PARSHAS Balak 5785
Young Enthusiasm!
Shifra Yachnes
Co-Director,
SPARK
About 15 years ago, we packed our little Toyota Camry with as much as it could hold, squeezed in our three young children, and drove from New York to Orlando to help start a new Jewish community. We were in our 20’s, idealistic, adventurous and completely homeless.
We had our hearts set on a specific subdivision, but when we arrived, nothing was available. So we drove to Miami for the weekend to stay with my husband’s parents, trying to stay calm despite having nowhere to live.
What we didn’t know was that while we were away, a rental in that exact subdivision suddenly opened up. It was extremely rare for this to happen, and usually far above our budget. Our friends happened to be walking by when the sign went up. They called us immediately, we jumped on it, and before we even got back to Orlando, our new home was secured for a price that we could afford
We didn’t run around. We didn’t stress. The answer arrived before we even had to deal with the problem. When we realized all that had gone on behind the scenes, our gratitude knew no bounds.
In this week’s Torah portion, there is a story with a similar ending, though on a national level.
Balak, king of Moav, hires the prophet Bilam to curse the Jewish people. He brings him to mountaintops, builds altars and tries three times to bring spiritual destruction to the Jewish people.
And yet the Jewish people never know about this. No one cries out. No one prepares for battle. While they camp peacefully in the desert, Hashem is already transforming each curse into a blessing.
The danger was real. But it never touched them because God was working behind the scenes.
There’s something deeply comforting in that.
Yes, there are times when we face open challenges. But how many times has Hashem protected us before we even knew we were at risk? How many blessings have slipped into our lives quietly, before we even thought to ask? How many accidents on the highway didn’t happen?
This Shabbos let’s take a moment to acknowledge those hidden blessings. To be grateful not just for what we have survived, but for what we will never know we were saved from.
May Hashem continue to guard us: quietly, fiercely, lovingly. And may we merit to see the day when His protection is no longer hidden, but fully revealed.
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