Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Balak/0/en

Shabbat Table Topics – Parashat Balak

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Does the Torah Believe in Magic?

Do 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 our parashah 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? 

• 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 and Ramban in Why Worry About Bilam. How does each understand our story and answer the above questions?  How do their approaches compare to commentators' understanding of Ba'alat Ha'Ov's revival of Shemuel in Did Shemuel Come Back to Life?

Calming the Masses For other examples where commentators make similar claims, see Shadal regarding impurity in Tzaraat and the "evil eye" in Half Shekels – For Census or Tabernacle, and Rambam's understanding of sacrifices in Purpose of the Mishkan.

Ibn Kaspi asserts that many among the nation were anxious about Bilam's curse, erroneously believing that it could that it could harm them. Though their concern was unfounded, Hashem, nonetheless, did not want them to be nervous or 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?