Summary

Why did Bilam not succeed to curse the Jewish people? G'd instructed the Jewish people to go to war against Midian. G'd stripped Bilam of his special power. On a simple level, the answer may be that the Jewish people enjoyed a special protection from G'd throughout the days that Bilam tried to curse them. A person depends on the one he trusts. To the extent we feel that we have to take charge ourselves, or feel that it is essential to be "in" with certain people, we actually have created a dependency on those individuals. With our trust, we empower other people to do for us. A certain sorcerer tried to harm the great and pious Rabbi Chanina. Joseph empowered his brothers to bring their plan to fruition. The Jews feared that the Egyptians would harm them and tried to assimilate into Egyptian society. But when Bilam went to Midian to curse the Jewish people, they were not scared of him, for they did not know anything about his evil plans. It is important that we strengthen our trust in G'd and His sovereign power.

Bilam unable to curse the Jewish people

Last week we explained how an individual has the ability to utilize free will to harm someone more than decreed by G'd. If that is the case, we still need to clarify why Bilam did not succeed to curse the Jewish people?

War against the Midianites

In the first of this week's two parshios, the Torah relates how G'd instructed the Jewish people to go to war against Midian. During the war, they killed Bilam together with the five kings of Midian (see Bamidbar 31:1-8). Rashi quotes the Midrash Tanchuma (3) that explains that Bilam had gone to the kings of Midian claiming his payment for causing the death of 24,000 Jews who died in a plague as a punishment for their immoral behaviour with the Moabite and Midianite girls (see Bamidbar 25:1-9). The Talmud (Sanhedrin 106a) explains that when Bilam failed to curse the Jews, he came up with another scheme how to harm them. He told the leaders of Moab and Midian that G'd has zero tolerance for immorality. So if they could come up with a plan how to seduce the Jews into immorality, G'd for sure would get angry and punish them. So in a way, Bilam did succeed to harm the Jewish people indirectly, and he got the payment that he so well deserved, as he was killed by the sword of a Jewish warrior.

Bilam's special power stripped

However, although Bilam's special power was to utilize the moment G'd got angry to curse his victim (see Rashi ibid 23:8), he still did not manage to curse the Jews, even when G'd did get angry with them. For by then G'd stripped Bilam of his special power (see Rashi ibid 24:4). So our question still remains. Why was Bilam different from the Egyptians? Why did he fail to curse the Jewish people?

Special protection of Jewish people

On a simple level, the answer may be that the Jewish people enjoyed a special protection from G'd throughout the days that Bilam tried to curse them. As we explained last week, the only way a person can harm someone else, is when there is some Heavenly judgment against that other person. Rashi (ibid 23:8) explains that G'd took pity on the Jewish people and did not get angry while Bilam visited Moab. This means that G'd dealt with the Jewish people only with the conduct of mercy. Therefore, even the wicked Bilam, with all his special powers, did no stand a chance to harm them.

Person depends on the one he trusts

On a deeper level, there may be a fundamental difference between Bilam and Joseph's brothers and the Egyptians. In his introduction to the Gate of Trust, the fourth gate of "Duties of the Heart", Rabbeinu Bechayei, teaches that a person depends on the one he trusts. We have free choice to put our trust in G'd, or in our own abilities and smartness. We can also trust other individuals, such as people of influence and power. Obviously, since no one but G'd has any real power, the smartest thing is to put our trust in G'd.

Create a dependency on individuals

Rabbi Avraham, the son of the Vilna Gaon, explains that this is not a black or white situation. Rather, to the extent that we put our trust in G'd, we depend on G'd. And to the extent we feel that we have to take charge ourselves, or feel that it is essential to be "in" with certain people, we actually create a dependency on those individuals.

Empower others

Rabbi Chaim Shmulevits, the late Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Mir Jerusalem, elaborates on this and shows how we, with our trust, empower other people to do for us. He quotes from the Seforno (ibid 11:12) that a father has the ability to look after and provide for his children. For the children know how much their father loves them, and that he will do everything to help them with all their needs. This blind trust empowers the father to do whatever he has to do to take care of his family. Similarly, one person's ability to harm another person, may also depend on the victim's belief that the pursuer has the power to harm. Obviously, this does not apply in the case where there is a Heavenly decree. But in the situations we have discussed so far, where a person utilizes his free will to harm beyond what G'd decrees, this is a real factor.

Rabbi Chanina and the sorcerer

The Talmud (Chulin 7b) relates how a certain sorcerer tried to harm the great and pious Rabbi Chanina. Rabbi Chanina was not at all fazed and told the sorcerer, "Do what you want. You will not be able to harm me in any case, as it says (Devarim 4:35): 'There is none beside Him [G'd].'" Rabbi Chaim Valozhiner brings this story in Nefesh HaChaim (3:12) and explains that no one has any real power but what G'd allows. Therefore, if a person focuses on the omnipotence of G'd, this dispossesses his adversary from any ability to harm him. Rabbi Chaim concludes that we all have the ability to concentrate and focus on the omnipotence of G'd. In this way, we can, in time of stress or danger, rid ourselves from harm of any sort from other people.

Joseph and his brothers

When the brothers grabbed Joseph, he pleaded with them to take pity on him (see Bereishis 42:21). This indicates that he feared that they would harm him. He did not say that there is none but G'd, and that his brothers could not harm him. In this way, he himself empowered them to bring their plan to fruition. Reuven wanted to save Joseph. Therefore, he suggested throwing him into the pit, for the snakes and scorpions in the pit would not harm him unless there was a Heavenly decree.

Jews feared the Egyptians

The Midrash Rabba (Shemos 1:8) relates how the Jews feared that the Egyptians would harm them and tried to assimilate into Egyptian society. At that point, says the Midrash, G'd allowed the Egyptians to have a change of heart, and instead of the friendship that had been the norm till then, they now started to hate the Jewish people. As it says in Tehillim (105:25): "He turned their [the Egyptian's] hearts to hate His nation, to scheme against his servants." Had the Jews put their trust in G'd, the Egyptians would have been powerless to harm them anymore than G'd had decreed.

Not fear Bilam

But when Bilam went to Midian to curse the Jewish people, they were not scared of him, for they did not know anything about his evil plans. He therefore had no ability to say anything but what G'd allowed.

Strengthen our trust in G'd

During these three weeks of mourning, we commemorate the destruction of the two Temples and so much suffering and misery that has befallen us throughout our long and bitter exile. It is important that we strengthen our trust in G'd and His sovereign power. In this way, we will, G'd willing, eliminate any further suffering and soon merit the final redemption by Moshiach. Amen.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

These words were based on a talk given by Rabbi Avraham Kahn, the Rosh Yeshiva and Founder of Yeshivas Keser Torah in Toronto.

Shalom. Michael Deverett