Parshas Balak 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
אם יתן לי בלק מלא ביתו כסף וזהב לא אוכל לעבר את פי ה' אלקי לעשות קטנה או גדולה ... (כב-יח)
Balak, King of Moav, sends high-ranking officials to commission Bilaam to curse the Jewish people. Hashem appears to Bilaam and tells him not to go. Bilaam’s response to Balak’s officials is: “If Balak would give me his household of silver and gold, I could not transgress the word of Hashem.” Our Sages see in this response the corrupt nature of Bilaam’s character. R’ Yaakov Kamenetsky zt”l (Emes L’Yaakov) makes a very interesting observation: “If Balak will give me a house full of gold and silver, I won’t do it!” What about two houses? What about five houses? For one house? Nu! What is one house full of gold and silver worth? For that price alone, Bilaam will not consider coming. By specifying that a single house is the offer he refuses, he implies that if the price were right then maybe there would be what to discuss.
The following story is told about the famous Baron Rothschild, who arrived in a small town early one morning and asked when they daven the morning prayers. They told him at seven in the morning. He entered the synagogue and saw that everyone was already present: the rabbi, the chazan, the dayan, the mispallelim, and yet they did not begin to pray.
When he inquired about the delay, it was explained to him that the “Gvir” - the wealthiest man in town, had not yet arrived, and it was expected that they wait for him each morning. Five minutes passed, then ten minutes, and everyone was still waiting. Finally, at a quarter past seven, the Gvir arrived with sleepy eyes that he’d just woken up from, walks to his place at the eastern wall, sits down next to the rabbi, and gives the signal that it is permissible to begin the prayers.
Baron Rothschild was appalled at the audacity of that Gvir. The rabbi of the synagogue has to wait for him? The whole congregation has to wait for him? What chutzpah! So he has some money - who does he think he is?
When it was time to read from the Torah, the baron asked for an aliyah. He was given one and afterward, they recited a “Mi Shebeirach” for him. When the gabbai reached the part where people donate to the shul, Baron Rothschild said, “I am donating the amount of all the wealth of the ‘Gvir’ who sits upfront.” People began to murmur since they did not know that Baron Rothschild was the man standing one before them. The gabbai yelled, “Meshugener! This Gvir has a fortune!”
But the baron remained steadfast: “I am willing to donate the entire amount of the wealthy man’s estate.”
One of the trustees came over and said, “Sir, please do not joke! If you want to donate to the synagogue, state an amount! And if you don’t want to donate, no one is forcing you.” The baron answered, “I already said that I want to donate! And I even stated the amount I want to donate! Tell me how much he is worth and that is what I will give.”
“But do you have that amount to donate?” the trustee asked. “Don’t worry,” he replied, “I have much more than that!”
Only then did the trustee realize that Baron Rothschild was the man he was talking to. Well, he certainly can afford to pay so he hurried over to the “Gvir” and asked him to specify the amount of his wealth, so that Baron Rothschild would know how much to give. But the Gvir refused, claiming he did not wish to disclose his private matters in public.
Others tried to convince him. “This money which the baron will donate, will help all the needy in the community! If you do not disclose the amount of the property you hold, the baron will leave the town, and we will have lost everything.”
The wealthy man remained firm in his refusal. “Impossible! I will not disclose my private matters in public.”
The rabbi, dayan and the entire community went to the house of the Gvir and began to demonstrate, but Baron Rothschild told them to stop. “There is no need for him to reveal! I can find this out by myself. I will pay an attorney and an accountant, and they can review the relevant ledgers and accordingly, I will know his capital.”
Well, the baron did as he said. His people checked, rechecked and searched again and again. In the end, it was determined that the “Gvir” owned almost nothing! He used his reputation as a “wealthy man” to impose his will on the community. “Wealth held for its owner to his detriment.” Koheles (5:12) (Rabbi Reuven Karlenstein zt”l – Yechi Reuven)