“Revealing Hidden Praise”[1]
Parshas Balak 5782
לרפואה שלימה אסתר תהלה בת אריאל ציפורה
Based on “Erev Shabbos Parsha Inspiration” by Rabbi Phillip Moskowitz[2]
Written by Rabbi Dani Staum
“Whoever has the following three traits are from the students of our forefather Avrohom; and whoever has the three different traits are from the students of the wicked Bila’am: Those who have a good eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul are among the students of our forefather Avrohom. Those who have an evil eye, arrogant spirit and a greedy soul are from the students of Bila’am”. (Avos 5:22)
Chazal contrast Avrohom Avinu going to the akeidah with Bila’am going to curse the Jews.
The Torah relates that Avrohom work up early in the morning, and it says the same about Bila’am. Avrohom saddled their own donkey, an expression of his excitement and alacrity to fulfill his mission, and Bila’am did the same. Avrohom was accompanied by two youths, and Bila’am was accompanied as well. Both stories also contain a significant encounter with an angel of Hashem. Avrohom was called to from an angel who told him not to proceed with the akeidah and blessed him. Bila’am was impeded by an angel brandishing a sword.
Yet, despite the many similarities, there are also stark differences. The similarities serve as a foil for the significant and vital differences. One of those differences is in the vision and sight of each event.
Regarding the akeidah an expression of seeing is used at least seven times: “He saw the place… Hashem will see… Hashem will show… He sees the ram”
There is an obvious, constant emphasis on sight. Avrohom was guided by capacity to see with clarity and purpose. Bila’am however, was the opposite. Despite the fact that Bil’am was renowned for being a great visionary, in the story the only one who truly saw the reality was his donkey. Bila’am became enraged at the donkey for crushing his foot because Bila’am failed to see the menacing angel in his path. One would think Bila’am, the prophet, could see the reality, but he couldn’t. Chazal say Bila’am was blind in one eye, as he refers to himself when he unwittingly uttered the blessings, נאם הגבר שתם העין – from the person with the closed eye.
Why is this significant?
Avrohom could see physically and spiritually. He saw the entire picture and on all levels. He saw and sensed holiness. Bila’am was the opposite. He encountered holiness, an angel in his path, but he remained completely oblivious to it.
Sight also means seeing and sensing the entire picture. Not seeing tunnel vision. But with a broader perspective.
Bila’am wasn’t totally blind, only in one eye. When one can only see with one eye he lacks peripheral vision and is limited in his capacity to see, though he might think he can see everything. One needs both eyes to see the bigger picture.
The Mishna highlights that one of differences between Avrohom and Bila’am is having a good eye versus having a bad eye. Does one focus only on what he sees in front of him or does he understand that there is a bigger picture beyond what he can physically see, beyond what’s right in front of me?
When one meet someone does he focus only on the parts of their personality that he doesn’t like or doesn’t agree with, and then accuse him of hypocrisy and falsity? Or is he able to widen the lens and see the entirety of the person and see their inherent value and goodness, even though there are parts of their personality that he doesn’t like.
Bila’am can’t see the entire picture and he focuses only on the negatives.
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It’s often said that one shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. But teh reality is that we do it all the time.
Bila’am tried to curse Klal Yisroel but was unsuccessful. Balak then told Bila’am “Come with me please to a different place. You will see them from there – part of them you will see but you won’t see all of them.” Balak hoped that Bila’am would be successful in cursing them when he had a more limiting vision of the nation.
What sense does that make? Bila’am and Balak were atop a mountain looking down on the Jewish camp in the valley below. Why would seeing less of the nation help?
If a rabbi gives a lecture to his congregation and he sees that everyone fell asleep, should he go to the corner of the shul to give the lecture to the back row where only five people can see him? That’s absurd! How would that help?
Why does Balak think that by limiting the perspective of Bila’am, Bila’am would have a greater chance of success?
Rav Yehuda Gershuni, Sha’arei Zedek, suggests that Bila’am and Balak understood that the key to their success would be to locate and dwell on the shortcomings of the Jewish nation. If they perceived those failings, they could emphasize them and make the nation worthy of a curse. The problem is that on the whole the Jewish people are a great people – they are faithful and loyal and want to do what’s right.
Balak reasoned that perhaps instead of focusing on the entire nation they could focus on a fragment of the nation, and then it would be far easier to find and focus on shortcomings.
We can add that this mindset of Balak and Bila’am in trying to curse the nation, is true for us as individuals as well. If we look at the totality of others, we will see that most of us are good people. But if we take out a magnifying glass and zero in on the details of a person’s life and conduct, it will be far easier to find fault. By zooming the lens out, we see a beautiful wholesome person. But by zooming in we pick up on imperfections and deficiencies.
We look at ourselves as a whole, but we are quicker to focus narrowly on the faults of others.
This is an appropriate lesson for Shiva Asar b’Tamuz and the Three Weeks when we work on enhancing our interpersonal relationships. The next time we want to judge someone, before we are quick to jump to conclusions, we should take a step back. Don’t fall into the trap of Bila’am and Balak of judging based on details, externalities, and superficialities. Instead look at the totality of the person and that will help avoid being hypercritical.
The healing of Three Weeks begins with seeing bigger picture and becoming more accepting of others.