Balak: The True Battleground
Parshah: Balak Numbers 22:2–25:9
Bilaam the prophet to the nations declares in our parsha that "Amalek is the first ( Rosh) of the nations." (Num. 24:20) Rashi explains that the Hebrew word "rosh" here refers to the fact that Amalek was the first nation to attack the Jews as they went out of Egypt. The Zohar asks, "What is the reason that the war that Amalek waged against Israel was singled out for remembering by the Holy One Blessed Be He, more than all the wars that all other nations waged against Israel?" (Zohar, Shemot 194b)
The answer is that the war battled by Amalek was not only a physical one , but rather it was a spiritual struggle. Amalek represents the Rosh or head of the evil nations that will endeavor at all times to eradicate the Jewish people.They represent the evil power that attempts to instill doubt and confusion into the world around us . That is why we are told “ HaShem will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.'( Exodus 17;16).
The Zohar (III: 184b) then also speaks of the unbridled hatred of Balak and Balaam,for the people of Israel .It declares regarding these two that “ No other people experienced and acted out of such hatred save Amalek, who also hated the Jewish people greatly. “
Balak's fears and hatred are clearly described;". Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel. (Numbers 22:2-3). The word translated as "disgusted" is vayikatz which more literally means, coming to their end.
That is to say, the people of Moab understood that they were facing not only a people but the revelation of a concept that would negate their own conception of life’s purpose. It was a concept that would change the world. They were faced with a people that were to represent and reveal the presence of G-d in the world . this was the exact concept that Amalek was trying to destroy.
Balaam was also transfixed by hatred. When G-d allows Balaam to go with the messengers of Balak in order to fulfill G-d's purpose ,we read how Balaam hears the permission and is in an almost frenzied hurry to be on his way
"In the morning Balaam arose, saddled his she-donkey and went with the Moabite dignitaries.( Numbers 22: 21)
Rashi writes on that verse;
“From here we see how hatred causes a person to break from convention. Balaam had many servants at his disposal; yet in his eagerness to go curse Israel , he saddled his ass himself. Said the Almighty: "Evil one! Their father, Abraham, has already preempted you when, to fulfill My will, he 'rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey' (Genesis 22:3)." Rashi's point is that Abraham rushed to do G-d's will...you Balaam rushed to do your own will and desire for the sake of profit, power and hatred.
Yet the joint efforts of Balak and Balaam to curse the Jewish people ended in failure and disgrace. It was such a failure that Balaam is forced to declare the following regarding Amalek and their frontal attempts at destroying Israel “Amalek was the first of the nations, and his fate shall be everlasting destruction." ( Numbers 24 :20)
Yet as R. Simeon b. Yohai said: Love upsets the natural order, and hate upsets the natural order. (Bereshit Rabbah 55:8). Balak and Balaam were not done yet with their hatred.
For it is then that Balaam suggest to Balak to send the daughters of Midyan to seduce the children of Israel. As we read later "And Moshe said unto them: 'Have you saved all the women alive? Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with HaShem in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Hashem. ( Numbers 31:15-16).
Why was this path chosen?
It was Balaam that spoke HaShem's words and said" He ( G-d) does not look at evil in Jacob, and has seen no perversity in Israel; the L-rd, his G-d, is with him." ( ibid 23:21) It is then that he realized that attacking the people of Israel frontally may not succeed . on the other hand attacking the sanctity of the Israelites might actually bring about a separation form G-d and make them physically and spiritually more vulnerable.
He therefore devised a plan that would cut at their spiritual core. The People of Israel separated from their spiritual sense of purpose and meaning will fall by the wayside.
In this way Balak and Balaam were attempting to become an Amalek of a different sort. The Zohar notes that the names "Balaam", "Balak", and "Amalek" are interconnected. The last two letters of Balaam and the last two of Balak spell out the name "Amalek" .This is not mere happenstance.
Amalek’s spiritual heirs will continue to attempt destroy the people of HaShem by attacking them and thereby sowing doubt and instilling the dangerous belief in random happenstance. On the other hand, other spiritual cousins of Amalek will attempt to destroy the people of HaShem by making them feel unworthy and unholy.
Both those forces are at play in our present days of redemption. There are great forces attempting to make the Jewish people feel unholy and incapable of achieving their spiritual destiny. Concurrently there are forces attempting to convince this people that there is no destiny and there is no ultimate purpose in our individual and corporate lives.
As a result , our greatest battle on these days is not against Iran, Hezbollah or against some of our so called friends. Our greatest battle is within ourselves, battling against this dual attack on our essence.
It is this battle that we must, with Hashem's help, be successful in winning
