Netvort Balak 5773:    An Early Start

By Rabbi Joshua (alacritously known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

 

The Torah tells us that Bilaam got up in the morning, saddled his own donkey, and journeyed with the princes of Moav (Bamidbar, 22:21). The midrash, cited by Rashi, comments that we learn from Bilaam’s actions that hatred causes one to depart from the usual way of doing things, as someone like Bilaam would usually have someone else saddle his donkey.  Avraham, however, says the midrash, already counteracted this force of hatred with his love of God, by saddling his own donkey and getting up even earlier in the morning on his way to fulfilling God’s command at the Akeidah. Last year, we offered an explanation of this midrash based on a comment of Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l, regarding Bilaam’s intention, and on Rav Aharon Soloveitchik zt”l’s, explanation of the Akeidah.  I would now like to suggest a different explanation of this Midrash, expanding on Rav Moshe zt”l’s explanation of it, as well as Rav Kook’s explanation of the Akeidah.

 

Rav Moshe zt”l asks, what difference does it make that Avraham saddled his own donkey, and that he got up even earlier in the morning than did Bilaam?  He answers that God demands of us that we pursue Torah and mitzvos at least in the manner that people take care of their own personal needs, as we are told in Mishlei (2:7) “If you seek it like silver, etc., then you will understand the fear of God.” Therefore, if in a particular generation, people involve themselves in their own needs more than the accustomed involvement it becomes incumbent upon us to pursue Torah and mitzvos in such a manner, as well. If we do not, we are taken to task for our failure to do so. This, says Rav Moshe, is what Yaakov meant when he said, as brought by Rashi in the beginning of Parshas Vayishlach, that he dwelled with Lavan and did not learn from his evil ways. He was saying, self disparagingly that he did not learn from Lavan’s eager pursuit of evil how to pursue mitzvos with the same eagerness. Bilaam, says Rav Moshe, by pursuing his own interests of cursing the Jews with alacrity and eagerness, felt that he would thereby actually cause them to deserve his curses, because he did not think that the Jews served God with equal enthusiasm. The Midrash therefore says that Avraham did, indeed get up even earlier, and saddled his own donkeys, in going to the Akeida, and served as an example for future generations to act in this way in pursuing Torah and mitzvos.

 

Rav Moshe’s comments, actually, are in line with Rav Kook's explanation of the Akeidah. He says that what distinguished Avraham in his observance of God’s command to sacrifice Yitzchak was the clear-headedness and joy with which he did so. Avraham had rejected idolatry and taught people to serve the one God, but, in the process, there existed the possibility that they would not carry over the enthusiasm previously used in idolatry to the service of God, since to many He seemed so remote. By going to the Akeidah with, on the one hand, a clear head, embracing absolute belief in the one God and, on the other hand, pursuing His command with alacrity and enthusiasm, Avraham taught those who followed him to serve God in a similar way.  By doing so, he countered Bilaam’s attempt to curse the Jews (for a further discussion of Rav Kook on the Akeida, see Rabbi Shalom Carmy’s article in Hazon Nahum).