The Depth of Divine Providence: The Secret of Bilaam's Prophecy and the Power of His Blessings
Lesson No. 97 | Tuesday, Parashas Mattos-Masei, 24 Tammuz 5757 - Morning Shiur at the Yeshiva
The nations of the world demanded a prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu, and Hashem granted them Bilaam. Through a wonderful parable about a child who receives an enormous sum of money, the Rav explains why prophecy without effort is a danger, and how Hashem turned [the curse into a blessing].
The Nations of the World Demand a Prophet
Chazal (the Sages) say that Bilaam was superior in his wisdom, and there was even something that he knew and Moshe Rabbeinu did not know. When Moshe Rabbeinu asked Hashem:
"Please let me know Your ways,"
the nations of the world came with a claim. Initially, Hashem gave them prophets like Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite, and many other prophets who were not recorded in the Torah. But the nations said, "This is not enough for us. We want a prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu! Look at how we appear; we don't have a Moshe Rabbeinu."
Hashem said to them, "This is not a problem for Me. I am omnipotent, and I will give you a prophet twice as great as Moshe Rabbeinu, and we will see what comes of it." Hashem chose Bilaam, whose name's letters hint at the word 'Pele' (wonder)—a wondrous man. He granted him Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) to test what he would do with this immense power.
The Parable of the Child and the Treasure: The Danger of Abundance Without Effort
And what did that man do with the power of prophecy? It is said of him:
"Whomever you bless is blessed, and whomever you curse is cursed."
He started going around cursing countries, destroying the world. Every country upon which he decreed destruction was ruined. He received prophecy and Ruach HaKodesh, but he used them for destruction.
What is this comparable to? They took a small child, thirteen or fourteen years old, and gave him ten thousand dollars in cash. What will the child do with the money? Within three days, he will fall into bad ways. A person who loves his son would never give him such an amount all at once. He would barely give him a penny, because he knows that if the child has unlimited amounts of money, he will wander the streets, look for things to buy, and enter dangerous places where one cannot go with a beard and peyos (sidelocks).
Hashem wanted to conduct a sort of "scientific experiment" to show the world what happens when immense power is given to someone who is not ready for it. He took Bilaam, gave him tremendous spiritual power, and demonstrated how he immediately deteriorated and used it for evil.
The Path of Toiling in Torah
In contrast, the Jewish people are the children of Hashem, as it is stated:
"My firstborn son is Israel."
Would He give His beloved children prophecy and Ruach HaKodesh for free, without any effort? Heaven forbid. If a Jew were to receive prophecy easily, he might start cursing anyone who strays from the path, accumulate money from fortune-telling, and who knows where he would end up.
Therefore, Hashem requires the Jewish people to work hard. Come to the yeshiva, study the Gemara with toil, labor until you understand the Chumash and the Mishnah, and work with great difficulty until you break your bad character traits and desires. Nothing comes easily. To the nations of the world, Hashem said, "Take prophecy, be twice as great as Moshe Rabbeinu, let's see what comes of it." But from the Jewish people, He demands toil and the refinement of character traits.
The Eternal Blessing from Within the Curse
Yet, from this entire process, the Jewish people gained a tremendous benefit. After the sin of the Waters of Meribah, when it was decreed upon Moshe Rabbeinu that he would not enter the Land of Israel and he could no longer bless us as he wished, Hashem, in His abundant compassion, orchestrated a wondrous turn of events.
He brought the wicked Bilaam, who is the embodiment of the Sitra Achra (the Other Side/forces of impurity) himself, so that he would be the one to bless the Jewish people:
"How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael. Like streams they are spread out, like gardens by a river, like aloes planted by Hashem, like cedars by water."
This blessing applies to our tents and dwelling places—to the yeshivas and Talmud Torahs. Bilaam blessed that these institutions should be like flowing streams, transforming into wondrous gardens of *yiras Shamayim* (fear of Heaven). And all this happened specifically because of Bilaam's blessing, since such a blessing cannot be contradicted.
The Power of the Blessing in Educating Jewish Children
When opening a 'cheder' or a Torah institution today, it is Bilaam's blessing that stands by us. What is the power of a regular person's blessing compared to the blessing that Hashem brought forth from Bilaam's mouth? Bilaam promised that every Torah institution would be "like streams spread out" and "like cedars by water."
However, for this blessing to take full effect, we must instill within the children true yiras Shamayim (fear of Heaven), holiness, and purity of the eyes. The goal is to raise a child who, from the moment of birth, guards his eyes and his mouth, a child who grows up in a clean atmosphere free from any slang or inappropriate words.
True education also demands self-nullification and humility from the parents. A Jewish home must be a place of *avodas Hashem* (serving God), of morning prayer, of Torah study day and night, and of a holy Shabbos table. It is impossible to educate children toward holiness if the parents insist on remaining in their old habits. We must strive to raise children with the "fragrance of yiras Shamayim," as Rebbe Nachman says regarding the verse "And he shall be animated by the fragrance of the fear of Hashem," children filled with modesty and humility.
The Secret of Education: We Are Only a "Connecting Wire"
The greatest foundation in education is submission and lowliness. A father who educates his children and says with pride, "I educated them, I raised them, and only I know how to educate"—endangers the spiritual future of his children. Education does not stem from "my strength and the might of my hand."
A person must say: "I am doing what is necessary, what is written in the holy books. What can human strength do beyond that? Hashem does everything." A person is ultimately just like a small wire that connects an electrical circuit. There is an entire, immense mechanism of a Divine soul, and the person merely takes a tiny wire and connects the child's mind with Torah and prayer.
The child himself is entirely a soul, entirely Godliness hewn from the Throne of Glory. Our role is only to connect him to the holy books and the letters, and to be careful not to ruin this Divine creation with our own hands. When we know that we are doing nothing, but merely serving as a conduit and a connecting wire, we will merit to see the fulfillment of the complete blessing: "How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Yisrael."
Part 1 of 2 — Lesson No. 97
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