Turn it and turn it...
Gleaning wisdom from the weekly Torah reading
6/25/20261 min read
Balak
How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places, Israel. Numbers 24:5
The true prophet can be identified in most cases by their scoldings. They point out the blemishes and defects and want to correct them. The false prophet flatters the people with sweet talk. Yaakov Yosef of Polnoye
Balaam, who says these flattering words is hired to curse the ancient Israelites but only accolades pass through his lips. The Torah calls him a prophet, but he is unlike all the Israelite prophets in that they offer the people tough love. Compliments can be encouraging, but true growth requires someone willing to speak hard truths.