Balak

This week's parsha tells the interesting story of the pagan prophet, Bil'am. Frightened by the approach of the Jewish people as they near the Land of Israel, Balak and the other Kings of Moav and Midian hire Bil'am to curse the Jewish people - "Now, please go and curse for me this nation, for it is too mighty for me; perhaps I will prevail, smite them, and drive them from the land...". Bil'am takes the job, but, again and again, try as he might, his curses are turned by God into blessings: each and every time he tries to curse the Israelites, God miraculously puts the most beautiful poetry into his mouth, in which he praises the people Israel. I have always felt that there is a bit of a strange game going on here. After all, God could, I imagine, allow Bil'am to curse the Jewish people to his heart's content, and then simply ignore his words, or he could he could kill him, or turn him into a toad, or something. Why make such a big deal out of his words? Why does God seem to believe that what comes out of Bil'am's mouth is important, and, therefore, He must perform this playful miracle of fooling around with what Bil'am says so that it comes out good for the Jews?  READ MORE »