Balak 5785: Vision of Blessing

Is Bilaam a villain—or a mirror?

In this episode, Zvi Hirschfield and Rabbi Mike Feuer dive into Parshat Balak to explore the figure of Bilaam—an outsider prophet with powerful words and a dangerous gaze. They discuss what makes Bilaam a spiritual counterpoint to Avraham, why God turns his curses into blessings, and how ayin tova (a good eye) can transform how we see the world.

Featuring
Rabbi Mike Feuer – Pardes Faculty
Zvi Hirschfield – Pardes Faculty and Host of Pardes from Jerusalem

Mike Feuer

Rabbi Mike Feuer teaches Striving for the Divine, Rav Kook, and Jewish History at Pardes. He studied at Yeshivat HaMivtar, the Mir Yeshiva, and Sulam Yaakov, where he received rabbinic ordination and later served as Educational Director. Mike’s teaching combines rigorous textual analysis with a deep love of the poetry and spirituality found in Torah.

Since making aliyah in 2001, he has been the program director of a post-high school yeshiva and taught history, Jewish thought, and Bible in several Jerusalem yeshivot and midrashot. Today, as a consultant, spiritual counselor and creator of the Jewish Story podcast, Mike is driven by the power of story to shape our world.

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