The Talk of the Donkey

By Rabbi Moshe Krieger, Yeshivas Bircas HaTorah (www.bircas.org)

This week’s parsha tells us about Bilaam HaRasha who was hired by Balak to curse Klal Yisrael. Hashem blocked his path three times by placing an angel in front of his donkey. Each time, the donkey stopped Bilaam hit the donkey to force it forward. Finally, at the third stop Hashem performs a miracle and the donkey opens her mouth and speaks saying “why have you hit me these three times?” (Bamidbar 22:28).

The word the donkey uses for “times” is striking. She says three regalim. The word regalim can mean “times,” but it is also the word for the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos. Rashi  points out that this was not a coincidence. Hashem placed those exact words in the donkey’s mouth deliberately. The donkey was really saying: “Why are you trying to curse a nation that keeps three Regalim?” But why specifically the three Regalim? Out of all the mitzvos Klal Yisrael keeps — Krias Shema, tefillin, countless others — why did the donkey mention the Yomim Tovim?

The Shem MiShmuel offers a beautiful explanation, but first he asks a different question. How did Bilaam, a genuine navi who received prophecy from Hashem, fall so low as to use his gifts to curse Hashem’s own people? The Mishnah in Avos (5:19) gives us the answer. Bilaam had three deeply entrenched bad middos — character traits: ayin ra — a jealous eye; ruach gevoha — a spirit of arrogance; and nefesh rechava — an insatiable appetite for physical desires. These bad middos drove everything he did. We see this throughout the parsha that he kept pushing for more honor (Rashi 13:22), and always wanting more reward (Rashi 18:22).  A person so consumed by these traits will inevitably misuse even his greatest gifts.

The Jewish people, says the Shem MiShmuel, are the talmidim of Avraham Avinu — and Avraham Avinu embodied the opposite of all three. The Mishnah in Avos (5:19) said that Avraham had an ayin tova a generous eye, he was not driven by physical desires and also had true humility. The Jews are always working to perfect their middos and be true talmidim of Avraham Avinu. They work on this the whole year and when the Yomim Tovim come they also have some special work on these middos. Each Yom Tov is built around one of the three pillars of the world — Torah, avodah, and gemilus chasadim — and each pillar directly counters one of Bilaam’s flaws.

Pesach is the Yom Tov of avodah. On Pesach, we bring the korban Pesach. Bringing a korban is a way of subjugating ourselves before Hashem. This act of subjugation chips away arrogance. Shavuos is the Yom Tov of Torah, and the Rambam (at the end of Hilchos Issurei Biah) writes that immersing oneself in Torah is one of the most powerful antidotes to physical desire. When a person’s mind is occupied with Torah, it has no room to wander after ta’avah. Sukkos is the Yom Tov of unity and kindness. At this time we give matanos aniyim – gifts to the poor. We bring the arba minim together, symbolising the unity of all kinds of Jews. As Vayikra Rabbah (30:12) teaches, the four species represent all of Klal Yisrael together. When you truly connect with others and give to them, jealousy simply has no foothold. So when the donkey spoke of “three regalim,” she was saying: “You think you can uproot a nation that works the entire year on the exact three middos you are enslaved to? These are the talmidim of Avraham Avinu.” Even the Regalim themselves are not just celebrations — each one is a pillar in this ongoing work.

We mentioned before the Yomim Tovim are not just a once-a-year boost. They are just part of a year-round avodah. The Mashgiach, Rav Naftali Kaplan, describes how to work on these three middos. Against jealousy — we hold onto the teaching of the Gemara in Yoma (38b): “a person cannot touch what is set aside for another”. Hashem gives me everything that is fitting for me and nobody can take it away, and what my friend has is not suitable for me. Beyond this, we work on giving to others — compliments, help, connection. The Mashgiach says that even if you feel a flicker of envy towards someone, reaching out to him, giving him something, engaging with him warmly, will dissolve that feeling.

Against arrogance — we work on not drawing attention to ourselves or seeking honor. The Ramban in Iggeret HaRamban teaches us to speak softly, and give kavod to everyone. Our davening (which is also avodah) itself is a powerful tool. When a person stands before Hakadosh Baruch Hu in Shemoneh Esrei, truly feeling his dependence on Hashem, that awareness should carry him through the day. The Ba’al HaTanya writes that the feeling from the morning tefillah should stay with a person, or at least until his next tefillah. The feeling that he’s standing in front of Hashem, and his dependency on Him, will help conquer his arrogance.

Against physical desires — we set limits. We are careful about what pleasures we indulge in so as not to let appetite take over. The Chofetz Chaim advised that we keep Torah in our heads at all times. If you know mishnayos or a section of gemara by heart, you can always say it. Even just turning your mind towards any Torah thought when you are out in the street keeps your thoughts engaged. The mind has less room to roam after desires when it is already occupied.

The Shem MiShmuel offers a second dimension to the word regalim. The Regel — the pilgrimage to the Beis HaMikdash — was not just a mitzvah. It was an act of total self-giving. A Jew would leave his home, his fields, his possessions, and travel to Yerushalayim. He was saying: Hashem, I am forgetting about my own needs and coming before You. That is genuine self-sacrifice. It was a tremendous expression of ahavah — love.

The Gemara in Sukkah (49b) tells us that when Hashem saw this He was really moved. He compared it to Avraham Avinu, who left everything at Hashem’s command — his homeland, his family, all his possessions and went to Eretz Yisrael. The Gemara in Yoma (54b) adds that when the people came up to the Beis HaMikdash, Hashem would open the            paroches — the inner curtain — and the kruvim — the angelic figures on the Aron — would be seen embracing one another. This was Hashem’s way of showing His love back. That is what the donkey was telling Bilaam: you cannot uproot a nation that has this kind of relationship with Hashem. How could a curse touch such a bond?

All this teaches us something important. A Jew must not only do the mitzvos — he must be mosser nefesh and show his ahavah – love. If a son who does what his father asks but never shows any warmth there is something missing. The Maharal explains that when we say “ve’ahavta es Hashem Elokecha bechol levavcha uvechol nafshecha uvechol me’odecha” every morning, we should mean it actively. “Bechol levavcha”, do the mitzvos even though you have a strong yetzer hara. “Bechol nafshecha”, even when this mitzvah is hard for me and it is not my nature, I still want to push myself to do it. “Bechol me’odecha”, even when it is costly, I am happy to spend it because Hashem is my Father and I love Him.

Also a person has to do the mitzvos in the best way possible try to beautify your actions in order to show more ahavah to Hashem.

Rav Gamliel Rabinowitz once spoke to some young people and asked them: are you showing your ahavah to Hashem? Do you come to davening every day in a Minyan? Good — but that is not enough. Come a few minutes early. Stay a few minutes after. Say some Tehillim. Don’t rush out the door. What about Shabbos? Shabbos is the day we are truly with Hashem. Your davening is not asking for things, just connecting.  Is your davening with more kavannah.  Are your seudos filled with zemiros and divrei Torah or does the time get swallowed up by idle talk? On Shabbos you should grow in your love for Hashem.

May we be zocheh to fulfill all our mitzvos in a way that shows our deep ahavah to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.