He saddled his donkey...

As related in this week's Torah portion, Balak, when Bilaam went to curse the Jewish people, he woke up early in the morning "and saddled his donkey."
Bilaam was a very important personage, and was accompanied by an entourage of Moabite princes and leaders. Why, then, did Bilaam perform such a menial task himself?

Rashi, the foremost Torah commentator, explains: "From this we see that hatred causes disregard of proper conduct." Bilaam hated the Jews so intensely and was so eager to curse them that he disregarded the usual mores of society.

All this hatred, however, did not ultimately help him, as Rashi continues: "Declared G-d: Wicked one, Abraham their father has already preceded you, as it states, 'And Abraham arose early in the morning and saddled his donkey.'" When Abraham set out to what he thought would be the sacrifice of his son Isaac, he too "arose early and saddled his donkey." Abraham's actions thus "canceled out" Bilaam's evil intent and protected the Jewish people.

What exactly was Bilaam trying to accomplish? Surely he knew that G-d would not allow him to curse the Jews, for he had already been warned: "Only the word which I shall say to you, that shall you do." However, Bilaam hoped to somehow provoke G-d's anger against His people and damage His love for them. Bilaam was a master of incitement. When he saw that it would be impossible to curse the Jews within the natural order, he attempted to "disregard proper conduct" and circumvent convention. Bilaam figured that after the Jewish people had sinned in the desert, G-d would also "disregard proper conduct" and stop showing them His attribute of loving-kindness.

Bilaam's faulty logic was derived from blind hatred. However, G-d said to Bilaam, "Wicked one, Abraham their father has already preceded you." In other words, in the merit of Abraham, the Jewish people are deserving of blessing within or without the natural order. For Abraham's actions also transcended the "usual" way of doing things.

The Torah portion of Balak expresses the transformation of curse into blessing: "The L-rd your G-d would not listen to Bilaam, but... turned the curse into a blessing to you, because the L-rd your G-d loved you." Bilaam's hatred for the Jews caused him to "disregard proper conduct"; conversely, a Jew's love for G-d should prompt him to observe Torah and mitzvot even beyond the letter of the law, with dedication, devotion and commitment. This love must be so intense that it can even transform evil into good.

When a Jew is strongly connected to G-d, it arouses a reciprocal love from on High; curse is turned into blessing, and G-d's love for His people is revealed.


Adapted from the works of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, vol. 28