Parshas Balak opens with the story of Bilaam, the gentile prophet who was hired by Balak, King of Moab, to curse the Jews. When the Moabite’s king’s messengers arrived, Bilaam asked G-d permission to go.  Unable to restrain himself from all the money being offered, Bilaam disregard’s G-d’s word and travels with Balak’s messengers to curse the Jewish people.   Bilaam tries to curse the Jews three times. He stakes out a different vantage point to find the most favorable post from which to issue his curse, but each time G-d places blessings and praises of the Jews in his mouth instead. Balak is filled with anger at Bilaam for failing to curse the Jews. The portion concludes with Balak's second attempt to  harm the Jews: He entices Jewish men to licentiousness with promiscuous Moabite women, hoping thereby to bring G-d's wrath upon the Jews. Some Jews do succumb, and G-d brings a plague as punishment. Pinchas, Aaron's grandson, stops the plague by dramatically slaying Zimri, the Prince of the Tribe of Shimon, as he publicly engaged in sin.