Bilaam and Abraham
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5771
There is a line from the first Harry Potter movie that captures the difference between Bilaam on the one hand and Abraham on the other hand. When Harry is getting his wand at Olivanders and his wand begins to glow we read or hear the following:
Mr. Ollivander: Curious… very curious…
Harry: Sorry, but what’s curious?
Mr. Ollivander: I remember every wand I’ve ever sold, Mr. Potter. It so happens that the phoenix whose tailfeather resides in your wand gave another feather… just one other. It is curious that you should be destined for this wand when its brother gave you that scar.
Harry: And who owned that wand?
Mr. Ollivander: We do not speak his name! The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. It’s not always clear why. But I think it is clear that we can expect great things from you. After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things. Terrible! Yes. But great.
The idea expressed is that there is greatness in evil, it just happens to be evil. Webster in definition 3 defines Greatness as “remarkable in magnitude, degree, or effectiveness”. And that greatness is the common to both the heroes and villains of our stories.
I think that the Torah is making the same point by intentionally linking and contrasting Bilaam to Abraham.
The most famous example of the link was noticed by the Midrash centuries ago.
When describing Abraham’s readiness and eagerness to undertake the Akeidah we read:
בראשית פרק כב – ג) וישכם אברהם בבקר ויחבש את חמרו
Avraham awoke early in the morning and he saddled his donkey.
When we read of Balaam’s readiness and eagerness to curse the Jews we read
במדבר פרק כב – כא) ויקם בלעם בבקר ויחבש את אתנו
Bilaam got up in the morning and saddled his donkey.
My curiosity was peaked and I started looking for other textual connections and I found a number of others.
Abraham travels and we read ויקח את שני נעריו אתו, and he took the two lads with him.
Bilaam travels ושני נעריו עמו and the two lads are with him.
When Abraham is about to perform the Akeidah- ויקרא אליו מלאך יקוק מן השמים the angel of Hashem reaches out to stop him.
When Bilaam is about to perform his mission of cursing the Jew ויתיצב מלאך יקוק בדרך לשטן לו the angel of Hashem reaches out to stop him.
One might even argue that this last verse is the source for a fantastic midrash by Avraham. The Midrash relates that on the way to the mountain the Satan tries to come and interrupt his journey by changing his mind.
Each story begins with the name of God being Elokim and changes to Hashem before the end.
The homeland of both Avraham and Bilam is in Aram Naharayim.
God tells Abraham in chapter 12, the beginning of his mission that ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.
At the beginning of Bilaam’s journey he is told by the ministers of Balak
ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר – They believe that who Bilaam curses will be cursed and those who he blesses will be blessed.
There is tremendous irony here in that they ascribe the power of God to bless and curse to the one cursing the people of Abraham.
What is the point of all of this? It is abundantly clear that the Torah is trying to evoke images of Abraham as we read the Bilaam story. What is the lesson?
I think that the lesson is clear. There is a common denominator between both: both are great, spiritually. Both are capable of tremendous things. Of course, there is also a “great” difference that the Torah is trying to highlight as well. Abraham uses that greatness to sacrifice for God. Bilaam uses that greatness to defy God and attempt to curse a people that he hates.
By linking the two the Torah is trying to teach us that both were born in the same place, with the same potential and talent and what separates them is the choices that they made and the passion that drove them.
There are many people in this world who accomplish great things, some wonderful and some terrible. What separates them is not talent or potential. It is their goals and choices.
