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<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>*************************************************************<BR>
THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]<BR>
In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag<BR> Shiurim in
Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag<BR>*************************************************************</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
PARSHAT BALAK</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Is Bil'am really such a
'bad guy'? This may surprise<BR>you, but if you read this week's Parsha
carefully, you'll have<BR>trouble pinpointing any specific transgression that
he<BR>commits.<BR> Indeed, God's anger with his decision
to travel with<BR>Balak's messengers (see 22:12,22) suggests that his
true<BR>intentions may have been to curse Am Yisrael. However,
this<BR>fact may prove exactly the opposite - that Bil'am is a man of<BR>high
stature! After all, over and over again, Bil'am<BR>overcomes his personal
desire to curse Yisrael and blesses<BR>them instead - "exactly as God commands
him" (see 23:12,26 &<BR>24:13). In fact, his final blessing of Am
Yisrael appears to<BR>have been of his own initiative (see
24:1-6).<BR> Why, then, do Chazal cite Bil'am as the
archetype 'rasha'<BR>(a wicked person / see Pirkei Avot 5:22)? Simply for
once<BR>having 'bad intentions'?<BR> In this week's
shiur we attempt to answer this question.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>INTRODUCTION<BR> As we
mentioned above, in Parshat Balak it is hard to<BR>pinpoint any specific sin
that Bil'am commits. In fact, by<BR>the time the Parsha is over, one is
left with the impression<BR>that Bil'am may even be a rather righteous, God
fearing<BR>individual. Let's cite some
examples:<BR> Before he departs upon his journey, Bil'am
makes sure to<BR>make it absolutely clear to Balak's messengers that he
will<BR>not stray one iota from whatever God will tell him
(see<BR>22:18).<BR> Later on, upon his arrival at 'sdeh
Mo'av', Bil'am<BR>actually blesses Am Yisrael instead of cursing them,
precisely<BR>as God commands him (see 23:1-24:9). In fact,
Bil'am's<BR>blessings are so 'pro-Israel' that by the conclusion of
the<BR>story, Balak becomes so angry that he basically tells Bil'am<BR>to 'get
lost':<BR> "Balak's anger was kindled with Bil'am and, striking
his<BR> hands together, Balak tells Bil'am: I asked you to curse
my<BR> enemy and instead you have blessed them three times!
Now,<BR> run away to your own place..." (24:10-11).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Then, as though he had not
disappointed Balak enough,<BR>Bil'am's 'farewell address' to Balak includes a
harsh<BR>predication of how Yisrael will one day defeat Mo'av and Edom<BR>in
battle (see 24:15-19).<BR> Finally, it's all over when
"Bil'am gets up and goes to<BR>his homeland, and Balak also went on his way"
(24:25).<BR>Clearly, as Parshat Balak reaches its conclusion, we are
left<BR>with the impression that Bil'am & Balak split on
'no-speaking'<BR>terms. Bil'am, the 'loyal prophet of God', returned home
-<BR>leaving Balak 'empty handed'.<BR> Surely, had this
been the only story in Chumash about<BR>Bil'am, it would be quite difficult to
judge him as a "rasha".<BR>In the following shiur, we will show how the primary
source<BR>for Chazal's negative view of Bil'am may be rooted in a<BR>different
story, one that is recorded later on in Parshat<BR>Matot - where the Torah tells
us about Bil'am's 'untimely<BR>death'.<BR> We begin our
shiur by showing how the story in Parshat<BR>Matot forms the continuation of the
story in Parshat Balak.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BIL'AM & THE WAR WITH
MIDYAN<BR> Recall that immediately after the story of
Bil'am in<BR>chapters 22-24, we find the story of Bnei Yisrael's sin
with<BR>'bnot Mo'av' (the daughters of Mo'av and Midyan) in chapter<BR>25.
Although the Torah does not specify who instigated this<BR>sin, the
juxtaposition of these two stories already suggests a<BR>thematic connection
(see Rashi & Ramban 25:1).<BR> Due to their sin,
Bnei Yisrael are punished by a terrible<BR>plague, but finally they are saved by
the zealous act of<BR>Pinchas (see 25:1-9). At the conclusion of that
entire<BR>incident, God commands Bnei Yisrael to avenge the Midyanim<BR>(i.e. to
launch a reprisal attack / see 25:16-18).<BR> The
details of that ensuing battle are recorded several<BR>chapters later - in
Parshat Matot (see 31:1-12).<BR> [Even though logic would dictate for
Chumash to record this<BR> battle immediately after its command, i.e. in
chapter 26;<BR> for some reason, Chumash interrupts this narrative
with<BR> several other 'parshiot' instead. The reason for
this<BR> 'interruption' will be discussed in next week's shiur
on<BR> Parshat Pinchas.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In its brief detail of the
battle against Midyan (in<BR>Parshat Matot), the Torah informs us, almost
incidentally,<BR>that Bil'am is killed together with the five kings of
Midyan<BR>(see 31:8).<BR> Why was Bil'am executed?
Was he an officer in Midyan's<BR>army, or was he simply 'caught in the
cross-fire'?<BR> The Torah doesn't tell us explicitly
why he was killed,<BR>but it certainly wants us to know that he indeed deserved
the<BR>'death penalty' together with the other 'leaders' of
Midyan.<BR> To understand the underlying reason, we must
undertake a<BR>quick analysis of the story that follows when Moshe
Rabbeinu<BR>meets the officers who had returned from this
battle.<BR> Let's pay careful attention to the section
where Moshe<BR>censures the military officers for taking female
captives,<BR>noting how and why he mentions Bil'am in this censure:<BR>
"And Moshe became angry at the military officers... saying:<BR> Why did
you leave the female captives alive? Were they not<BR> the very ones
who seduced Bnei Yisrael -* bi-dvar Bil'am *-<BR> at the bidding of Bil'am
- to go against God in the matter<BR> of Pe'or, causing a
plague...!" (See 31:14-16).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> What is Moshe referring to
when he mentions 'dvar<BR>Bil'am'? From the context of these psukim, it
seems quite<BR>clear that dvar Bil'am refers to Bil'am's advice to use
the<BR>daughters of Mo'av and Midyan to lure Bnei Yisrael towards the<BR>idol
worship of 'Ba'al Pe'or'. [This explanation is also<BR>advanced by the
Gemara in Sanhedrin 106a.]<BR> If this assumption is
correct, then the connection<BR>between these two parshiot becomes clear.
It was Bil'am<BR>himself who instigated the entire incident of 'chet
bnot<BR>Mo'av'! It was his idea to lure Bnei Yisrael into
sinning.<BR>Bil'am was so involved in this plot that this entire incident<BR>is
associated with his name!<BR> Furthermore, from the very
casual mention of dvar Bil'am<BR>in Moshe's censure to the officers, it appears
that Bil'am's<BR>involvement in this scheme is 'common knowledge'. In
other<BR>words, Moshe takes for granted that the military officers are<BR>aware
of what dvar Bil'am refers to. Hence, everyone seems to<BR>know that
Bil'am was the instigator behind this devious plot.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Therefore, when Bil'am is
executed, it is not because he<BR>had once intended to curse Bnei Yisrael.
Bil'am is found<BR>guilty for it was he who orchestrated the entire scheme
of<BR>chet bnot Midyan.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> So what led to Bil'am's
sudden change of heart? Why,<BR>after blessing Am Yisrael, does he turn
around and orchestrate<BR>their demise? Was dvar Bil'am simply some last
minute advice<BR>to Balak before leaving?<BR> It doesn't
seem so. Recall from Parshat Balak that when<BR>Bil'am was sent away, he
and Balak were not exactly on<BR>speaking terms. Furthermore, what was
Bil'am doing in Midyan<BR>at all? Had he not gone 'home'?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Before we can answer these
questions, we must first<BR>determine where Bil'am is from. [& it's
time for a short<BR>lesion in 'Biblical geography'.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BIL'AM'S 'HOME-TOWN'<BR> To
better understand Bil'am's true character, we must<BR>first establish that he
lived in Mesopotamia, a very far<BR>distance away from Mo'av and Midyan!
How do we know this? In<BR>the opening psukim of the Parsha we are told
that:<BR> "Balak sent messengers to Bil'am ben Be'or, to city of<BR>
Petor, which is by the river... to call him." (22:5).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In Chumash, the phrase:
the river ('ha-nahar') usually<BR>refers to the Euphrates (i.e. 'nehar prat'),
the main river<BR>flowing through Mesopotamia.<BR> This
assumption is confirmed in Sefer Devarim, in a short<BR>reference to Mo'av and
the story of Bil'am:<BR> "... and because they hired Bil'am ben Be'or from
Ptor Aram<BR> Naharayim" [Aram - (located between) the two great
rivers<BR> (the Euphrates and Tigris)] (see 23:5).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Furthermore, Bil'am's
opening blessing states<BR>specifically that he came from Aram, from the East
(modern day<BR>Syria/Iraq):<BR> "from Aram, Balak has brought me... from
mountains in the<BR> east [harerei kedem]" (23:7).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Now we must show how that
fact that Bil'am resided in<BR>Mesopotamia affects how we understand a few
'missing links' in<BR>the story.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>THE RETURN OF BIL'AM<BR>
Recall from the conclusion of Parshat Balak that Bil'am<BR>had returned home
(see 24:25), i.e. to Mesopotamia, after<BR>blessing Bnei Yisrael (instead of
cursing them).<BR>Nevertheless, only a short time later we find that Bil'am
is<BR>'back in the neighborhood' (as we discussed above) - when Bnei<BR>Yisrael
sin with bnot Midyan. [See 31:8.] Thus, we must<BR>conclude that
after Bil'am had returned home, he came back to<BR>Mo'av - i.e. for a second
time!<BR> So what motivated Bil'am's lengthy trek back
to Mo'av?<BR>Why was he so interested in giving Mo'av and Midyan advice<BR>that
he knew would cause Bnei Yisrael to sin?<BR> The answer
is startling, but simple:<BR> Bil'am the 'prophet' went
home - but Bil'am the<BR>'consultant' returns! Let's explain:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> The very fact that Bil'am
later returns to Mo'av proves<BR>that his true intention all along was to curse
Bnei Yisrael.<BR>Yet as a 'prophet, [professionally speaking,], he could not
do<BR>so for 'how could he curse he whom God Himself does not curse'<BR>(see
23:8).<BR> However, even though he may be faithful to
God as a<BR>professional 'prophet', he is far less faithful as a
person.<BR> It seems as though Bil'am's desire to cause
Bnei Yisrael<BR>harm was so great that he searches for a different avenue
to<BR>bring upon their demise. Instead of using his
'prophetic<BR>abilities', this time Bil'am uses his 'prophetic knowledge'
to<BR>create a situation where God Himself will curse Am
Yisrael.<BR> As reflected in his blessing of Bnei
Yisrael, Bil'am 'the<BR>prophet' recognizes the special relationship between God
and<BR>His Nation. He fully understands why God does not allow him<BR>to
curse them, for it is His will that Bnei Yisrael fulfill<BR>their Divine purpose
to become God's special nation.<BR> On the other hand,
Bil'am finds a loophole. Being a<BR>prophet, he also realizes that should
Bnei Yisrael themselves<BR>fail in their obedience to God, He Himself would
punish them.<BR>In other words - this special nation could not be
cursed<BR>without reason. However, should they sin, God would
have<BR>ample reason to punish them. Bil'am's conclusion is shrewd:<BR>to
cause Bnei Yisrael to be cursed - by causing them to
sin.<BR> Bil'am finally found a method to curse Bnei
Yisrael. He<BR>advises Mo'av and Midyan to cause Bnei Yisrael to
sin.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> This may be the underlying
reason why Chazal consider<BR>Bil'am the archetype "rasha" - for he utilizes his
prophetic<BR>understanding, the special trait which God gave him, to<BR>further
his own desires rather than to follow God's will. In a<BR>general sense, taking
special divine given qualities - and<BR>using them in an improper manner, can be
considered the 'way<BR>of life' of the 'wicked'.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>BETWEEN AVRAHAM AND
BIL'AM<BR> In the Mishna in Pirkei Avot (5:22), not only
is Bil'am<BR>called the rasha, he is also contrasted with Avraham
Avinu:<BR> "Whoever has the following three traits is among the<BR>
'talmidim' (disciples) of Avraham Avinu; and whoever has<BR> three other
traits is among the 'talmidim' of Bil'am ha-<BR>
rasha:<BR>
BIL'AM
AVRAHAM<BR> evil
eye good
eye<BR> arrogant
spirit humble
spirit<BR> greedy
soul meek soul ...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Both Avraham and Bil'am
are men of renowned spiritual<BR>stature. However, Bil'am exploits this
quality for his own<BR>personal pride and gain, while Avraham Avinu utilizes
this<BR>quality towards the perfection of mankind. A rasha,
according<BR>to Chaza,l is one who harnesses his God-given traits
and<BR>abilities towards an unworthy purpose. A disciple of
Avraham<BR>Avinu is one who harnesses these qualities for a
Divine<BR>purpose.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> In Chumash, we find
several textual parallels between<BR>Bil'am and Avraham Avinu that support this
comparison. We<BR>will note two examples:<BR>(A) BRACHA &
KLALA<BR> Avraham:<BR> "and I
will bless those whom you bless, and those who<BR> curse you
shall be cursed, and through you all nations on<BR> earth
shall be blessed" (Br.12:3).<BR>
Bil'am:<BR> "for it is known, that he whom you bless shall be
blessed,<BR> and he whom you curse shall be cursed"
(22:5).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>(B) ARAM NAHARAYIM<BR> The
homeland of both Avraham and Bil'am is in Aram<BR>Naharayim, the center of
ancient civilization:<BR> Avraham: see Breishit 24:4
& 24:10, and Br.11:27-31.<BR> Bil'am: see Bamidbar
23:7 & Devarim 23:5.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> These parallels point to
this thematic contrast between<BR>Bil'am and Avraham Avinu. As Bnei
Yisrael, the chosen<BR>offspring of Avraham Avinu, are about to enter the Land
that<BR>God had promised him - to become a 'blessing for all nations'<BR>(Br.
12:3), they meet a final challenge. Just as God's<BR>prophecy concerning
Avraham is about to become a reality,<BR>Bil'am - the prophet with the ability
to bless and curse -<BR>together with Mo'av (the descendants of Lot) and Midyan
(the<BR>descendants of Yishmael) make a last minute attempt to thwart<BR>the
fruition of this destiny.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PROFESSIONAL BIAS<BR> Once
could suggest that this confrontation may be<BR>reflective of a more fundamental
conflict. Unlike the people<BR>of Mo'av, whose fear was motivated by a
practical threat upon<BR>their national security (22:3-4), Bil'am's fear of Am
Yisrael<BR>may have been more ideological.<BR> The very
existence of Am Yisrael posed a threat to Bil'am<BR>himself! Bil'am, as
echoed in his three blessings, perceived<BR>the Divine purpose of Am Yisrael: a
Nation destined to bring<BR>the message of God to mankind. This novel
concept of a Nation<BR>of God threatened to upset the spiritual 'status quo'
of<BR>ancient civilization. Up until this time, if there was a<BR>Divine
message for mankind - it would be delivered by inspired<BR>'individuals' - e.g.
men such as Bil'am himself.<BR> However, once Bnei
Yisrael would become a nation in their<BR>land, this same purpose could be
fulfilled by a nation -<BR>instead of by an individual. From a certain
perspective, this<BR>itself could be considered a 'professional threat' to
Bil'am<BR>and to the society that he represents.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> On a certain level, this
confrontation between Bil'am and<BR>Am Yisrael continues till this very
day. Is it possible for a<BR>nation, a political entity, to deliver a
Divine message to all<BR>mankind? While Bil'am and his 'disciples'
continue to<BR>endeavor to undermine this goal, it remains Am
Yisrael<BR>responsibility to constantly strive to achieve it.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial
size=2>
shabbat
shalom<BR>
menachem</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>=============================<BR>FOR FURTHER
IYUN</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A. Note the commentary of the Abarbanel where
he explains<BR>that Bil'am is a descendant of Lavan.<BR>1. Does this
support the basic points made in the shiur.<BR>2. What parallels exist
between Bil'am and Lavan?<BR>3. Did Lavan ever receive 'nevu'a'? Did
Hashem ever speak to<BR>him? If so, what was the content? Is it
parallel to Bil'am?<BR>4. Could the struggle between Lavan and Yaakov also
be<BR>considered of a spiritual nature?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>B. Bil'am was almost successful. Bnei
Yisrael's sin with<BR>bnot Mo'av and Midyan led to some 24 thousand
casualties. The<BR>plague was stopped due to the zealous act of Pinchas
(25:6-9).<BR>His act returned Bnei Yisrael to their covenantal partner.
In<BR>reward, Pinchas receives the covenant of the 'kehuna'
(25:10-<BR>13).<BR>1. In what way does his reward reflect his
deed?<BR>2. What are the responsibilities of the 'kohanim' in
addition<BR>to working in the mikdash?<BR>3. How does this relate to the
ultimate fulfillment of our<BR>national destiny?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>C. An additional textual parallel exists
between Avraham and<BR>Bil'am: Travelling in the morning with two servants
etc.:<BR>Avraham - Va-yashkem Avraham ba-boker, va-yachavosh et
chamoro<BR> Va-yikach et shnei na'arav ito .. (Br.
22:3)<BR>Bil'am - "Va-yakom Bil'am ba-boker, va-yachavosh et
atono...<BR> u-shnei
na'arav imo" (Bamid. 22:22-23)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Could this parallel be the source of the
Midrash Chazal<BR>describing the 'satan' who challenges Avraham Avinu on
his<BR>journey with Yitzchak to the Akeida? If so, explain
why.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>D. As you read the opening chapter of Parshat
Balak, note the<BR>the numerous textual parallels between this story, and
the<BR>opening story of the Exodus as described in the first chapter<BR>of Sefer
Shmot. Can you suggest a thematic parallel that this<BR>textual parallel
may be alluding to?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>E. Who wrote 'Sefer
Bil'am'?<BR> Parshat Balak seems to be an integral part
of Chumash;<BR>however, the Gemara in Bava Batra 14b makes a very
strange<BR>statement: "Moshe katav sifro (chumash -his book), parshat<BR>Bil'am,
and sefer Iyov (Job)."<BR> It is understandable
that we need to know that Moshe<BR>wrote Sefer Iyov, but
why would there be any 'hava amina'<BR>that he didn't write Parshat Bil'am
?<BR> Rashi (in Bava Batra) explains that every other
parsha in<BR>Chumash is connected in some way to Moshe - either
'tzorcho',<BR>'torato' (mitzvot), or 'seder ma'asav' (narrative).<BR>Rashi
explains that everywhere else in Chumash Moshe is in<BR>some way directly
involved. In parshat Bil'am, no one<BR>including Moshe should have known
about the entire incident<BR>between Bil'am and
Balak.<BR> The obvious question then arises, who wrote
the story of<BR>Bil'am that appears in Chumash?<BR>If not Moshe, what other navi
was there who could have?<BR> This question is answered
by Rabbeinu Gershom (al atar)<BR>that the possibility exists that this parsha
was written by<BR>Bil'am himself! Since he was a navi, his brachot
and<BR>conversations are quoted directly!<BR> In order
that we do not come to that conclusion, the<BR>Gemara must tell us that Moshe
wrote down this entire Parsha<BR>directly from Hashem, and did not receive them
via Bil'am.<BR> How does this relate to the machloket regarding: 'Torah
-<BR>megila nitna', or 'sefer chatum nitna'?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>F. One could also ask how Bnei Yisrael aware
of Bil'am's<BR>involvement in the sin of bnot Mo'av. Why was dvar
Bil'am<BR>common knowledge among Bnei Yisrael? Who told them that
it<BR>was Bil'am's idea?<BR> The answer could be quite
simple. Most probably, the<BR>daughters of Midyan (who sinned with Bnei
Yisrael) had<BR>informed their 'patrons' as to who had sent them. [The
'word'<BR>got around.]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>G. "Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov"<BR>From the time that
Bnei Yisrael leave Har Sinai, Sefer<BR>Bamidbar has few positive events to
record. The nation<BR>appears to be going from one sin to the next
(mit'onenim,<BR>mit'avim, meraglim, korach, mei meriva etc.). With all
the<BR>complaining, internal strife etc., it is difficult to find<BR>anything
positive.<BR>It 'davka' takes an outsider, like Bil'am, looking from
a<BR>distance at Am Yisrael, to perceive the greatness of this<BR>nation despite
all of its problems. When Bil'am recognizes<BR>that an entire nation is
following Hashem through the desert,<BR>he
proclaims:<BR> "Ma tovu ohalecha
yaakov..."<BR>This is an important insight for today also. Sometimes
we<BR>become over-disillusioned with ourselves, as we see so
much<BR>disagreement, lack of unity, lack of commitment etc. We<BR>become
so involved with the details that we sometimes are<BR>unable to take a step out
and look at the whole picture, to<BR>see our achievements. With all the
problems in Israel today,<BR>there continue to be great achievements in all
walks of Jewish<BR>life. It is important to periodically take a step back
and<BR>assess the good as well as the bad. It gives us the<BR>motivation
to continue to achieve. "Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov" -<BR>a nice attitude to start
off the day!</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>