Parshat Balak 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha about the failed prophecy of Bilam. He repeatedly attempted to curse Bnei Yisrael, but instead each time he blessed them. It’s not clear why Hashem gave Bilam such powers. Rashi answers this question (Chapter 22, Pasuk 5) by quoting the first Medrash in the Medrash Rabbah on our parsha (20,1). The Medrash quotes the pasuk from parshat Ha’azinu (Chapter 32, Pasuk 4), הצור תמים פעלו כי כל דרכיו משפט, the ways of Hashem are just. The nations of the world claimed that they would have been better had they also had prophets who brought them closer to Hashem. Therefore, Hashem rested His Shechinah upon Bilam so that the nations should also have a prophet. Ultimately, as a result of his doing and advice, the nations only sunk to newer lows than previously.
The word for prophet, נביא, comes from the word ניב, as in the pasuk (sefer Yeshayahu, Chapter 47, Pasuk 19), בורא ניב שפתים; He creates the speech of the lips. Similarly, Shlomo Hamelech teaches in sefer Mishlei (Chapter 11, Pasuk 31), פי צדיק ינוב חכמה; the mouth of the Tzadik speaks wisdom. Hence, the word Navi means to speak, indicating that speech is the fundamental task of the prophet.
We read by the creation of man in sefer Bereishis (Chapter 2, Pasuk 7), ויפח באפיו נשמת חיים. Hashem, so to speak, breathed a living soul into Adam Harishon. The Targum Onkelos explains that the נשמת חיים which was given to man was the power of speech, רוח ממללא. We learn from this that the essence of the soul and life of man is his speech. As we have explained in the past, the mouth is the limb which connects the internal essence of man with the external; the connection between his physical side and his spiritual side. Speech takes the potential of man, his thoughts and ideas, his spirituality, and concretizes it in words and eventually, into action. As a result, one’s speech reflects and reveals who he is on the inside
The pasuk says in parshat Ha’azinu (Chapter 32, Pasuk 13), ויאכל תנובת שדי; he shall eat the produce of the field. The word תנובות is explained by the Ibn Ezra to mean fruit. And it’s the same word as the word ניב which means speech. This is because, the Metzudot Zion explains, one’s speech is the fruit of his tongue. The Maharal teaches that the name Adam comes from the word for ground, אדמה. And just as the ground needs to actualize its potential and produce fruit, so too man is unique, like the ground, in that he was created in a state of potential which needs to be actualized. And this actualization begins with speech, the fruit of his lips. And this speech gives us an indication of who the person is.
The Sfas Emes teaches that just as one’s speech reflects his essence on the individual level, this is true by the Navi on a national level. The definition of the prophet is his speech, and his speech reflects the nature of the nation whom he represents and is speaking to. The pasuk says in parshat Shoftim (Chapter 18, Pasuk 15), נביא מקרבך...יקים לך. Moshe Rabbeinu describes the future prophets as from within your midst. The Sfas Emes learns that the term מקרבך teaches that the words of the Navi are from your midst, i.e. express the essence of who Am Yisrael is. Their level of Avodah impacts his ability to do his job. Am Yisrael need to be worthy of the נביא; just as our mouths reflect who we are, the Navi is the mouthpiece of the nation and reflects the essence of the nation.
This is why the nations of the world didn’t have a Navi, and Bilam’s role as a Navi wasn’t successful. He was made a vessel for prophecy, but since his people were far from worthy, he couldn’t succeed as a prophet. The Navi is a mouthpiece for the people and expresses who they truly are; hence Bilam was doomed for failure.
Today we don’t have prophets as a result of our sins. But the Sfas Emes teaches that this also expresses to the nations of the world, and to ourselves, that even without prophets we can achieve closeness to Hashem and understanding. The Zohar Hakadosh teaches that דעת is potentially in the mouth. We can use our mouths for Torah and Tefillah, and as a result, achieve understanding and closeness to Hashem. Even without the mouths of the Nevi’im, we can use our mouths to achieve our potential in d understanding.
The ultimate day of Da’as is on Shabbos, as the pasuk says in parshat Ki Sisa (Chapter 31, Pasuk 13), לדעת כי אני ד' מקדישכם. We know that Hashem sanctifies us, and we sanctify the day and keep it holy. And by doing this, we are also using our mouths, for we testify about Hashem as the Creator of the world. The Zohar Hakadosh teaches that the five Dibros on one side of the Luchos, correspond to the five on the other side. Shabbos corresponds to לא תענה ברעך עד שקר. In opposition to the prohibition against giving false testimony, on Shabbos we testify to Hashem as Creator of the world. And in doing so, we use our mouth, so to speak, to express who are we really are; believing Jews who have the understanding that Hashem created the world.
Good Shabbos
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