"It's not the mouse that is the thief": Balak 5785

Although Bilaam is the major villain of the piece in this week’s parsha, we should not overlook Balak’s nefarious role in events. Balak is the instigator of the plot to curse and destroy the Jewish people. He finances Bilaam and is most persistent in pursuing his evil goal—even after Bilaam apparently despairs of the success of his mission and tells Balak so. Balak nevertheless insists that Bilaam continue, in case he might yet be able to curse the people of Israel.

Often in Jewish history we find this scenario repeated, with those behind the scenes persistently encouraging the masses to destroy the Jews while they stay a pious distance behind, causing, but somehow apparently not participating in, the murderous mayhem. As hate-filled as Bilaam is, he cannot operate alone. He needs financial and social backing for him to do his worst. As Balak’s hired hand, Bilaam is eventually killed by the very people he attempted to destroy. But Balak lives on, to try again to accomplish the destruction of the Jewish nation. Balak never makes peace with the idea that the Lord does not allow him his goal. His tenacity for hatred and his evil behavior are the true hallmark of his identity. 

Centuries later, the prophet reminds us of Balak’s scheme and of his advice to Bilaam; he warns us not to overlook Balak’s role in this story of aggression and unreasoned hatred. By invoking the original Balak, the prophet informs us that we will be better able to identify and deal with his successors in deceit and hatred throughout the ages. 

The suicide bomber (Bilaam) is not the only guilty party in terrorist attacks. It is the Balaks who send them and support them that are certainly equally as guilty. The self-righteous human rights organizations that promote only hatred and violence under the guise of doing good deeds are also responsible for the loss of the precious lives of innocents, killed by those whom such organizations nurture and support. The Talmud stated this reality by coining the famous Jewish aphorism: “It is not the mouse alone that is the thief. It is rather the hole in the wall that lets the mouse in that is the real thief.” It is the persistence of those that are determined to undermine the Jewish people and the State of Israel that places them as direct descendants of the immoral Balak. 

In the Pesach Haggadah we read that in every generation we face this challenge. No matter how many Bilaams we dispose of, Balak somehow survives to continue to try again. The words of the prophet in this week’s haftorah—to remember Balak’s role in the story of the Jewish people in the desert of Sinai—are addressed to us and to our times as well. We should not be shocked, though our sadness over this fact is understandable, that the malevolence against Jews of the 1930s can repeat itself in our time too. For as long as Balak remains a force in the world, the Jewish problem will not go away. 

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein  

To read Rabbi Wein's devar Torah for this parasha last year, "Who is the real villain?", click here.

Who Are These People With You?

In this piece on this week's parashah, our member Rabbi Paul Bloom takes a deeper look at Hashem’s question to Bilaam and explains how some of our most valued Torah commentators have understood it.

In parashat Balak, the enigmatic prophet Bilaam receives an offer from the emissaries of Balak, king of Moav: to become a royal advisor and curse Israel. Immediately, we see that Bilaam is not an ordinary man; he possesses extraordinary spiritual gifts, a reputation for words that shape reality, and a unique connection to the Divine.

That night, Hashem appears to Bilaam in a dream and opens their conversation with a strikingly simple question:

 “Who are these people with you?”

 On the surface, it sounds like small talk or a naive inquiry. But, as Chazal show us, this question brims with profound meaning. How could the Omniscient One not know who they are? The question itself demands exploration.

Three Classic Interpretations

(1) The Kli Yakar: A Rhetorical Rebuke

The Kli Yakar explains that Hashem’s question is rhetorical and scornful. Read properly, it isn’t a request for information but a rebuke:

“Who are they? They are nothing.”

Hashem is telling Bilaam: These emissaries represent corruption and moral decay. Why are you giving them respect? Why are you entertaining their mission to curse a people blessed by God? The Torah warns that keeping corrupt company corrupts the soul—just as Rambam teaches that a person’s environment profoundly shapes their character. Hashem’s question here serves as a piece of mussar: Choose your company wisely. The emissaries’ presence with Bilaam is already bringing out his worst impulses.

(2) Rashi: The Illusion of Divine Ignorance

Rashi, citing Chazal, sees in this question a test of Bilaam’s beliefs. By asking “Who are these people?” Hashem gives Bilaam space to entertain a dangerous idea: perhaps there are things God doesn’t know. This aligns with what some ancient philosophers, like Aristotle, believed—that God, perfect and infinite, is too lofty to care about or know the trivial details of human life. If Bilaam embraced this mistaken theology, he might believe he could curse Israel when God “wasn’t paying attention.”

This question opens a door for Bilaam to exercise his bechirah—his free will—to choose between recognizing God’s intimate involvement in the world or adopting a worldview that divorces God from human affairs. And indeed, Bilaam’s story is about the paradox of free will: his intentions are evil, yet Hashem turns his curses into blessings for Israel.

(3) The Sforno: A Call for Self-Reflection

The Sforno offers a more practical interpretation: Hashem wasn’t saying He didn’t know who the emissaries were; rather, He was pushing Bilaam to ask himself what their intentions were. Were they genuinely seeking his wisdom, or were they merely using him as a blunt instrument to harm Israel?

This is a timeless lesson: we must learn to distinguish between people who seek us out with sincerity and those who merely wish to exploit our abilities for their own agendas. It’s a call to be vigilant about relationships and not be blinded by flattery or ambition.

A Deeper Layer: Who Are They For You?

There’s also a deeper, existential reading: Hashem’s question echoes the question He posed to Adam in the Garden: “Ayeka – where are you?” It’s not about physical location but spiritual awareness. Here, Hashem is asking Bilaam:

“Who are these people in your eyes? What do they mean to you?”

Do you see them as partners in a just cause, or are you being seduced by their offers of honor and wealth? This question challenges Bilaam—and us—to examine our motives and relationships honestly.

Bilaam v Avraham: A Clash of Worldviews

The Mishnah in Pirkei Avot (5:19) compares the students of Avraham Avinu with those of Bilaam HaRasha. Despite their shared spiritual gifts and intellectual brilliance, they stand as polar opposites:

●      Avraham exemplified generosity (ayin tovah), humility, and a desire to bring blessing to the world.

●      Bilaam embodied greed (ayin ra’ah), arrogance, and a drive to destroy what he envied.

Bilaam’s insatiable lust for honor and wealth led him to try to curse Israel. Yet, in a stunning twist, God transformed his curses into some of the Torah’s most beautiful blessings—visions of Israel’s family life, tents of learning, and dedication to God. These blessings remain with us as enduring praise of the Jewish people, despite their source being a man intent on their destruction.

Conclusion

The seemingly simple question “Who are these people with you?” encapsulates a wealth of moral and theological teachings:

●      It’s a reminder to choose our company wisely.

●      It challenges us to clarify our beliefs about God’s role in our lives.

●      It urges us to discern whether others value us for who we are or merely what we can do for them.

●      And it calls us to confront our own motives honestly.

The story of Bilaam teaches that even someone with great talents can fall prey to greed and ego if they fail to align their gifts with a higher moral purpose. But it also teaches that God’s plan will always prevail—and, sometimes, He uses even the most unlikely people to reveal profound truths.

Who is the real villain? Balak 5784

Philosophers and criminologists have long debated whether it is the mob boss or the actual hit man who is the more culpable in the murder of a rival gang leader. Though both are certainly morally guilty, the question as to which one bears the legal onus for the crime, absent statutory law on the matter, has generated much discussion and differing opinions.

In Judaism there is a concept that “there is no excuse of agency when a sin or crime is being committed.” This means that, when a hit man pulls the trigger or plants the explosive on the order of his boss, it is he who is certainly the more guilty party. In the words of the Talmud, “regarding the instructions from the master and contrary instructions from the student—to whom should one listen?” Thus in this week’s parsha, even though it is the malevolent Balak who engages Bilaam in a nefarious scheme to curse the Jewish people, it is Bilaam who actually intends and agrees to do the cursing, so it is he and not Balak who emerges as the ultimate villain of the event.

There is much discussion in the Talmud and in rabbinic sources as to whether any of the laws of agency, and this law in particular, exist outside of Jewish society generally. If there is no agency outside of Jewish society it appears that, generally speaking, in circumstances such as these, both the instigator and the agent would be liable. In any event, it is inherently wrong to engage an agent to perform an illegal act or a sinful one (they are no longer the same today) whether in Jewish terms or in society at large, whatever the technical legal liabilities may be. The instigator of a crime is deemed in contemporary society to be as guilty as the criminal who perpetrated the crime. Thus Osama bin Laden was as guilty of the World Trade Center assassinations as were the murderous suicide-pilots he sent forth to do the deed. Balak is as responsible for Bilaam’s curses as he is.

Heaven, in its exquisite way, administers justice to all concerned as it pleases and in its own time frame. Balak will pay the penalty for his unwarranted hatred and enmity of Israel, just as Bilaam does. The rabbis of the Talmud even extended the penalties for wrongful and criminal acts committed to include those who remained silent when they should have spoken out against evil and cruelty. Bilaam’s donkey is commended while his associates are undoubtedly condemned and eventually punished—hence the plethora of laws in the wider world that cover conspiracy to commit crimes and criminal negligence. Though an actual perpetrator sometimes attempts to hide behind the façade of only following orders, Judaism does not recognize that excuse. Even so, the one who issues the orders is also deemed guilty of the crime.

Shabbat shalom, Rabbi Berel Wein