Fwd: Parshas Balak

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem, Zekaini Moiri R' Boruch Moshe Aryeh Ben Harav Zev Yehuda, my cousin Zev Yehuda ben Rav Shmuel Mordechai, Avraham ben R' Yitzchak Zev, R' Dovid Meir ben R' shmuel...

 In perek chaf beis posuk yud gimmel the posuk says "Vayakam Bilam baboker vayomer el sarei Balak, l'chu el artzichem ki me'ein Hashem l'siti lahaloch imachem" "Bilam arose in the morning and said to Balak's officers, go back to your land for Hashem refuses to allow me to go with you"
 Rashi explains that Bilam was telling them that he could not travel with people of their caliber, but needer the higher ranking officials. Rashi continues that we see that he was arrogant and was unable to reveal that he could not do anything without Hashem's consent except for in this haughty fashion.

 Reb Chaim Shmulevitz ztl explains that its clear from the posuk that Bilam was not trying to fool these officers he just did not relay the entire message. He understood that Hashem was telling him two things, firstly do not go with them because it is not fitting for a man of your stature, and secondly do not curse Klal Yisroel, but because of his haughtiness he left out the second part. He could not speak aloud the fact that he was totally under the control of Hashem.

 A few pesukim back when Hashem appeared to Bilam he asked him "Mi ha'anashim ha'eiled imach" "who are these men with you?" The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh explains that what Hashem was asking was "are these people worthy of being with u, that you accepted them into your house?" Hashem was asking because he was makpid on the kavod of Bilam. Hashem cared about Bilams honor. We all know the story where Bilam's donkey berated him. In the end Hashem killed the donkey so that it should not be spoken in the markets as the donkey passed "this is the donkey that berated Bilam. Even though in many ways that would have been a tremendous Kiddush Hashem it was not worth it for Hashem to have that at the expense of the Kavod of Bilam. In this incident when Hashem gave Bilam the two reasons not to go he first gave the reason that it would not be befitting for Bilam to travel with these men, and only after
 that he should not curse Klal Yisroel.

 We see from here how much Hashem cares about the honor of each and every person, even a Rasha like Bilam. It was worth it to kill the donkey to save his honor and it was enough of a reason to be mentioned with "don't curse Klal Yisroel" because each and every one of us is precious in Hashem's eyes. How we feel and how we are treated really does matter.
 Good Shabbos