Balak: Learning from the Donkey

"And Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey …" (Numbers 22:28).

Don't ever be down on yourself, ever again!

Don't you realize that you have a soul that's a tiny spark of G-dliness? Did you ever think about that? It means that your potential is unlimited. And, since Hashem doesn't do a thing without a purpose, did you understand the far-reaching ramifications of His creating you? It means that the world cannot exist or function without you! Otherwise, Hashem wouldn't have needed you and wouldn't have created you. Don't think that I'm just trying to make you feel good; this is a simple conclusion based on the three major principles of emuna that my beloved teacher Rav Shalom Arush shlit”a says over and over, wherever he goes and whenever he speaks, as follows:

1. Everything comes for Hashem;

2. Everything Hashem does is for the ultimate good;

3. Everything Hashem does is for an explicit purpose.

I know that despite my words, you still doubt yourself. "Lazer's just trying to make me feel good." Cherished friend, why doubt that you're an individual with a unique mission on earth and blessed with the talents to accomplish this mission? There is solid proof right in the Torah.

In Perek Shira, the donkey says, "To You, Hashem, is the greatness and the might and the triumph and the glory for everything in heaven and earth is Yours; To You, Hashem, is the monarchy and the sovereignty over every leader"[1]. People ask, how in the world does the donkey deserve saying such a lofty praise of Hashem? This is the passage that we all say when we ceremoniously escort the Torah from the ark to the pulpit on Shabbat morning, yet these are the words that underlie the donkey's neighing! How could that be?

Rebbe Chaim ben Attar explains[2] that Bilaam was an imposter and not a prophet at all. He was an expert astrologist who gazed into the stars and saw what would be in the future. For example, he saw that Balak was destined to be the King of Moab, so he went to Balak and blessed him as such. Balak was then convinced of the power of Bilaam's "blessings". Yet, when Hashem sends an angel to deter Bilaam, he doesn't see the angel but the donkey does! The donkey, which doesn't exactly enjoy a high level of status on creation's order of prestige, is the one that is chosen to expose Bilaam and to sanctify Hashem's Name for posterity!

Isaiah the prophet chose the donkey to rebuke the People of Israel when he said, "…a donkey knows its master's feed trough but Israel doesn't know."[3] The holy prophet is telling the Jewish People that they must open their eyes and learn from a donkey – ouch…

The Gemara tells that Rebbe Pinchas ben Yair's donkey was willing to starve rather than to eat something that didn't have a tithe properly removed.[4] How many times do we throw things into our mouths without checking whether they are unquestionably kosher or not?

So what do we learn from the donkey?

If such an apparently lowly creature can magnificently sanctify Hashem's Name, then so can we. If such a lackluster creature can expose the truth, despite beatings and disparagement, then imagine what our capability of doing so is – unfathomable! If a lowly donkey can be so exacting in doing its Creator's will, then we certainly can!

King David became the author of Perek Shira[5] because he could understand the language of every creation – mineral, plant, animal and of course human. He knew how every creation served the Creator and therefore learned from every creation. In this week's Torah portion, Hashem gives us the privilege of being privy to the speech of the donkey and seeing the amazing way in which it served Hashem. If the donkey can, so can we!

Do you still believe that you lack the tools to perform your mission on earth? You are equipped with an innate piece of equipment that no other creation has – a holy soul that's a tiny spark of G-dliness. That's something that a donkey doesn't have. Sure, it has its basic animal soul – nefesh – but it doesn't have a neshama, the G-dly soul. Cherished friend, with your neshama, you can accomplish anything you wish. Just ask a donkey.

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