Shabbos Parashas Balak - 5775

Shabbos Parashas Balak - 5775

Rabbi Hal Miller

So now, please come and curse this people for me ... for I know that whoever you

bless is blessed and whoever you curse is cursed. [Bamidbar 22:6]

Our parsha yields many interesting questions about the meaning of talking donkeys

and the meaning of Balaam's blessings and curses. But before we consider the latter,

ought we not ask first, why would anyone care about the blessings or curses of Balaam?

As Balaam himself notes [Bamidbar [23:8], "How can I curse whom G-d has not cursed?"

G-d is actively and openly participating in the events. Why would anyone think that

whatever Balaam had to say would make a difference? Even moreso, it appears that

Balaam's words were of concern to G-d as well.

Abarbanel asks, "Why did G-d prevent Balaam from cursing the Israelites? Why should

they have cared about his curse, as long as the L-rd blessed his people with peace?"

Nechama Leibowitz explains Abarbanel's question when she asks, "What significance

could be attached to the curse of such a personality, and why was it necessary to turn

it into blessing? Some commentators suggest that this was done to teach Balaam a

lesson, that he was not his own master...Others, however, maintain that the curses were

turned into blessings to benefit Israel. Did Israel need his blessing? Surely the Almighty

was the true source of all blessing and it was He who blessed Israel?" She explains

that certainly Balaam's words had no actual effect, but that given his position, the

other nations would put credence in them.

Ramchal points out that Israel had been forbidden to fight Moab, Balak's nation.

By backing away from a fight with Balak because they had been ordered to by G-d,

it would appear that Balak had overpowered both the Jews and G-d Himself, thus

G-d had to get directly involved. The way He chose to do so was to, in opposition to

the desires of Balak, counter Balaam and his power of speech, to prevent the Moabites

from being willing to attack.

Ibn Kaspi takes a slightly different position. Rather than worrying about the impact on

the surrounding nations, he says, "Its effect must only be considered from the point of

view of those at the receiving end, the Israelites." In other words, the power of Balaam's

words would impact the Jews themselves, only by convincing them that he knew what

he was doing.

Sforno and others mention that Balaam's blessings were of no effect, bringing proof

that all blessing stems directly from G-d. But he then goes on to indicate that Balaam

knew exactly how to time a complaint to G-d, and exactly what to say, to negatively

impact a Divine judgment against other people. In other words, according to Sforno,

there is in fact effect to a curse. This explains why G-d needed to convert Balaam's

curses into blessings. Rav Hirsch, putting words into Balak's mouth from our verse,

backs this explanation: "Destroy the germ of the inner life of these people, get at them

internally, for to conquer them by purely physical forces alone, that I feel is somehow

beyond my strength."

In today's world, there are Balaks galore, trying to destroy the germ of the inner life

of the Jewish people. They try to destroy us from within, attacking our beliefs, our

determination to live by the Torah, our very souls. What these enemies cannot do

outwardly, they constantly try to do by wearing us down inwardly. We must put all of

our own strength into keeping this insiduous life-sapping evil out.