DVAR TORAH:
Balak by Rabbi Baruch Lederman
Bilaam
possessed powers of prophecy that not only
rivaled Moshe Rabbeinu, they exceeded Moshe
Rabbeinu. With all the spiritual grandeur that
he experienced, it was only natural that he
would devote himself righteously to the ways of
Hashem. Yet we see that he did no such thing. He
devoted himself to trivial pursuits and
debasement. He even tried to harm the Jewish
people.
This
paradoxical behavior is made possible by the
miracle of bechira chofshis (free will) that
Hashem implants in us. Even though logic compels
us to act one way, we have the choice to act
differently. It allows us to make bad choices,
thereby making our good choices that much more
meaningful.
The Talmud
tells us "Im ein ani li mi li" "If I am not for
myself, who is for me?" , meaning that we can
bear witness to the greatest miracles, we can
hear words of inspiration Moses himself ; yet it
will be fruitless unless we make the choice to
be receptive. As the following true story
related by Rabbi Mordechai Kamemetzky, Dean of
Yeshiva Toras Chaim at South Shore illustrates:
Rav Yechezkel
Sarna, the Rosh Yeshiva of Chevron in Israel
once found himself in a taxi with a very chatty
albeit equally as secular cab driver.
The obvious
eminence of the passenger was quickly noticed by
the driver who did not hesitate to share a bit
about his religious life with him.
"Rebbe," he
sad. "I have to tell you a story. You
understand, I am a totally secular Jew. But a
few years ago, I went on a wilderness vacation
together with two friends in the jungles of
South America. We were sleeping peacefully in
the middle of the night, when suddenly my friend
shrieked. He was being crushed by a giant boa
constrictor which had wrapped itself around him.
I and my other friend struggled to get it off
but we were all helpless. Our friend was being
crushed when desperately, with his last
strength, he let out a cry. "Shema Yisrael
Hashem Elokeinu Hashem Echad!"
Immediately,
as if following a command, the snake uncoiled,
slid off my friend and slithered away. The
driver did not let the rabbi react as he just
continued.
"My friend
was so moved. That he took the next flight back
to Israel, went to a yeshiva and today is a
fully observant Jew who learns in a Kollel in
Jerusalem!"
Rabbi Sarna
listened in amazement and then he asked a simple
question. "And what about you?"
Me?" replied
the driver. "Why should I become religious? The
snake did not wrap around me! It wrapped around
my friend!"
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