Ziv: Parashat Balak

How fair are your tents, O Jacob

We read this week the story of the false prophet Balaam sent to curse Israel. This Balaam is considered by tradition as a magician and a sorcerer of the most despicable kind. He is cunning and deceitful, and he lives a lie. His story is also an imitation of the story of Abraham, sent to offer his son Isaac on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22): Balaam rises early, he prepares his donkey, and goes with two of his lads… Abraham sees the place “from afar” and he also sees from afar. Balaam sees only with one eye (this is literally what the Hebrew text says), and he, who is supposed to be a prophet, would need the words of an animal to see clearly. His duplicity is revealed when he is “called”, when King Balak sent to recruit him to curse Israel with his words - for a reward. Indeed, the children of Israel vanquished kings, and were at the point of entry into their land. Since it was impossible to prevail against them with the force of arms, the formidable force of speech had to be used… Balaam resisted at first: “the Lord has refused to let me go with you”... as if God would have accepted to have His people cursed! Balak sent a second expedition, more powerful and more numerous, with a promise of reward… and Balaam gave an astounding response: “give me one night… I will check again… of course I cannot disobey, even for all the gold in the world”... But, in fact, he had already chosen to follow the order of Balak, and his affirmations were comical. Were he to be honest, he would not have asked a second time… This time, God seemed - surprisingly - to acquiesce, as if He had changed His mind, and the prophet departed. The key of the story can be understood through the story of the donkey that spoke to its master: the deceiver is deceived, by means of a donkey. Twice, he consulted God, and three times he had to strike his donkey to reach an understanding. The angel appeared to him, and revealed to the prophet that he has to speak words of blessing and not curse. Here, too, we find a parallel with the offering of Isaac: according to Rashi, Balaam protested: it is God Himself who told me to go, and you, His angel come to nullify His word? This is in fact his way: He gives an order, and an angel gives the counter-order. He says to Abraham: go, take your son… and He retracts His order through an angel…

Balaam will therefore make his speech and repeats the promise made to Abraham: “blessed are those who bless you, and cursed those who curse you…” since “God is not a human being, that he should lie, or a mortal, that he should change his mind” - as the false prophet finally recognizes. Shabbat Shalom.