Angels, Swords and the Divine Image

Hebrew

Parashat Balak 2018
When was the last time you saw an angel? A real angel? In everyday language, I might say that the motorcyclist who stopped and helped me push my stalled car to the side of the road was an angel.

The angel in Parashat Balak was completely different. He did not help Balaam get his vehicle out of trouble. Rather, he came with a drawn sword to thwart Balaam’s progress. How did Balaam get to the point where an angel came to frustrate him? When Balak’s representatives come to his home the first time and ask that Balaam curse Israel, he greets them graciously, and requests time to consult with God. God gives a negative answer. In the morning Balaam informs them that he cannot accept the mission, and the delegation goes back to their king. The problems begin in the second round of negotiations, when Balak ups the ante, and we learn that the professional curse-monger has a price. Although there is no reason to think that God would have changed God’s mind, Balaam asks again. One can imagine Balaam’s inner negotiation: “Please let me go with them and I promise to use the money very well: I’ll buy apartments for my children, send my grandchildren to the best schools, and make a generous donation to the needy from the remainder.” God decides, if we may imagine such a thing, to give him a sense of freedom and take advantage of the situation for Israel’s benefit. The role of the angel is to ensure that Balaam fully understands the gravity of the matter.

In other words, the story with the donkey and the angel depicts Balaam’s tormented inner state. He knows what he should do, but the temptation is enormous. It’s hard for him to resist, despite having received divine guidance. I suspect the situation is familiar to most of us. Sometimes we know what would be the right thing to do but are still tempted to believe our own excuses and take a different path. The drawn sword is a warning intended to make clear that the divine guidance is not always pleasant and affable; it can be challenging and demand that we overcome our weaknesses.

King David receives a similar warning (1 Chronicles 21: 15-17) when he “looked up and saw the angel of the Eternal standing between heaven and earth, with a drawn sword in his hand directed against Jerusalem.” The vision illustrates to David and to the reader that God’s chosen king and city are not exempt from punishment. With election comes heavy responsibility.

Despite (or because of) the responsibility he has, Joshua’s situation is different. Not far from the place where Balaam blessed Israel, near Jericho but on this side of the Jordan, Joshua copes not with temptation but with the magnitude of the task before him and perhaps with doubts about his ability to lead the people. “He looked up and saw a man standing before him, drawn sword in hand.” With due caution, Joshua inquires: “Are you one of us or of our enemies?” The man answers, “I am captain of the Eternal’s host. Now I have come!... Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy” (Joshua 5: 13-15). The remainder of the message was not recorded or perhaps it was never spoken. Joshua already had the support he needed in order to continue his mission.

Armed angels are rare, there are only three in the entire Bible. In the rabbinic tradition some angels beat their swords into trumpets, herald’s trumpets, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi claims that angels walk before each person and proclaim: “Make room for the image of the Holy Blessed One.” Make room to respect the person in front of you.

I return to the opening question: “When was the last time you saw an angel?”

The moment God opened Balaam’s eyes, he understood his situation in a completely different way. Try to imagine everyday life if we opened our eyes to see the image of God standing before us in every inter-personal interaction, not only with people similar to us, when that’s relatively easy, but also with those who are different. Not yielding to them or agreeing with whatever they say or do, but rather carefully responding in a relevant and respectful manner. This is a personal, social, and even spiritual challenge that is as complex but as important as Joshua’s task to conquer the land. So if you haven’t seen an angel lately, try to imagine a few: heralds to go before the person facing you and one to challenge or support – as needed – so you can respond appropriate to the Divine Image in front of you. Every small success will create a moment of blessing. Together let us strive to create a situation in which a hostile foreigner who sees the camp of Israel is inspired to proclaim: “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling place, Israel” (Numbers 24:5).