Date: Wed, 23 Jun 1999 22:03:02 +0300 From: Menachem Leibtag Subject: PARSHAT BALAK - shiur To: all@tanach.org, parsha@tanach.org, yhe-parsha.ml@vbm-torah.org Reply-to: tsc@bezeqint.net Priority: normal X-MIME-Autoconverted: from Quoted-printable to 8bit by acis.mc.yu.edu id PAA26914 Reply To: Menachem Leibtag Error-To: Listproc Error X-ListMember: cypess@ymail.yu.edu [all@tanach.org] ************************************************************* THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org] In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag ************************************************************* PARSHAT BALAK [revised 5759] Is Bilam really such a 'bad guy'? True, God's disapproval of his decision to join Balak's messengers (see 22:12,22) suggests that his true intentions may have been to curse Am Yisrael. However, this fact may prove exactly the opposite - that Bilam is a man of high stature! After all, over and over again, Bilam OVERCOMES his personal, malevolent inclinations and blesses them, "exactly as God commands him" (see 23:12,26 & 24:13). In fact, his final blessing of Am Yisrael appears to have been his own initiative (see 24:1-6). Why, then, do Chazal consider Bilam the archetype "rasha" (a wicked person /see Pirkei Avot 5:22), simply for once having harbored bad intentions? This week's shiur attempts to answer this question by reconstructing what really happens in Parshat Balak, based on other parshiyot in Chumash. INTRODUCTION From Parshat Balak alone it is hard to pinpoint any specific sin that we can attribute to Bilam. In fact, a careful reading of the entire Parsha shows that not only did he do nothing wrong, he is even quite a "tzadik" (a righteous man). Before embarking on his journey, he makes it absolutely clear to Balak's messengers that he will not deviate one iota from Godās instructions (see 22:18). Upon his arrival in "sdeh Moav,ä he blesses Am Yisrael instead of cursing them, precisely as God commands him (see 23:1-24:9). Bilam is so 'pro-Israel' that by the conclusion of the story, Balak basically tells Bilam to 'get lost': "Balak's anger was kindled with Bilam and, striking his hands together, Balak tells Bilam: I asked you to curse my enemy and instead you have blessed them three times! Now, RUN AWAY to your own place..." (24:10-11). As if he had not disappointed Balak enough, Bilam, before he leaves, informs Balak of how Yisrael will one day achieve military prowess over Moav and Edom. Finally: "Bilam gets up and goes to his homeland, and Balak also went on his way" (24:25). [story over] Clearly, Parshat Balak leaves us with the impression that Bilam & Balak split on 'no-speaking' terms. Bilam, the 'loyal prophet,' returns home, leaving Balak to deal with his problems by himself. Surely, had this been the only story in Chumash about Bilam, there would be no reason to brand him a "rasha.ä But in order to fully understand Bilam and his behavior, we must look ahead to Parshat Matot, where the Torah tells us about Bilam's untimely death. We begin by showing how these two parshiyot are connected. BILAM & THE WAR WITH MIDYAN Immediately after the story of Bilam (chapters 22->24), we find the account of Bnei Yisrael's sin with "bnot Moav" (the daughters of Moav and Midyan/see chapter 25). Although the Torah does not specify who instigated this incident, the juxtaposition of these two stories already suggests some connection between them (see Rashi & Ramban 25:1). This sin results in a devastating plague that is ended by the zealous act of Pinchas (25:1-9). Thereafter, God commands Bnei Yisrael to avenge the Midyanim with a reprisal attack (see 25:16-18). For some reason (to be discussed in the shiurim to follow), the report of that battle appears only several chapters later, in Parshat Matot (see 31:1-12). In the brief depiction of that battle, the Torah informs us(almost incidentally) that Bilam is killed together with the five kings of Midyan (31:8). Why is Bilam executed? What did he do to deserve the death penalty? The answer to this question is alluded to in the following story. When the army returns from battle with Midyan, Moshe mentions Bilam in his censure of the military officers for taking female captives: "And Moshe became angry at the military officers... saying: Were they not the very ones who, at the BIDDING OF BILAM [b'DVAR BILAM], induced the Bnei Yisrael to sin against God in the matter of Peor!" (31:14-16). To what does ćDVAR BILAMä refer? The Gemara in Sanhedrin 106a explains that this expression refers to Bilam's idea to have the daughters of Moav and Midyan lure Bnei Yisrael towards the idolatrous worship of "Baal Peor.ä Now, the connection between these two Parshiyot becomes clear. It was Bilam himself who instigated the entire incident of "chet bnot Moav"! It was his idea to seduce Bnei Yisrael. In fact, Bilam is so involved that this entire incident is associated with his name! [Furthermore, this statement by Moshe indicates that Bilam's involvement in this scheme is 'common knowledge.' He takes for granted that the military officers are aware of "DVAR BILAM," Bilamās initiation of the Baal Peor conspiracy. Everyone seems to have known that Bilam was the instigator.] Therefore, when Bilam is executed, it is not because he had once intended to curse Bnei Yisrael. Bilam is guilty of having orchestrated the entire scheme of "chet bnot Moav." So why the sudden change of heart? Why, after blessing Am Yisrael, does he turn around and plan their demise? Was "dvar Bilam" simply some last minute advice to Balak before leaving? Recall that when Bilam was sent away, he and Balak were not exactly on the best of terms. Why would Bilam want to help Balak? Furthermore, what is Bilam doing in Midyan in the first place? Hadnāt he gone home? Before we can answer these questions, we must first determine where Bilam comes from. [Time for a little Biblical geography.] BILAM'S HOME-TOWN A brief study of Bilamās background may help us understand exactly what happened. Bilam lived in Mesopotamia, VERY FAR away from Moav and Midyan! The opening psukim of the Parsha tell us this explicitly: "Balak sent messengers to Bilam ben Be'or, to city of Ptor which is by THE RIVER ... to call him" (32:5). In Chumash, THE RIVER ("ha'nhar") refers to the Euphrates ("n'har prat"), the main river flowing through Mesopotamia. This assumption can be confirmed by Sefer Dvarim, in a short reference to Moav and the story of Bilam: "... and because they hired Bilam ben Be'or from Ptor ARAM NAHARAIM" [Aram - (located between) the two great rivers (the Euphrates and Tigris)] (23:5). Furthermore, Bilam's opening blessing specifically states that he comes from Aram, from the East (modern day Syria/Iraq): "From ARAM, Balak has brought me... from the mountains in the EAST [har'rey KEDEM]" (23:7). Why is it so important that Bilam comes from Mesopotamia, far away from Moav? THE RETURN OF BILAM Recall that Bilam had returned HOME (see 24:25), i.e. to Mesopotamia, after blessing Bnei Yisrael (instead of cursing them). Nevertheless, only a short time later, when Bnei Yisrael sin with "bnot Moav,ä we find Bilam Īback in the neighborhood,ā together with the five kings of Midyan (31:8). Evidently, after Bilam had returned home, he COMES BACK to Moav - a SECOND time! For what purpose does he return? Why does he embark on another journey of several hundred miles to give some advice to Moav and Midyan? The answer is startling, but simple: Bilam the 'PROPHET' went home - Bilam the 'CONSULTANT' returns! What motivates Bilam's lengthy trek back to Moav? Why is he so interested in causing Bnei Yisrael to sin? BILAM - THE RASHA Bilam's return to Moav reveals that his true intention all along was to curse Bnei Yisrael. Yet, as a prophet, his hands were tied: 'how could he curse he whom God Himself does not curse' (see 23:8). However, even though he may be faithful to God as a prophet, he is far less faithful as a person. Overcome by his desire to harm Bnei Yisrael, he employs his prophetic understanding to devise an alternate plan - to create a situation where God Himself will curse Am Yisrael. As reflected in his blessing of Bnei Yisrael, Bilam the prophet recognizes the special relationship between God and His Nation. He fully understands why God does not allow him to curse them, for it is His will that Bnei Yisrael fulfill their Divine purpose to becomes God's special nation. On the other hand, Bilam finds a loophole. Being a prophet, he also reathat should Bnei Yisrael themselves fail in their obedience to God, He Himself would punish them. In other words, this special nation could not be cursed without reason. However, should they sin, God would punish them. Bilam's conclusion is shrewd: to CAUSE Bnei Yisrael to be cursed - by causing them to sin. Bilam finally finds a method to curse Bnei Yisrael. He advises Moav and Midyan to cause Bnei Yisrael to sin. This may be the deeper reason why Chazal consider Bilam the archetype "rasha": he utilizes his prophetic understanding, the unique privilege that God granted him, to further his own personal interests, rather than to follow God's will. Taking God-given qualities and using them in an improper manner is the 'way of life' for a "rasha.ä AVRAHAM VERSUS BILAM In the Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (5:22), Bilam is called the "rasha" and is also contrasted with Avraham Avinu: "Whoever has the following three traits is among the 'talmidim' (disciples) of AVRAHAM AVINU; and whoever has three other traits is among the 'talmidim' of BILAM "ha'rasha": BILAM haāRASHA AVRAHAM AVINU ============== ============= evil eye good eye arrogant spirit humble spirit greedy soul meek soul ... Both Avraham and Bilam are men of renowned spiritual stature. However, Bilam exploits this quality for his own personal pride and gain, while Avraham Avinu utilizes this quality towards the perfection of mankind. A "rasha," according to Chazal, is one who harnesses his God-given abilities towards an unworthy purpose. A disciple of Avraham Avinu, by contrast, is one who harnesses these qualities for a Divine purpose. In Chumash, we find several textual parallels between Bilam and Avraham Avinu, which support this comparison. We will note two examples: (A) BRACHA & KLALAH AVRAHAM: "and I will BLESS those whom you bless, and those who CURSE you shall be cursed, and through you ALL NATIONS on earth SHALL BE BLESSED" (Br.12:3); BILAM: "·for it is known, that he whom you BLESS shall be blessed, and he whom you CURSE shall be cursedä (22:5). (B) ARAM NAHARAIM The homeland of both Avraham and Bilam is Aram Naharaim, the center of ancient civilization: AVRAHAM: see Breishit 24:4 & 24:10, and Br.11:27-31; BILAM: see Bamidbar 23:7 & Dvarim 23:5. These parallels point to this fundamental contrast between Bilam and Avraham Avinu. As Bnei Yisrael, the chosen offspring of Avraham Avinu, are about to enter the Promised Land to become a 'blessing for all nations' (Br. 12:3), they meet a final challenge. Just as God's prophecy concerning Avraham is about to become a reality, Bilam - the prophet with the ability to bless and curse - together with Moav (the descendants of Lot) and Midyan (the descendants of Yishmael)- make a last minute attempt to thwart the fruition of this destiny. PROFESSIONAL BIAS One could suggest that this confrontation may be representative of a more fundamental conflict. Unlike Moav, whose fear is motivated by an actual threat to their national security (22:3-4), Bilam's fear of Am Yisrael may have been more personal. The existence of Am Yisrael posed a threat to Bilam himself! Bilam, as echoed in his three blessings, recognizes the Divine purpose of Am Yisrael: a Nation destined to bring the message of God to mankind. This novel concept of a Nation of God threatened to rattle the spiritual 'status quo' of ancient civilization. Up until now, Divine messages to mankind were transmitted by inspired individuals such as Bilam himself. The concept that this purpose could now be fulfilled by an entire nation, rather then a single individual, could be considered a 'professional threat' to Bilam and the society which he represents. In one sense, this confrontation between Bilam and Am Yisrael continues to this very day. Is it possible for a nation, a political entity, to deliver a Divine message to all mankind? While Bilam and his 'disciples' continue to endeavor to undermine this goal, it remains Am Yisraelās responsibility to constantly strive to achieve it. shabbat shalom menachem ============================= FOR FURTHER IYUN A. Note the commentary of the Avrabanel, who explains that Bilam is a descendant of Lavan. 1. Does this support the basic points made in the shiur? 2. What parallels exist between Bilam and Lavan? 3. Did Lavan ever receive "n'vuah"? Did Hashem ever speak to him? If so, what was the content of that prophecy? Does it parallel Bilamās vision? 4. Could the struggle between Lavan and Yaakov also have been of a spiritual nature? B. Bilam was almost successful; Bnei Yisrael's sin with "Bnot Moav and Midyan" led to some 24 thousand casualties. The plague was stopped due to the last-minute intervention of Pinchas (25:6-9), who is rewarded with the covenant of the 'kehuna' (25:10-13). 1. How does his reward correspond to his deed? 2. What are the responsibilities of the 'kohanim' besides their work in the Mikdash? 3. How does this relate to the ultimate fulfillment of our national destiny? C. An additional textual parallel exists between Avraham and Bilam: traveling in the morning with two servants, etc.: Avraham - Vayashkeim Avraham ba'boker, VaYACHAVOSH et chamoro vayikach et SHTEI NA'ARAV ITO .. (Br. 22:3); Bilam - "V'yakom Bilam ba'boker, V'YACHAVOSH et atono... U'SHNEI NA'ARAV imo" (Bamid. 22:22-23). 1. Could this parallel be the source of the Midrash Chazal describing the 'satan' who challenges Avraham Avinu as he goes with Yitzchak to the Akeidah? If so, explain why. D. Who wrote "Sefer Bilam"? Although Parshat Balak seems to be an integral part of Chumash, the Gemara in Baba Batra 14b makes a peculiar comment about this Parshaās authorship: "Moshe wrote his book (Chumash), parshat bilam, and sefer Iyov (Job)." It is understandable that the Gemara would need to inform us that Moshe penned Sefer Iyov, as its authorship is not self- evident. But why would there be any 'hava aminah' that he didn't write Parshat Bilam? Rashi (in Baba Batra) explains that every other parsha in Chumash is connected in some way to Moshe - either 'tzorcho', 'torato' (mitzvot), or Īseder maasavā (narrative). In other words, the rest of Chumash directly involves Moshe, in one way or another. In parshat Bilam, however, no one, including Moshe, should have known about the encounter between Bilam and Balak. The obvious question then arises, who else besides Moshe could have written the story of Bilam that appears in Chumash? What navi other than Moshe could have recorded this incident? Rabbeinu Gershom (al atar) answers that one may have presumed that Bilam himself wrote this parsha! Since he was a navi, one may have thought that his brachot and conversations are quoted directly! In order to dissuade such a notion, the Gemara specifies that Moshe himself wrote down this entire Parsha directly from Hashem, and did not receive it via Bilam. How does this relate to the machloket regarding: "Torah - megilah nitnah" or "sefer chatum nitnah"? E. One could also ask, how were Bnei Yisrael aware of Bilam's involvement in the sin of "bnot Moav"? How did "Dvar Bilam" become common knowledge among Bnei Yisrael? Who told them that it was Bilam's idea? The answer could be quite simple. Most probably the daughters of Midyan (who sinned with Bnei Yisrael) had informed their 'patrons' as to who had sent them. [The 'word' got around.] F. "Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov" From the time Bnei Yisrael leave Har Sinai, Sefer Bamidbar has few positive events to record. The nation appears to be deteriorating, consistently progressing from one sin to the next (mitonnim, mitavim, mraglim, korach, mei m'riva, etc.). With all the complaining and internal strife, it is difficult to find anything positive to say about our ancestors in the wilderness. It 'davka' takes an outsider, like Bilam, looking at Am Yisrael from a distance, to openly declare the greatness of this nation despite all the problems. When Bilam observes an entire nation following Hashem through the desert, he proclaims: "Ma tovu ohalecha yaakov..." This is an important insight with regard to our present- daysituation, as well. Sometimes we become overly disillusioned with ourselves, as we see so much disagreement, disunity, lack of commitment, etc. We become so overwhelmed by the discouraging details, that we are sometimes unable to take a step back and look at the whole picture, appreciating our achievements. With all the problems in Israel today, we continue to witness great accomplishments in all walks of Jewish life. It is important to periodically take a step back and assess the good as well as the bad, thus gaining the motivation to continue to achieve. "Ma tovu ohalecha yaakov" - a nice attitude to start off the day! ********************************************************* To SUBSCRIBE or to UNSUBSCRIBE to this shiur: send e-mail to: lists@tanach.org with the following message in first line of TEXT: join all or leave all ********************************************************* Previous shiurim are available on the TSC WEBSITE: http://www.tanach.org *********************************************************** If you would like to support the TSC Project or dedicate a shiur, please e-mail: ml@tanach.org *********************************************************** Internet & e-mail list hosting for the TSC provided courtesy of: The Yerushalayim Network (http://www.yerushalayim.net) a Centennial Project of the Orthodox Union (http://www.ou.org) *********************************************************** Copyright (c) 1999 Menachem Leibtag. All rights reserved.