Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Balak/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Balak

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Does the Torah Believe in Magic?

Do laymen's words have the capacity to bless or curse?  Do powers of sorcery really exist in the world?  If so, are such acts independent of Hashem's will?  

• What does the Torah as a whole, and Parashat Balak in particular, suggest?  If Hashem did not want the Children of Israel harmed, why would it matter whether Bilam spoke positively or negatively about them? Would his curses have had any effect?  See Why Worry About Bilam for elaboration.
• Are magical practices and divination prohibited by the Torah because they are nonsense, or because despite (or maybe, due to) their efficacy, they are not Hashem's desired behavior? Contrast the opinions of Ibn Ezra Vayikra 19:31About R. Avraham ibn Ezraand RambanDevarim 18:9-12About R. Moshe b. Nachman regarding these questions. 
• For further study: See how the approaches to our story compare to commentators' understandings of the revival of Shemuel in Did Shemuel Come Back to Life?

Calming the Masses

Ibn KaspiIntroduction, Chapter 28About R. Yosef ibn Kaspi asserts that many among the nation were anxious about Bilam's curse, erroneously believing that it could harm them. Though their concern was unfounded, Hashem, nonetheless, did not want them to be frightened and so he prevented Bilam from cursing.

• Is it possible that Hashem sometimes acts only so as to allay fears and concerns stemming from the misguided beliefs of the masses?  Does this not simply ensure that such beliefs are perpetuated?  Would it not be preferable to, instead, correct the nation's misconceptions?  See Why Worry About Bilam for more.
• Elsewhere, commentators go even further to suggest that there are even certain commandments which were instituted only in response to erroneous beliefs.  For example, see Ibn Kaspi on Purpose of the Pesach, Shadal on the impurity of Tzara'at and the "evil eye" in Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle, and Rambam's understanding of the Purpose of the Sacrifices.  Do you find such approaches convincing?

To Dwell Alone: A Blessing or Curse?

Bilam blesses the nation, "הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב".  This is often translated as, "Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations."  What, though, is the blessing in being alone?

• The NetzivBemidbar 23:9About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin reads Bilam's words less as a blessing and more as a warning against assimilation.  When the nation lives alone, then "יִשְׁכֹּן", they are able to dwell [in peace and dignity]. However, when they are "בַגּוֹיִם", when they interact, then "לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב", they are not considered important or worthy of respect.¹
• Do you agree?  Does assimilation cause persecution or prevent it?  In general, does the Torah promote an isolationist attitude towards surrounding cultures, or a policy of involvement with the outside world?  What is the appropriate balance between the two?
• Look up the word "בָדָד" in a concordance. What other meanings or connotations might the word have?  How might these be applied to our verse?  For elaboration, see A Nation that Dwells Alone and R"Y Bekhor ShorBemidbar 23:9About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor there.

Pinchas

What about Pinechas' killing of Zimri made it so praiseworthy that it stopped a Divine plague and merited him special status and Divine favor?

• In his act, was Pinechas taking the law into his own hands or following orders? If the former, why was this not only allowed, but praised?  If the latter, what made Pinechas' act unique?  Compare the approaches of the Bavli Sanhedrin 82aAbout the Bavliand the Sifre25About Sifre Bemidbar, and bring support for each possibility from the verses. 
• Was Zimri's sin one of fornication or idolatry? How did it relate to the sin of the nation? How do the different possibilities affect your understanding of Pinechas' actions?

Jewish and Gentile Relations

Rabbinic midrashim draw a connection between Yitro and Bilam,  placing them both in Paroh's court and privy to his decision to enslave the Jewish people.  While Bilam is portrayed as an architect of the Israelite Bondage, Yitro is depicting as wanting no part in the plan.  What in the Biblical text might be prompting such portraist?

• Compare and contrast the two protagonists.  How does each relate to the nation of Israel?  How is each treated n turn?
• What message about Jewish and Gentile relations might be learned from the comparison?  See Yitro & Bilam.

¹ See the Netziv's understanding of the Purposes of the Egyptian Bondage, where he is consistent in claiming that assimilation leads to persecution.