TORAH PORTION
Charting Our
Own Course
Parshat Balak: Numbers 22:2-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.
U
"Boys, from the day we were driven
sually when we read Torah,
out from our land, we've been a people
the Jewish people are the
without a history. Class dismissed. Go
subject. But reading Parshat
out and play football ..." For Yudka,
Balak is different. For most of the
there is nothing of merit to see in
parshah, we seem to be an object,
Jewish history since the first century
rather than a subject in the Torah. Of
C.E. Yudka believes that the
course, Balak and Bilaam
power of Zionism is the
are focused on the nation
power of being a subject,
of Israel. Balak has hired
not an object; the author
Bilaam to curse us. It
of one's own destiny, not
doesn't work out that way
merely a part of the destiny
but not because Moses or
of another people.
any other Jews act to stop
In the end, I reject
them. God plays the key role
Yudka's rejection. Yudka's
here, placing blessings in
understanding of Jewish
the mouth of Bilaam rather
history is skewed. He
than the curses that Balak
Rabbi Steven
misses the complexity of
had hoped to hear.
Rubenstein
Jewish experience over the
Still, it is an odd feeling
Special to the
past 2,000 years, the great
to be an object of this sec-
Jewish News
creative powers the Jewish
tion of the Torah, rather
people demonstrated and
than the subject. We don't
the way in which Jewish communities
act here. Instead, we seem to be acted
were able to chart their own destinies
upon. This is noticeable because
in various times and places.
throughout the rest of the Torah, the
Still, I understand Yudka's point.
Jews are actors and designers of our
Part of it is very appealing. It high-
own fate. God calls on us to be actors,
lights the opportunity that the State
to be creators. We are not meant to
of Israel has given the Jewish people.
watch things happen to us but to do
The dream of the Jewish people as
— to do mitzvot, to do for ourselves,
described in Hatikvah (a dream
to do for others. We may not always
not yet fulfilled when Hatikvah was
do it in the way God would like; still
written) is "to be a free people on
we act.
our land." Now that this dream has
This element of Parshat Balak
come true, the Jewish people have an
reminds me of the fact that there are
unequaled opportunity to chart their
threads of Zionism (especially in the
own course through history.
first half of the 20th century) that
The challenge, though, is not for
reject about 2,000 years of Jewish
the State of Israel alone. By leaving
history. This way of thinking refuses
the Jewish people as more object
to treat anything that happened to
than subject in Parshat Balak, alone
the Jewish people from the time of
we learn an important lesson. God
the destruction of the Second Temple
expects us both as individuals and as
until the creation of the State of Israel
a nation to take action in creating our
as Jewish history. Only a people who
act in history can be spoken of as hav- future. We have the opportunity to act
if we so choose.
ing a national history. Without a land
and without power, they argue, we
cannot be said to have had a history at
Conversations
all for most of the last 2,000 years.
When have you felt most able to
Haim Hazaz's short story, "The
shape your own future?
Sermon:' represents this school of
Least able?
thought well. Hazaz's main character
What factors play a role in
Yudka says it well. How would he
changing your direction?
explain the "history" of the Jewish
people since the destruction of the
Second Temple? Yudka would say,
l2 ~ l2
4
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June 24 • 2010
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