In the fifth chapter of Pirkei Avot, there is a mishnah that describes the traits of the disciples of Abraham as opposed to the traits of the disciples of Balaam. The traits of the former are good, those of the latter bad. The disciples of Abraham enjoy this world and inherit the world to come – the disciples of Balaam inherit Gehinnom and go down to the pit of destruction. Clearly, we are meant to see Abraham as awesome and Balaam as bad, striving to emulate the former and avoid the traits of the latter at all costs.
And yet.
In Genesis 25:11, we read that “after the death of Abraham, God blessed his son” – and Chizkuni points out that although God gave Abraham the power to bless – which he used – he never blessed his son Isaac – so that God had to bless him instead. This does not seem praiseworthy of Abraham to me. His near-murder of Isaac in the Akedah – after which Isaac went his separate way from Abraham (Genesis 22:19) – and the description by Isaac’s son Jacob of “the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac” suggests that Abraham’s doing so because of his understanding that God commanded him to do so permanently damaged not only Isaac’s relationship with Abraham but with God as well. (It is my theology that Abraham failed the test – he should have spoken up and objected to God’s request – as he did for the wicked men of Sodom! – rather than blindly obeying the command – and I take as evidence of my view that the angel of HaShem ordered him to stop and that God never spoke directly to him again in Genesis – I realize there are other interpretations, but that is the only one that resonates with my understanding of any God worth serving.)
Meanwhile, the mercenary prophet Balaam, when asked – and paid! – to curse the people of Israel instead gave a blessing so powerful that it has been put in a prominent place in the liturgy – to celebrate with joy entrance into the synagogue in the morning (and non-Orthodox movements often sing it at other services as well, there being many beautiful arrangements). Mah tovu ohaleicha Ya’akov, mishkenoteicha Yisrael. How lovely are your tents O Jacob, your tabernacles O Israel. There is even a teaching that I heard (don’t remember the rabbi who taught it – or whether the rabbi was Talmudic, Midrashic, or Hasidic – if anyone knows, please let me know!) interpreting the parallel structure to suggest that transforming one’s daily dwelling, ohel, into the Mishkan, the Tabernacle or Tent of Meeting where God dwells in the midst of God’s people, elevates one spiritually from one’s natural self, Jacob, into one’s higher spiritual self, Israel – the one who wrestles with God.
How can it be that Abraham is awesome while failing to bless – and, indeed, abusing and even damaging his son – while Balaam the bad provides such a profoundly insightful blessing that contains within it a template for spiritual growth?
I don’t have the answer. But I would suggest that we very carefully look at our own words and actions – in serving God, are we inadvertently abusing and damaging others? And we should be open to learning from even those we see as wicked, who may inadvertently provide us with profound blessings and roadmaps to spiritual growth.
What lessons do you draw from this?
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