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How does Parashas Balak teach ahavas Yisrael? The Apter Rebbe's creative interpretation of Balak's name as an acronym for "v'ahavta l'reicha kamocha" makes a profound point. True love of fellow Jews means not being pedantic about every detail.
The shiur presents a beautiful teaching from the Apter Rebbe (author of Ohev Yisrael), who found messages of ahavas Yisrael in every Torah (תורה) portion. When challenged about how Parashas Balak could contain such a message, the Apter Rebbe creatively interpreted the name "Balak" as an acronym: the letters beis-lamed-kuf standing for "v'ahavta l'reicha kamocha" (love your neighbor as yourself). When a student pointed out that this interpretation was grammatically imprecise - that "v'ahavta" is spelled with a vav, not a beis, and "kamocha" with a chaf, not a kuf - the Rebbe responded that this criticism itself missed the fundamental point. The very essence of ahavas Yisrael, he explained, is not to be pedantic and punctilious about every detail.
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Parshas Balak
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