Parashat Balak is one of the most fascinating parshiyyot. Most of the Torah is centered around Am Yisrael, but in this parasha, Bnei Yisrael are in the periphery - it is an opportunity to view ousrselves from the outside. Is Balak a villain, or is he doing what he thinks is necessarily to protect himself? The King of Moav apparently does not feel threatened, but disgusted by the arrival of Bnei Yisrael. Moav wants to focus on the flaws of Am Yisrael, but our own viewpoint to the world should look at the big picture: what are the general trends of the people?