The following is a brief summary of some of thoughts said over by R' Frand on the parshios this evening. I have attempted to reproduce these vorts to the best of my ability. Any perceived inconsistency is the result of my efforts to transcribe the shiur and should not be attributed to R' Frand.
In Bamidbar 21:4-5, the Torah writes that when the Jews were traveling to encircle the land of Edom "וַתִּקְצַ֥ר נֶֽפֶשׁ־הָעָ֖ם בַּדָּֽרֶךְ." The Torah then explains what the complaint was, stating "לָמָ֤ה הֶֽעֱלִיתֻ֨נוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם לָמ֖וּת בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לֶ֨חֶם֙ וְאֵ֣ין מַ֔יִם וְנַפְשֵׁ֣נוּ קָ֔צָה בַּלֶּ֖חֶם הַקְּלֹקֵֽל - the Jews were complaining again about the Manna.
R' Frand then asked - why was this a constant complaint? They had just complained about the Manna in Parshas Behaalosecha, so why was this brought up again? In truth, there is a 38 year gap between the Parshios, but it is an indicia that the Jews were constantly complaining about the Manna.
The Torah then writes in Bamidbar 21:7 that Hashem sent the snakes to attack those who complained. After the people cried out for help, Hashem told Moshe to make an image of a snake for the people to look at and that if they did, they would be healed.
R' Frand quoted R' Bukspan of Florida who explained why the Jews complained about the Manna and why the punishment involved snakes. He explained that when Adam and Chava sinned because of the snake, Hashem punished everyone. Adam was punished in that he had to sweat to make a living and Chava had the pains of childbirth. The snake was punished that it had to eat the dirt. But why is this a punishment? The snake has all the food that he could want! R' Frand answered in the name of the Sfas Emes while on the surface, this appears to be a blessing, it was truly a punishment. Hashem in effect said to the snake - I don't want to see you ever again. You can eat eat all the dirt you want, just don't come back to me.
R' Frand explained that it was for this reason that the snake was chosen as the method of punishment. Hashem was saying to the Jews - you have five or six kids at home and you are worrying about how you will feed them. The Manna will be there for you! But the Jews were tired of going out every day for food - they wanted to be like the snake. Hashem then said - if you don't want to depend on Me on a daily basis for food and you want to be like the snake, then I will send the snakes after you.
R' Frand concluded the vort by quoting the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah which states that the cure for the plague of snakes was more than just looking at a copper snake. It was looking at a snake which was raised up on a pole. Hashem was thus hinting to the Jews - if you look up and recognize that it all comes from Me, then you will be saved. Because you need to have a relationship with Me.
R' Frand also said a vort on Parshas Balak. After Bilaam was hired to curse the Jews, he was directed by Hashem to turn down Balak's request on numerous occasions. But in Bamidbar 22:20, Hashem tells him אִם־לִקְרֹ֤א לְךָ֙ בָּ֣אוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים ק֖וּם לֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֑ם. The obvious question is - what changed? Rashi explains that the reason for the "change of heart" is that Bilaam was instructed that if the people came to him and offered money, he should go. But why?
R' Frand answered by quoting R' Schwalb who discussed what happened when Communism came to Germany. Some people were swept up by the concept - as it was not right that some people have enough money for private jets while others took the bus. But while the concept is inviting, as Margaret Thatcher once said - socialism is great until you run out of other people's money.
R' Schwalb pointed out that the originators of Communism were "L'Shma." They were not doing things for Heaven, but their intention was to make a better world. And when a person does something for a higher purpose, it attracts others. But we saw in Communism that it collapsed when it was exposed that the leaders were eating caviar and salting away their money in Swiss bank accounts. This is why Bilaam was allowed to go with them if he was getting paid - because it was not for altruistic reasons, it was for the money and he would not succeed.
R' Frand closed by quoting Bilaam's words in Bamidbar 23:9 - הֶן־עָם֙ לְבָדָ֣ד יִשְׁכֹּ֔ן - the Jews are a nation on their own and as the Gemara says in Sotah - the only One that we can rely on is Hashem. This was seen in the trends in the elections in New York this week, as well as how a Congressman (Dan Goldman) was told that he was not welcome in a coffee shop because he supports Israel and even in the words of the Vice President that Israel needs to realize that the US is the only friend they have. But that's not correct as we are meant to be on our own and to recognize that its all from Hashem.
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