Balak 5772

In this week’s parsha the gentile prophet Bilam tries to curse the Jewish people but G-d intervenes and turns his curses into blessings. Our Sages tell us that the prophetic powers of Bilam were equal to those of Moshe (Moses). Both Bilam and Moshe were able to communicate with G-d, but they had different experiences. Torah here says “And G-d chanced upon (vayikar) Bilaam…” whereas Torah says “And He called to (vayikra) Moshe…” (Vayikra/Leviticus 1:1).

The commentators note that the difference in spelling between the words vayikar and vayikra is the letter aleph at the end of Vayikra, where it purposely is written smaller than the other letters. How does the aleph point to the difference between the prophetic experiences of Moshe and Bilam?

Writes Rabbi Naftali Reich on torah.org: “It is possible for two people to have the same experience and yet one will be deeply affected while the other remains indifferent. Everything depends on the mindset. Moses was the quintessential humble man. The tiny aleph symbolizes the insignificance of his ani [“I”], his ego, and this humility and submission to the Creator gave him the receptiveness and clarity of vision to attain true greatness.”

“Bilam, on the other hand, was a pompous, arrogant and selfish fool, and this overwhelming self-absorption clouded his vision and stunted his spiritual growth. For all his wondrous prophetic powers, he remained forever a fool.”  Rabbi Yissocher Frand notes that even when G-d endows a donkey with the power of speech, Bilam fails to recognize the event as miraculous and extraordinary and treats it as if it were an everyday occurrence.    

Writes Rabbi Frand on torah.org: “This sense of being impressed (nispael) is necessary for our service of G-d. The Rambam speaks of a person becoming impressed and overwhelmed with the awe of creation and the wisdom and beauty of nature. This is a sense that we need to develop within ourselves – emotions of love and reverence towards the Creator.”

What costs a person his sense of being impressed? Rav Shimon Schwab suggests “gluttonous indulgence in every passion and lust in the world…enjoying, taking, eating, consuming. He is so consumed with just enjoying himself that nothing gets him excited anymore.”

Observes Rabbi Frand: “Movies have become more and more violent and explicit. Music has become more and more outrageous. The way people talk and the words we hear have become more and more astounding, because nothing makes an impression anymore. As a society, we have lost our sense of wonder. We have become coarsened.” Even our language reflects this change. The word “awesome” has crept into our vernacular to describe perfectly ordinary events.

As parents, we need to protect and maintain the sense of wonder that our young children naturally possess. We must shield them from exposure to words, images and experiences that make them grow up too fast.  As for us, we must find within ourselves the spiritual strength to rise above the distractions of our mundane existence and be receptive to moments of inspiration that have the power to uplift our souls.