The Talking Donkey and Talking in Shul
Adapted from Rabbi Braun’s sermon in 5773
One of my favorite scenes in the entire Torah is today’s talking donkey scene.
A story about a talking donkey seems to be the perfect medium for a message about talking in shul.
Most of the commentators devote the bulk of their commentary to the obvious question – how does the donkey talk? Although Rav Hai Gaon argues that the donkey does not actually speak, most conclude that this is a miracle done by God in honor of the Jewish people.
The Mishna in Avot claims that this donkey’s mouth was one of the 10 things created by God during the twilight of creation.
The Midrash Aggadah (Buber Balak 22/28) elaborates and explains that from the day that this donkey was created it had the ability to speak but did not have permission to speak. Our verse does not say that God placed the words in his mouth; rather that God opened his mouth. From there the Midrash concludes that the words were already there, the only thing missing was the key to open the donkey’s mouth.
It seems to me that we have the opposite problem; we start talking at the very beginning and we can’t find the key to stopping ourselves.
In all seriousness –how the donkey speaks is not all that fascinating. The more interesting question is “why does God open the donkey’s mouth.” Consider the story.
The great Bilaam is oblivious to the appearance of God’s angel while his donkey senses the angel. After the donkey balks and Bilaam hits him, God opens the mouth of the donkey who says- why have you hit me these 3 times? Bilaam threatens to hurt the donkey who responds by defending himself, have I ever been out to hurt you etc. THEN God opens Bilaam’s eyes and he sees the angel.
If God is going to open Bilaam’s eyes and show him the angel, what then is the point of the talking donkey? I would have understood if the donkey said – come on bilaam trusty master, don’t you see the angel? But that is not what the donkey says. Instead they have a relatively meaningless conversation. One really has to wonder “why does God open the donkey’s mouth?”
At this point you do one of two things, you either reread the donkey’s words to make them meaningful or you argue that the meaning is simply in the fact that the donkey speaks and the conversation is irrelevant.
Option 1 – Rashi reads “these 3 times” as referring to the “3 regalim (the three pilgrimage festivals)” and donkey is actually saying, do you really think that you are going to defeat the nation that keeps these 3 festivals. While I appreciate Rashi’s attempt it is simply too hard to read that into the text.
Option 2 – I prefer to the second option. It is not the content of the conversation that is meaningful, simply that it occurred. This appears to be the approach of the Seforno who writes that God gave the donkey the power to speak, similar to the idea expressed in Tehillim (51/17) Hashem sefatai tiftach, God please open our mouth. And all of this was done to encourage Bilaam to repent as he reflected upon the fact that “from God comes speech” and just as God gives speech to those who can’t; he can take it away from those who have it. God opened the donkey’s mouth because he did not want to lose someone of Bilaam’s ability.
The fact that the donkey speaks is a not so subtle reminder that speech is a gift from God. I would focus less on the fact that God could take it away and more on the fact that speech is a gift from God.
The end of the first verse that the Seforno quotes Hashem sefatai tiftach, is ufi yageed tehilatecha- and my mouth should speak your praises.
If you truly believe and understand that speech is from God it would inform how and when you use it.
In shul we have two choices, we can talk to God or talk to our friends. Our choice tells us a lot about whether we understand that speech is a God given gift and it speaks to our appreciation of prayer – our privilege to stand before God and speak.
I chose this topic not only because I love the donkey scene, but because a number of you sitting here requested that a change be made. You have come to talk to me about the noise level, its inappropriateness and your desire for a better davening experience.
I can speak about it but you have to make that decision. The ball is in your hands.
