This week's Torah portion has the wrong name. Well, at least you might think it has the wrong name, judging by the subject matter. Our
parashah focuses on the
non-Israelite prophet, Bilaam, who tries to curse the Israelites three times, but is constantly thwarted by God, and instead winds up blessing them each and every time. Before he sets off to proclaim his 'curses,' we also read an amusing story about Bilaam's talking donkey, who upstages Bilaam, and - quite frankly - makes him look like an (another word for donkey)...
Yet our Torah portion isn't named after Bilaam, this week's main character. It's named after Balak, the king of Moab, who tried to commission Bilaam's
unsuccessful curses. Balak, however, is the patsy, the fall-guy, the straight-man in this story, NOT the center of attention. So why is our
parashah named after him? To answer that question, I think we need to look at the concept of objective. This story isn't about action, it's about intention. It doesn't include any instances of violence; no one is attacking anyone else physically, the Moabites aren't trying to ambush or entrap the Israelites, and Bilaam isn't being asked to rain down plagues on Balak's enemies. It isn't about physical aggression... but rather something potentially much, much worse.
The tale of Balak and Bilaam reminds us of the power of words. It highlights the fact that not all damage is done with a sword, a gun, or a bomb. Propaganda, slander,
and the perversion of truth can be just as harmful as assault, if not more so. Looking back at our history as Jews, we see that indeed the most damage done to us came from blood libels, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and other malicious stories told to incite violence against Jews. They cause more harm than inquisitions or pogroms, because the tales themselves never go away. Hundreds of years later, they can resurface again and continue to cause great pain and suffering. That is also why the primary nemesis in this story is Balak, the inciter, rather than Bilaam, the emissary. Throughout our history, the masterminds of anti-Semitism were not the peasants, Cossacks, or Nazis perpetrating acts of violence; the worst villains stood behind the scenes, secretly inflaming more hatred with their words.
It's easy to read this Torah portion and think the name must be wrong. The story primarily focuses on Bilaam, so why is it called 'Balak'?
Because Balak is a metaphor for the larger problems of society. We tend to squabble over small issues, fight over details, and focus on petty bickering. But there are real problems that need to be dealt with - whether we're talking about national politics, Israel, congregational life, or family feuds. Let's not allow ourselves to be distracted by talking donkeys, highfalutin language, or fancy titles. Let us instead push ourselves to identify the real problems at hand, and face them head on. That must surely be the first step towards turning life's curses into blessings.
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