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Free Will
Or God’s Will?

Parshat Balak: Numbers 22:2-25:9;
Micah 5:6-6:8.

T

he Balaam/Balak episode in
just allowed him to go, why was He
this week’s portion naturally
angry? Is there free will or not?
leads us to a discussion of the
The 12-century Jewish philosopher
relationship between God’s will and our Ibn Ezra suggests that God never pre-
own. We have free will, but what hap-
vents an individual from doing what he
pens when our choices fly in the face of really wants to do, even if it goes against
the will of God? Are we truly given the
the Divine will.
freedom to go against His will or is free-
We see this at the time of the spies
dom of choice only a delusion?
when God clearly tells the
Balak, king of Moab, is ter-
Israelites to go up and con-
rified by the strength of the
quer the Promised Land.
Israelites. Not only has the
Nevertheless, when they
Jewish nation been freed from
demur and insist upon send-
Egypt; but as they proceed
ing out a reconnaissance
toward the Promised Land,
commission, God tells Moses
they seem to vanquish every
to send out such a group of
army that attacks them. Balak
spies. God may not desire
deems the very survival of the Rabbi Shlomo such a commission, but He
Riskin
Israelites to be a threat to his
will always acquiesce to the
nation’s survival, and, there-
will of the people.
fore, he sets about “acquiring”
Here in our Torah portion,
his weapon of choice: Balaam, the mas- God acquiesces to the evil and venal
ter curser of his generation.
will of Balaam. However, the dynamics
Balak sends a high-ranking delega-
of human will vs. Divine will don’t end
tion to this famous soothsayer. Inviting
here, neither in the case of Baalam nor
the delegation to spend the night,
in terms of rabbinic theology.
Balaam awaits a directive from God.
The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 85),
The Divine response is unequivocal:
in an obvious reference to Balaam,
“Do not go with them! You shall not
teaches us that we must look at life and
curse the people, for it is blessed.”
history through two perspectives: the
Balaam then sends the delegation
earthly dimension, predicated upon
back to Balak.
human choice, and the Divine dimen-
Balak then dispatches a new, higher
sion, in which God ensures that what-
ranking delegation to Balaam. But again ever mistakes we may make, the final
Balaam refuses. “Even were Balak to
result will be messianic redemption and
give me his entire house full of gold and a world of peace.
silver, I would not be able to transgress
Hence, although Balaam may have
the word of the Lord my God,” he says.
desired to curse and destroy Israel, and
“And now, you, too, remain here now
offers practical expression to this at the
for this purpose, you, too, for tonight,
end of our portion when he advises
and I will find out what more the Lord
Moabite and Midianite women to entice
has to say to me.”
the Israelite men into idolatry and
That night, the Almighty visits
assimilation, God will turn all of these
Balaam. “If the men come to summon
disasters into ultimate redemption.
you, you may go with them, but only
Our daily prayers open with Balaam’s
whatever words I tell you, may you
words, “How goodly are your tents O
do.” The very next verse declares, “And
Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel,”
Balaam arose in the morning, saddled
a subtle reminder that no matter how
his she-donkey and went with the offi-
strongly individuals may want us
cers of Moab.”
cursed, God’s blessings will prevail.
Despite the permission that Balaam
received to go if they “summoned” him, Shlomo Riskin is chancellor of Ohr Torah Stone
and chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel.
the text reports, “God’s wrath flared”
because Balaam went. But if God had

It
on the
the
It may
may be
be beautiful on
outside
what's on
on the
the
outside but
but it's
its what’s
inside
counts
inside
that that
really
counts.

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