Truth and Falsehood

Balak, the king of Moav, sent emissaries to Bilam, asking him to curse Yisrael.  Bilam was on such a level that he could speak directly to Hashem.  Although his plots eventually failed, he was able to cause great destruction to Yisrael.

Bilam was such a charlatan that he could merge truth and falsehood to such an extent that it appeared as if he was doing a mitzva (1).  Perhaps he himself did not recognize his own folly. It often happens that a person claims something so strongly, that he himself comes to believe it.

See Chidushei Rav Yechiel Michel Feinstein on the parsha, pp. 54-55.  The test: Are we acting for Hashem, or for ourselves?

The Mishnah (2) says, “Do His will as if it were yours, so that He will do your will as if it were His.”  But that looks like it’s sh’lo lishma!

It looks like you can sway Hashem to your goals.

Here’s where the test comes in.  Is the bottom line what you want, or what Hashem wants?  Yes, there’s reward; but that shouldn’t be all that we’re looking for.  So Rebbenu Yona explains the Mishnah: “Do His will as if it were your own will — with all the energy and desire you would put into your own affairs.  In the end, you will benefit.”

Tefila

Ramban and Maharal write that everything needs tefila.  People aren’t even aware of the constant miracles about us.  There have to be tzadikim davening for us.

The Gemara says that the story of Balak was, in fact, miraculous (Brochos 7a).  Normally Hashem is angry at a certain time, but did not become angry during the days of Bilam.

Klal Yisrael didn’t even know what Bilam and Balak were doing. It didn’t need Moshe’s intervention!

Yet, there are tzadikim who are always davening for klal Yisrael.  On the merit of their tefilos, Klal Yisrael survived.

Swaying Hashem

Bilam was able to sway Hashem to an extent.  He received permission to go with the agents, even though originally he was told not to go.  The korbanos that Balak brought gave merit to Balak, and Bilam was able to cause death to many Jews.

Mitzvos Sh’lo Lishma; Aveiros Lishma

Balak is the Gemara’s example of receiving credit for a mitzva that’s not l’sheim shomayim: Due to the Korbanos that Balak brought, he merited that Rus would be among his descendants.

Rav Dovid Soloveichik explained that a mitzva sh’lo lishma involves the body of the actual mitzva, so credit is given.

And if an aveira is done for an entirely pure purpose, the intention may turn it into a mitzva; but there’s no credit for an aveira that’s partly l’sheim shomayim (3).  (Mei Da’as and Meori Hamoadim.)

The story of Korach, for example, actually started l’sheim shomayim, but because he was carrying out an aveira, his partially valid intention (4) was of no benefit. (Sefer Mei Da’as)

Nonetheless, we see that Moshe had to daven that their ketores not be accepted.  There was some mitzva involved.  Perhaps, as the seforim write, this is due to Moshe having commanded them to bring ketores.

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1.Sheim Mishmuel

2.Perki Avos, 2:4; See Rebbenu Yona.

3.The Gemara says that an aveira that’s completely l’sheim shomayim is accredited as a mitzva, such as Yael bringing the Canaanite general Sisra into her house in order to bring his army to total defeat. (Horiyos 10b)

4.Rav Yerucham Levovitz writes that everything that Korach said was true! (Da’as Torah, parshas Korach)