Parashat Balak
בָּלָק · Numbers 22:2 to 25:9, portion 7 of 10 in the book of Numbers.
Next reading
Saturday 17 July 2027
12 Tammuz 5787
In Israel and abroad
The year after
Saturday 8 July 2028
14 Tammuz 5788
In Israel and abroad
What happens in Balak
Balak, king of Moab, fears Israel and sends for the prophet Balaam to curse them. On the way Balaam's donkey sees an angel blocking the road and speaks to him. Three times Balak builds altars, and each time Balaam blesses Israel instead; one of his lines opens the morning prayers to this day. The portion ends as the people stray after the women of Moab and the idol of Peor, and Pinchas's zealous act ends the plague.
וַיַּרְא בָּלָק בֶּן־צִפּוֹר אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֱמֹרִי
“And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.”
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Frequently asked questions
When is Parashat Balak read in 2027?+
On Shabbat 17 July 2027 (12 Tammuz 5787), in Israel and in the Diaspora alike. The year after, it is read on 8 July 2028.
What is Parashat Balak about?+
Balak, king of Moab, fears Israel and sends for the prophet Balaam to curse them. On the way Balaam's donkey sees an angel blocking the road and speaks to him. Three times Balak builds altars, and each time Balaam blesses Israel instead; one of his lines opens the morning prayers to this day. The portion ends as the people stray after the women of Moab and the idol of Peor, and Pinchas's zealous act ends the plague.
Why is Balak sometimes read together with Chukat?+
Most years have fewer free Shabbatot than portions: a festival that falls on Shabbat takes that Shabbat's reading, and a year without a second month of Adar is about four weeks shorter. So some neighbouring portions are read together, and Balak with Chukat is one of those pairs.