| D'var Torah – Parashat Balak: The Battle Between Intellect and Will “HaShem came to Bilam and said, ‘Who are these men with you?’” (Bamidbar 22:9)
Bilam, the infamous sorcerer and spiritual adversary of Klal Yisrael, knowingly set out to curse the Jewish people—despite HaShem’s explicit command not to do so. This raises a critical question: How could someone as intelligent and spiritually attuned as Bilam directly defy HaShem’s word?
When HaShem asked Bilam, “Who are these men with you?” He was not seeking information—HaShem knows all. Rather, He was prompting Bilam to reflect on his actions. But Bilam, in his arrogance, misinterpreted the question. He thought to himself: “Perhaps there are things that HaShem doesn’t know. Maybe I can hide my intentions and succeed in using my magic against Klal Yisrael.”
This was not a failure of intelligence—it was a failure to strengthen intellect over will. Bilam allowed his corrupt desires to overpower his clarity of mind. And so, as the Saba of Kelm teaches, since he did not use his intelligence to restrain his will, his intelligence was diminished. He descended from wisdom to foolishness, and from insight to delusion. Ultimately, HaShem overturned his plans and forced him, against his own will, to bless Klal Yisrael instead.
Human behavior is driven by two inner forces: the intellect and the will. The will, untrained and unrestrained, has no moral compass. It simply desires. But the intellect—when strengthened—can guide the will, refine it, and direct a person to live uprightly. If, however, the will is allowed to dominate, it will drag the intellect down with it, corrupting clarity with self-serving justifications.
Picture the scene: Bilam hears HaShem’s question—“Who are these men with you?”—and smirks, thinking he can outwit the Divine. This tragic self-deception came from a failure to master his will with intellect.
Today: Let this be our lesson: Train the mind to govern the will. Strengthen your inner clarity. Don’t let passing desires make fools of us. When the intellect rules, HaShem grants wisdom, guidance, and protection from error. May we merit to walk the upright path, led by clarity, integrity, and deep trust in HaShem’s perfect knowledge. Based on the teachings of the Saba Kadisha of Kelm, Rav Simcha Zissel Ziv.
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