“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all transgressions” (Mishlei 10:12)
As I read this parashah, I couldn’t help but imagine how Balak and Bilaam rose up out of the darkness against Israel, and as we read in this week’s portion, Israel wasn’t even aware of what was happening in the distance.
The name of this portion comes from a Midianite man, who, according to tradition, was a great warrior and was therefore elected king. The preceding portion, Chukkat, tells us at the end of the portion that two important kings of the area were destroyed: Og, king of Bashan, and Sihon, king of Heshbon. Bamidbar 21:25 says, “For Heshbon was the city of Sihon king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and had taken all his land out of his hand as far as the Arnon.” 21:31 says, “So Israel came to dwell in the land of the Amorite”; And finally, referring to Og, 21:35 says, “And they struck him down, and his sons, and all his people, until not a remnant remained of them, and they took possession of his land.”
This fact is not unimportant. Sihon and Og, according to the midrashim, were brothers who ruled the territories of Moab; that is, the Moabites were their vassals. When they fell into the hands of the Israelites, they were left without a leader or a king, and they decided to elect a man, the son of a prince of Midian: Balak. However, this Balak, although he wanted to go to war with Israel, knew he could not defeat them unless there was a supernatural intervention that weakened them, and he took advantage of that opportunity to go to war with Israel.
So, he was advised by the Midianites and decided to hire Bilaam to pronounce a curse in exchange for riches. Moving away from these details, I noticed in this parashah a lot of inappropriate associations, as Mishlei 13:20-21 says, “He who walks with the wise will become wise, but he who accompanies fools will be destroyed. Evil will pursue sinners, but good will be paid to the righteous.” As we read previously in Bereshit 36:35, Moab and Midian were not the best of friends, as they were at war, as it says, “Husham died, and Hadad son of Bedad reigned in his place, and he defeated Midian in the field of Moab.” Here, the saying “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” is fulfilled.
Note that Balak is motivated by senseless fear, which causes him to see feelings, ideas, and premonitions, not facts. We read in Bamidbar 22:3: “Moab was terrified because of the people.” I am referring to this fear that makes us think things that don’t really exist, like the ones uttered by the explorers when they went to Canaan and delivered a bad report. In contrast, Midian and Bilaam are driven by wanton hatred. And there is another additional characteristic: Bilaam sought honor and glory. We read his desire in Bamidbar 23:10: “May I die the death of the righteous among them, and may my end be like theirs.” Let’s delve a little deeper: Bilaam (בלעם), according to tradition, was a descendant of Lavan, and his name means “without people, not of the people, or destroyer of the people.” Bil (not) Am (people) (bala; swallow/destroy). What does Mishlei say about a king without a people? “The King’s glory is in the multitude of people, but the ruin of his kingdom is in the lack of people. Mishlei 14:28.” Being a lone wolf, Bilaam might have had money, fame, and fortune, but he lacked people, and this was something he sought and envied.
Balak (בָּלָק) means devastating, empty. And Midian (מִדְיָן) means strife, conflict, judgment, or concealment. We can better interpret the meaning when we read in Mishlei 19:13: “and the quarrelling (מִדְיְנֵ֥י) of a woman is like a continual dripping.” This text could also be read as “and like a Midianite woman.” or read its interpretation in Mishlei 21:19 “It is better to sit in a corner of the housetop than with a contentious woman(מִ֜דְיָנִ֗ים midianim) in a friend’s house,” which could also be read “than with a woman like a group of Midianites.” So, we could conclude that there are dangerous associations that are not convenient, and certain terrible human characteristics that we see in this portion: Fear, emptiness, devastation, strife or conflict, people without a people (selfish) but seeking honor, gratuitous hatred and worst of all, wanting to destroy people senselessly. Moab, instead of being happy that they would have gotten rid of the Amorites, Og and Sihon as vassals, sought to destroy Israel. Something similar to those who hate Israel today for preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons.
I can’t help but see a parallel between what moves people beyond their usual capacities, and this is a great love and hate. We read that Bilaam and Abraham were both great prophets, both from the same area of Mesopotamia, and both heard God’s call to be a channel of blessing or curse to nations. Likewise, we see how both men also saddle a donkey and rise very early. In Abraham, we read how he hurriedly saddled his donkey during the Akedah (Bereshit 22) out of great love for the Eternal; however, we see how Bilaam also hurriedly saddled his donkey (Bamidbar 22) to attempt to curse. Both had servants who would do their menial work, renouncing their protocol because they understood that their mission was greater than their ego. For Abraham, he sees that the reward of God’s love, glory, and honor through obedience will bring his son to life and a good future for his generations. Bilaam, on the other hand, sees that he will rush to destroy and curse; that is, his motivation is hatred.
In both cases, the Hebrew word used for saddle is vaych’vosh (וַיַּֽחֲבשׁ֙) found in Bereshit 22:3 and Bamidbar 22:21, but the word can also be used to refer to conquering something. And what do they both conquer? A donkey (Hamor), whose חֲמֹר֔ could be read as chomer, meaning clay. By saying that Abraham “saddled” it could be interpreted as Rav Shagra Simmons indicates, that Abraham subdued his physical impulses in the service of God, and when in Bereshit 22:5, he says that he leaves the donkey behind in Moriah, it is similar to saying “I am free from the clutches of desire.” Instead, we see how Bilaam refuses to dismount from the donkey, mistreats it, and, what’s more, the one who receives the prophecy in front of the Moabites is the same donkey before Bilaam. This teaches us that sometimes we cling to our desires or physical impulses that prevent us from seeing God.
Pirkei Avot 5:19 says, “Whoever possesses these three things is of the disciples of Abraham our father; and whoever possesses three other things is of the disciples of Bilaam the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit, and a moderate appetite are of the disciples of Abraham our father. An evil eye, a haughty spirit, and an unlimited appetite are of the disciples of Bilaam the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father and the disciples of Bilaam the wicked? The disciples of Abraham our father enjoy this world and inherit the world to come, as it is said, “I will endow those who love me with good things, I will fill their treasures” (Proverbs 8:21). But the disciples of Bilaam the wicked inherit Gehinnom, and they descend into the lowest pit, as it is said, “For you, O God, will bring down into the lowest pit those murderous and treacherous men; They will not live out half their days, but I will trust in you” (Psalm 55:24)
What is the evil eye? Ayin Ha’ra (עין הרע) refers to the belief that an envious glance can cause harm or bad luck to the person being looked at. It is a consequence of a lack of generosity and greed. How is it perceived in a practical way? Are we happy when someone excels, when someone does well, when others do things excellently? Or do we criticize the success of others? A haughty spirit is when we believe ourselves to be better than others. Therefore, we feel we deserve the good things that happen to people outside our circle, and above all, we think that God is at our service. It is closely related to the qualities of arrogance, haughtiness, and pretending to be tall (when we are not). Finally, an unlimited appetite could not be reduced only to food, but to desires (chamor in our portion) that have no end, as the scripture says: the eye that does not tire of seeing, the ear of hearing, the tongue of speaking, the mind of scheming thoughts, among so many passions that bend our will.
Thanks to God’s great love, what came with great hatred ended well. We read in Bamidbar 23:21, “He has seen no wickedness in Jacob, nor has he seen perversity in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and he has the friendship of the King.” Lo-hibit aven אָ֨וֶן֙ beYa’akov velo-ra’ah amal עָמָ֖ל beYisra’el Adonai Elohai imo utru’at melech bo.” What does this mean? It was abundantly clear that Israel had often sinned prior to this episode, for example, in the waters of Meribah, in the scouts’ report, the golden calf, complaints against Moses, and against God. How is it that he has seen no wickedness in Jacob nor perversity in Israel? The answer comes from the same thing we have talked about from the beginning: His GREAT LOVE. He knows how He created us, Job 5:7 says, “For man is born to affliction (-amal- עָמָ֣ל),” but His great love covers a multitude of evils, as we read at the beginning. Deuteronomy 23:6 says, “But the Lord your God would not listen to Bilaam. So, the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you.”
Today, we live in a society filled with duality. On the one hand, there are many people who demonstrate light through a clear eye, humility, and generosity, doing good to others and being bearers of life. But there are also those who oppose us, seeking destruction, spreading instilled and created fear, the evil eye, and arrogance, creating emptiness, strife, and the destruction of communities. We have been called to emulate God’s love, covering up faults, understanding human nature, and above all, to be worthy children of Abraham.
My prayer for this Shabbat is that Ahavat Chinam (unconditional love) may prevail within us, manifested in gratitude, in the joy of God’s goodness in others, in acts of kindness toward creation (people, animals, planet), and above all, toward the source of all life: Our God.
Shabbat Shalom
Mauricio Quintero