Parshas Balak - Balak's Weakness
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Although Bilaam comes across as quite strange in the Torah’s narrative, we should consider that Balak was likewise a very odd person.
The nation of Moav was very concerned by the presence of millions of B’nei Yisroel approaching its border, but Balak took things to an irrational extreme. Rashi (on 22:5, from Medrash Tanchuma) explains that Balak was frightened by the prospects of Am Yisroel obliterating Moav and that he therefore felt that it was necessary for a preemptive act to annihilate Am Yisroel. The Ramban and the S’forno (on v. 3) explain that Moav did not fear that B’nei Yisroel were threatening to take military action against Moav; it is very evident that Balak, however, did fear that B’nei Yisroel would wage war against his nation and destroy it.
Balak’s fear was irrational, as when Am Yisroel approached Edom, it did not threaten or engage in war; on the contrary, Am Yisroel asked Edom’s permission for safe passage through its territory, and Am Yisroel did not resist Edom’s refusal of such. (20:14-21) Similarly, when B’nei Yisroel approached the land of Sichon, it did not attack. Rather, Am Yisroel asked for safe passage through Sichon’s territory, and it only fought after Sichon refused passage and launched an attack. So too was it with Og, who went forth to wage war against the passive Am Yisroel, who only fought against Og once provoked by his onslaught. (21:21-35)
Why then, in light of recent events at the time, did Balak panic and feel that Moav was about to be wiped out by B’nei Yisroel?
Other actions of Balak similarly reflect irrational thinking. Rashi (on 22:7, from Medrash Tanchuma) explains that although representatives of both Midian and Moav initially approached Bilaam to request that he curse B’nei Yisroel, the Midianite contingent abandoned this venture once Bilaam began to stall. Despite Bilaam’s stalling and constant inability to successfully comply with Balak’s request that Bilaam curse the Jews, Balak did not give up on Bilaam and did everything possible to accommodate his failures and constantly changing needs and demands for this project. In real life, such accommodation is totally irrational. Why was Balak not fazed by Bilaam’s stonewalling, failures and new and changing demands? Why did Balak act so irrationally?
In order to try to understand what motivated Balak to act as he did, we need to investigate his background. Rashi (on 22:3, again from Medrash Tanchuma) notes that Balak was not fit to serve as king of Moav and that he was provisionally appointed to the position when Sichon died, and Targum Yonasan ben Uziel (ibid.) writes that Balak only served in the position of king temporarily and was not granted permanent rule by his constituency.
It is likely that Balak was a very insecure individual, as he did not have the confidence of others so as to attain permanent monarchy. Being insecure, Balak projected his personal feelings onto his work and his approach to people, such that he felt threatened when others did not feel threatened and he was submissive when he should been assertive and taken control.
It is thus understood why Balak was frightened by B’nei Yisroel when in reality there was no indication of an impending Israelite invasion or aggression of any sort, and immediate history and experience were actually indicative of the reverse. It is also understood why Balak was so submissive to Bilaam and failed to assert himself, enabling Bilaam to manipulate him and repeatedly not deliver on his promises.
Although the entire episode of our parshah and its unfolding were ordained by Hashem, the lesson to be learned from Balak’s behavior is that as much as each person has weaknesses, he has unique strengths and talents. Rather than let one’s weaknesses define who he is and take control of his life, one must turn to his strengths and talents, realizing that God endowed them upon the individual to be used for success. Just as on the broad scale, Parshas Balak is about God’s master plan for our nation, on the narrow, microcosmic scale, it teaches that every person is given certain qualities by Hashem to use in navigating through life. It is our job to realize that the qualities we possess are according to the will of God and that He gifted us these qualities for positive, constructive and noble purposes and goals that are unique to every person in fulfilling God’s mandate in the individual’s life and in the world.
The nation of Moav was very concerned by the presence of millions of B’nei Yisroel approaching its border, but Balak took things to an irrational extreme. Rashi (on 22:5, from Medrash Tanchuma) explains that Balak was frightened by the prospects of Am Yisroel obliterating Moav and that he therefore felt that it was necessary for a preemptive act to annihilate Am Yisroel. The Ramban and the S’forno (on v. 3) explain that Moav did not fear that B’nei Yisroel were threatening to take military action against Moav; it is very evident that Balak, however, did fear that B’nei Yisroel would wage war against his nation and destroy it.
Balak’s fear was irrational, as when Am Yisroel approached Edom, it did not threaten or engage in war; on the contrary, Am Yisroel asked Edom’s permission for safe passage through its territory, and Am Yisroel did not resist Edom’s refusal of such. (20:14-21) Similarly, when B’nei Yisroel approached the land of Sichon, it did not attack. Rather, Am Yisroel asked for safe passage through Sichon’s territory, and it only fought after Sichon refused passage and launched an attack. So too was it with Og, who went forth to wage war against the passive Am Yisroel, who only fought against Og once provoked by his onslaught. (21:21-35)
Why then, in light of recent events at the time, did Balak panic and feel that Moav was about to be wiped out by B’nei Yisroel?
Other actions of Balak similarly reflect irrational thinking. Rashi (on 22:7, from Medrash Tanchuma) explains that although representatives of both Midian and Moav initially approached Bilaam to request that he curse B’nei Yisroel, the Midianite contingent abandoned this venture once Bilaam began to stall. Despite Bilaam’s stalling and constant inability to successfully comply with Balak’s request that Bilaam curse the Jews, Balak did not give up on Bilaam and did everything possible to accommodate his failures and constantly changing needs and demands for this project. In real life, such accommodation is totally irrational. Why was Balak not fazed by Bilaam’s stonewalling, failures and new and changing demands? Why did Balak act so irrationally?
In order to try to understand what motivated Balak to act as he did, we need to investigate his background. Rashi (on 22:3, again from Medrash Tanchuma) notes that Balak was not fit to serve as king of Moav and that he was provisionally appointed to the position when Sichon died, and Targum Yonasan ben Uziel (ibid.) writes that Balak only served in the position of king temporarily and was not granted permanent rule by his constituency.
It is likely that Balak was a very insecure individual, as he did not have the confidence of others so as to attain permanent monarchy. Being insecure, Balak projected his personal feelings onto his work and his approach to people, such that he felt threatened when others did not feel threatened and he was submissive when he should been assertive and taken control.
It is thus understood why Balak was frightened by B’nei Yisroel when in reality there was no indication of an impending Israelite invasion or aggression of any sort, and immediate history and experience were actually indicative of the reverse. It is also understood why Balak was so submissive to Bilaam and failed to assert himself, enabling Bilaam to manipulate him and repeatedly not deliver on his promises.
Although the entire episode of our parshah and its unfolding were ordained by Hashem, the lesson to be learned from Balak’s behavior is that as much as each person has weaknesses, he has unique strengths and talents. Rather than let one’s weaknesses define who he is and take control of his life, one must turn to his strengths and talents, realizing that God endowed them upon the individual to be used for success. Just as on the broad scale, Parshas Balak is about God’s master plan for our nation, on the narrow, microcosmic scale, it teaches that every person is given certain qualities by Hashem to use in navigating through life. It is our job to realize that the qualities we possess are according to the will of God and that He gifted us these qualities for positive, constructive and noble purposes and goals that are unique to every person in fulfilling God’s mandate in the individual’s life and in the world.
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