YOU ARE A STAR!
Balak
In the penultimate chapter of his Mishneh Torah, the Rambam rules that one who does not believe in Moshiach and await his coming, not only do they deny the Messianic prophesies of the Neviim, they also deny the Torah of Moshe. This is because the Chumash itself testifies about the coming of Moshiach. One such place is in the prophesies of Bilaam in this week’s Parsha.
After failing to curse the Jewish people, Bilaam delivers a prophesy concerning the end of days;
“I see it but not now, I behold it but not soon. A star has gone forth from Yaakov and a staff will arise from Yisrael. He will crush the princes of Moav and uproot all the sons of Sheis. Edom will be possessed… and Yisrael will triumph... A ruler shall come from Yaakov”
According to some of the Meforshim, part of this prophesy refers to the rule of King David. Still, there is consensus that at least some of these Pesukim refer to Moshiach, who will arise as king over the Jewish people and subdue the nations of the world. This is the understanding of the Rambam, Rashi, Rashbam, Ralbag and Ramban.
The Ohr Hachaim writes that the entire prophesy refers to Moshiach. The different verses allude to the two possible ways in which Moshiach can come, as described by Yishayahu and interpreted by the sages in Mesechta Sanhedrin; swiftly and miraculously - if we are deserving, or in its time and in a natural way if we are not.
In his commentry, the Ramban explains that the verse דרך כוכב מיעקב “a star will shoot forth from Yaakov”, alludes to Moshiach gathering in the Exiles from across the globe, just as a shooting star travels across the sky from one end to the other.
Ralbag explains that this verse alludes to the greatness of Moshiach; that he will be lofty like the stars and that his deeds will be known throughout the world like the stars, which can be seen by all of the dwellers on earth.
Chaza”l also understood this verse as referring to Moshiach. Fifty two years after the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash, a general by the name of Bar Koziva led a rebellion against the Romans. Initially he met great success and it appears that he re-established a form of Jewish kingdom. In fact, the Rambam refers to him as Bar Koziva the king.
The great sage Rabbi Akiva believed that Bar Koziva was Moshiach and proclaimed him as such. He expounded the aforementioned verse, reading it as דרך כוזבא מיעקב, Koziva will shoot forth from Yaakov, playing on the similarity of the word כוכב (star) and כוזבא (Koziva). This is why he became known as Bar Kochba, literally the son of a star.
At the same time as the sages and commentators teach that this Pasuk refers to Moshiach, the Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that the same verse refers to every single Jew.
In Mesechta Maaser Sheni, the Talmud relates that a certain non-Jew came to Rabbi Yishmael bar Rabbi Yossi and told him that in his dream, he saw himself swallowing a star. On hearing this, Rabbi Yishmael cursed the man, saying that his dream indicated that he had killed a Jew, who is likened to a star.
How can these teachings be reconciled? Moshiach will be the most lofty, exalted and holy soul from amongst the Jewish people. How can the same verse that describes Moshiach be employed to refer to every single Jew, down to the spiritually lowest amongst them.
In his work Meor Einaim, the great Chassidic master Rabbi Nochum of Chernobyl quotes a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, that every Jewish person has a part of the soul of Moshiach within them. Each one of us must prepare and perfect that part of Moshiach within us. When we each do this, we perfect the macro-soul of Moshiach, that will then be revealed to bring Redemption to the world.
Based on this, we can reconcile the different teachings. The same verse describing Moshiach, also refers to every Jew by dint of the spark of the soul of Moshiach within them.
Each one of us has a “star” inside of us, a spark of the soul of Moshiach, This is the incorruptible core of our Jewish identity and our essential, unbreakable connection to Hashem. It is the pure goodness and holiness that we each possess; our potential to be the best person and Jew that we can be.
This “star” can be swallowed up, hidden beneath our spiritual struggles and material existence, and we fail to live in congruence with its purity. Our job is to reveal it and actualise its potential in our lives.
Part of the belief in Moshiach is to believe in the Moshiach inside of ourselves. When we do this, the ultimate star will shoot forth, the enemies of the Jewish people will be crushed and uprooted and the Jewish people will triumph - sparkling like the stars that we are, so that all the world will be illuminated and navigate by our light.
After failing to curse the Jewish people, Bilaam delivers a prophesy concerning the end of days;
“I see it but not now, I behold it but not soon. A star has gone forth from Yaakov and a staff will arise from Yisrael. He will crush the princes of Moav and uproot all the sons of Sheis. Edom will be possessed… and Yisrael will triumph... A ruler shall come from Yaakov”
According to some of the Meforshim, part of this prophesy refers to the rule of King David. Still, there is consensus that at least some of these Pesukim refer to Moshiach, who will arise as king over the Jewish people and subdue the nations of the world. This is the understanding of the Rambam, Rashi, Rashbam, Ralbag and Ramban.
The Ohr Hachaim writes that the entire prophesy refers to Moshiach. The different verses allude to the two possible ways in which Moshiach can come, as described by Yishayahu and interpreted by the sages in Mesechta Sanhedrin; swiftly and miraculously - if we are deserving, or in its time and in a natural way if we are not.
In his commentry, the Ramban explains that the verse דרך כוכב מיעקב “a star will shoot forth from Yaakov”, alludes to Moshiach gathering in the Exiles from across the globe, just as a shooting star travels across the sky from one end to the other.
Ralbag explains that this verse alludes to the greatness of Moshiach; that he will be lofty like the stars and that his deeds will be known throughout the world like the stars, which can be seen by all of the dwellers on earth.
Chaza”l also understood this verse as referring to Moshiach. Fifty two years after the destruction of the second Beis Hamikdash, a general by the name of Bar Koziva led a rebellion against the Romans. Initially he met great success and it appears that he re-established a form of Jewish kingdom. In fact, the Rambam refers to him as Bar Koziva the king.
The great sage Rabbi Akiva believed that Bar Koziva was Moshiach and proclaimed him as such. He expounded the aforementioned verse, reading it as דרך כוזבא מיעקב, Koziva will shoot forth from Yaakov, playing on the similarity of the word כוכב (star) and כוזבא (Koziva). This is why he became known as Bar Kochba, literally the son of a star.
At the same time as the sages and commentators teach that this Pasuk refers to Moshiach, the Talmud Yerushalmi teaches that the same verse refers to every single Jew.
In Mesechta Maaser Sheni, the Talmud relates that a certain non-Jew came to Rabbi Yishmael bar Rabbi Yossi and told him that in his dream, he saw himself swallowing a star. On hearing this, Rabbi Yishmael cursed the man, saying that his dream indicated that he had killed a Jew, who is likened to a star.
How can these teachings be reconciled? Moshiach will be the most lofty, exalted and holy soul from amongst the Jewish people. How can the same verse that describes Moshiach be employed to refer to every single Jew, down to the spiritually lowest amongst them.
In his work Meor Einaim, the great Chassidic master Rabbi Nochum of Chernobyl quotes a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, that every Jewish person has a part of the soul of Moshiach within them. Each one of us must prepare and perfect that part of Moshiach within us. When we each do this, we perfect the macro-soul of Moshiach, that will then be revealed to bring Redemption to the world.
Based on this, we can reconcile the different teachings. The same verse describing Moshiach, also refers to every Jew by dint of the spark of the soul of Moshiach within them.
Each one of us has a “star” inside of us, a spark of the soul of Moshiach, This is the incorruptible core of our Jewish identity and our essential, unbreakable connection to Hashem. It is the pure goodness and holiness that we each possess; our potential to be the best person and Jew that we can be.
This “star” can be swallowed up, hidden beneath our spiritual struggles and material existence, and we fail to live in congruence with its purity. Our job is to reveal it and actualise its potential in our lives.
Part of the belief in Moshiach is to believe in the Moshiach inside of ourselves. When we do this, the ultimate star will shoot forth, the enemies of the Jewish people will be crushed and uprooted and the Jewish people will triumph - sparkling like the stars that we are, so that all the world will be illuminated and navigate by our light.