Balak
Num. 22:2
- 25:9
Précis:
Balak, the King of Moab, is fearful because of the success of the Israelites in
war against other peoples. He hires a local magician named Bilaam to place a
curse upon the Israelites. Bilaam begins the journey riding upon his ass, which
refuses to proceed and actually talks to Bilaam, protesting Bilaam’s foul
treatment of the poor beast. Bilaam sees an angel and refuses to complete Balak’s
mission. Balak reiterates his command to
Bilaam to curse the Israelites, but instead Bilaam pronounces a blessing,
frustrating Balak.
The parasha ends with an interesting
narrative episode: Pinchas, the grandson of Aaron, sees an Israelite having
sexual relations with a Midianite woman (a violation of a commandment not to
fraternize with the local population), and he slays both of them and, in the
process, staves off a plague that had been threatening the Israelites.
Num. 23:9 “For I see it from the tip of the rocks, and
I behold it from the hills; this is a people that will dwell apart and not
count itself among the nations. “
Having returned from Israel last
night, I find this verse to have particular poignancy. It had been about four
years since my last visit, and I was yet again surprised by the changes which
had taken place while I was away. This trip, we spent a bit more time in Tel
Aviv than on previous visits, and toured (for the first time) the secret
ammunition factory at Kibbutz Hill, and the Palmach museum, celebrating the key
role they played in defending the nascent state, particularly between the UN adoption
of a partition plan in November 1947 and the Declaration of Independence in
May, 1948. (The Palmach became a key part of the IDF.) We stood in Independence
Hall and sang Hatikvah.
For 2,000 years, Jews were indeed a
people apart from all others. A visit to Israel today, with its bustle, confidence,
arguments, beauty, and challenges, should put Bilaam’s statement to rest. But of
course, in the eyes of many, Israel should not be counted among the nations.
Alone in the world, the Jewish State’s legitimacy is challenged. The fact that
such challenges are, for the most part, thinly veiled anti-Semitism is beside
the point. That these challenges are made by states and factions which have no
conception of human rights is also beside the point. What is Israel to do, and what are we to do?
Israel has an answer: Am Yisrael
Chai – the people of Israel live. They live every day under threat of annihilation,
but remained curiously and miraculously vibrant. They create new scientific
wonders and educate their children, build roads and office towers, play at the
beaches, dine in cafes and restaurants, and engage in boisterous democratic political
debate.
American Jews also have an answer:
support the State. I learned from a good friend in the tourism business there
that bookings by Americans are way down, especially among Jewish groups. I urge
all who read this to make plans to visit soon. That is, perhaps, the best way
we can support the State and People of Israel.
