In enemies’ words, our strength and prophecy
About a year ago, I penned a column focused on the famous words from this week’s parsha, Balak, “am levadad yishkon (a people that dwell apart or in solitude)” (Bamidbar 23:9), proclaimed by the evil prophet Bilaam, commissioned by King Balak to curse the Jewish people.
Later, Chazal debated whether this ultimately was a curse or a blessing. The Talmud in masechet Sanhedrin 105b cites the disagreement whether the “curses” uttered by Bilaam were all converted to blessings (Rabbi Yochanan) or “reverted back“ to their intended curses, (Rabbi Abba bar Kahana) with the exception of “mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov (how goodly are your tents O’ Jacob)” (24:5), which all agree is an absolute blessing.
This prompted me to reflect on how often we as Jews cite the words of our most ruthless enemies, in our prayer, in our liturgy, in our mission statements. It seems strange to do so. We are at no loss for great prophets and kings, speakers and authors, poets, and lyricists; why borrow the words of our deadly antagonists?
This reflection was further compounded by the words coming from the same Bilaam, “Hen am k’Lavi yakum (Behold! A people that will rise like a lion cub),” found in our parsha (23:24), selected by the government of Israel and the IDF as the battle cry for its momentous mission against Iran.
This propensity to quote our enemies and reverse their intended wish for our destruction to blessings is seen throughout our Jewish history and texts.
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Besides the aforementioned references to Bilam, there was the evil Lavan, who we recall at the Passover Seder, as the one who wanted to “uproot it all.” Yet this vicious hater sent his sister Rivka off to eventually marry Yitzchak, son of Avraham, with the stirring blessing, “At hayii l’alfei revava (May you come to be thousands of myriads, and may your offspring inherit the gates of foes” (Bereishit 24:60). This blessing, so beautiful in its profundity and simplicity, a wish for many children, is traditionally given to Jewish brides at their bedekken, the formal veiling of the bride.
Even the evil Eisav, arch nemesis of our forefather Yaacov, is the first and I believe only character in all of Tanach to address his own brother face-to-face with the loving appellation, “achi (my brother).” In Breishit (33:9), at their meeting after a long absence, Eisav says to Yaacov: “I have much, achi, let what you have remain yours.”
This may be the biblical source for every Israeli, addressing his fellow Israeli whether they know each other or not, as “achi,” my brother. Other examples abound.
The point is, language is powerful. That is why we have so many rules and warnings over the ravages of slander and gossip (rechilut and lashon hara). That is why we have so many laws about false or unintended oaths or curses and ways to rescind or negate them.
Balak knew this. Bilaam knew this. That is why they tried to use it as a weapon against us, to curse us, to destroy us.
What’s more, if you can co-opt your adversaries’ language, it’s even more powerful. The Islamist left has co-opted the term “diaspora” to the “Palestinian cause”; they say they are victims of a “holocaust, a genocide” and Jews are the “Nazis.”
We must do everything we can to overcome and obliterate their false and misleading narrative — but we also take their language, not to use as a curse to them but as a positive message for us.
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They say of us that we are “nation who dwell apart”? Yes, apart, but not alone. We need to continue that verse (Bamidbar 23:9) to its conclusion, “u’vagoyim lo yitchashav (and not be reckoned among the nations)” — not to be punished or destroyed with the other nations, not to be dependent on the other nations, but as sefer Yeshayahu (42:6) tells us, to be “l’or goyim (a light unto the other nations).”
Being alone doesn’t mean being unengaged. It means, as we have always been, alone in our belief in the One True G-d and His Holy Torah, welcoming friends, allies, converts, and adherents, but proud and brave to take up the battle against those who would deprive us of our lives, liberties, beliefs and futures. It means being alone as a united people, despite our differing opinions, fighting those who would destroy us.
Further proof of this is found in the very words of Bilaam later in our parsha, in chapter 24:
Verse 5: “Ma’tovu ohalecha Yaakov (How goodly are your tents O’ Jacob).”
Verse 8: “It is G-d who took him (Yaakov) out of Egypt, according to the power of his loftiness. He (G-d) will consume the nations that oppress him, and crush their bones, and his arrows shall pierce them.” Bilaam here is openly acknowledging G-d‘s power to redeem His people, Israel, and crush all her enemies!
And then, if you didn’t already get it…
Verse 9: “He crouched, and lay down like a lion, and, like a lion cub — who can stand him up? Those who bless you are blessed and those who curse you are accursed.” No matter what Bilaam says, we win! If he blesses us, we are blessed; if he curses us, he is cursed.
Which allows us to return to sefer Yeshayahu 42:6 (providentially the haftara for parshat Bereishit recited the Shabbat immediately after October 7!) noted above: At the End of Days, “I am Hashem; in righteousness have I called you and taken hold of your hand; I have protected you and appointed you to bring the people to the covenant, to be a light for the nations.”
We are not alone; G-d has taken us by the hand, leading us, protecting us, so that we can bring that light of wisdom, peace and understanding unto the nations.
Don’t despair, hold on tight, we’re almost there.
Shabbat Shalom
Dr. Alan A. Mazurek is a retired neurologist, living in Great Neck, Jerusalem and Florida. He is a former chairman of the ZOA.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
