Parshat Balak

Elana Berenson (davar Torah for her bat mitzvah service)

Today’s Torah Portion is especially meaningful to me, because it was the portion I read for my Bat Mitzvah 9 years ago. As I began to refamilirize myself with the text I realized how much I have changed. The way I interact with the portion and the guidance I receive from it are much different.

This weeks parashah is the story of Balak, the king of the nation Moab, who is threatened by the Israelites. He hires Balaam, who is a magician of sorts, to curse the Israelites and force them to flee his territory. Balaam undertakes this assignment upon his donkey. On his way the donkey encounters an angel three separate times, which is to prevent Balaam from going through his plan. Only on the third time does Balaam see the angel before him. When Balaam finally comes upon the Israelites encampment a blessing comes from his mouth instead of the intentioned curse. This blessing, the Mah Tovuh, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel”, is sung in synagogues around the world.

The story of Balaam highlights the morality within each of us to choose whether or not as individuals we want to do goodness or we want to perpetrate evil. It is easy for us to fall back on our evil ways, because often this is the easier path to take. Balaam set out to bring harm to the Israelites. It was a choice he made through his own free will, and was only stopped when G-d intervened in the form of an angel. 

“Balaam said to the angel of the Lord, ‘I have sinned. I did not realize you were standing in the road to oppose me. Now if you are displeased, I will go back” (Numbers 22:34). Balaam claims to have not realized that by setting out to curse the Israelites he was committing a transgression. This is an excuse, but it is not enough. Just because we did not know that what we were doing was wrong, that we are not at fault. 

Balaam is also in the wrong, because he chooses to disregard his morals by heeding Balak’s request. He chose to do the wrong thing, even if deep down he knew it was bad. Most of us have done this at some point. We might choose to take the easier route or we may hurt someone for our own gain. Whatever it is, we are flawed in this way. There is always the ability to do the wrong thing, but we muts overcome this to do what is right. 

Unlike Balaam we cannot use the excuse of not seeing the angel to defend our shortcomings. In the end we must face the challenge of doing what is right instead of what is easy or simple. Rabbi Neal Loevinger wrote “Do we use Balaam’s excuse-’I didn’t know’-when our friends and family need our help and support? Do we say, ‘I didn’t see’ when we step over the homeless on our way to work, or when we encounter the effects of any other problem in our community? Choosing not to see is something we all do at times”. But as Balaam redeems himelf, in the end of the portion, we are able to as well. The next time you buy that cup of coffee or purchase clothing think about the effects those items have and don’t use the excuse of “I didn’t know”. 

Shabbat Shalom everybody.