Parshat Balak – July 11, 2025 / 15 Tamuz 5785

I read a quote of unknown origin recently that said: “Never underestimate the perception of a donkey; it sees far beyond its own view.” According to a 2019 article in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, Donkeys are one of the most cognitively misunderstood animals. Historically ridden by distinguished figures, they were often used below their level of intelligence, and negative language became the norm surrounding them. They are actually very intelligent, with the ability to problem solve at a high-level. This is Torah wisdom for sure. Let’s explore.

This week we read of the Moabite King Balak. Balak is described as afraid of the Israelites. We hear a common complaint, one that hearkens all the way back to the Pharaoh who forgot Joseph and decided to destroy the Hebrews. Some of this language holds true even today: The people of Israel have become too numerous. They show power, and there are greater than a handful. Apparently, to some sensibilities, this is enough justification for the destruction of the Jewish people. To make a long story short, Balak appoints a well-known prophet-for-hire by the name of Bilaam. Bilaam is somewhat of a mercurial figure, and his intentions are the stuff of generations of rabbinic debate. We do know that King Balak asks Bilaam to curse the people of Israel. Perhaps if Bilaam is able to curse them, they will not pose a threat to Balak’s Moabites.

God tells this prophet that he must not go and curse the people of Israel because they are a blessed people. Bilaam is eventually convinced to go and attempt his curses, despite what God instructs. Bilaam rises in the morning and saddles his donkey. Our great sage Rashi tells us that this description of saddling the donkey is a textual clue into the fact that Bilaam’s curses would never come to pass. Earlier in the Torah, Abraham is described as rising early in the morning and saddling his donkey. It is then that Abraham offers his son Isaac, and God makes it exceedingly clear that the people of Israel shall be blessed, numerous and successful for generations to come. Abraham saddles early in the morning as does Bilaam. The blessings have already been guaranteed. Bilaam’s attempted curse is indeed a fool’s errand.

Bilaam sets out anyway, and this is where we get one of the most bizarre moments in all of Torah. Enter the perceptive donkey! As Bilaam rides his donkey, perhaps only focused on the curses that he has been charged with directing toward Israel, God sends a “Malach Adonai ba-derech l’satan lo- An Angel of God to position its way as an adversary.” An angel appears and blocks the road. The “atone,” the female donkey that Bilaam is riding, sees the angel, and swerves into a field. The donkey eventually pins Bilaam’s foot up against a wall. Bilaam does not look at the road and see the angel as a roadblock. He only continually strikes the donkey. Eventually the donkey speaks, saying: “What have I done to you! Why are you hitting me?” Bilaam then argues with the donkey! The donkey acts as the reasonable one in the situation, reminding Bilaam that she has always been a faithful donkey. “Have I ever done this to you before? Have I ever intentionally veered off the path and refused to push forward?” No, thinks Bilaam.

It is only then, after being enlightened by his donkey, that his eyes are uncovered and he sees the Angel blocking the way. Even still, he opens his mouth to curse Israel, but blessings emerge. We even get from Bilaam our famous morning prayer of “Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov, Mishkanotecha Yisrael- How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!”

What to glean from this? There are so many directions we could take. I see the grandiosity of human nature brought back down to earth. Balak is a Moabite King, Bilaam is a revered prophet. The human beings in this scenario go back and forth about the danger of the Israelites, the proper way to curse them. Titles of kings and prophets, and sophisticated human intentions and ambitions aside, God puts an angel in the middle of the road. Bilaam is so caught up in his own world that he views as complex and important that he does not see the angel blocking the way. Perhaps the angel was not a roadblock, but a guide saying: “Go on a different path!” How often do we not see something right in front of us on the road because we are either absorbed in the self, or the negative about something or someone else? The donkey can see that the road to cursing the Israelites is one that is literally impassable. The prophet cannot see what the donkey can. If a donkey can see that cursing the people of Israel is a bad idea, why can’t the rest of the world? Yes, It is ridiculous for a donkey to speak, even more ridiculous to argue with what a donkey says…it is even more absurd to try to curse the people of Israel. It is absurd to hate and wish ill upon others. Does the world need to stop arguing with the donkey and look up at the angel in the road from time-to-time?

So, let’s look at the message here. Even a donkey can see that it is a bad idea to hate the Jews. When will the world catch up? To paraphrase the idea of Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, we ask: can the seers of the world raise themselves to the level of a donkey? The ridiculous nature of this story seems to be a microcosm for the absurdity of the misguided self-righteousness that human beings can too often be embroiled in. Bilaam was unaware of who was with him and what was in front of him. A wise donkey and an angel directing spiritual traffic. Malicious intentions blind us to the blessings surrounding us. Hatred and curses of any kind do no good for the world. Cursing the people of Israel during King Balak’s time was a bad idea, just as it is a bad idea today. It is as simple as that. Detour toward blessings. Just ask the donkey. Livracha v’lo lik’lala, for blessing and not for curse.

Shabbat Shalom.

– Rabbi Josh Gray