Discover and learn every week, "5 Facts" written on the weekly Parshah that you can share at your Shabbos table.

1.     What did the donkey accuse Bilaam of?

• The donkey accused Bilaam of mounting her to satisfy his carnal desires. (Sanhedrin 105b)

2.     What happened to Bilaam’s donkey?

• An angel killed the donkey as soon as it finished speaking so that people wouldn't make it into something to be worshipped. Another reason it was killed was becuase  it had  completed its  purpose for having been created. . (Meam Loez original)

3.     What did these 7 altars correspond to?

• Before each of attempt to curse the  Bnei Israel, Bilam built 7 altars and offered 7 sacrifices. This was intended to correspond to Adam, Hevel , Noach, Avraham, Yitzchak, Yakov and Moshe who also built altars. Others say that they symbolized the 7 altars built by the Patriarchs. (Tanchuma, Rashi)

4.     How were the Benot Moav punished?

• Benot Moav were later punished by miraculous means. In order to expose the sinners, the clouds folded and let the sun rays shine and brighten the sinners faces only. (Rashi, Midrash Tanchuma)

5.     What are the 12 miracles that happened to Pinchas?

1. He would have parted them but could not.
2. Their mouth was closed so that they could not cry out; for had they cried out, they would have been rescued.
3. He drove the lance through both of them.
4. The lance remained fixed in the wound.
5. When he bare them aloft, the lintel was uplifted for him until he had gone forth.
6. He carried them through the whole camp, six miles, without fatigue.
7. He held them up by his right arm, in sight of their kindred, who had no power to hurt him.
8. The lance was made strong so as not to be broken with the load.
9. The iron transpierced them, but was not withdrawn.
10. An angel came and made bare their corpses in sight of the people.
11. They lingered alive till they had been carried through the entire camp, lest the priest in the tabernacle should be defiled by the dead.
12. Their blood thickened so as not to flow upon him; but when he had borne them through the camp, it broke forth, and they died. Answering, he said before Hashem, Can it be that, on account of these, twenty and four thousands of Israel shall die? Immediately the compassions of Hashem was moved, and the plague was stopped. (Targum Yonathan)