Shabbat Parshat Chukat-Balak

This week's Torah Gems were prepared by

Anochi Atoncha
Shabbat Parshat Chukat-Balak


Hukkat-Balak



Angelology - Part IV



The angel of Hashem said to Balaam, 'Go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak to you, that shall you speak.' (Bamidbar 22:35)



Rashi: But only - this means against your will...



Our verse occurs at the end of what is perhaps the strangest angel narrative in Tanakh. Balaam wakes early in the morning and saddles his donkey. Rashi explains that Balaam's hatred of Israel was so great that he couldn't wait for his servants to saddle the donkey, so that he could get on with the business of cursing Israel.



Hashem sends an angel to intercept Balaam, presumably to stop him from delivering a curse that might bring about Israel's destruction. But first the angel appears only to Balaam's donkey, blocking her path. After receiving a savage beating at the hands of her master, the donkey speaks:



"What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?"



Balaam registers not even a hint of surprise that his donkey speaks! Instead, he answers her as though speaking to a servant.



"Because you have mocked me! If there were a sword in my hand I would now have killed you!"



The donkey said to Balaam, "is it not that I am your donkey, that you have ridden upon me from your inception until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such a thing to you?"



He said, "No."



Let us review the principles of angelology in the Tanakh and test them against the Balaam narrative.



1.
An angel's message changes the course of history.

King Balak had been gearing up to demolish Israel. Had Hashem not sent an angel to intercept Balaam, Balak may have succeeded.



2.
An angel's message compels Biblical characters to do things they wouldn't otherwise do.

If Balaam had meant to bless Israel rather than curse her, there would have been no need for an angel! Rather, Balaam was in such a hurry to curse Israel that he woke up early and saddled his talking donkey! Clearly, he needed to be stopped.



3.
An angel delivers one message, and then disappears.

Indeed, verse quoted at the top comprises the last words we hear from the angel. What distinguish this angel narrative are the angel's actions before he delivers his message to Balaam.



Why does the angel appear at first only to the donkey? Perhaps he hoped to carry out his mission by misdirecting donkey so that Balaam would never arrive at his destination. Why then does the angel cause the donkey to speak? Perhaps he hoped to scare Balaam into turning back. When this strategy fails, he finally appears to Balaam and speaks to him directly.



From this we may derive a fourth principle of angelology: If the angel doesn't deliver his message on the first try, he keeps at it until he succeeds. Another example of a persistent angel is found at Shoftim chapter 13 (the narrative of Manoach and his wife. Pay particular attention to the difficulty Manoach has understanding the angel's message. Also note the angel's dramatic exit strategy!)