Balak: 5782 - Rabbi Shimon Zonnenfeld with a wonderful insight: Balaam says that even if Balak gave him his house full of silver and gold, he could not transgress the word of Hashem - Rashi says this teaches that Balaam's soul…

00:00 Speaker 1 Please.

00:04 Speaker 2 In the weekly parsha, Bilam says to Balak: “Even if Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go against the word of Hashem.” Bilam sounds like the greatest tzaddik imaginable. Give me all the silver and gold in the world—I cannot go against the word of Hashem. What does Rashi say? This teaches us that he had a broad appetite and coveted other people’s money. He speaks like a great tzaddik, like a great chossid, and Rashi says he coveted other people’s money. With Yaakov Avinu, it says that he came to Lavan with a demand: “Give me my wife so that I may come to her.” Rashi says that even the lowest of the low would not speak that way, but Yaakov’s intent was to establish the twelve tribes. Here, Bilam speaks like the greatest chossid, and we’re told he coveted other people’s money. Yaakov Avinu speaks like the lowest of the low, and we’re told that his entire intent was to establish the twelve tribes. How does that fit together? Because it doesn’t matter what you say. The question is who is saying it. What matters is who the person saying those words is. You can speak like the greatest tzaddik and be the greatest wicked person—be Bilam. And on the other hand, you can speak like the lowest of the low and be the choicest of the Patriarchs—be Yaakov Avinu. The question is who is speaking.

01:34 Speaker 1 Shema Yisroel.