Parshas Balak- Taint of a Good Deed

Our decisions and actions have real impacts on ourselves and others. In general, it is fair to assume that a positive action will only result in wholesome effects. This is a logical conclusion. However, in this week’s Parsha it would appear that the good deeds of the past were causation for negative actions in the future. This would require an explanation. 

As the Jews journeyed towards Eretz Yisrael, the nation of Moav, and its king Balak, began to become nervous. They were witness to the resounding successes of the Jews in battle against greater foes, and were concerned for their own safety. Balak hired a gentile prophet, Bala’am, to curse the Jewish people. He hoped that this would result in their demise. However, Bala’am was ultimately unsuccessful in this approach, as Hashem protected His beloved people and prevented Bala’am from cursing them. Knowing that Hashem Hates immoral conduct, Bala’am suggested another option to harm the Jews. With an elaborate plan and meticulous detail the Jews would be seduced by the non-Jewish girls, resulting in the sins of promiscuous activity and idol worship. The Jews would then become vulnerable to damage, as Hashem would be unhappy with these behaviors. This plan did indeed work, and the Jews began sinning in various illicit ways. This resulted in a plague that ravaged the population, as described in the pesukim.

The pasuk (25:1) mentions that the “b’nos Moav”, the Moabite girls, were the actors in causing the Jewish men to sin. However, others participated in the debauchery as well, namely the women of Midian and Ammon (see Maharz”u on following Midrash). The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabba 20:23) explains the reason that the women of Moav are particularly highlighted in the verse. Earlier in history, when S’dom and the surrounding cities were to be destroyed, Lot and two of his two daughters escaped to a cave. The daughters, mistakenly thinking that the world had been totally obliterated and no man remained, decided that they must become pregnant from their father in order for mankind to continue. The older daughter took initiative and plied Lot with wine until intoxication. She then had relations with him, resulting in a pregnancy. The following night, the younger daughter followed suit. The older daughter eventually bore a son, naming him Moav, and the younger daughter’s son became Ammon. Just as the forebearer of Moav initiated an immoral, illicit union, so too the descendants behaved in a similar manner. Thus, the women of Moav are highlighted to teach that they behaved inappropriately, following in the footsteps of their great-grandmother, the initial force behind the immoral event with Lot. 

This Midrash would seem to imply that the initiative of the older daughter was deemed sinful and inappropriate. However, this notion is impossible in light of Chazal’s understanding of that infamous event. The Gemara (Nazir 23a) explains that the girls intended “l’shem mitzva” (to continue mankind) and are aptly referenced as “tzaddikim”. R’ Yehoshua ben Korcha adds (23b-24a) that the older daughter was rewarded for acting with initiative. Her descendants (Rus from Moav) would enter the Jewish nation four generations prior to those of the younger daughter (Na’ama from Ammon). 

It would appear that Chazal understood the actions of the older daughter to be laudable, and not inappropriate. How can we understand the above Midrash in light of this perspective?

Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz (Sichos Mussar 100) resolves the above contradiction with a beautiful idea from the Ohr HaChaim in Parshas Re’eh (Devarim 13:18). The Torah discusses the concept of an “ir hanidachas”, a city of idolaters that we are required to punish. Following the command to kill the inhabitants and destroy the city, the verse states: “...and He will give you mercy and be merciful to you…”.  The Ohr HaChaim explains that the natural reality of engaging in actions of killing and destruction is to develop character traits that are cruel and rough. Hashem is promising that if you listen to my command and perform this intense and aggressive act, I will nonetheless inspire in you merciful traits, and your character will not be affected negatively by your deeds. This is a necessary pledge, as the natural reality would be the opposite. Even in doing the correct things, our character can be affected negatively by the harsh reality of our engagements. 

In a similar vein, the Rama (Shulchan Aruch 1:1) states that one should disregard others who are mocking him in his performance of Hashem’s services. Mishna Berura (se’if katan 5) explains that he should not fight with such people, despite their obvious flaws. If he does begin to act aggressively towards those mockers, it can result in him developing a brazen, callous attitude in general. This in turn will naturally emerge in other areas that are entirely removed from serving Hashem. Therefore, it is best to simply disregard such people, and not to engage with them at all. 

Although the older daughter of Lot is regarded as having done a virtuous act, the immoral nature of it did have an impact on her, as well as on her progeny, Moav. The Midrash is teaching that her actions were fully acceptable and even praised. Her descendants however, absorbed the harsh nature of her behavior, and applied it in a grossly inappropriate way, causing the Jewish men to engage in immoral conduct. 

Even when we engage with correct actions, we must be wary of the natural consequences of our behaviors. When we see that we are developing less than desirable traits, we must work actively to counter this, and pray to Hashem that they not take hold. With this foresight we can succeed in maintaining the purity of our character. 

As Jews, we must constantly pray for the successes of our brave brethren who are fighting to defend Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish people. We should daven that Hashem protect them in every way. One of the additional unfortunate realities of war is that even the victors may emerge affected in their character. As Golda Meir famously stated: “…we will perhaps in time be able to forgive the Arabs for killing our sons, but it will be harder to forgive them for having forced us to kill their sons…”. An additional element of our prayers should therefore be that our holy brothers return and be blessed by Hashem to retain their pure and merciful character traits, entirely untainted by the necessary actions they so heroically perform. He should give them “mercy” and be “merciful to them”. May we know a time that there is only peace, and merit to see Mashiach, amen! 

The above was adopted from the artscroll Midrash Rabba. In the merit of this Torah study, may Hashem protect all of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world. Please email yshifman1@gmail.com with questions, comments, or to be added to the mailing list.