Haftarah of Balak

Micha 5:6-6:8

Micha was a contemporary of Yeshayahu, living in the generation before Assyria took over the entire region and exiled the northern kingdom of Israel. Like Yeshayahu, Micha addresses the upcoming threat to the Jewish People, and also offers a vision of an ultimate Redemption.

The Haftarah begins at the tail end of a prophecy describing the Jewish People surrounded by hostile nation, yet surviving and prospering. Their survival will be a function of two distinct factors: their reliance in G-d, and their ability to defend themselves against their enemies.

6) The survivors of Yaakov,

in the midst of many people,

will be like dew from Hashem,

like rain-showers upon grass,

that does not place hope in man,

and does not depend on mortals.

(ו) וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב

בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים

כְּטַל מֵאֵת ה'

כִּרְבִיבִים עֲלֵי עֵשֶׂב

אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְקַוֶּה לְאִישׁ

וְלֹא יְיַחֵל לִבְנֵי אָדָם:

7) The survivors of Yaakov,

among the nations, in the midst of many people,

will be like a lion among the beasts of the forest,

like a young lion among flocks of cattle;

as he passes, he mauls and devours, with none to rescue.

(ז) וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב

בַּגּוֹיִם בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּים

כְּאַרְיֵה בְּבַהֲמוֹת יַעַר

כִּכְפִיר בְּעֶדְרֵי צֹאן

אֲשֶׁר אִם עָבַר וְרָמַס וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּיל:

8) Lift your hand over your oppressors,

and all your enemies will perish!

(ח) תָּרֹם יָדְךָ עַל צָרֶיךָ

וְכָל אֹיְבֶיךָ יִכָּרֵתוּ: פ

Ultimately, there will be no more war; military equipment and defenses will be unnecessary.

9) On that day, says Hashem,

I will remove horses from your midst,

and I will get rid of your chariots.

(ט) וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם ה'

וְהִכְרַתִּי סוּסֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ

וְהַאֲבַדְתִּי מַרְכְּבֹתֶיךָ:

10) I will remove the fortified cities from your land,

and tear down all your citadels.

(י) וְהִכְרַתִּי עָרֵי אַרְצֶךָ

וְהָרַסְתִּי כָּל מִבְצָרֶיךָ:

In conjunction, all the different forms of paganism will disappear as well.

11) I will remove magic from your hands,

and your soothsayers will be no more.

(יא) וְהִכְרַתִּי כְשָׁפִים מִיָּדֶךָ

וּמְעוֹנְנִים לֹא יִהְיוּ לָךְ:

12) I will remove your idols and statues from your midst,

and you will no longer worship your own handiwork.

(יב) וְהִכְרַתִּי פְסִילֶיךָ וּמַצֵּבוֹתֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ

וְלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה עוֹד לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ:

13) I will drop your tree-worship from your midst,

and I will destroy your enemies.

(יג) וְנָתַשְׁתִּי אֲשֵׁירֶיךָ מִקִּרְבֶּךָ

וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי עָרֶיךָ:

14) I will wreak vengeance in anger and fury,

to those nations

that did not listen.

(יד) וְעָשִׂיתִי בְּאַף וּבְחֵמָה נָקָם

אֶת הַגּוֹיִם

אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמֵעוּ: ס

G-d challenges the Jewish People regarding our relationship with Him.

6:1) Listen to that which Hashem says:

Come argue before the mountains,

and let the hills hear your voice.

(א) שִׁמְעוּ נָא אֵת אֲשֶׁר ה' אֹמֵר

קוּם רִיב אֶת הֶהָרִים

וְתִשְׁמַעְנָה הַגְּבָעוֹת קוֹלֶךָ:

2) Listen, mountains, to the dispute of Hashem,

listen, strong ones, foundations of the earth;

for Hashem has a dispute with His nation,

with Israel He has a quarrel.

(ב) שִׁמְעוּ הָרִים אֶת רִיב ה'

וְהָאֵתָנִים מֹסְדֵי אָרֶץ

כִּי רִיב לַה' עִם עַמּוֹ

וְעִם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְוַכָּח:

G-d points out that He has not made any unreasonable requests of the Jewish People. He has only done us kindness throughout our history.

3) My nation, what have I done to you,

and how have I troubled you,

answer Me!

(ג) עַמִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי לְךָ

וּמָה הֶלְאֵתִיךָ

עֲנֵה בִי:

4) For I took you up from the land of Egypt,

and redeemed you from the house of slavery,

and I sent before you Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam.

(ד) כִּי הֶעֱלִתִיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם

וּמִבֵּית עֲבָדִים פְּדִיתִיךָ

וָאֶשְׁלַח לְפָנֶיךָ אֶת מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם:

The prophet mentions the incident of Balak and Bilaam, who tried to force G-d to curse the Jewish People, thinking that He can be manipulated with sacrifices.

5) My nation!

Please remember what Balak king of Moav conspired,

and how Bilaam ben Beor answered him,

from the Sheetim to the Gilgal -

in order to know the righteousness of Hashem.

(ה) עַמִּי

זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב

וּמֶה עָנָה אֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר

מִן הַשִּׁטִּים עַד הַגִּלְגָּל

לְמַעַן דַּעַת צִדְקוֹת ה':

6) With what gift shall I greet Hashem?

How shall I submit to G-d Above?

Shall I greet Him with offerings, with yearling calves?

(ו) בַּמָּה אֲקַדֵּם ה'

אִכַּף לֵא-לֹהֵי מָרוֹם

הַאֲקַדְּמֶנּוּ בְעוֹלוֹת בַּעֲגָלִים בְּנֵי שָׁנָה:

7) Will Hashem be pleased by thousands of rams,

by myriad rivers of oil?

Shall I give my first-born for my crime,

my offspring for the sin of my soul?

(ז) הֲיִרְצֶה ה' בְּאַלְפֵי אֵילִים

בְּרִבְבוֹת נַחֲלֵי שָׁמֶן

הַאֶתֵּן בְּכוֹרִי פִּשְׁעִי

פְּרִי בִטְנִי חַטַּאת נַפְשִׁי:

But G-d is very clear what He cares about, for all of mankind: justice, kindness, and a dash of modesty .

8) He has told you, mankind, what is good,

what Hashem demands of you:

simply doing justice, and loving kindness,

and walking modestly with your G-d.

(ח) הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה טּוֹב

וּמָה ה' דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ

כִּי אִם עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד

וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ: פ

In memory of my father, Peter Rozenberg, z"l

לעילוי נשמת אבי מורי פנחס בן נתן נטע ז''ל