# Balak | Mah Tovu Ohalekha Yaakov

From **KMTT - the Torah Podcast** by KMTT.

- **Published:** Thu, 10 Jul 2025 08:28:00 +0000
- **Duration:** 38:51
- **Books:** Numbers
- **Parsha:** Balak
- **Audio:** https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/kmtt/Balak5785_RYEtshalom.mp3?dest-id=12657
- **Page:** https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/kmtt/Balak5785_RYEtshalom.mp3
- **TorahApp:** https://torahapp.org/share/p/3P_kmtt/e/ecf4fd3e-d354-4fea-9fe0-4e3b2c81a3ef

<p>Balak | Mah Tovu Ohalekha Yaakov, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom</p> <p>What motivated Bil'am to bless as he did? Following the progression of Bilam's blessings.</p> <p>The lyrical, uplifting blessings with which Bil'am blessed Bnei Yisrael are among the most elegant and moving series of passages in Tanakh. What motivated Bil'am to bless as he did - was he simply a mouthpiece of Hashem, or did he, at some point, identify with the mission to bless God's people? A careful look at the text of his blessings, along with the passages that stitch those blessings together, reveals a more complex reality and a more profound answer.</p>