As we enter the period of the Three Weeks, I would like to share an idea that stems from the Torah portion we recently read, Parshat Balak. The Parsha features the enigmatic figure of Bilaam. Bilaam is remarkable in a number of respects, and far from ordinary. Physically, he is blind in one eye, walks with a limp, and is prone to prophetic seizures. He possesses special powers to convey blessings or curses, in the words of Balak, את אשר תברך מברך ואשר תאר יואר, whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed (Numbers 22:6).
At first glance, Bilaam seems to not misuse these powers with regards to Israell. When asked to curse Israel, he replies that he can only do that which God will allow him to speak. And sure enough, although he does travel to Balak and go through the motions of attempting to curse Israel from various vantage points, he ultimately does not curse them. Instead, he offers some of the most beautiful blessings and prophecies in the whole Torah on behalf of Israel.
And yet Bilaam is not portrayed positively by by our Sages. In fact, he is vilified. The Gemara (Sandhedrin 105b) suggests that Bilaam truly did try to curse Israel based on predicting the moment of God’s anger. He is also the one blamed for instigating the plan of the בנות מדין to seduce the men of Israel (Sanhedrin 106a). In Pireki Avot (5:19) Bilaam is portrayed as the opposite of Avraham, possessing an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and an insatiable desire. And his end? He is killed by sword as recorded in the book of Joshua (13:22)
What was it about Bilaam that led an individual with such unique powers to leave such a terrible legacy of bad character, negativity and destruction?
Let us re-imagine what could have been. Bilaam could have responded to Balak quite differently. If he truly possessed such powers of blessing as well, he could have offered to bless Moab, rather than curse Israel. If Moab were more powerful, what concerns should they have for any enemies?
Furthermore, it is important to recognize that Bilaam stood nothing to gain for any of this. He even says to the messengers אם יתן לי בלק כל ביתו כסף וזהב, even if I had all the money in the world. (Numbers 22:18). A man of such powers can certainly find other ways to gain wealth.
And yet Bilaam chooses to follow Balak to curse Israel. It is unclear why– and that is exactly the point.
Bilaam is a man not connected to anyone in particular. The same passage in Sanhedrin (105b) says that the name Bilaam is related to בלא עם, without a nation. He is a loner, a free agent, who takes on whichever cases he chooses. In this case, he chose to help curse Israel, and later on he initiated the plan to seduce the men of Israel through the daughters of Midian– even though he stands to gain nothing.
Bilaam reminds me of the famous character from the Grimm fairy tale– Rumpelstiltskin. He helps the miller’s daughter spin straw into gold in exchange for her ring and necklace even though he clearly can have all the riches he wants. His actions, too, ultimately were against his best interests– he wagered on the daughter not guessing his name and this led to his body being split in half!
The message we learn from Bilaam’s bad choices is an important one. At times we act against our own better judgement to harm another person, whether it’s out of anger, spite, or plain foolishness. We do this even when it’s not in our own best interests. This would fit into the category of what our Sages called שנאת חנם, baseless. hatred. It was on account of such hatred, we are taught, that the first and second temples were destroyed.
This lesson is illustrated in the well known episode of Kamtza and Bar Kamzta (Gittin 56a). There was a certain man who had a friend, Kamtza, and an enemy Bar Kamtza. By accident, Bar Kamtza was invited to his party. When he saw him there he insisted he leave. Bar Kamtza begged that he stay and not suffer embarrassment of being thrown out. He even offered to pay for the meal! But the man insisted he leave. Clearly it would have benefited him to have his enemy pay for his party! But he is so delirious with anger, he makes a decision that is against his best interests, and destructive towards others. The Talmud relates that this was literally and symbolically an incident that led to the destruction of the Temple.
As we approach the Three Weeks, let us be careful at the very least not to succumb to such שנאת חנם. As hard as it is to believe, we are all capable of such behavior, even of that exhibited by Bilaam. We all have “powers;” we have to be careful how we use them.
And if the power to destroy is so great, just imagine how much good we can produce with a dose of אהבת חנם, baseless love. Sometimes it pays to do a good deed, say a kind word, give a blessing– even when it is unwarranted, uncalled for, and unexpected. We underestimate the power of such deeds and there is truly no greater antidote for whatever incidental and inevitable lapses in judgment and kindness that we engage in on a regular basis. Such אהבת חנם is always in our best interest, and the results can truly to transform the world for all.