Balak v. Moses
– In Memoriam of Mr.
David M. Warren (Menachem
Dovid ben Harav
Yosef Z’L)
As the Children of
Israel approached
the Promised Land,
Balak, the Moabite
king, sent
messengers to Bilam,
the Midianite
prophet, to curse
the Israelites.
Bilam refused.
“Return to your land
for G-d refuses to
allow me to go with
you.” (Numbers
22:13) Balak sent
messengers a second
time but Bilam was
steadfast. “If Balak
were to give me a
house full of silver
and gold, I would be
unable to transgress
the word of G-d.”
(Numbers 22:18)
Upon close
inspection of
Bilam’s words, we
see he has no
objection to cursing
Israel or taking the
money. Rather, he’s
simply recognizing a
basic fact – he
cannot do anything
that G-d will not
permit him to do.
Ultimately, Bilam
does try to curse
the Israelites.
On his first and
second attempts, G-d
suddenly appears to
Bilam and
intervenes, ordering
Bilam to only say
what G-d instructs
him to say. {To
understand why it
was necessary for
G-d to intervene, go
to
http://www.yiaberdeen.com/divreitorah/excuses.html}
During the first
attempt, G-d orders
Bilam to declare
that Israel is the
chosen nation and
G-d would not
retract that status
no matter what. On
the second attempt,
G-d instructed Bilam
to bless the Jewish
nation and say that
nothing can
intervene with the
Jewish destiny.
(Numbers 23:23)
By the third
attempt, Bilam
realized his efforts
to curse were
futile. Instead,
Bilam sought to know
G-d’s will. “And the
spirit of the lord
rested upon him (Bilam).”
(Numbers 24:2) On
the third occasion,
Bilam spoke the word
of G-d with utmost
sincerity.
Nahmanides (Rabbi
Moshe ben Nachman,
Gerona, Spain; 1194
-1270, Numbers
24:1-2) explains a
fundamental
difference between
Moses and Bilam.
Both were high-level
prophets who could
ask questions to G-d
and have them
directly answered.
Both recognized G-d’s
absolute sovereignty
over the world. But
Moses and Bilam
sought vastly
different ends.
Moses used his
relationship with
G-d to serve G-d.
Bilam used his
relationship with
G-d to serve
himself. When Bilam
called upon G-d, he
did so in a manner
to get the answer he
wanted. When Moses
called upon G-d, it
was to either to
learn G-d’s will or
help the Jewish
people. The Book of
Leviticus (Vayikra)
starts with the
words “Vayikra
Hashem El Moshe” –
“G-d called to
Moses.” Moses was
ready to hear and
obey G-d’s will at
all times and any
moment.
As we study Torah
and develop our own
personal
relationships with
G-d, we are each
confronted with our
own questions. Pure
or impure? Permitted
or forbidden? The
challenge is the
underlying desire
behind the question.
Are we seeking to
fulfill G-d’s will
or permission to act
as we want? Are we
following the ways
of Moses or Bilam?
May we all have the
foresight and
strength to follow
in the footsteps of
Moses.
Shabbat Shalom
