No doubt the portion of Balak raises many questions. Its content, its presentation, the fact that it is named after a completely evil character who wants to curse Israel- what’s going on here?
But if you look closely at the opening of the portion it appears that Balak’s fear of this wandering nation settling in his “neighborhood” is justified. He heard tales of their strength and that they attacked others and conquered their land. Surely Balak is justified in wanting to protect his nation from a similar fate.
This much we understand. So what’s the problem?
It starts with the fact that Balak makes no effort to dialogue with the “invaders.” He never reaches out to their leaders to negotiate, to try and find a peaceful resolution- he immediately goes to destruction mode.
Actually, the characters who are used to communicate the lesson of “bless don’t curse,” a message of “judging others favorably,” are mysterious, even mythological, characters: the donkey, the angel and even, indirectly, the prophet Bilam. The Torah is intent on teaching people a powerful lesson through these characters. This is a lesson for leaders, kings, politicians, religious leaders and regular “normal” seemingly rational people. The Torah comes to teach that that since you people don’t know how to judge each other favorably – you can’t see what the donkey or the angel can see. Since you have not been exercising your “judge others favorably” muscle, you get dragged down to suspicion, fear, racism and hatred. So, let’s take a look at some sources that teach us about this concept of “judging other favorably”.
Here is the most well known source:
(ו) יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:
(6) Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received [the oral tradition] from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor.
Judge every person favorably: the image is that of a scale for measuring weights, with “merit on one side and guilt on the other. It literally means “judge everyone according to the meritorious side of the scale of judgement.”
The Talmud relates the following story:
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הַדָּן חֲבֵירוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת — דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ לִזְכוּת. וּמַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁיָּרַד מִגָּלִיל הָעֶלְיוֹן וְנִשְׂכַּר אֵצֶל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת אֶחָד בַּדָּרוֹם שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים. עֶרֶב יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים אָמַר לוֹ: תֵּן לִי שְׂכָרִי, וְאֵלֵךְ וְאָזוּן אֶת אִשְׁתִּי וּבָנַי. אָמַר לוֹ: אֵין לִי מָעוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ: תֵּן לִי פֵּירוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ: אֵין לִי. תֵּן לִי קַרְקַע — אֵין לִי. תֵּן לִי בְּהֵמָה — אֵין לִי. תֵּן לִי כָּרִים וּכְסָתוֹת — אֵין לִי. הִפְשִׁיל כֵּלָיו לַאֲחוֹרָיו, וְהָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ. לְאַחַר הָרֶגֶל נָטַל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת שְׂכָרוֹ בְּיָדוֹ, וְעִמּוֹ מַשּׂוֹי שְׁלֹשָׁה חֲמוֹרִים, אֶחָד שֶׁל מַאֲכָל, וְאֶחָד שֶׁל מִשְׁתֶּה, וְאֶחָד שֶׁל מִינֵי מְגָדִים, וְהָלַךְ לוֹ לְבֵיתוֹ. אַחַר שֶׁאָכְלוּ וְשָׁתוּ נָתַן לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי ״תֵּן לִי שְׂכָרִי״ וְאָמַרְתִּי ״אֵין לִי מָעוֹת״, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתַּנִי? אָמַרְתִּי: שֶׁמָּא פְּרַקְמַטְיָא בְּזוֹל נִזְדַּמְּנָה לְךָ, וְלָקַחְתָּ בָּהֶן. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי ״תֵּן לִי בְּהֵמָה״, וְאָמַרְתִּי ״אֵין לִי בְּהֵמָה״, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתַּנִי? אָמַרְתִּי: שֶׁמָּא מוּשְׂכֶּרֶת בְּיַד אֲחֵרִים. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ לִי ״תֵּן לִי קַרְקַע״, וְאָמַרְתִּי לְךָ ״אֵין לִי קַרְקַע״, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתַּנִי? אָמַרְתִּי: שֶׁמָּא מוּחְכֶּרֶת בְּיַד אֲחֵרִים הִיא. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְךָ ״אֵין לִי פֵּירוֹת״ בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתַּנִי? אָמַרְתִּי: שֶׁמָּא אֵינָן מְעוּשָּׂרוֹת. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְךָ ״אֵין לִי כָּרִים וּכְסָתוֹת״ בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתַּנִי? אָמַרְתִּי: שֶׁמָּא הִקְדִּישׁ כָּל נְכָסָיו לַשָּׁמַיִם. אָמַר לוֹ: הָעֲבוֹדָה! כָּךְ הָיָה. הִדַּרְתִּי כׇּל נְכָסַי בִּשְׁבִיל הוּרְקָנוֹס בְּנִי שֶׁלֹּא עָסַק בַּתּוֹרָה. וּכְשֶׁבָּאתִי אֵצֶל חֲבֵירַי בַּדָּרוֹם הִתִּירוּ לִי כָּל נְדָרַי. וְאַתָּה, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁדַּנְתַּנִי לִזְכוּת, הַמָּקוֹם יָדִין אוֹתְךָ לִזְכוּת. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּחָסִיד אֶחָד שֶׁפָּדָה רִיבָה אַחַת בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלַמָּלוֹן הִשְׁכִּיבָהּ תַּחַת מַרְגְּלוֹתָיו. לְמָחָר יָרַד וְטָבַל וְשָׁנָה לְתַלְמִידָיו. וְאָמַר לָהֶן: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהִשְׁכַּבְתִּיהָ תַּחַת מַרְגְּלוֹתַי, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתּוּנִי? אָמַרְנוּ: שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ בָּנוּ תַּלְמִיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ בָּדוּק לְרַבִּי. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּרַדְתִּי וְטָבַלְתִּי, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתּוּנִי? אָמַרְנוּ: שֶׁמָּא מִפְּנֵי טוֹרַח הַדֶּרֶךְ אֵירַע קֶרִי לְרַבִּי. אָמַר לָהֶם: הָעֲבוֹדָה! כָּךְ הָיָה. וְאַתֶּם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁדַּנְתּוּנִי לְכַף זְכוּת, הַמָּקוֹם יָדִין אֶתְכֶם לְכַף זְכוּת. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: פַּעַם אַחַת הוּצְרַךְ דָּבָר אֶחָד לְתַלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים אֵצֶל מַטְרוֹנִיתָא אַחַת שֶׁכׇּל גְּדוֹלֵי רוֹמִי מְצוּיִין אֶצְלָהּ. אָמְרוּ: מִי יֵלֵךְ? אָמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: אֲנִי אֵלֵךְ. הָלַךְ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְתַלְמִידָיו. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְפֶתַח בֵּיתָהּ, חָלַץ תְּפִילָּיו בְּרִחוּק אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת, וְנִכְנַס וְנָעַל הַדֶּלֶת בִּפְנֵיהֶן. אַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא, יָרַד וְטָבַל וְשָׁנָה לְתַלְמִידָיו. וְאָמַר לָהֶן: בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁחָלַצְתִּי תְּפִילִּין, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתּוּנִי? אָמַרְנוּ: כְּסָבוּר רַבִּי, לֹא יִכָּנְסוּ דִּבְרֵי קְדוּשָּׁה בִּמְקוֹם טוּמְאָה. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנָּעַלְתִּי, בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתּוּנִי? אָמַרְנוּ: שֶׁמָּא דְּבַר מַלְכוּת יֵשׁ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵינָהּ. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּרַדְתִּי וְטָבַלְתִּי בַּמֶּה חֲשַׁדְתּוּנִי, אָמַרְנוּ: שֶׁמָּא נִיתְּזָה צִינּוֹרָא מִפִּיהָ עַל בְּגָדָיו שֶׁל רַבִּי. אָמַר לָהֶם: הָעֲבוֹדָה! כָּךְ הָיָה. וְאַתֶּם, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁדַּנְתּוּנִי לִזְכוּת, הַמָּקוֹם יָדִין אֶתְכֶם לִזְכוּת.
The Sages taught in a baraita: One who judges another favorably is himself judged favorably. And there was an incident involving a certain person who descended from the Upper Galilee and was hired to work for a certain homeowner in the South for three years. On the eve of the Day of Atonement, he said to the homeowner: Give me my wages, and I will go and feed my wife and children. The homeowner said to him: I have no money. He said to him: In that case, give me my wages in the form of produce. He said to him: I have none. The worker said to him: Give me my wages in the form of land. The homeowner said to him: I have none. The worker said to him: Give me my wages in the form of animals. He said to him: I have none. The worker said to him: Give me cushions and blankets. He said to him: I have none. The worker slung his tools over his shoulder behind him and went to his home in anguish.
After the festival of Sukkot, the homeowner took the worker’s wages in his hand, along with a burden that required three donkeys, one laden with food, one laden with drink, and one laden with types of sweets, and went to the worker’s home. After they ate and drank, the homeowner gave him his wages.
The homeowner said to him: When you said to me: Give me my wages, and I said: I have no money, of what did you suspect me? Why did you not suspect me of trying to avoid paying you? The worker answered, I said: Perhaps the opportunity to purchase merchandise [perakmatya] inexpensively presented itself, and you purchased it with the money that you owed me, and therefore you had no money available. The homeowner asked: And when you said to me: Give me animals, and I said: I have no animals, of what did you suspect me? The worker answered: I said: Perhaps the animals are hired to others. The homeowner asked: When you said to me: Give me land, and I said: I have no land, of what did you suspect me? The worker answered: I said: Perhaps the land is leased to others, and you cannot take the land from the lessees. The homeowner asked: And when you said to me: Give me produce, and I said: I have no produce, of what did you suspect me? The worker answered: I said: Perhaps they are not tithed, and that was why you could not give them to me. The homeowner asked: And when I said: I have no cushions or blankets, of what did you suspect me? The worker answered: I said: Perhaps he consecrated all his property to Heaven and therefore has nothing available at present.
The homeowner said to him:Ha-Avodah! I swear by the Temple service that it was so. I had no money available at the time because I vowed and consecrated all my property on account of Hyrcanus, my son, who did not engage in Torah study. The homeowner sought to avoid leaving an inheritance for his son. And when I came to my colleagues in the South, the Sages of that generation, they dissolved all my vows. At that point, the homeowner had immediately gone to pay his worker. Now the homeowner said: And you, just as you judged favorably, so may God judge you favorably.
The story teaches us to put ourselves into our friend/colleague’s “shoes” to try to understand what they are going through. We are supposed to give them credit and not to suspect them immediately. I would add that it would be best if both sides would try to understand each other through discussion and inquiry.
Chofetz Chayyim: “Guard Your Tongue’ 3.1 --
If you see someone who “said something” or “did something” whether it was a religious issue or an interpersonal issue, you should judge their words or actions favorably. If that person is God-fearing, we must judge them favorably, even if the thing they did appears to make that person seem guilty. If it is an average person who is careful about avoiding sin but sometimes fails, if there appears to be a reasonable doubt, you must “tip the scale” and judge them favorably. Even if it appears that their action makes them guilty, it is better to relate to it as a case of “reasonable doubt” and not to judge them harshly.
Getting back to our parsha, the main hero, God, communicates to us through Bilam that God judges Israel favorably. We see this in thee verse,
(כא) לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יהוה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃
(21) No misfortune is seen in Jacob, no misery observed in Israel. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them.
In the commentary Or Ha-Chayyim Rabbi Chayyim ben Atar interprets the verse to mean that when a person sins an impression is left on the part of the body that was foremost in committing the sin. That limb or organ is injured. That, he claims, is the meaning of “No misfortune is seen in Jacob.” Even in the multitude of the people, here called ”Jacob,” they all keep from doing evil and even if they have strayed or failed, no impression of sin is left on any limb or organ.
As Scripture says:
(ז) כֻּלָּ֤ךְ יָפָה֙ רַעְיָתִ֔י וּמ֖וּם אֵ֥ין בָּֽךְ׃ {ס}
(7) You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you.
- meaning that the sin does not leave a permanent blemish. It is like dirt that can be washed away.
The haftara for Balak is from the prophet Micah (chapter 6) and it aptly summarizes the teaching of this parsha regarding judging everyone favorably. First the haftara cautions us not to forget the evil plot of Balak. It concludes with the famous verse:
(ח) הִגִּ֥יד לְךָ֛ אָדָ֖ם מַה־טּ֑וֹב וּמָֽה־יהוה דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ מִמְּךָ֗ כִּ֣י אִם־עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙ וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
(8)You, human, have been told what is good and what Adonai demands of you: to do justice, love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
Rashi interprets Leviticus 19:15 -
(טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃
(15) You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kin fairly.
בצדק תשפט עמיתך. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ; דָּ"אַ: הֱוֵי דָן אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ לְכַף זְכוּת (שבועות ל'):
בצדק תשפט עמיתך IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU JUDGE THY COMPANION — Take this as the words imply (i.e. take the word צדק as what it usually implies: strict right). Another explanation is: Judge thy fellow man with an inclination in his favour (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 4; Shevuot 30a).
Now – go forth and learn!
ואידך זיל גמור
Shabbat Shalom
שבת שלום.