This is a shiur topic that I am definitely very interested in. When I think about Parshat Balak, I tend to immediately think about Bilaam, the "protagonist" of this Parsha. Rarely do I ever think about the person who gives this Parsha its name. So who is Balak and what can his request of Bilaam teach us about the nature of his character.
Although it might not seem like a lot of information, the entire focus of this shiur is surrounding the first six Pesukim of our Parsha.
(א) וַיִּסְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַֽיַּחֲנוּ֙ בְּעַֽרְב֣וֹת מוֹאָ֔ב מֵעֵ֖בֶר לְיַרְדֵּ֥ן יְרֵחֽוֹ׃ (ס) (ב) וַיַּ֥רְא בָּלָ֖ק בֶּן־צִפּ֑וֹר אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לָֽאֱמֹרִֽי׃ (ג) וַיָּ֨גָר מוֹאָ֜ב מִפְּנֵ֥י הָעָ֛ם מְאֹ֖ד כִּ֣י רַב־ה֑וּא וַיָּ֣קָץ מוֹאָ֔ב מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עַתָּ֞ה יְלַחֲכ֤וּ הַקָּהָל֙ אֶת־כָּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ הַשּׁ֔וֹר אֵ֖ת יֶ֣רֶק הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּבָלָ֧ק בֶּן־צִפּ֛וֹר מֶ֥לֶךְ לְמוֹאָ֖ב בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא׃ (ה) וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר פְּ֠תוֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵי־עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ל֑וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר הִ֠נֵּה עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֙יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי׃ (ו) וְעַתָּה֩ לְכָה־נָּ֨א אָֽרָה־לִּ֜י אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֗ה כִּֽי־עָצ֥וּם הוּא֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי אוּלַ֤י אוּכַל֙ נַכֶּה־בּ֔וֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֣י יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־תְּבָרֵךְ֙ מְבֹרָ֔ךְ וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר יוּאָֽר׃
I want to break down our chunk of Pesukim, Passuk by Passuk, in order to go into detail about who exactly Balak was.
Starting in Passuk bet, we are introduced to ״בלק בן-צפור" who is the king of Moav at the time. The rest of the Passuk tells us that he heard all that Bnei Yisrael had done. So firstly who is this Balak ben Sipor, and what did he hear about Bnei Yisrael?
The Mepharshim on this Passuk give us multiple options of who Balak was and what it was exactly that he heard.
The first option that we are given for what Balak heard, is that the Jewish people were very numerous. Many mepharshim bring up this idea, including the Tur HaAroch, Siftei Chachamim, as well as the Daat Zekenim. If you are looking for any of these sources, I will attach the unabridged version of the Mekorot list when this Shiur goes live on social media.
In the mepharshim, there are three other options for what it is that Balak heard, that I want to focus on specifically in this shiur. Firstly we have the Rabbenu Bahya on this passuk which says,
The fact that Sichon and Og were not just “average” kings amongst the Canaanites is pointed out by G’d Himself who, whenever He speaks about His defeating the Canaanites cites the Emorites as the ones whom He humbled, i.e. they (compare Amos 2,13); represented the mightiest tribe of the Canaanite nation. Balak had previously considered the proximity of Sichon and Og as his insurance policy against being invaded by the Israelites. When he saw that his paid “protectors” had themselves proved inadequate he suddenly became filled with fear.
I find this Mefarash particularly interesting because it focuses on Balak perceived insecurity in broaching this topic. This is a theme that we will find reflected among many of the other Mepharshim as we continue to analyze the following pesukim
The next Mefarsh that I want to bring inside is that of the Midrash Tanchuma. He takes a different approach to this Passuk in that it focuses on the special relationship that Bnei Yisrael had with Hashem and why Balak was uncomfortable with that.
The last source that I want to bring inside on Passuk Bet is that of the Shnei Luchot HaBrit. In that understanding of the Passuk we start to view Balak as a lot more of an insidious character because he seeks to destroy the very relationship that Bnei Yisrael have with Hashem.
Now that we have established what the background reasoning was for Balaks plan, which was namely, that the jews were too numerous and that they would take over Moav, that Balak himself was insecure (seen in the Rabben Bahya), or that the Jewish people had a relationship with Hashem that Balak was jealous of,( Shnei Luchot HaBrit). Now that the "basis for hatred" is in place, we must continue to see how this plan develops.
Passuk Gimmel
In Passuk Gimmel, there are two major parts. One is that Bnei Yisrael had become very numerous. The second part, which is arguably the more important part is that Moav were afraid for their lives
Starting with the first part of the Passuk, that Bnei Yisrael had become too numerous, most of the Mefarshim read this to be pshat, or just the literal or simple meaning of the text. I am going to put the Sefer Hayashar inside below, but his view is also found in the Targum Yonatan, the Onkelos, Chizkuni and the Ramban.
Now focusing on the second part of the Passuk, that the people of Moav were afraid for their lives. Like the first part of the Passuk, many mepharshim read this as pshat ,including the Rashbam which I am going to put in below, as well as Siftei Chachamim and Rashi.
There is one Mefarsh on this Passuk who brings a slightly different vision, which became the thesis of this shiur. That is of the Kedushat Levi, on Passuk Gimmel
Judging by the fact that the Torah distinguishes the feelings of the Moabites vis a vis העם, the “people,” and subsequently vis a vis the בני ישראל, “the Children of Israel”, we are entitled to assume that the term העם refers to the fellow travelers, the mixed multitude that had attached themselves to the Israelites at the time of the Exodus. (Compare Sh’mot Rabbah 42,6)
According to the Zohar, the fear of the Moabites was due to their having noticed that wherever the Israelites encamped (40th year near the Jordan river) many gentiles would join them and convert to Judaism, so that the word העם, here does not refer to the mixed multitude that had joined the Israelites already at the Exodus. [I have not found this Zohar, Ed.] Balak or his people were afraid that if the Israelites were to encamp near them, many Moabites would convert to Judaism and join them. [The legislation that Moabites were not allowed to convert (Deuteronomy 23,4) had not yet been made public. Ed.] The next line describing the mental state of the Moabites as being one of dread of the Israelites, explains that whereas normally, Balak could not have cared less, here the fact that the Moabites were in such dread of the Israelites caused him to fear wholesale defection among his people to the Israelites as a real possibility. Balak was a great anti-Semite.
The last line of the Kedushat Halevi is so important that it stand to be repeated," Balak was a great anti-Semite". This view of Balaks character became the thesis for this shiur when I started to view the arguments made in the previous two pesukim within the broader lens of Anti-Semitism. Tropes that have become commonplace, such that as,"The jews control everything" and that "they are conniving and stealth" have been Anti-Semetic go to's for what feels like all of history. This point will just be reinforced as we continue to analyze the following Pesukim within that lens.
Continuing with Passuk Daled, we have this metaphor that compares the Jewish people seen as a "horde that will lick clean all that is about us, as an ox licks up all the grass of the field". This metaphor is directed at the elders of Midian, which is seemingly an unlikely ally for Moav. The majority of the Mepharshim agree on this Passuk that Moav and Midian put aside their hatred for each other to focus it on their mutual hatred of the Jewish People. This is evident in the Sifrei, the Siftei chachamim, The Rabben Bahya, The Chizkuni(which I will insert below), Sforno, and Rashi.
Viewing this concept, again within the larger frame of antisemetic tropes, we see many historical similarities. Especially currently when it comes to Israel, their are often unlikely partners who seemingly only common bond is a hatred for Israel. While I do not want to make political arguments, I think it is a helpful observation in hoping to fight back agains the current state of Antisemitism.
Moving to Passuk Heh, we have Balak now trying to convince Balaam to curse Bnei Yisrael on his behalf. The Meparshim bring the interesting concept that while Balak was the king of Moav, he sent to a person from Midian, which was his nation, to deal with his "dirty buisness". This point is made by the Tur Haaroch, Rashbam, Chizkuni and Rashi.
There are two Mepharshim that bring up different ideas on this Passuk. Firstly we have the Bamidbar Rabbah that states that Balak went looking for Bilaam in order to increase his popularity.
Balak saw Bilaams potential for power and he knew of his spiritual capabilities, so by getting him on his side, Balak was striving to make himself look more credible. The other source that I want to bring inside is that of the Or Hachaim, who states that Balak was using the idea that Israel would disinherit Moav, so in order to protect national security, he had to do something. I wonder if that sounds familiar to anybody.
Now that Balak has been gaining steam with all of his arguments, he reaches out to Bilaam to do something that his is not capable of accomplishing himself. Which is to curse the Jewish people. He reaches out to Bilaam in the hopes of controlling the narrative among the Jewish people. This idea is reinforced by the Midrash Tanchuma, the Targum Yonatan, (which I will bring below) and the Siftei Chachamim.
Another reason that is given by multiple Mefarshim is that he wants revenge for the lands that were taken in the battle of Sichon and Og, and that Balak did not want to "exterminate the Jews", he simply wanted his land back. This is seen in the Kedushat Levi, Chizkuni,Rashi,Sforno, and Daat Zekenim which I will insert below.
Now that we have established what kind of person Balak is, and just what he exactly hopes to do to the Jewish people, we can jump to the conclusion of our Parsha, in which Balaam, on multiple occasions, tries to curse the Jewish people on Balaks behalf, but it always comes out as a blessing. Herein lies the true story of our Parsha. Despite all that Balak was attempting to do to the Jewish people, he not only failed but the people were blessed because of his actions.
We must understand that Antisemitism is a sad reality of this world currently. It is very easy to get discouraged with all of the negative pressure that is put on Jews on a near daily basis. We must not let it defeat us. We are destined for a higher purpose. I am not saying that it is easy to not internalize the disgusting hatred that exists for Jews. I am not saying that such beahvior should be normalized.
What I am trying to say is that in every generation, people will try to raise up against the Jews and defeat us. Sadly this is not a new concept. But we still exsists. Our communties are still thriving. Sometimes the best gratification is delayed.