"Come now therefore I pray thee, curse me this people, for they are too mighty for me...." (Numbers 22:6)


Who among us wouldn't like to think of himself as someone with a good eye, a humble spirit and a meek soul?

If the power of his poetry is any indication of the power of his prophecy, then the Jews would have been in serious trouble.

According to the Mishnah in Avot, the disciples of Abraham possess the above qualities, while the disciples of wicked Balaam, the dubious 'hero' of this week's portion, Balak, possesses the reverse traits, "an evil eye, an arrogant spirit, and a greedy soul." (Pirkei Avot 5:22)


Why the Mishnah calls Balaam "wicked" requires study. It might seem that, at worst, he was absent-minded and impatient; particularly when it came to the incident with his "talking donkey," which he beats for refusing to walk ahead. Ironically, the seer's donkey sees what the seer is blind to - an angel with an outstretched sword obstructing their path. Balaam is Abraham's perfect opposite: they are both prophets who are presumably close to the Almighty G-d, yet one finds G-d even when He is hidden behind the moon and the sun, while the other cannot see G-d even though He is standing in front of him. Balaam's wickedness exists in proportion to his potential. He could have been as great as Abraham, but instead he sells his exalted soul to the highest bidder.
If the power of his poetry is any indication of the power of his prophecy, then the Jews would have been in serious trouble when Balak sent his emissaries to hire the famous Balaam to curse the Jews. The text speaks of a frightened King Balak who turns to a powerful Balaam to cast a curse against a vast nation passing through. Unbeknownst to the king, this magician's curses or blessings cannot be put into effect without the permission of Almighty G-d. In contrast, not only doesn't Abraham ever consider cursing anyone, but when G-d confides that He intends to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, the first patrician pleads for the doomed city: "Shall the whole world's judge not act justly?" (Genesis 18:25)


This is what the Mishnah means by Abraham's good eye: he looks for ways to ameliorate the punishment, although the Sodomites are drenched in sin. Balaam, on the other hand, seeks to get around G-d's declaration against cursing the Jews. G-d is against Balak's plan, but Balaam's bad eye doesn't allow him to expel Balak's plan forever. The Gentile prophet should have sent Balak's delegation packing, but, tempted by wealth, power and impressive robes, he tells them to stay the night. And when G-d says definitely not, Balaam addresses the delegation: "Go home! God refuses to give me leave to go with you [imachem, in Hebrew]." (Numbers 22:13) Thus, leaving a door open so that if a more important delegation were to arrive - who knows? - maybe he (Balaam) or He (G-d) could yet be convinced.


The Foreign Ministry reports back to Balak that Balaam won't come "with us" and so, without wasting a breath, the next verse records that, "Balak sent yet again princes, this time with a larger number of dignitaries." (Numbers 2:14)
And so the higher ranking officials arrive, showering more promises of great honor and the readiness to heed any request of Balaam, who answers: "If Balak would give me his house full of gold and silver, I would not be able to do anything great or small that would violate the word of G-d my Lord." (22:18)
Presumably, Balaam's answer sounds noble. But when Balaam speaks of all the gold and silver that could not get him to violate the "word of God," he once again leaves open the possibility that if G-d were to change His mind, Balaam's services could still be bought, especially if the monetary offer were more serious.

Balaam's answer sounds noble.



The greedy side of Balaam's soul is contrasted with Abraham's meekness. His tent always open to a passing stranger, Abraham never asks anything for himself. He adopts Lot, his orphaned nephew, and raises him with all the love a childless couple like Abraham and Sarah can give. Yet, when fighting breaks out between the servants of Lot and the servants of Abraham, Abraham fears a bitter end and suggests separation: "After all, we're brothers. All the land is before you.... If you go to the left, I'll go to the right. If you go to the right, I'll go to the left." (Genesis 13:8-9) Lot chooses the Jordan plain, "like G-d's own garden."


Later, when the entire region breaks out into an all-out war, Abraham enters the battle when his nephew Lot is captured. Gathering 318 men of his household, he divides his forces, attacks, pursues the invaders, and victoriously saves the lives of Lot and his family. And when the king of Sodom turns to Abraham suggesting the spoils go to the victor, Abraham refuses even a shoelace, lest it be said that the king of Sodom made Abraham wealthy.


An arrogant spirit believes he can manipulate anything and Balaam has emerged as the master manipulator. A humble spirit understands that G-d rules the world according to His vision. Hence, when G-d commands Abraham, "Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and get thee into the Land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2), Abraham obeys without protest. This is true humility, even though Isaac is the miraculous fulfillment of G-d's promise, the very proof that Abraham's faith in the one G-d is true. Abraham accepts G-d's will, no matter how difficult it may be.


In the case of Balaam, on the other hand, his manipulation continues even in the choice of animals sacrificed on the seven altars Balaam has Balak build. After the account of the talking donkey, G-d's angel instructs Balaam not to say anything other than "the exact words I declare to you." (22:35) We soon read of the construction of the

In the most primitive venal sense, Balaam is bribing G-d.

seven altars. Not only does it seem that Balaam has gone against the angel's instructions, having these altars built on his own initiative, but when G-d appears to Balaam, the prophet announces to the Almighty, "I have set up seven altars, and I have sacrificed a bull and a ram as a burnt offering on each altar." (23:4)


How are we to understand Balaam's words, given that G-d doesn't have to be told who is sacrificing what to whom? The Midrash sees the bull and the ram not only as Balaam's attempt to remind G-d of the sin of the Golden Calf, but also as a manipulative move to ride on the accomplishment of Abraham, who successfully sacrificed a ram as a substitute for Isaac. In the most primitive venal sense, Balaam is bribing G-d, offering these two special animals on seven altars. Maybe now he'll be allowed to curse the Jewish people. Balaam doesn't understand the most fundamental message of Abraham: G-d is beyond manipulation. Balaam, the wicked manipulator, retires into penurious ignominy.