Embodied Manifestation

A thought on Parashas Balak

This essay is based on a fundamental idea which Rav Reuven Sasson teaches in the most recent volume of his magnificent B’or Panecha series.

He explains that the mikdash and its vessels were the physical manifestation of the spirituality of the Torah. Each part of the mikdash had to be designed very specifically in order to manifest this spiritually correctly. Similarly, the human body is a physical manifestation of the neshama. Each body is different as it needs to correspond to the unique detail of its neshama. 

Bilaam was sent on a mission by Balak to curse the Jewish people and prevent them from taking over Moav. Each time Bilaam attempted to go about this missive, he was miraculously halted. The Torah says that Bilaam said the following:

נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃ 

[These are the] Words of Bilaam son of Beor, [the]  Word of the man whose eye is tr…