Above Destruction

The parsha of Balak leads right into the three weeks this year.  What lesson can we derive from the parsha about this time of year? The Gemorah in Bava Bathra (14b) says Moshe Rabbenu wrote ספרו ופרשת בלעם.  The word ספרו would seem to be the Torah that is called תורת משה and פרשת בלעם is the parsha of Balak.  The question has been posed why is the parsha of Bilam singled out?  Why according to some midrashim will Moshiach write Bilam's beast? 

Bilam was able to tap into the opportune moment and find a place cursing would be affective.  He was able to tap into the middat hadin an use it to his advantage.  During the time he tried to curse Klal Yisroel the middat hadin was suspended and he had no power.  It was a time of existence that is not present in the normal order of the world.  Bilam tried to tap into the negative actions of Klal Yisroel to administer a curse but it was to no avail.  Hashem was not employing the middat hadin where one's negative actions have an effect but was looking at the innate kesher that exists between Hashem and Klal Yisroel.  At this level there is no room for any curse to take effect. This type of connection is not something that is present in the normal order of Torah.  That is why the the parsha of Bilam is considered a separate sefer.  It is that connection that will be revealed in the future and hence Moshiach will ride on Bilam's animal (based upon מענה יחזקאל brom Rav Yichezkal Hartman.) 

Many of the Chassidic books stress the hidden good that lurks under the surface during the three weeks.  Even the 17 of תמוז is on the day of 17 which is the numerical value of טוב.  How can we relate to this if it is not present at the current time?  By living on a higher plain of existence than we can see above the destruction.  There is a level above the middat hadin, above the destruction and that is what will lead to the tikkun.  Now this is hard to do all the time but at least once a week, on Shabbos, one can take the time to contemplate.  הנה העם היוצא ממצרים the Emrey Chayim points out that the word הנה can be נוטריקון for השבת נועם הנשמות.  It was the merit of Shabbos that greatly bothered Balak.  A Shabbos can not be disturbed by any sort of evil forces that Balak would try to throw at the Jews.  The Rodomsker says (in Shabbos Chazon and Ki Teitzey) that the Gemorah in Shabbos (10b) says אמר ליה הקדוש ברוך הוא למשה מתנה טובה יש לי בבית גנזי ושבת שמה means that the Shabbos exists on the same level after after the destruction of the Mikdash, "ר"ל גם בבית גנזי שבהמ"ק נגנז יש לנו כח השבת כמו בזמן שהי' הבית על מכונו." He says that is the meaning of  רב לך שבת בעמק הבכה, during the time of the three weeks when it is the עמק הבכה, things are more difficult, then the Shabbos is even greater, רב לך שבת.  By stretching Shabbos observance, both in the x's and o's of the basic halachot (which need constant chizuk as the Mishna Berurah writes in his intro. to the third volume of the Mishna Berurah,) and by focusing on kedushat Shabbos and what it means to have a proper Shabbos.