Rabbi Safman's Weekly Message
Dear Friends,
As we join together to celebrate Shabbat we invite you to bring a kiddush cup or any glass filled with wine or grape juice and join together with us at the end of services to share in a l'chayim.
I look forward to celebrating Shabbat with you.
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Balak 2025
In this week’s Torah reading, the king of Moab, Balak, engages the prophet Balaam to curse the Children of Israel, as they journey through the outskirts of his country. The story might be quite familiar to many of us. It is the tale of a donkey that refuses to obey its master, Balaam. Donkeys are known to be of that ilk. But not Balaam’s donkey which always obeyed. But in this instance, it appears that the donkey will not carry Balaam to fulfill his mission of cursing the Israelite nation.
Balaam becomes incensed due to the importance of the task he has been summoned to perform. And the question might be is it because he is unable to make his way to curse the Israelites or because he, himself, does not believe in his mission? For the first time ever, in anger and frustration he beats the donkey. Then God opens the mouth of the animal saying, “Have I ever refused you?” And then an angel of God appears in front of the donkey with a sword, blocking the path. God has sent the angel to prevent the curse from occurring.
Mostly in our theology we will find that the prophets and gods of the other religions are not real. The gods are man-made idols or trees. The prophets utter falsehoods. But then we are introduced to Balaam, who is a part of the Torah’s history, at the same time Moses is the prophet of God.
In the Midrash, we read something new and different:
Just as God raised up kings, prophets, and sages for Israel, so did God raise them up from the nations of the world.…God raised up Moshe for Israel, who spoke with God any time that he wanted, [and] God raised up Balaam for the nations of the world, in order that he might speak with God anytime that he wanted. (Midrash Tanhuma Balak 1).
In the Masorti Movement’s Siddur in Israel (which is the Conservative Movement in Israel) the words reflect a similar thought in the Alenu.
In the traditional words of the Alenu prayer, we recite: “sheloasanu k’goyeh ha’aratzot…,” interpreted as who has not made us like the rest of the nations of the world… who has not given them the same portion that we have received, or the same “goral,” the same fate of the rest of the people. The traditional Orthodox Art Scroll siddur text then continues: “sheheym mishtachavim lahevel vareyk," that they bow down to emptiness and nothing and to a god that will not bring them redemption. Personally, I find these words quite inappropriate in prayer. We then continue, “ va-anachnu korim umeeshatachavim, leefneymelech malchei hamlachim, hadadosh baruch hu, “And we bow down, acknowledging the King of King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.”
In the Masorti Siddur there is the opportunity to substitute that thought with a more beautiful understanding that is reflective of our midrash: “ki chol ha’amimyelchu ish besheym elohav, v’anachnu neylech beshem Ado-nai Elokeynu l’olamva’ed,” that all of the nations will walk, each individual in the name of his/her god, and we walk in the name of Ado-nai, our God, for ever and ever (or perhaps from here to eternity). I do appreciate the change and when I use the Masorti prayer book, I do recite those words. Then again, I do also appreciate the theological statement that is made in “we bow down to the King of King of Kings.” (But that is for a class on prayer.)
Returning to the midrashic statement, that God provided prophets for both the Jewish world and the rest, Rabbi Tali Adler, suggests that there is a difference between Balaam as a prophet and a man and Moses as a prophet and as a man. Through midrashic and Torah texts she teaches that Moses was a patient and inquisitive individual. When something seemed out of the ordinary, he would pause and gaze at the item to understand the significance of that moment. For example, when Moses saw the Burning Bush, he stopped and stared at it for several moments. Only then did he realize that it was a bush that was not consumed by the fire. And only then did he have to go closer to find out to find out that there was an angel of God within the bush, superimposing himself as a flame that could not be consumed. Balaam on the other hand, was oblivious to the change in nature of his donkey or that something supernatural was happening at that moment. Balaam does not respond with any curiosity, whereas Moshe does. Only after Balaam is shown the angel does he understand. And even then, he has the desire to curse the Israelite people.
We know people, leaders, spokesman, and prophets who are in many ways similar to Balaam. They are paid mercenaries or individuals who declare themselves as prophets speaking evil and make every attempt to not only curse Jews and Israel, but to bring others to believe their words. And today it is not simply from protesters, but from leaders in industry, in educational institutions, in government, religious leaders, on social media and in the press. Perhaps, they may even be Balaam’s descendants!
What makes this story so important to us as a Jewish community is what happens next.
Balaam’s attempt to curse the Israelite nation fails. Instead of incanting words of curse, he offers words of blessing. Balak, king of Moab, is infuriated. The prophet Balaam explains that he can only utter the words that God provides him with. From a different perch, Balak once again demands a curse be uttered. And this time, as the prophet looks down from the mountaintop, he sees something which impresses him about the Israelite encampment. He notices that each tent is pitched with no one door facing another, nor any windows. He understands and makes the connection to the moral standards of each and every head of a household. No one should look into another’s household to gaze or to hear what is happening in another family’s tent. Each deserves their own privacy.
The words that come out of his mouth are quite familiar to us all: “Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael,” “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel.” These are the same words that we recite as we enter into the sanctuary of any shul, declaring how beautiful is this place and how we are prepared to offer our prayers to God. And those words are reflective of an individual’s personal prayer to God. It is not a communal prayer. The words share are hope that this is the appropriate time to offer our own personal prayer and that God recognizes our presence and readiness.
How beautiful it is that our opening words that we utter are that of a prophet of God, who is not one who was chosen to lead the Children of Israel, and not one who originally planned to bless them. Instead these are the words of a prophet who was not one of us, and was able to peer into the community and sense what makes the Jewish people unique in a good manner. Oh how we hope for many more prophets who are able to actually see the truth and change their view of the Jewish people and of Israel and bring words of blessing.
I want to thank you for following my Rabbinically Yours Torah study for this past year and for the years prior. Lisa and I will be on vacation for the next few weeks, following this Shabbat, and I look forward to once again providing you with insights into the Torah when I return.
We pray: Bring them home now!!! Bring Peace to the Israel and to all of the Middle East. When each nation shall bless each other with words of peace.
Am Yisrael Chai!!!
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi K