Two Human Looks At Bilaam

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The contradictions
that live inside of us all
can overwhelm me

According to Bamidbar 24:16, Bilaam knew the mind of G-d We're told that he wanted his end to be as glorious as the death of the righteous. Yet, he lived an immoral life. Ideas and behaviors can contradict one another. We don’t always act based on what we know, but rather we act based on what we feel. Rabbi Abraham Twerski writes, "it is only when ideas become feelings that change is likely to occur." Until then, a person will know one thing and act another way if he feels gratified by that behavior.

This is why we’re told that G-d desires commitment of the heart, because mind commitment doesn’t lead to consistent behavior, but heart commitment does. We live in a time when psychology advocates for feelings over everything. The Torah approach would agree that feelings are primary. The difference in worldview develops when you address the issue of what to do with feelings. The rabbis teach that we can control our feelings (Breishit Rabbah 34.)

Feelings and behavior influence each other. While it is true that feelings are the decisive factor in how we act, it is equally true that actions are the decisive factor in what we feel. We must trust what we know and act correctly even when we don’t feel like it. Doing the right thing brings the emotion in its wake.

One other thing we need to do is pray to do the right thing. The two Meraglim that did the right thing are an example of vulnerable people that were helped by prayer. The one thing we see that they had that the others didn’t is a special prayer to do the right thing. Rabbi Twerski explains that just like people whet their appetites with an appetizer we whet our desire to do the right thing by praying for it.

May we be blessed with success in what may be the hardest challenge we face as human beings, making G-d’s will our own.

This thought is based very heavily on an essay of Rabbi Abraham Twerski in Living Each Day

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At the heart of all that one can ask about the episode of Bilam is one basic question : Given the fact that Hashem runs the world, why did He seem so concerned with Bilam’s “curse”? There are many approaches to this issue.

It would serve us well to look at one answer to this question which is philosophical, and also speaks to us in a practical way.

Nechama Leibowitz quotes the commentary of Rav Yosef Ibn Caspi. He states something which is a deep truth regarding all relationships. He goes on to use this idea to explain why Hashem turned Bilaam’s “curse” into a blessing : When you care about someone, you care not only them but also about that which matters to them.

Hashem knew that Am Yisrael were afraid of Bilaam’s “curse”, and therefore He not only prevented Bilaam from saying his curses but He flipped them into blessings. All because of His love of the Jewish people.This idea of Ibn Caspi is a crucial one for all of life.

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We need to remember that what matters to others aren’t necessarily the things that WE think are important. To truly care for another person means to be sensitive to to what THEY care about. When those around us are concerned about something, even if we don’t understand why they care about it, true friendship dictates that we be supportive of their feelings.

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May we all be blessed to be inspired by the great love which Hashem has for us all. And may we all strive and succeed to emulate his ways and to be there as real friends when we understand least and are needed most.