If you don’t know me already, my name is Merryn, and I have the honor of sharing a D’var Torah with all of you this Shabbat.
This week’s Torah portion is Parashat Balak.
In this parashah, King Balak is afraid of the Israelites, so he hires the prophet Balaam to curse them. But every time Balaam opens his mouth to curse the Jewish people, God transforms his words into blessings instead. One of those blessings becomes one of the most familiar prayers in Judaism: Mah Tovu—“How goodly are your tents, O Jacob.”
The message is powerful: no matter how much someone tries to bring the Jewish people down, God’s blessing and our strength are greater than hatred.
Over the past week, we’ve been learning about Jewish history and touring concentration camps. Walking through those places has been emotional and difficult, especially being one of those people who has had family not only die in the holocaust, but also survive, but it has also brought me closer to God, to Judaism, and to the Jewish people.
As I reflected on Parashat Balak, I couldn’t help but see the connection.
Just as Balaam tried to curse the Israelites but ended up blessing them, throughout history there have been people who have tried to destroy the Jewish people. The Nazis attempted to erase us, our traditions, and our future. They caused unimaginable suffering, and we must never minimize that pain. But despite everything they did, the Jewish people survived.
Today, we are still here.
We continue to pray, celebrate Shabbat, study Torah, speak Hebrew, build communities, and pass our traditions from generation to generation. Hatred did not have the final word. Our resilience, our faith, and our commitment to Judaism did.
Another part of this parashah that stands out to me is Balaam’s donkey. God uses both Balaam and his donkey as unexpected messengers to carry out His purpose. Neither of them fully understands the role they are playing, but both become instruments of something much greater than themselves.
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That reminds me that each of us also has a purpose. We were created b’tzelem Elohim—in the image of God. We all have the ability to make a difference through our actions, our kindness, and our commitment to our values.
Being here at Ramah Israel has reminded me that serving God and strengthening the Jewish people doesn’t always happen through extraordinary moments. Sometimes it happens through singing at Kabbalat Shabbat, studying Torah with friends, supporting one another, or simply choosing to live proudly as Jews.
Parashat Balak teaches us that blessings can come from unexpected places, that hatred cannot define our future, and that each of us has the responsibility to help write the next chapter of the Jewish story.
As we leave this Shabbat and continue our journey together, I hope we remember that no matter what challenges the Jewish people face, we have always found ways to turn darkness into light, curses into blessings, and fear into hope.
-Merryn Mayer
