Bad Choice-Bilaam

We are introduced to the evil Bilaam, by being told that the nations of the world complained to Hashem. They claimed that if they would have been given a great prophet like Moshe Rabbeinu, they might have accepted the Torah as well.

Therefore, they were given Bilaam, who was a great prophet in his own right. The question still remains that they could still have protested and said that they were given a רשע, evil person, who was not on Moshe’s level.

The answer to this is that they also could have chosen Moshe Rabbeinu. He was available to all who reached out to him. But the truth was that they were satisfied with the choice of Bilaam, and stuck with him, with all of his flaws.

Rabbi Twerski saw this as a hint to what we are witnessing today among our youth. They go to far off lands seeking the meaning of life. They often gravitate to Oriental religions as a substitute to Judaism. He asked whether these Oriental religions ever produced anyone as great as the Vilna Gaon, Baal Shem Tov, or Chafetz Chaim.

How tragic it is that these young people travel so far to seek treasures, when there is a gold mine right here at home!