Guest Columnists
Why Name a Torah Reading After a Wicked Person?

Dear Rabbi,

I was a little shocked that the weekly Torah portion read in the synagogue on the Sabbath was named after the wicked king, Balak, who schemed to curse the Jews in the desert.

Couldn’t a more fitting name be found for this Torah portion?

Answer:

People are constantly seeking transformation—in their relationships, habits, lifestyles, careers, and so forth. And it is often not easy. However, when one stays the course and sticks to the goal, the act of transforming some aspect of life for the better is the most rewarding experience there can possibly be.

And the same applies, of course, to the transformation of feelings. Feelings of apprehension or anxiety are unpleasant. The feelings have a way of hampering a person from being who he or she needs to be, or ultimately really is.

Feelings, by nature, are fleeting. They come and go. While they certainly affect a person, and sometimes very deeply, they are always merely feelings.

Analyzing Balak’s Scheme

Let’s analyze the story of Balak, the king of Moab, who was terrified of the Jewish nation which was nearing his borders. He pleaded with Balaam, a prophet, to curse the Jewish people in order to assuage his fears of them.

Balaam is told by the Almighty not to go and curse the Jews. Being as portentous as he was, with a baleful and spiteful hatred of the Jewish people, Balaam asks again to be allowed to help Balak. The man is insistent, and the man is given the freedom to choose.

Sending a message expressing His distaste for this choice, the Almighty sends an angel, who can be seen only by the donkey upon which Balaam is riding. Three times, the donkey is diverted by the angel, and three times, the donkey is smitten by Balaam. Astoundingly, the donkey is miraculously able to speak to Balaam, and it complains about being hit. Just then, Balaam also sees the angel. Balaam still does not get the message and is allowed to continue on his ultimately self-destructive path.

When Balaam arrives at Balak’s side, he is taken, amid much fanfare, to a place where he can view the Jewish people and curse them. Instead, Balaam sees them and blesses them. Some of the more beautiful praises and blessings about the Jewish people are found in Balaam’s words.

Balaam is then motivated to predict the future. Present in his words are prophecies pertaining to the Messianic era (Numbers 24:17-24):

I see it, but not now; I behold it, but not soon. A star has gone forth from Jacob, and a staff will arise from Israel which will crush the princes of Moab and uproot all the sons of Seth…

Balaam then suggests a different strategy: to entice the Jewish people to sin with the Moabite women in order to lead them to worship the Baal Peor idol. The plan is successful, and a debilitating plague erupts among the people as a result. Phinehas, the grandson of the High Priest Aaron, rises up and puts a stop to the physical and spiritual carnage.1

A Transformative Reading

In all, one sees five transformations in this story:

1. Inspired by hatred towards the Jewish people, Balaam, initially obedient, is transformed into one who does not wish to obey the Almighty.
2. A donkey talks.
3. The curses are transformed into blessings.
4. A portion of the Jewish people is transformed into sinners of the lowest degree.
5. The prophecies regarding the Messianic era all deal with the ultimate transformation of the world.

Why Name it Balak?

Let’s examine your question. There are in fact six names of people featured as names of Torah portions: Noah, Sarah, Jethro, Korah, Balak and Phinehas. The name of this week’s portion is in fact astonishing compared to the others, who were all righteous people.

We can understand this by looking at the power of transformation present. When one thinks about the sinister plans of Balak, and how they were transformed from curses to blessings, one is inspired and motivated to realize the greatness of these blessings. They are not merely standard blessings, but blessings that were originally designed as curses. Their transformation is so absolute that they contain words regarding the ultimate transformation of the entire world!

Moreover, Balak himself also embodies this very transformation. The Talmud relates that the Biblical figure Ruth, who transformed her own life by converting to Judaism, and merited to become the great-grandmother of King David, was a direct descendant of Balak.2 The Moshiach, who will usher in the era of ultimate transformation and redemption, must come from the same lineage of King David. And so, the person charged with transforming the Jewish people and the entire world—the Moshiach—is a direct descendant from this same Balak. That is about the greatest transformation possible.

Achieving transformation in ourselves and in different aspects of our lives is not always easy.

And this is especially so when a person is dealt a difficulty or a crisis. When one realizes that, instead of submitting to and, heaven forbid, falling under the pressure, one has the opportunity to utilize the same situation for growth and development, the transformation is the most uplifting and pleasurable experience possible.3