It truly has been a cultural awakening for my son as Canadians celebrated Canada Day and America celebrated Independence Day. Last Sunday we spent a couple of hours at our neighbor’s pool. Our neighbor had some guests over as well whom we met for the first time. As we were talking they realized that we were American. As my son came out of the water, one of the women began asking him questions. Soon the questions left the general polite questions of “What is your name? “How old are you?’ “What is your favorite subject?” and veered into six year old boy’s impression of Canada, the United States and some of the differences. One woman asked my son “Do you like living in Canada?” My son responded yes. Then she asked him if he saw any differences between America and Canada. Our six year old pointed out that in “America we celebrate Independence Day with watching baseball and fireworks. Canada celebrates Canada Day with fireworks and Hockey news. Canada is nice but I like baseball better.” Of course, I agreed. Nothing beats celebrating the 4th of July than going to a baseball game during the day and fireworks at night. While the calendar suggest that summer is just a couple of weeks old, the season for the “Boys of Summer” heads towards the halfway mark of the season. For baseball fans this means that the trade deadline is approaching. Teams have the opportunity to upgrade talent or discard expensive and or unproductive players. In a sense the fan can either have a renewed sense of hope or despair will not begin to replace the hope that existed way back in the spring. There is something fascinating in watching players switch teams in the middle of a season. There is something fascinating about an older player traded from a bad team to a playoff contender. Frequently, a player that is coveted and available in a trade, while having performed at a high level with the former team, joins the new team and is a complete bust. Sometimes the exact opposite is the case. A player performing at a low level is traded and begins playing wonderfully with the new team. A change of environment seems to have an enormous effect upon these professionals.
This Shabbat is we read Parsha Balak. In the Parsha we read an interesting narrative that is filled with suspense, humor, intrigue, an apparent “midseason trade” and even a happy ending. It is interesting to note that throughout the Parsha, the focus is upon the outside world as it relates to the Bnai Yisroel. That is to say, Balak, the king of Moav and the tribe of Midian are the subjects of the Parsha. Bnai Yisroel hovers as the main reason for why the narrative is pertinent; however for once, Bnai Yisroel is not doing something wrong, they are not recipients of God’s anger. Instead they placidly and temporarily settled on the plains of Moav waiting to enter into Eretz Canaan. Not until the end of the Parsha and only after the narrative of Balak and Bilaam concluded, does the Torah return to a narrative style with Bnai Yisroel as the subject of poor behavior and God’s anger.
Bilaam, a soothsayer is hired by Balak to curse Bnai Yisroel. By cursing Bnai Yisroel, Balak believed that this was the only way to defeat Bnai Yisroel since they had successfully waged war on all the indigenous tribes thus far. The donkey that Bilaam rides upon on his way to cursing Bnai Yisroel refuses to respond to Bilaam, Bilaam grows angrier and angrier. The donkey is able to see an Angel of God in the road and Bilaam the soothsayer cannot. So a humorous conversation between Donkey and Soothsayer occurs (this is the funny part). Bilaam eventually realizes that he is unable to curse Bnai Yisroel. Finally when he is looking from the hills down upon Bnai Yisroel and sees a peaceful, God-fearing community he utters praise instead of curses. Imagine Balak’s anger and frustration? He hires Bilaam to curse B’nai Yisroel, and instead he blesses Bnai Yisroel! Vayomer Balak El Bilaam Meh Asita Li Lakov Oyvai L’Kachticha V’Hinei Beirachta Vareich – Balak said to Bilaam, “What have you done to me! To curse my enemy have I brought you – but behold, you have even blessed!” (Num. 23:11)
Balak’s frustration is something we can all understand. He believed that Bilaam, a powerful soothsayer/prophet was capable of communing with God and deriving the appropriate sign in order to curse Bnai Yisroel. Bilaam’s response is quite revealing: Halo Eit Asher Yasim HaShem B’Fi Oto Eshmor L’Daber! Is it not so that whatever Hashem puts in my mouth, that I must take heed to speak! Essentially Bilaam explains that he can only say what God would have said. Clearly With his plans stymied, Balak leaves Bilaam in great frustration. If Balak could have traded Bilaam for another soothsayer, he probably would have. As awful a person as Balak is, and as mercenary a person Bilaam is, we can learn a lot from the exchange of both men. Balak hired the soothsayer to do a job for which Bilaam was renowned for doing. Bilaam did not live up to his reputation. Had Balak issued a curse himself, even if it failed, at least he would have felt empowered. Remember, Balak is afraid. He knows of Bnai Yisroel’s reputation. He doesn’t stand a chance in a conventional confrontation. If Balak had been educated and was knowledgeable in the arts of “curse issuing”, then Balak’s frustration would have been directed at God and himself.
How often do we blame others for our shortcoming and our ignorance? How often do we feel uncomfortable in shul, sitting in prayer, neither understanding neither what we are saying nor why we are saying it? How often do we read the Parsha and not realize how these words and its message connect to our soul? How often do wait to be inspired by the words of a Rabbi or the notes sung by the Shaliach Tzibbur? The fact of the matter is that we need to turn inwards, towards our soul. There in our own soul we will find holiness. There in our own soul will we derive the impetus to ask questions, to learn, and to make Judaism more meaningful. Rather than trading for another player –looking outwards; teams decide to stick with the personnel that they have and commit to playing better, commit to exerting greater effort, working harder. They look inward and renew the sense of commitment and purpose.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
No comments:
Post a Comment