Anti-Semite or Admirer?

Anti-Semite or Admirer?

Billam, the prophet hired by Balak, the king of Moab, to curse the Jews, was, arguably, the most paradoxical character in the Torah.

He was not Jewish, yet his prophecy was as great as the prophecy of Moses[1]. He was “one who hears God's sayings and perceives the thoughts of the Most High”[2], he proclaimed the most beautiful praises of the Jews, yet his hate for the Jews was profound. He was one of the most spiritually gifted people to ever live, a man who “sees the vision of the Almighty”[3], yet he did all he could to try to curse the Jews and then cause them to sin. 

How do these opposite qualities reside together in one individual? How is it that one of our greatest enemies is the one who declares our greatest praises?

To understand Billam, we must first ask ourselves the age-old question: why are we so hated? What is the nature of anti-semitism?

Throughout the generations, up to this very day, researchers and scholars pondered this question, and came up with a variety of answers, some more true than others. Does the Torah offer any clues for the cause of anti-semitism? If we look carefully we discover that indeed, the Torah does offer insight into the minds of some of our greatest haters.

The Torah tells us that the nation of Moab, whose king, Balak, hired Billam to curse the Jews, was terrified of the Jews. In addition to the fear-factor that was at play, the Torah tells us that “Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel”: 

Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel.[4]

The root of the Hebrew word “Va’y’kutzu”, translated here as “became disgusted”, also means “thorn”, translated literally that would mean “(the people of Moab) became like thorns because of the children of Israel”.[5]

The Hebrew word “Va’y’kutzu” appears once more in the Torah in the context of anti-semitism. When the Jews were enslaved in Egypt the Torah tells us of the attitude the Egyptian people had toward the Jews. Once again the Torah uses the word “Va’y’kutzu”, which means (“disgusted” or) “they became like thorns”:

and they [the Egyptians] were like thorns because of the children of Israel.[6]

What does it mean that the Egyptians, and then the Moabites, felt like thorns?

To feel like a thorn is to feel inadequate. To feel like a thorn is secondary to the primary product of the earth - the plants that require cultivation.

Let’s say a person who is exceptionally kind moves into a neighborhood. People will respond in various ways. People who don't appreciate the kindness will not be affected. The people who appreciate and value kindness, the people who always aspired to being kind will be stirred. Some of them will be inspired to grow, to improve, to emulate the kindness of the newcomer. For them the arrival of the newcomer is an inspiration to work toward the goals and values that they always held dear but never invested the effort to achieve. Others, however, have no interest to improve, no desire to change. To them the newcomer serves as a reminder of their shortcoming. To them the newcomer is a source of feelings of inadequacy. Instead of being inspired by the newcomer, the feelings of inadequacy cause them to hate the newcomer. Not because they don't understand the gift the newcomer possesses. On the contrary, precisely because they value the gift of the newcomer, precisely because they wish they possessed that gift without having to sacrifice for it, precisely because they value it, is why they hate the possessor of the gift.

In this case, the hate, which is the result of jealousy, is a sign of appreciation. One can only be jealous of someone who possesses something one values.

Sometimes, your greatest hater, the one who is the most jealous of you, is also your greatest admirer.

The same is true about the people of Israel. The People of Israel were chosen for the task of carrying the message of morality to the nations of the world. The Jews were tasked with being the “newcomer” who comes to town preaching the values of goodness and kindness. Some nations ignored us, they were unmoved by the message. Some were inspired by our call. Others felt like thorns in the midst of a vineyard. They felt that in comparison to the people of Israel, their lifestyle was devoid of higher meaning. Refusing to work to heed the message carried by the Jews, they turn to hate the messenger. Not because they don’t value the message. On the contrary, the more they value the message, the more inadequate they feel, the more they hate. The deeper they admire the message, the more powerful the hate.

This understanding of anti-semitism, that hate stems from jealousy which is a result of admiration, leads to great optimism. For it teaches that deep within the hearts of our adversaries lies an admiration for us. It helps us understand that even our greatest detractors have the potential to be transformed.

They too, like Bilam, will eventually take the message to heart. They too will eventually declare the praises of the messenger. 

^[1] Midrash, Sifri, Devarim 357:10. 

^[2] Numbers 24:16.

^[3] Ibid. 24:4.

^[4] Ibid. 22:3.

^[5] See Kli Yakar on 22:3.

^[6] Exodus 1:12.