The opening verses of Parashat Balak describe the panic that gripped the nation of Moav upon observing Benei Yisrael’s conquest of the neighboring Emorite kingdoms. The fear of the prospect of Benei Yisrael dominating the region led Balak, the king of Moav, to invite the seer Bilam to place a curse upon the threatening nation.
A careful look at these opening verses, however, gives rise to some confusion. The parasha’s first verse describes Balak observing Benei Yisrael’s triumph over the Emorites. Then, in the second and third verses, the Torah tells that “Moav” – without specifying the king or any other particular figure – feared the Israelites and expressed their concerns to the leaders of Midyan. It is only in the fourth verse that we read of Balak sending an invitation to Bilam.
It thus appears that Moav’s response to the perceived Israelite threat occurred in two stages: consultation with Midyan, and the solicitation of Bilam’s services.
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch explained that these two responses were the reactions of, respectively, the general populace and Balak. The people, on their own, consulted with Midyan, and then, in response, Balak sent for Bilam. Rav Hirsch writes that the people initially acted independently because Benei Yisrael’s triumph over the mighty kingdoms of Sichon and Og shattered their trust and confidence in their governments’ ability to protect them:
As Sichon and Og, the most powerful kings of the time, had proved themselves utterly powerless against Israel, the power of kings as defenders of the independence of their people had received a severe shock to the confidence with which their people could rely on them.
As a result, the people of Moav decided to circumvent their leadership in devising a strategy to deal with what they perceived as a mortal threat. Rather than turn to their leader and demand action, the citizenry took their own initiative and consulted with the wise men of Midyan in search of a solution.
It was this circumventing of authority that led Balak to act – and to undertake such extreme and unorthodox measures. He understood that in order to maintain the people’s loyalty, he would have to take a bold initiative that would acknowledge the populace’s loss of faith in government. Balak therefore resorted to the realm of magic and witchcraft. This approach essentially conceded to the people that the standard political and military systems were ineffective and unreliable, while at the same time regained their confidence in offering an innovative, “supernatural” means of protection. Rav Hirsch even suggests that Balak did not necessarily believe in Bilam’s powers himself, but nevertheless summoned him in order to calm his people’s fear and win back their trust. Balak’s decision was motivated less by actual fear of Benei Yisrael than by the need to present a revolutionary new tactic that would inspire the people with confidence.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il