This week’s Torah portion, Balak, opens with the escalating fears of the Moabite nation as they observe Israel’s military victories over the Amorite kings: "And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. And Moab was terrified... He sent messengers to Balaam... saying, 'Behold, a people has come out of Egypt... Come now, therefore, I pray you, curse this people for me... for I know that he whom you bless is blessed...'" (Numbers 22).
God commands Balaam not to curse them. Eventually, Balaam does meet Balak, who brings him to see "the edge part of the people," so he shall curse them anyway.
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I would like to draw a comparison between our Torah portion and the story of Jethro (mainly Exodus 18), where another non-Israelite reacts to historic events unfolding before him. Beyond the immediate shift from Jethro's "hearing" to Balak's "seeing," many narrative motifs repeat across the two portions.
Both non-Israelites react to the triumphs of the Jewish people and the Exodus. Just as Jethro arrives with two sons, Balaam arrives with two youths. Echoing the phrase "And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law," we read regarding Balak, "And he went out to meet him." Even background characters named Zipporah (Moses' wife) and Zippor (Balak's father) highlight the intentional resemblance.
In both stories, sacrifices are offered, and local dignitaries participate. Most significantly, both narratives raise the divine blessing upon Israel. Jethro declares, "Blessed be the Lord who has delivered you," while Balak notes, "He whom you bless is blessed," and God tells Balaam, "They are blessed."
These statements echo God’s ancient promise to Abraham: "I will bless them that bless you, and him that curses you will I curse" (Genesis 12:3). The Zohar contrasts the two figures: Jethro sought pure connection with Israel, whereas Balak sought connection through idolatry and dark sorcery.
Moses implores Jethro: "Leave us not... and thou shalt be to us instead of eyes," while instead of Moses’s request for genuine partnership, Balak attempts to bribe Balaam with wealth and superficial honor.
Instead of Jethro’s profound insight, Balak demands that Balaam immediately gaze upon the camp with an evil eye: "He saw from there the utmost part of the people," but Balaam recognizes the camp's unique nature - "How goodly are your tents, O Jacob" - and despite coming to curse, he is forced to bless.
Superficial sight vs. creative hearing
What is the fundamental difference between them? Balak only sees a massive, threatening multitude: "They are dwelling opposite me." His vision is strictly superficial and territorial, evoking irrational anxiety. He ignores the overarching trajectory of Israel's mission: returning to the Promised Land to establish an exemplary society.
Israel did not seek conquest for its own sake; they fought the Amorites only after Sihon refused peaceful passage, having already deliberately bypassed Moab in obedience to God's command. Had Balak attuned himself to these geopolitical movements, this embarrassing episode would have been avoided.
In stark contrast, Jethro’s hearing was a "creative hearing." He processed the information and drew existential conclusions. Balak saw a military threat from a bird’s-eye view; Jethro understood that behind the Exodus lay a hidden, divine hand orchestrating a global paradigm shift of freedom.
Accordingly, Jethro’s sacrifices arrive only after thoroughly internalizing this changing future. His offering expresses deep unity and desire for collaboration. Israeli dignitaries eat with Jethro "before God". He joins the journey, constructively advising Moses to appoint judges to lead a free nation and a society of justice.
Conversely, for Balak and Balaam, sacrifices are a "bribe" attempting to alter God's will. They weaponize the sacrificial act and the religious practice. When Balaam attempts to curse, God flips his words into blessings of immense potential: "As valleys stretched out, as gardens by the river-side" (Numbers 24:6).
In a perfect reversal, Balaam departs by advising Balak on Moab's downfall. Using “advise” (iy’atzecha) - the exact same rare word as Jethro when he advised the appointment of judges - Balaam saw: "I will advise you what this people shall do to your people in the end of days..." ultimately, the decree "him that curses you will I curse" fell upon Balak. Unlike Jethro's descendants, Moab's descendants are forever barred from Israel's assembly.
Universal lessons
Six Torah portions are named after figures: Noah, Chayei Sarah, Jethro, Korach, Balak and Pinchas. Three are named after figures from the broader world. Parashat Jethro is the ultimate story of a foreigner joining Israel out of a deep internalization of Israel's positive global role. Moses’s plea for Jethro to be "for us a set of eyes" is a profound call for true partnership to bring the Torah's blessing to the world.
Parashat Balak represents pure resistance from someone viewing Israel solely as a physical threat. Anyone adopting the perspective of Israel's haters, viewing its modern military, scientific and economic successes with a negative, jealous eye, sees superficially through a distorted, even anti-semitic, filter. Yet, we will prove we possess the strength to realize God’s blessing: "In you shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
This blessing demands much of us. Both Jethro and Balak offered sacrifices to connect to the spiritual realm, but the prophet Micah, in this week's Haftarah, emphasizes that true service is walking in the Torah's moral paths: "O My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him… Shall I come before Him with burnt-offerings…? What the Lord doth require of thee: only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah 6:5-8)