T orah P ortion
Ignore Noise, Focus on Mission
BY RABBI SHLOMO RISKIN
Parshat Balak
“MY NATION, remember
what Balak the king of Moab
advised and what Bil’am the
son of Be’or ... answered him in
order that you may know the
compassionate righteousness
of the Lord” [Micha. 6:5].

Who, or what, defines Israel,
and why does it matter? If deeply
concerning trends continue
in the United States, research
and ample anecdotal evidence
indicate that those succeeding in
affecting views toward Israel are
the very people who attack it as
a racist, discriminatory occupier
lacking any moral or political
legitimacy. Noble attempts to
brand Israel as a high-tech haven
(“start-up nation”) notwith-
standing, Israel is increasingly
being effectively defined by foes,
not friends. What, if anything,
can be done to reverse these
deeply troubling developments?
In our weekly biblical portion,
Balak, we read that efforts by
enemies to define the Jewish
people have ancient antecedents.

King Balak of Moab, fright-
ened by the “Biblical Israelis,”
vastly overestimates their global
designs as well as their military
Survivor Continued from Page 7
organization Facing History and
Ourselves and is supported by
the Jewish Community Relations
Council of the Jewish Federation
of Greater Philadelphia.

Seltzer explained that, as a
relatively new organization, 3G
Philly will continue to develop
its initiatives according to the
interests of members.

“We want to see what the
community feels it needs and
wants, and try out different
programs to see what sticks,”
she said.

Cindy Silverman Chronister
20 JUNE 24, 2021
CAN DL E L IGHTIN G
June 25
July 2
8:15 p.m.

8:15 p.m.

might: “This multitude will lick
up all that is round about us as
the ox licks up the grass of the
field” (Num. 22:4). He therefore
turns to Bil’am, a magician and a
soothsayer, an accomplished poet
and master of the spoken word,
to curse the Israelis in order to
vanquish them (ibid., v.6).

Bil’am represents the giant
media corporations and social
media platforms that play a
dominant role in shaping public
opinion. Is it not true that these
manipulators of minds have the
power to destroy a world with a
word? And indeed, Bil’am sets
out to curse the Israelites.

Nevertheless, the Torah
goes on to say that the prophet
ultimately blesses the Israelites.

At first, he is struck by his
donkey’s refusal to take him
where he wanted to go.

Apparently even a donkey can
be amazed by the miraculous
events that contributed to the
preservation and preeminence
of Israel from abject slaves to
recipients of God’s presence at
Sinai, despite their smallness in
number and scarcity of power.

And then Bil’am sees for
himself — to the extent that
at least he attempted to record
the truth as he composes his
tweets and Facebook posts. He
may have come to curse, but
he stays to praise. He evokes
Jewish destiny in glowing
terms, extolling the unique-
ness of Israel (ibid., 23:9) and
evoking our ultimate messi-
anic victory (ibid., 24:17–19).

He affirms unmistakably that
“no black magic can be effec-
tive against Jacob and no occult
powers against Israel” (ibid.,
23:23) — evil words spoken
by evil people are impotent
before the modesty and integ-
rity expressed by the Israelites
in their daily lives.

Ultimately, however, it is not
the speaking donkey that will
succeed in changing the minds
of the many Bil’ams around
us; rather, it is the deeds of the
Jewish people itself that will
evoke change: “Your deeds will
bring you close, your deeds
will distance you” [Mishna,
Eduyot 5:7].

First of all, Bil’am takes
note of the military success of
this fledgling nation against
every one of her enemies —
Israel had just emerged from a
great military victory against
the terrorizing Amorites. And,
more importantly, the chaste
and sanctified lifestyle of the
Israelites and their commit-
ment to their traditions and
ideals made an even greater
impact on Bil’am.

“How goodly are your tents,
O Jacob, your Sanctuaries, O
Israel” [Num. 24:5]. Bil’am
was amazed as to how the
Israelite encampment (ohel)
was constructed to respect
everyone’s privacy, so that no
one could see into his neigh-
bor’s home. He was moved by
the sensitivity toward inter-
personal relationships, the love
and respect displayed toward
one another by family members
and the harmony with which
neighbors lived together.

And when Bil’am saw the
commitment the Israelites
had to their study halls and
synagogues (mishkan) — their
fealty to traditional values
and teachings and their faith
in Divine providence — he
understood and proclaimed the
invincibility of this Divinely-
elected people.

Alas, what a person might
— and words could not — do
to the Israelites, the Israelites
managed to do to themselves.

Bil’am and Balak returned
to their homes to leave Israel
in peace — but the Israelites
themselves self-destructed.

They chased after the hedonistic
blandishments of the pagan
societies of Bil’am and Balak.

The very next chapter opened
with, “And the people began
to commit harlotry with the
daughters of Moab ... and Israel
joined himself to the [idolatry
of] Ba’al Peor [Bil’am ben
Beor]” (ibid., 25:1–3).

We failed in the desert not
because of what our enemies
did or said, but rather because
of our own moral weakness and
rejection of the birthright that
had initially formed our nation’s
definition and mission. Indeed,
we are “a people who dwells
alone, not subject to the machi-
nations of other nations” (ibid.,
23:9). In this generation, in which
detractors and haters attacking
the Jewish people and Israel
are on the ascent in capturing
public opinion, we must
remember to ignore the noise
and to focus on our national
mission. To rephrase Ben Gurion,
indeed it is not what the nations
say that matters, but rather it is
what we do or what we do not
do, especially in the spheres of
ethics and morality, which is of
supreme significance. l
was excited to join 3G Philly and
participate in WEDU to share
the story of her grandparents,
her family’s sole survivors during
the Holocaust. Her grandfather
was an electrician whose store in
Vienna, Austria, was destroyed
during Kristallnacht. After her
grandparents fled to the United
States, they talked little of their
life in Austria, and Chronister
did her own research to piece
together their story.

“It has been inspiring to
meet and connect with other
3Gs and to hear their families
stories of survival,” Chronister
said. “It has taught me not only
how to educate others by using
historical facts along with
capturing the personal nature
of my family’s story, but to tell
it in such a way that is moving,
powerful and educational.”
As survivors age, their
grandchildren feel an urgency
to preserve their stories.

“3Gs are the last living link
to survivors and we feel a deep
commitment to know and tell
our family stories, and to place
them within the great context
of the Holocaust,” Chronister
said. “These personal stories
serve as a pathway to educate
diverse communities about the
perils of intolerance.”
3G Philly has a variety of
upcoming events planned this
summer. Their first in-person event,
a family-friendly gathering, is
scheduled for June 27. It will
include a celebration of the
newest 3G Philly WEDU trainees
and a talk from Sophie Don, a
grandchild of survivors and the
administrative and operations
manager of the Philadelphia
Holocaust Remembrance
Foundation. Those interested
in attending are encouraged to
email 3GPhilly@gmail.com for
location details.

The organization will also
continue to hold virtual gather-
ings. 3G Philly’s Holocaust
Education Committee will
have its first meeting on June 30
on Zoom, and at the beginning
of July, 3G Philly is launching
a monthly peer support group
for the grandchildren of survi-
vors to discuss everything
from generational trauma to
antisemitism to talking about
the Holocaust with children.

Later in September, 3G
Philly will host a reading and
Q&A with Rachael Cerrotti,
a podcaster and author of the
forthcoming book “We Share
the Same Sky.” The memoir
tracks her experience learning
about the story of her grand-
mother, a Holocaust survivor. l
JEWISH EXPONENT
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is the founding
chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.

JEWISHEXPONENT.COM