A quick thought on the Parsha as Shabbat approaches...
Rashi (22:5) quotes from Chazal (I will paraphrase due to time constraints) - why did Hashem give the non-Jews (i.e. Bilam) nevuah? So that the nations of the world cannot claim that if they would have had the power of nevuah they would have done complete teshuva; here Hashem gave them nevuah and it actually made matter worse (since Bilam encouraged illicit relations amongst the people).
But isn't there a follow up claim that the non-Jews can make?? Granted "Bilam harasha" is not going to encourage any teshuva, but if they had a star like Yirmiyahu or Yechezkel hanavi, maybe they would have indeed lead lives of avodat Hashem!
Perhaps this itself was Hashem's answer to the world - real teshuva and self improvement is not dependent on a Navi or anyone other than yourself. Each and every individual need to work on himself and improve the areas of his life and his avoda that require this improvement.
This Shabbat is the yartzeit of our grangmother Rivka Rachel bat Mordechai Reinitz a"h. She was a woman of refined character who clearly understood this and worked on herself all of her life.
May this Shabbat grant her neshama an aliya in shamayim.
Shabbat Shalom
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