Balak
Foolin’ Around
Hashem asked Bilaam ‘Who are these people with you?’ Rashi explains that Hashem knew the answer, but was fooling Bilaam into thinking that He didn’t know. Bilaam thought ‘Wow, not all is known to Him! In that case I will curse the Jews when He is not watching’.
Why would Hashem purposely trip Bilaam up?! The Tanchumah says that just as Bilaam tricked many into sin, so too was he fooled, measure for measure.
We suggested another approach. Lincoln once told of an old drunkard who finally decided to go dry, swearing that another drop of whiskey would never touch his lips. Soon thereafter, however, when the urge grew strong, he wandered into the town tavern. Going up to the bartender he said ‘Look friend, I do not drink any liquor. I am ordering orange juice instead. However, if you could slip a draught into my juice unbeknownst to me, I’d be much obliged!”
It’s not much of a trap when one wishes to be tripped up! Bilaam didn’t mind being tripped up. In fact he wanted to be fooled into cursing the Jews. Hashem did oblige him…
Leading Hashem On
The Ibn Ezra asks why Hashem told Bilaam the first time not to go, but allowed him the second time. What had happened?
Hashem lets one know His Will one time. If the fellow comes back and tries bargaining with Him, Hashem may go along with him. Its a joke; Hashem is not human that He changes His mind, so why is the fellow asking again? To try to weasel a ‘Yes’ out of Hashem?? Hashem will not hassle with the nudnik. So Hashem will oblige him with a ‘Yes’. However it means nothing – the answer remains a firm ‘No!’.
The proof, says the Ibn Ezra, is the verse ‘And Hashem was angry with Bil’am, because he went’. Angry? He had agreed!! No, He had NOT.
This is also what happened by sending spies to Eretz Yisroel; Hashem told them to step up and take possession of Eretz Yisroel without reconnoitering at all. But they knew better. They insisted on sending spies. Hashem said ‘Have it your way!’ This is not agreement: He really never agreed to the sending.
Perhaps we want something in our lives which Hashem does not want. He may indicate His displeasure once or twice. Sometimes we choose to take no notice. After that He will ‘go along’ with our decision, and we see no overt displeasure. Things do seem to be working out. Are they really? As the Ibn Ezra says, this may be very deceptive!!!!
Missing The Point
When the sword-waving angel revealed himself to Billam, he responded by saying ‘I have sinned; I did not know that you were on the road to stop me.’
This was the wrong message. The angel said that he stopped him for he saw that Billam was traveling against Hashem’s wishes. Instead of going to bless the Jews, as Hashem had allowed, he was going to curse them. So Hashem sent the angel.
The appropriate response may have been ‘I see now the error of my ways – indeed, I had tried to outmaneuver Hashem’. Instead, Bilaam chose to think that he had picked the wrong day, for the angel was on the road that day. Had he known, he would have gone tomorrow! Totally inappropriate!!
We sometimes make this mistake, especially with interpersonal behavior. We say something offensive and someone gets insulted. We conclude ‘I had better avoid that fellow!’ How sad! The real lesson is ‘I’d better talk more nicely from now on!’ Let us make sure we aren’t acting as self-deluding as Bilaam!
And Had We Seen Miracles??
‘Bilaam returned to his place and Balak also went on his way’. Pretty generic. So ends the Billam-Balak saga.
What’s the message for us in these words?
We would expect that after Billam and Balak tried so hard to curse the Jews, but were stymied, they would realize that Hashem truly loves His People, realizes what is happening and intervenes to help His folk.
The greatest truths of all time!
Certainly Bilaam would be affected; he had even seen his donkey talk!
One is fascinated : what is going to happen – would they convert? Devote their lives to serving Hashem? Change their ways a bit? Something???
Nothing happened. ‘Bilaam returned to his place and Balak went on his way’ they slipped back into their old routines as if nothing had occurred – total loss.
There is a lesson here to us; some people think that we do not feel inspired because we have not seen miracles, we have not personally experienced standing at Har Sinai. Its completely untrue. It’s not the experience at all, but rather the learning done out of it, – and the willingness to learn and change, – that ultimately counts.
Newsflash:
‘And the Jews worshiped Baal Peor and Hashem angered at them… the dead of plague numbered twenty four thousand victims…’
In Mechuzza, Rabbi Chaninah’s home, raged a deadly plague. Only Rabbi Chaninah’s quarter was spared. People said ‘Rabbi Chaninah is unconcerned. Were his area hit, he would storm the heavens and save the city. But because it is not at his doorstep, he is not doing anything about it’.
Rabbi Chaninah heard of these rumors, and spoke to the public: ‘Fellow Jews! In Pinchas’ time there was Moshe, Aharon, Miriam and the greatest tzaddikim that ever were in klal yisroel. Yet one Zimri caused twenty four thousand Jews to die. None of the merits of the righteous helped. Surely they prayed, but sin is much stronger. I too am doing my level best, but how many ‘Zimri’s are among us! My prayers are simply not being answered! What can I do?!’
Food for thought?
Old Fashioned Kanna’us
‘Pinchas saw [Zimri sinning], stood up and took a spear in his hand’.
Rav Moshe Feinstein z”l commented that the order here is significant; Pinchas first saw, then took the spear. Some folks, he would say, do it backwards: first pick up the spear then go out looking for sinners to stick with their spear!
Vhamavin Yavin
©2013
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