Clergy Blog

The Torah contains only two instances of an animal speaking in human language. The first occurs in Genesis 3, the well-trodden story of the Garden of Eden and the deceitful snake who tricks Adam and Eve into eating from the forbidden fruit. 

The second occurs in this week’s parasha, Balak. 

In parashat Balak, we meet a non-Israelite prophet named Balaam who is tasked to curse the Israelite nation. He saddles his donkey and sets off on his journey. Suddenly, along the way, the donkey stops dead in its tracks and contorts itself and Balaam up against a fence.

Incensed, Balaam starts beating the donkey to move forward. But the donkey sees something that Balaam cannot: an angel of God standing between them and the road ahead. Finally, at the height of Balaam’s anger, and in a miraculous turn, God opens the donkey’s mouth and it begins speaking to Balaam: “What have I done to you that you have beaten me three times‽” 

Astonishly, Balaam answers the donkey without hesitation and begins a conversation with it about the preceding events.  

Rabbeinu Bahya, a 13th Century rabbinic commentator asks the obvious question: Anyone else in this situation would respond to the donkey by saying: “Wow! A talking donkey!” Why didn’t Balaam? As he teaches, Balaam was so intent on reaching his final destination that he took the phenomenon of the talking donkey for granted - not even registering as significant in his mind.

With so much on our minds: the kids at Camp Mystic, the hostages, this neverending war, the message behind Rabbeinu Bahya’s comment is an important one: Remember to look up, to meet every moment anew, and to allow yourself the chance to be amazed. When we can do that, the heaviness of the world can lighten, at least for a moment, and those moments matter.

I hope we can carve out a space for those moments of reflection and togetherness this Shabbat. At 5:45pm we are having a pre-Shabbat wine and cheese on the Singer-Krause patio, and at 6:30pm, celebratory services follow on the patio as Cantor Emily Simkin officially joins the B’nai Abraham community. Parasha Study and Shabbat morning services follow tomorrow at 9:00am and 10:00am respectively.

Good Shabes,

Max