוּ בְעוֹל֔וֹת בַּעֲגָלִ֖ים בְּנֵ֥י שָׁנָֽה׃

6:7 הֲיִרְצֶ֤ה יְהוָה֙ בְּאַלְפֵ֣י אֵילִ֔ים בְּרִֽבְב֖וֹת נַֽחֲלֵי־שָׁ֑מֶן הַאֶתֵּ֤ן בְּכוֹרִי֙ פִּשְׁעִ֔י פְּרִ֥י בִטְנִ֖י חַטַּ֥את נַפְשִֽׁי׃

6:8 הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יְהוָ֞ה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃

The commentary about the connection between the Haftarah and Torah reading was written by

In the haftarah the prophet speaks to the people: "'My people, remember what Balak king of Moab plotted against you, and how Balaam son of Beor responded to him. [Recall your passage] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord" (Micah 6:5). This passage refers to two major topics in the parasha: (1) Balak and Balaam and (2) Shittim, which is part of Moab.

Micah preaches against idolatry and turning away from God, but his tone is different from that of other prophets. While the latter warn of God's wrath and severe punishments, Micah offers a more paternal God, one who wishes to make peace with His people:
"O My people, what wrong have I done you? How have I wearied you? Testify against me!" (Micah 6:3). He reminds the Israelites of Balaam, who was invited by Balak king of Moab to curse the people of Israel, but the Lord put words of blessing in his mouth instead. Balak was confused: "Enraged at Balaam, Balak struck his hands together. 'I called you,' Balak said to Balaam, 'to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them three times!'" (Num. 24:10). Balaam's reply: "'Balaam replied to Balak, 'But I even told the messengers you sent to me: Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot of my own accord to anything, good or bad, that is contrary to the Lord's command. What God says, that I must say.'" (Num. 24:12-13)

As for Shittim: This was the last encampment before entering Canaan. Shittim was in Moab, the very same land where Balaam spoke, and where the Israelites were tempted to take part in the idolatrous worship of Baal of Peor and to lie with Moabite women. Even then God did not abandon them, but carried them across the Jordan to Gilgal, the very first station in the promised land. The people must remember His "righteous acts" and act in accordance with His commandments. For "He has told you…what is good and what is required of you: Only to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8)

Rinah Sheleff

Rinah Sheleff is a retired lecturer in Bible Studies at the Kibbutzim College of Education, Tel Aviv. She specialized in teaching methodologies that incorporate the creative arts as a way of emotionally connecting students with the human dilemmas inherent in Bible stories. Rinah is also a professional storyteller and a movement instructor. Currently she is working with a team of storytellers on a project designed to make Talmudic and Hassidic stories accessible to the public at large. She is a founding member of a women's Rosh Hodesh group that has been meeting for over 20 years, and was also active in creating the Tali School in Hod HaSharon. And she loves Susie Dvoskin.

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Talia Rubinstein

Talia was two years old when she made aliyah to Ra’anana, Israel from Houston, Texas, in United States. During primary and middle school, she was educated in the Tali program, a non-religious track for enhanced Jewish studies in the Israeli public school system. Talia studied for her bat mitzvah with Susie Dvoskin, who had an important influence on Talia to pursue egalitarian Jewish prayer. Talia is a regular Torah and Haftorah reader at Kehillat Hod Vehadar, also leading prayers for this conservative/masorti synagogue in Kfar Saba. For several years, Talia was a counselor in the Ra’anana branch of the Noam youth movement, which is the scouts program for the Masorti Movement for conservative Jews. She now heads the program to teach Ra’anana counselors in training. As of this writing, Talia is completing high school at Ostrovsky High School in Ra’anana, studying chemistry and art. She will be attending the Lachish pre-army mechina educational program in Nahal Oz. “Susie has been a core influence on my Jewish studies over the years. I am proud to be a contributor to this important project.” comments Talia on her collaborations with Susie both for her bat mitzvah and this website development initiative.

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