We continue with lessons of Balak and Bilaam. We started the week off with God saying ( Michah 6,5), “My nation, Please remember the story of Balak and Balaam.“
What exactly was this discussion between God and the Jewish people? In a pasuk prior to this commandment
( Michah 6,3 ) the prophet says,
עַמִּ֛י מֶה־עָשִׂ֥יתִי לְךָ֖
My nation,
What did I do to you?
( Rashi says, what good things have I for you?)
וּמָ֣ה הֶלְאֵתִ֑יךָ עֲנֵ֥ה בִֽי׃
And what have I tired you out )with My service(, please tell Me.”
God is telling the Jewish people, “I am not sure why you aren’t having a good relationship with me. Firstly, How much have I done for you, and also- what exactly have I asked from you?”
If we look back a few more pesukim, it says, שִׁמְעוּ־נָ֕א אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר ה אֹמֵ֑ר
ק֚וּם רִ֣יב אֶת־הֶהָרִ֔ים וְתִשְׁמַ֥עְנָה הַגְּבָע֖וֹת קוֹלֶֽךָ׃
Please listen to What God is saying, Hear the mountains…..
There is a debate between God and the Jewish people as to who’s right. Has God really asked too much of us?
Has He not done enough for us?
The Radak says that we mention the mountains, which is similar to in Ha’azinu -Hashem uses nature as witnesses.
Others explain that the mountains and hills refer to the Avot and Imahot ( Bilaam actually refers to them as mountains and hills), indicating that the Avot should hear what God has done and how we are responding to Him.
The Navi is teaching us two unbelievable lessons. The first is to remember what God did for us.
So first, what did God do for us?
God took us out of Egypt.
We have to remember the good that God did, and every single day, we are supposed to remember this. It’s one of the fundamental remembrances, and we say it twice a day in Keriyat Shema- God took us out of Egypt and sent Moshe and Aharon in front of us. We have to remember the tremendous gifts that God has done for us.
The second thing is- what has Hashem asked from us? This is where remembering the story of Balak and Bilaam comes in:
God says to remember what happened,
מִן־הַשִּׁטִּים֙ עַד־הַגִּלְגָּ֔ל
From Shittim to Gilgal-
Shittim was where the Jewish people sinned with the Midyanite girls- and God would have wiped out the whole nation if not for Pinhas who stopped the plague that killed 24,000 people by stabbing Kozbi and Zimri
And now the Jewish people ask what they should do now to do teshuva. They regretted what they did. Should they give calves as an atonement, or maybe Hashem wanted them to give Him their children as an atonement?
But God said, No- I’m not asking that.
Gilgal was where Yehoshua asked them to be circumcised before they entered Eretz Yisrael.
God is showing that, Yes, circumcision is a little difficult, but otherwise, My service is quite simple.
God doesn’t want our sacrifices or our children… Akedat Yitzhak was a one time thing.
He wants us to:
עֲשׂ֤וֹת מִשְׁפָּט֙
Act justly- not cheat people
וְאַ֣הֲבַת חֶ֔סֶד
Love kindness – it’s not enough to just do it, like justice, we have to love it.
וְהַצְנֵ֥עַ לֶ֖כֶת עִם־אֱלֹקיךָ
And go in modesty.
Don’t announce your deeds. Do things humbly.
That is all God wants from us.
The Malbim says that this is the important lesson that God wants us to remember every single day- Service to God is not difficult. The Yetzer Hara puts in our head that religion is impossible. That’s a mistake. Religion is not difficult.
God does not ask of us what we can’t do.
That’s an important fundamental.
And now, we know why God says Please remember ..
Because He wants us to remember, and He doesn’t want to make life difficult for us.
Don’t think God is a mean, vicious, demanding God. He is a loving Father. Therefore, we have to look into history and see that even after we sinned, He doesn’t ask much from us to fix it.
This is an important lesson, especially as we go into the Three Weeks. What does God want from us? He doesn’t want much.
We are like a spoiled kid that asks what his parents want from him, after all they have done for him. All they want him to do is make his bed and clean up after dinner. It is not that much.
That is the important lesson to walk away with from Balak and Bilaam. Have a wonderful day.