Balak (Balak, בלק) was the name of a Moabite king in the days of Moses. It is also the name of the fortieth reading from the Torah. It comes from the second verse of this week’s reading, which says, “Now Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites” (Numbers 22:2). This week’s Torah reading tells the story of how Balak hires the occult prophet Balaam to lay a curse on Israel. Balaam meets resistance from God, has a conversation with his donkey and ends up blessing Israel instead of cursing them.

According to Maimonides and Sefer ha-Chinuch, there are no commandments in the parshah.

Note: On the Shabbat the Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person “goes up” to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. Here are this week`s aliyot:

1st Aliya: The first aliyah begins where last week’s parsha Chukas left off, where the Jews have just conquered two kingdoms and acquired their land. Parshas Balak begins with King Balak’s offer to Bilam the Prophet to curse the Jewish people and God’s refusal to allow him to accept.

2nd Aliya: Balak sent a second negotiating team and Bilam was given permission to go. However, God stipulated that Bilam could only speak the word of God.

3rd Aliya: Along the way the incident with the talking donkey occurred, emphasizing God’s instructions to that Bilam only deliver the word of God.

4th Aliya: Bilam attempted his first curse and was unable to do so. Instead, the words he spoke were a blessing for the Jewish people.

5th Aliya: Bilam made his second attempt at cursing the people of Israel and was again unable to do so. Instead, he issued his second blessing.

6th & 7th Aliya: Billam attempted his final curse but again blessed the people of Israel. As he left in disgrace, Bilam told the assembled coalition of kings of their eventual destruction by the people of Israel. As a parting shot against the people of Israel, he advised them to seduce the Jewish men with Midianite women and bring God’s wrath down upon the nation. The Parsha concludes with the incident of Baal-Peor and Pinchas’s heroism.

Important note: Balaam attempts to pronounce his curses; each time, blessings issue instead. Balaam also prophecies on the end of the days and the coming of Mashiach. HaShem guards His people, even when the people does not know it.