Micha and his connection to Parshat Balak |
The Haftara for Parsha Balak is from
Micha 5:6-6:8. In the first verse of the Book of
Micha (the sixth book of Trei Asar) we learn that Micha was a prophet during
the reigns of Yotam, Achaz and Hezkia (kings of Yehuda) and that he prophesied
to both the Northern and Southern Kingdoms. The Talmud, Psachim 87a teaches us
that Micha, Hoshea, Yishayahu and Amos prophesied during the same time period.
They were all prophets at the time of the same kings and their prophecies consisted
of both strong rebuke and comfort and hope. Micha’s prophecies were given circa
740 BCE, shortly before the Assyrians exiled the ten tribes of the Northern
Kingdom of Israel in 722 BCE. Rabbi Menachem Leibtag points out
that by the time of Yotam and Achaz, both Micha and Yishayahu realized that the
people were not worthy of the prosperity that God gave them. Their prophecies focus
on social injustice, corruption and dishonesty. The first section of the Haftara
from Chapter 5 brings a message of comfort. In the future, at the time of the
Mashiach, the Jews who will be scattered around the world will place their hope
in God, who has the keys to the salvation, just as He holds the keys to the dew
and rain. The Jews will be like he lion of the forest, nobody will stand up to
them. No more wars will be fought. There will be no horses, chariots or walled
cities nor fortune tellers. In Chapter 6 we are back to the
rebuke. Micha calls to the mountains and hills on God’s behalf and instructs
them to listen to a suit between God and Israel. He reminds them how God acted
kindly to them and how they were ungrateful. He admonishes them for not
following the Torah. The people during the time of Micha
were corrupt. However, they thought that God was with them as long as they
continued to go to the Beit HaMikdash to offer sacrifices. A few chapters before our Haftara,
in Micha 3:9-11, we read about how the leadership at the time of Micha was
unethical. They detested justice and made crooked all that was straight. Judges
were bribed. Zion was built with crime and iniquity. The punishment is laid out
in Micha 3:12, “Zion would be plowed as a field and Jerusalem would become
heaps of ruins and the Temple Mount a shrine in the woods.” Rabbi Leibtag explains that the
people became affluent and haughty. It is this hypocrisy that so angers God
that he decides the Beit HaMikdash must be destroyed. The main connection between Parshat
Balak and the Haftara (aside from Micha 5:11 which talks about destroying
sorcery) is in Micha 6:5, “My nation, remember what Balak, the King of Moav
conspired and what Bilam ben Beor answered him, from Shitim to Gilgal.” Why is Micha bringing up the story
of Balak and Bilam hundreds of years after it took place? Ibn Ezra explains that this incident
teaches us God’s mercy. God did not allow Bilam to curse them. God gave Bilam
prophecy to ensure that he would bless them. When B’nei Yisrael were about to
go into the land they sinned at Ba’al Peor. God could have killed them all off,
but He didn’t. Twenty-four thousand people died in the plague and then God had
mercy on the rest and allowed them to enter the Land of Israel. According to Malbim, B’nei Yisrael
thought that they would need to bring sacrifices or even sacrifice their own
children in order to do Tshuva after sinning which was caused by Bilam’s
advice. God said that He does not need their sacrifices. God is not giving them difficult
assignments, He just wants them to do justice,
righteousness, kindness and observe the mitzvot. The concept of sacrificing animals
and even their own children to atone for their sins (Micha 6:7) comes from the
pagan culture of idolatry. God sees little value in animal sacrifices and no
value in human sacrifice. We see this clearly in Parshat Balak.
Balak slaughtered cattle (Bamidbar 22:40) and took Bilam to Bamot Ba’al
(22:41). Bilam asked Balak to build seven altars, prepare seven rams and seven
bulls (23:1). Balak did as Bilam requested. They sacrificed as burnt offerings
an ox and a ram on each alter (23:2). Balak thought that if he would
appease God with sacrifices then God would let them curse B’nai Yisrael. After
trying this three times, it was clear that his plan did not work. Bilam had to
admit that God will only let him say what He allows him to say. Balak and Bilam thought that they
could convince God by bringing sacrifices at a high place. That did not work.
If we want to have God on our side, we need to change our behavior, not just
pray and bring sacrifices. When Bilam saw that the only way
that the Jewish people will be cursed by God is if they don’t follow His laws,
especially in the area of immorality, he set a trap for B’nai Yisrael to sin
with the daughters of Moav and Midian. We see that Bilam was behind this in
Bamidbar 35:15-16, Rashi, Bamidbar 25:1 and in Perek Chelek (Chapter 11,
Sanhedrin 106a). In Pirkei Avot 5:19, contrasted to
Avraham, Bilam is called a “rasha”, wicked, and that is how he is looked upon
until today. At the end of our Haftara (Micha
6:7-8), Micha makes it clear that God sees little value in sacrifices and
prayers. How do we walk in His ways? We need
to “do justice, love goodness and walk modestly with God.” |