Barmitzvah of Jack Selwyne [London]
And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said to Balaam: What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? (Numbers 22.28)
In this week's portion of the law we read of one of the strangest incidents in Scripture, that of the speaking ass. Apart perhaps from the serpent who addressed Eve in the Garden of Eden, it has no real parallel in the Bible. Modern scholarship has largely abandoned the attempts to reconcile a narrative of this kind with the events of everyday life. Such attempts, of which many have been made in the past, are quite legitimate, but experience has shown that they are not likely to be fruitful. An investigation into the man-eating qualities of whales sheds little light on the book of Jonah, and a dissection of the larynx of a donkey will help the elucidation of our story not at all. We must work on a different plane. We have to seek rather the literary and inspirational purpose served by this bizarre tale of asses, men, and oracles.
Let us consider first the character of Balaam. The Rabbis considered him to be a great prophet. Although they do not say so explicitly, they seem to have had a nagging feeling that he was even greater than Moses. On the verse in Deuteronomy [34.10] that states that "there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses," the ancient Midrash the Sifré says that this is so in Israel, but among the other nations there did arise such a prophet, and that was Balaam. Moreover, the Rabbis proceed to outline the superiority of Balaam over Moses. Moses, they say, did not know who was speaking to him, apparently because the burden of prophecy lay so heavily on his shoulders. Balaam did know who was speaking to him. Moses had access to the divinity only when summoned. Balaam, like a peer of the realm, had access to the sovereign at all times. These differences amount, I think, to the difference between an amateur and a professional. Moses was halting of speech, often unwilling to fulfil the tasks that destiny thrust upon him. Moses prophesied, for thereby he attained his political pre-eminence. But Balaam was different. He had doubtless undergone a systematic training in prophetic method at the best academies, and was able to turn out a polished oracle in sound, archaic Hebrew at short notice. He was, in fact, a professional prophet, famous, fashionable, and wealthy. In our day he would probably have lived in Harley Street.
But there were other differences, too, between Moses and Balaam of much greater importance. There was surely a difference of motivation. Moses is characterized by a deep and enduring love of Israel. He would allow the Almighty to show him no favoritism. If the people were to be destroyed, then he must be destroyed too. His love for his people entirely surpassed his love for himself, and even when we see him at this harshest, as when he deals with the revolt of Korach, there is never any suspicion that he is after his own glory. His devotion is to God and Israel, not to Moses.
Balaam's motives are different. He is a professional, and works for hire. There is no mistaking his irritation, when he finds that Israel cannot easily be cursed. And his hesitation in sending away Balak's messengers, in spite of directives from on high, is a clear indication of his own feelings. Moreover, Balak's offer of a greater reward shows that Balaam doubtless had a reputation for demurely declining invitations to prophecy until the fee reached the required size. Throughout the narrative, his intention is clearly to do as Balak wants him to do, and it is no joy to him that his mouth utters what his heart does not feel.
There is a further difference between Balaam and Moses. Moses was a man of vision, and good common sense. That is not to say that he did not make mistakes, but bye and large "his eye was not dimmed", not only at his death, but throughout his life, not only physically, but also in judgment and sense. Balaam was different, and the incident with the donkey really serves to bring out the point in full force. Let us look at the circumstances. Balaam is riding along on his ass, and an angel appears complete with fiery sword. What happens, to put it simply, is that the ass has the vision of a prophet, and the prophet is something of an ass. This Balaam, who lays claim to "visions of the Almighty," no less, cannot see something that is perfectly visible to his donkey. What a disgrace for him! And in front of the princes of Moab too!
And there is another thing. Balaam grows angry, and screams at the ass: "Would that there were a sword in my hand that I might kill thee!" In response to this, one of the Aramaic versions puts this little speech into the mouth of the ass:
Woe to thee, wicked and foolish Balaam, in whom no vision is found. I am a brute creature, yet you could not destroy me with your arts, but need a sword. How much less can you destroy the people of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
Balaam is, in fact, the epitome of the man who has great talent and wealth, but lacks deeper understanding; who has ecstatic visions of God, but cannot see an angel, and would doubtless stumble over a mere man; who cannot kill an animal, but thinks he can destroy an entire people; who is as foolish as he is famous, as spiritually poor as he is physically rich. This is what the story of the speaking ass teaches us, that talents are not enough, that vision, and judgment, and common sense are vital too. And it is for this that Moses still has the superiority over Balaam. Moses was not merely a good example of a near eastern prophet with his sacrifices, divining rods, and oracles, but a man of God in a non-cultic, non-ecstatic sense, simple, zealous, and forthright.
It is these qualities that you must cultivate. You do not have to aspire to the professional eminence of Balaam, to his fame or his riches. You want rather the qualities of Moses: his simplicity -- for he followed a humble and gentle profession, that of a shepherd; his zeal -- for he ever strove to further the good of his people, and the honor of God; his forthrightness -- for he was honest in speech, and pure in heart. You have the assurance of help and affection from those around you, in your family and community. You can repay it only by clinging to the qualities exemplified in our master Moses. May you be a credit to all those who love you and seek your good. May God be with you, and bless you, and prosper you in all that you do.