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marketplace section
Torah Portion
Balaam's Blessings Summarize
Our Uniqueness As A People
bless it.
In his second blessing, (Numbers
23:18-24), Balaam states: "Because
there are no omens in Jacob and no
magic in Israel ..."
Here, Balaam describes Judaism as
his week's double Torah
a religion without superstition or
portion contains the
any attempt to control the Divine —
"blessings" of Balaam.
certainly a characteristic of other
Balaam, a well-known
forms of religion and, in fact, the
non-Jewish seer, is hired by Balak,
method by which Balaam, the sor-
the king of Moab, to curse the
cerer, makes his living. Judaism is
Jewish people, as part of Balak's
reality based and lacking the
attempt to defeat them. As is fore-
mumbo-jumbo" prevalent in other
told, instead of cursing the Jews,
religious belief systems.
Balaam is forced by God to bless
Finally, in his third
them in three separate
blessing (Numbers 24:3-9),
attempts. The overall theme
Balaam praises the Jewish
of the portion is as stated at
people: "How good are
the outset (Numbers 22:12):
your tents, Jacob, your
cc... you cannot curse the
habitations, Israel." Balaam
[Jewish] nation for they are
looks out upon the Jewish
blessed."
community and finds it
In this episode, even an
praiseworthy and blessed.
enemy of the Jews must
It is these three charac-
bless rather than curse
teristics of the Jewish peo-
them. The Talmud saw
ple — their honesty and
Balaam's blessing as so
RABBI ELIEZER integrity, their intellectual
important that it advised
COHEN
and sophisticated perspec-
including some of its verses
Special to the
tive of the Divine and their
in the Shema, to be recited
Jewish News
relationship to it, and their
twice daily (Talmud Baba,
solidarity and unity in cre-
Brachot 12b). Although this
ating a just and caring
was not instituted, verses from the
society — that so enthralled Balaam.
blessing have been incorporated in
It was these aspects of Jewish life
the preliminary prayers of the daily
that brought Balaam's blessing; and
morning service (Ma tovu...).
if we but maintained and nurtured
It is instructive to look at Balaam's
these characteristics, they would con-
three different blessings to under-
tinue to bring us blessings. ❑
stand the unique aspects of the char-
acter of the Jewish people that made
them worthy of such blessings.
In his first blessing (Numbers
23:7-10), Balaam declares: "... it is a
How ironic is it that the Jews have
people that dwells alone and does
been characterized by their detrac-
not reckon itself among the
tors throughout history as being
nations."
dishonest, practicing a primitive
The Jews are different from the
religion, and lacking unity and jus-
other nations, and Balaam continues
tice — precisely the opposite traits
in his blessings to point out these
for which Balaam praises them?
differences: "May I die the death of
Which characterization is more
the honest (y'sharim)," prays Balaam.
true? How does Judaism differ in
"Let my end be like its (the
its perspective of reality from other
nation's)."
religions? How does the Jewish
Balaam characterizes the Jewish
community differ from that of
people as yashar — honest, forth-
other communities? In what ways
right, "straight." The integrity of the
do all of these characteristics
nation is what prompts Balaam to
require improvement? How can
we
help?
Eliezer Cohen is rabbi of Congregation
Shabbat Chukat-Balak:
Numbers 19:1-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.
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