Balak: Saddle Up!
By: Rabbi Judah Mische
The legendary Rosh Yeshiva Rav Shimshon Pincus, zt’l, was a talmid chacham, ba’al avodah, and tzaddik who served as Chief Rabbi of Ofakim, a city in the Negev, with self-sacrifice and love.
A talmid of Rav Pincus once suffered from an acute dental condition. Numerous infections had given him painful inflammation of the gums and caused him to lose teeth. Not wanting to trouble anyone, the young man, a married avreich in Ofakim, tried to hide his condition and downplayed his perpetual discomfort.
One day his wife approached Rav Pincus and shared her husband’s suffering with the Rav. He was unable to chew and was in such pain that he could barely sleep. Exhausted and racked with pain, he was losing weight dangerously. Without hesitation, Rav Pincus excused himself and returned a few minutes later with several thousand shekels. He then spent some time making phone calls to various contacts to help the avreich’s wife find an oral surgeon who could help.
The Pincus family lived very modestly and the incident took place during a particularly difficult time with regard to their parnassah. A friend of the avreich who was aware of the situation asked the Rav how he could give away such a large sum of money when he himself was struggling to cover his growing family’s needs.
Rav Pincus looked quizzically at the talmid for a moment and replied with a wide smile and a wave of his hand. “This avreich can’t sleep and can’t eat. Tell me, if it was my son and he needed emergency dental work, would you understand the expense? What’s the difference if it’s my son, your son, or the Ribbono Shel Olam’sson?”
“And Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey (Bamidbar, 22:21).”
Our sidrah describes how Balak, king of Moab, contracts the evil prophet, the respected and powerful sorcerer Balaam, to curse Am Yisrael. Rashi points out an important lesson in the alacrity with which Balaam responds to the invitation: “From here we learn that hate causes a disregard for the standard of dignified conduct, for Balaam saddled his donkey by himself.” As a result of his intense, irrational hatred of Jews, Balaam didn’t wait for his servants and rushed to saddle his donkey on his own, relishing the opportunity to embark on this mission to cause harm to Am Yisrael.
Rashi continues by juxtaposing Balaam’s actions with Avraham Avinu’s at the Akeidah: “HaKadosh Baruch Hu said (to Balaam), “Rasha, Wicked one! Their father Avraham has already preceded you, as the pasuksays, ‘Avraham arose in the morning and saddled his donkey’ (Bereishis, 22:3).”
When Avraham Avinu rose early in the morning, eager and prepared to fulfill Hashem’s will at the Akeidah, he was “alacritous to perform the commandment.” According to the Gemara (Sanhedrin, 105b, Rashi), this is an example of how “love negates the standard conduct of those of prominence.” In this case, Avraham Avinu’s passionate dedication and love for Hashem negated his normal conduct, and he rushed to bind his son on the altar.
This coming week begins the period of Bein HaMeitzarim, when our focus intensifies on making a tikkunfor the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash. It is a time for us to consider our dedication to both our brothers and sisters, as well as our passion and fervor in mitzvah observance. Perhaps it’s a time as well for us l’kalkeil shura, “to break the rules of conduct” in our Ahavas Yisrael and go beyond our typical standards of giving and doing on behalf of others.
May we learn from the opposite examples of Balak, and lehavdil, Avraham Avinu, as well as the holy actions of Rav Pincus, and may we do whatever it takes to help others and fulfill Hashem’s will.
Excerpted from Baderech: Along the Path of the Torah, forthcoming (Mosaica Press, Elul 5786).
Rabbi Judah Mischel is Executive Director of Camp HASC, and Mashpiah of OU-NCSY.
