THE LORD OPENED THE MOUTH OF THE SHE-DONKEY, AND SHE SAID TO BALAAM, "WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU THAT YOU HAVE STRUCK ME THESE THREE TIMES?" BALAAM SAID TO THE SHE-DONKEY, "FOR YOU HAVE HUMILIATED ME; IF I HAD A SWORD IN MY HAND, I WOULD KILL YOU RIGHT NOW."

(Bamidbar 22:28-9)

 

The Lord opened the mouth of the she-donkey - to speak, since Scripture often alludes to speech and the pronouncing of letters with the term mouth, as in who gave man a mouth, and Moses said, for I am heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue. Here too, God granted the she-donkey's mouth the power to pronounce the letters, but it should not be said that the she-donkey gained a human-like spirit of intelligence. God forbid one think that way; that is why she did not make any mention of the angel of the Lord who stood before her, for she lacked the intelligence to make an argument defending her stubbornness as having resulted from her having seen the angel. Rather, she spoke like any animal prone to anger that was upset at having been hit. This miracle occurred in order to cast down Balaam's pride and humiliate him before the Moabite ministers who accompanied him. Instead of glorying before them in his wisdom and prophesizing, he is now reproved by an animal that has made an unanswerable argument against him. He had to admit she was right, and there is no greater humiliation for such an arrogant man. The miracle also paralleled his sin and crime, for he wanted to find fault with the holy seed and the chosen elect, and this impure beast found fault with him as if she were his better. He came to sin with his tongue against the intentions of the Creator Who granted man the power of speech to use for good and not for evil, and the she-donkey, who could not speak by nature, spoke more correctly than him in order to shame him so that he might learn a lesson.

If I had a sword - his mind was confused by anger, and he spoke words that were a great embarrassment for him in the eyes of the ministers, since he was going forth to kill an entire nation with his speech, but he needed a weapon in order to kill the she-donkey.

(R. Yitzhak Shemuel Reggio ad loc)

 

For my first grandchild, Hila,

Welcome to our complex world.

Balaam son of Be'or, the Wizard

Haim Rubinstein

Reality is elusive. The impression of reality is the product of the processing of information garnered by the usual five senses and other additional information from bodily senses such as balance, pain, and the like. The integration of the input from the senses gives us a simple grasp of the world in time and space, recognition of dangers in our path, and the ability to navigate our physical environment. An understanding of the more complex relations between the physical world, the spiritual, and the self, is more complicated. Understanding of the world and location of the self within it involves an intersection of social relations, role playing, religious beliefs, and "sense of orientation." All of these grant one the ability to navigate the social-ideological web.

Feelings and emotions possess the ability to strengthen or weaken the sense of reality and to filter it. Various fluctuations of the sense are received in this way. Beyond this, there are "reality-like" situations that erase reality. The best known of these are dreams, which offer a feeling of reality even though they do not cohere according to the laws of logic. Next come hallucinations, illusions of the imagination, and sleight of hand.

Our parasha tells a story that oscillates between a reality that is intelligible to the reader and illusions and sleight of hand. Regarding each incident, the reader asks himself; what does each of the protagonists know? What does he identify as reality? What is the true reality? In the opening of our parasha, Balak seeks to change reality and invites Balaam son of Be'or to curse Israel. Balak is convinced that I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed (Bamidbar 22:6), while Balaam knows that what the Lord places in my mouth - that I shall be careful to speak (23:12). They continue to act in cooperation while each of them lives with a different understanding. Balak is convinced that Balaam is able to change reality with his curses, while Balaam hopes that God will somehow help him.

Balaam is full of himself. He is convinced that he will somehow manage to co-opt God and His great power. Although he knows that his prophecies are not under his own control, he feels that he will be able to supply the requested services with the help of seven altars and offerings of bulls and rams. Such is the nature of wizards. From the days of the magicians of Egypt and up to Oracle of Delphi, there are those who wish to vanquish tomorrow's uncertainty and the randomness of reality with the help of magic. Their predictions and abilities to change reality gain credibility from tricks and sleight of hand. Our helplessness when facing the future and the arbitrariness of chance happenings instill us with existential anxiety. The oracle's claimed ability to foresee the future, astrological predictions, and the visions of the prophet-wizard all help us deal with ignorance and ease anxieties concerning the hidden future.

The story of the she-donkey derisively portrays the gap between the wizard's ignorance and the she-donkey's plain understanding of events. The prophet-wizard tries to navigate along a clear path that is properly marked by stone walls. It appears to be a clear and sharp reality that reflects his wishes and symbolizes his ambition to progress upon a straight path to the point where he may pronounce curses. Opposing this false reality is the true reality, present in the form of an angel of the Lord who lifts his sword with an outstretched hand. Balaam fails to recognize this reality. The great prophet, who has been called upon by King Balak and his ministers, is blind to what a simple she-donkey can see and understand.

It does not matter if the story is true, whether it occurred in a dream or is merely a metaphor; its message remains clear. One must check oneself constantly; do one's eyes see and senses report the true reality? One must check oneself against the laws of truth and against a clear yardstick in order to see whether one is hallucinating or dreaming. Interpretation of reality stands at the center of disagreements among people, for instance, in Balak and Balaam's failure to understand each other. The perception of one side is warped by interests or prejudice, or by past experience.

When Balaam "sees" reality he prophesizes as The word of Balaam the son of Beor and the word of the man with an open eye (Bamidbar 24:3). He has no need for bodily eyes; he immediately understands that For there is no divination in Jacob and no soothsaying in Israel (23:23). Israel holds the instrument for perceiving actual reality. The laws of Moses' Torah are the Jewish yardstick, and with its help it becomes possible to see what is happening and to check actual reality. When Israel's grasp of that instrument falters in the episode found at the end of our parasha involving the Midianite women, the Israelites are lost and only a resolute deed returns them to reality.

Contemporary culture uses amazing technologies to produce virtual realities, illusions and visions that surpass those of any prophet or wizard. They are more powerful than any oracle we knew in the past. The encounter with seeming reality and the struggle towards truth are more difficult than in the past and we are susceptible to extensive relativism in our evaluation of truth. The simple and straightforward thinking of the she-donkey can serve as a model for discerning reality.

As a stand-alone work, the "Balaam episode" has achieved an honorable place on the Jewish bookshelf; it was even nominated to become part of the Shema. It is of great importance as a bulwark against the natural human tendency towards belief in superstition and in signs that ease our anxiety regarding the unknown. The message of Balaam's story is that anything the Lord says - that I shall do (23:26), and then How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel! (24:5). A nation without divination or soothsaying, that lives free of illusions or visions, they extend like streams, like gardens by the river (24:6).

Haim Rubinstein, grandfather

 

Why Have You Beaten Your She-donkey? The Torah Wants to Promote Moral Sensitivity towards all Creatures

The angel of the Lord said to him, "Why have you beaten your she-donkey...?" (Bamidbar 22:32) The angel came to him to redress a she-donkey's humiliation, and said to him: Even though this she-donkey lacks merit or the patriarch's covenant, I claim its redress from you, all the more so [will I act on behalf of] the entire nation which you seek to annihilate.

(Tanhuma Balak 10)

 

As for their dictum: "[To avoid causing] suffering to animals is [an injunction to be found] in the Torah" (Shabbat 128b) - in which they refer to its dictum - Why have you beaten your she-donkey (Bamidbar 22: 32) - it is set down with a view to perfecting us so that we should not acquire moral habits of cruelty and should not inflict pain gratuitously without any utility, but that we should intend to be kind and merciful even with a chance animal individual, except in the case of need - for you have the urge to eat meat (Devarim 12: 20) - for we must not kill out of cruelty or for sport.

(RaMBaM, Guide of the Perplexed 3:17, based on Pines' translation)

 

Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses (Devarim 34:10) - But one did arise among the nations. Which [prophet] was it? Balaam ben Be'or.

(Sifrei Ve-Zot Ha- Brakha 357)

 

An important lesson can be learnt from this. Man's natural qualities do not determine his spiritual status, nor do the talents bestowed on him from Above. Even the supreme gift of prophecy cannot turn him into a saint against his will or without his own endeavors. Man's own will is the sole factor determining whether he will use his qualities, talents and even the gift of prophecy bestowed on him for good, or, God forbid, misuse them, for evil. It depends solely on his own freewill to aspire to the sainthood of a Moses or descend to the villainy of a Balaam.

(Prof. Nehama Leibowitz, z"l, Iyyunim Be-Sefer Bamidbar, Aryeh Newman, translator)

 

A star rises from Jacob –Prophecy, Identification and Confirmation

A star rises from Jacob - Because the Messiah will gather the dispersed of Israel from the ends of the earth, he compared him to a star rising in the firmament from the ends of the earth.

(RaMBaN on Bamidbar 24:17)

 

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai taught: Rabbi Akiva would expound A star has risen from Jacobv - Kozba [Bar Kokhba] has risen from Jacob. When Rabbi Akiva would see bar Kozba, he would say: This is the anointed King - the Messiah. Rabbi Yohanan ben Tortah said to him: Akiva, grass will sprout from your cheeks and still the Messiah will not arrive.

(Yerushalmi Taanit 4:5)

 

Don't imagine that the Anointed King [Mashiah] must perform signs and miracles and create new things in the world or resurrect the dead, etc. Such is not the case, for we see that Rabbi Akiva was a great sage among the sages of the Mishnah, and he was the ‘arms bearer' of King Ben Kozibah, and he said of him that he is the Messiah, and he and all the sages of his generation thought that he was the Messiah. When he was killed because of his sins they realized he was not. The Sages did not ask him to show a sign or a miracle. The main principle is as follows: This Torah, its precepts and rulings are eternal, not to be added to nor detracted from.

(RaMBaM, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Melakhim 11:3)

 

Five events occurred to our ancestors on the 17^th of Tammuz and five on the 9^th of Av - on the 17^th of Tammuz the Tablets were smashed and the regular tammid offering was cancelled and the city was invaded and Apostomos burnt the Torah and stood an idol in the sanctuary.

(Mishna, Taanit 4:1)

 

Now the tablets were God's work, and the inscription was God's inscription, engraved on the tablets.

(Shemot 32)

 

before the eyes of all Israel - [This refers to the fact] that his heart inspired him to shatter the Tablets before their eyes, as it is said, And I broke them before your eyes (9:17), and the opinion of the Holy One, blessed be He [regarding this action] agreed with his opinion, as it is stated [that God referred to them as the Tablets] which you broke (Shemot 34:1) - Yiyshar kohakha ["May your strength be fitting" - an expression of thanks and congratulations] that you have broken [them]!

(Rashi Devarim 34:12)

 

and stood an idol in the sanctuary - This is a subject of disagreement among the Amoraim in the Jerusalem Talmud. One says: It is Menashe's idol, and it occurred in the First Temple period.

The other says: It was Apostomos's idol. He was a Greek officer, and it occurred in the Second Temple period.

(R. Ovadiah MiBartenura, Ta'anit 4:6)

 

The ministering angels blocked up the windows so that Menashe's prayer would not reach the Holy One blessed be He, and the ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: "Lord of the Universe, would You accept the repentance of a man who worshipped idols and set up an idol in the sanctuary?

He told them: "If I do not accept his repentance, I will be locking the door for all those who repent."

What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He cut an opening below His Throne of Glory and heard his entreaty, and so it is written: And he prayed to Him, and He accepted his prayer, and He heard his supplication and He restored him to Jerusalem to his kingdom.

How did He return him? Shemuel bar Bina said in the name of Rabbi Aha: He returned him with a wind, as it is said, "He made the wind blow and Manashe-knew that the Lord was God." At that moment. Menashe said: "There is judgment and there is a judge."

(Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 10:2)

 

And Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his she-donkey (Bamidbar 22): We learn in the name of R. Shimon ben Elazar: Love revokes the customs of high status. [one learns this] from Abraham, for it is written And Abraham arose early in the morning [and he saddled his donkey] (Bereishit 22:3). Hate [also] revokes the customs of high status, for it is said: And Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his she-donkey.

Rav Yehudah said that Rav said: A person should always occupy himself with Torah and the commandments, even if not for their own sakes, since Balaam gained merit and Ruth was his descendent as reward for the forty two offerings that he sacrificed.

Rabbi Yosi bar Huna said: Ruth was Eglon's daughter, who was the grandson of Balak, king of Moab.

(Sanhedrin 105b)

 

Said Rabbi Elazar Hakapar: Balaam looked out and saw that there will be a man, born of woman, who will some day arise and attempt to set himself up as a divinity, and to lead the entire world astray. Therefore was power given to the voice of Balaam so that he would be heard by all the nations of the world, and so he said: "Be careful not to go astray after that man (Jesus), as is written, God is not a man that he should lie and if he claims to be a God, he is lying and he is destined to mislead and say that he is leaving but will return in the end (i.e., that he is the messiah of the end of days) Would he say and not do?

(From an uncensored version of a midrash - quoted by Y. Leibowitz in Sheva Shanim shel Sihot al Parashiyot ha'Shavu'a)

 

 

 

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