Jewish tradition has a fascinating story about that very phenomenon, starring the infamous Balaam.
Remember Balaam? The non-Jewish prophet hired to curse the Israelites? Well, even as all the drama was unfolding – his donkey seeing an angel, refusing to move, and eventually speaking to him – Balaam himself remained completely oblivious. Blind as a bat, you might say!
According to Legends of the Jews, God orchestrated this very blindness. Why? To demonstrate a powerful truth: that God controls not only our words, but also our very perception. He can make us blind to what’s right in front of us whenever He chooses. (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. 3, p. 369).
Then, in a sudden, dramatic moment, God allows Balaam to see the angel, standing there with a drawn sword. Boom! Balaam immediately falls flat on his face.
Now, why the prostration? The tradition explains that because Balaam was uncircumcised, he couldn't stand upright and listen to the words of God or an angel. (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. 3, p. 369). Only in a state of complete submission could he receive the message.
And what about the sword? Was the angel about to strike Balaam down?
Not exactly. The sword, we're told, wasn’t meant for immediate execution. A mere breath from the angel could have wiped out countless people. Instead, the sword served as a symbolic warning.
"The mouth was given to Jacob, but to Esau and to the other nations, the sword," the angel essentially tells Balaam. (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, Vol. 3, p. 369). Balaam was about to betray his prophetic calling, to turn against Israel using the very weapon that defined the other nations: violence. He would, therefore, meet his end through the sword – a fitting punishment for choosing the path of aggression.
It's a powerful reminder, isn't it? That what we choose to see, and how we choose to act, ultimately determines our fate. Are we using our words for blessing, or are we picking up the sword? And are we truly seeing what's in front of us, or are we blinded by our own biases and desires?