It sounds like something straight out of a fantastical tale, but it's at the heart of our story today, found in Bamidbar Rabbah 20. We’re diving into the episode where Balak, king of Moab, seeks to hire the infamous Bilaam to curse the Israelites. What makes this story so compelling, even after all these centuries? Let's find out.
"He sent messengers to Bilam son of Beor, to Petor" – the text tells us it was Bilam's city. But what kind of city did a sorcerer live in? Some say Bilam was a shulḥani, a moneychanger. Why a moneychanger? Because, according to the text, Petora means "table" (shulḥan) in Aramaic. Just like kings would consult a moneychanger about their finances, they sought Bilam's counsel, bringing him their own kind of "currency" – problems and requests. Others believed he started as a dream interpreter before "reverting" to sorcery, and prophecy by the Divine Spirit. Quite the resume, wouldn’t you say?
Now, Balak wasn't just casually inviting Bilam over for tea. He was desperate. The Israelites, fresh out of Egypt, were causing quite a stir, toppling kingdoms left and right. Balak, fearing for his own kingdom, sent a message dripping with flattery, practically begging Bilam to curse them. The nerve! "Do not think that it is only my mission that you are performing," he wrote. "If you uproot them, you will be honored by all the nations, and Canaan and the Amalekites will prostrate themselves to you.” Talk about laying it on thick!
Bilam, ever the shrewd operator, needed convincing. Balak pleaded, "Behold, a people emerged from Egypt…it has covered the face of the earth [ein haaretz]." Bilam, seemingly unimpressed, asked, "Of what concern is it to you?" Balak ups the ante: "they shut the eyes [einayim] upon which the land relies, Siḥon and Og, they destroyed them and covered their eyes.” In other words, these Israelites were no joke; they'd taken down some seriously powerful kings.
And here's where it gets interesting. Balak says, "And it sits across from me [mimuli]." The text points out that mimuli is written without a vav (a Hebrew letter). This allows a connection to the phrase "In the name of the Lord, for I will cut them down [amilam]" (Psalms 118:10). It's a subtle hint, a linguistic wink, suggesting Balak's desperation and willingness to do whatever it takes.
He continues his plea: "And now, please go curse this people for me, as they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to smite them, and I will drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed" (Numbers 22:6). Notice the desperation in his voice? “Please go curse [ara] this people for me" — what is "ara for me?” he asks. “I can overcome them a bit, like a person who picks [oreh] figs." Just a few at a time, since they don’t all ripen at the same time. He wasn't just worried about their military might. He believed the Israelites were "victorious with their mouths," suggesting some kind of spiritual power.
But why was Balak so convinced he could even defeat them with a curse? The text offers an intriguing explanation: "what did this one see, that led him to provoke [them]; did the Holy One blessed be He not say to them [Israel] that they may not take their land? It is, rather, that they were sorcerers and diviners greater than Bilam, as it is stated: “Balak saw”". Balak believed his own astrologers had foreseen Israel's downfall. As Isaiah 47:13 puts it, "You are wearied in the abundance of your devising; let now the astrologers, the stargazers…save you [from what will come upon you]." He saw in his astrology that Israel would fall into his hands. He even used his daughters to tempt the Israelites into idolatry, leading to the death of twenty-four thousand people! A truly devious plan. But he did not know how. That is why, “perhaps I will be able to smite [nakeh] them” – like one who deducts [shemenakeh] one twenty-fourth per se’a. He was hoping to weaken them, chip away at their strength, just enough to gain the upper hand.
"I will drive them from the land," Balak declares, revealing his ultimate goal: preventing the Israelites from entering the Promised Land. And finally, the line that reveals Balak's twisted logic: "For I know that he whom you bless is blessed." Where did this confidence come from? According to the text, when Siḥon sought to wage war against Moab, he hired Bilam and his father to curse Moab. As Numbers 21:27-29 says: "Therefore the allegorists will say…A fire emerged from Ḥeshbon…Woe to you, Moab." Balak believed in Bilam's power because he'd seen it in action before.
So, what are we left with? A story of fear, desperation, and a clash between earthly power and perceived spiritual might. Balak's attempt to curse the Israelites is a testament to the enduring human desire to control fate, even through supernatural means. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? How often do we try to manipulate situations, to "curse" our obstacles, instead of facing them with courage and faith? Perhaps the real lesson lies not in the power of curses, but in the strength we find within ourselves to overcome adversity.