Torah Weekly

For the week ending 16 July 2005 / 9 Tammuz 5765

Parshat Balak

by Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair -
The Color of HeavenArtscroll





My Minds Made Up - Dont Confuse Me With The Facts!

"Balak, the son of Tzippor" (22:2)

It takes one to know one.

In Moav, proficiency in the black arts was as common as a cold. Balak was the greatest sorcerer in Moav. In those times, people could predict the future by creating talking birds. They would take gold for its head, silver for its beak, and copper for the wings. The parts had to be assembled at a certain time of day. Finally, they placed in its mouth the tongue of a real bird. Then they put it on the sill of an open window so that by day it faced the sun, and, by night, the moon. Seven days later, the birds tongue began to make a ringing sound. The sorcerer would then take a golden needle and pierce the birds tongue. And then the bird would begin to talk. Using the powers of impurity, the bird would reveal the secrets of the future.

No one was more skilled in this form of divination than Balak. For this reason he was called Balak ben Tzippor. In Hebrew, the word tzippor means "a bird." In other words, the name implied, "Balak, who can foretell the future through a magic bird." Amongst other things that the bird told Balak was that he would at first be victorious over the Jewish People, but finally he would fail.

Once, Balak was preparing a bird to prognosticate the downfall of the Jews. While he was bowing and offering incense to the bird it suddenly took wing and flew out of the window. Balak was very disturbed when the bird did not return.

After some time, Balak saw the bird returning. However, pursuing the bird was a plume of flame. The flame singed the birds tail. Balak knew that this was a sign that the power of the Divine Presence would eventually conquer the power of the dark side.

In spite of this, Balak still invited Bilam to curse the Jews.

There are a couple of things in this bizarre story that dont quite add up. First, if Balak was the chief sorcerer in Moav, why did he need Bilam? Was he looking for an apprentice? Also, if Balak saw the portent of the plume of flame, what did he hope to achieve by inviting Bilam to curse the Jewish People. Wasnt it obvious to him that he would fail?

The answer is that the obvious is never an impediment to self-interest. Balak didnt want to be confused with the facts. Balak was so intent on the destruction of the Jewish People that he ignored the obvious portent of the bird and surmised that the Jewish People, like all other nations, were subject to the natural forces of the constellations. However, the Jews are above the stars. G-d supervises us with specific Providence.

And to answer our other question, Balak was not in need of a sorcerers apprentice. Both he and Bilam had expertise in different areas of sorcery. Balak was well versed in the outer facets of magic, the practical day-to-day aspects of cursing and spell-casting. Bilam, on the other hand, had knowledge of the inner workings of the black arts. Balak surmised that together they would make an unbeatable duo, able to overcome clear indications of incipient defeat.

Balak proves the old adage: "My minds made up. Dont confuse me with the facts!"

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