Balak בָּלָק

Bamidbar 22:2—25:9 · 104 verses · 40 of 54

Balak hires Bilam to curse Israel. The donkey sees the angel and speaks; Bilam goes on and three times opens his mouth to bless: «How goodly are your tents, Yaakov.» He foretells what will be at the end of days—and then advises the counsel that leads Israel to Baal Peor, and the plague.

Read next on 17 July 2027, 8 July 2028. By the Israeli reading cycle.

People of the portion

Balaama gentile prophet hired to curse Israel Balak son of Zipporking of Moab, who hired Balaam to curse Israel Jacobthe third patriarch, father of the twelve tribes, renamed Israel2108–2255 AM · 147 years Mosesprophet, leader of the Exodus, who received the Torah at Sinai2368–2488 AM · 120 years Aaronthe first High Priest, Moshe's elder brother2365–2487 AM · 122 years Eleazar the PriestAaron's third son, who received the high priesthood from him on Mount Hor PhinehasAharon's grandson, granted the "covenant of peace" and eternal priesthood

Numbers

Events of this portion

2487 AMBalak and Balaam: the Curse That Became a Blessing

Echoes in the Prophets and history

These events themselves live in other books and other centuries; each is tied to this portion by the verse shown beside it: the early ones the portion recalls, in the later ones its word resounds:

2488 AMThe War against Midian

The world at that time

The events of this portion fall in year 2487 from Creation. Elsewhere in the world at that time:

How it is read

First	Bamidbar 22:2—22:12	11 verses
Second	Bamidbar 22:13—22:20	8 verses
Third	Bamidbar 22:21—22:38	18 verses
Fourth	Bamidbar 22:39—23:12	15 verses
Fifth	Bamidbar 23:13—23:26	14 verses
Sixth	Bamidbar 23:27—24:13	17 verses
Seventh	Bamidbar 24:14—25:9	21 verses
Maftir	Bamidbar 25:7—25:9	3 verses
Haftarah	Micah 5:6—6:8 on Sefaria	17 verses

The text

The English edition does not yet carry the text of the portion. The Hebrew with translation is on Sefaria; the Russian page of this portion carries the full text verse by verse — открыть по-русски →.