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Thought for the Day: Passion Brings Focus; Love Brings Joy, Hate Brings Frustration

Imagine you are walking on the sidewalk. Maybe to shul, maybe just out for a stroll. Suddenly you feel something hit you, not big, but annoying. You hear a squeaky voice shouting, "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!" That's irritating. You look up and immediately find the source; a squirrel in the tree next to you, taking aim with another nut, and continuing his chant.

What is your response? If your response is to engage him with logical arguments about how despicable that chant is and that it is based on lies and to want to punish and silence that squirrel; then I have nothing to say to you. If, on the other hand, your response is wide-eyed shock/amazement that a squirrel is talking; I'm with you.

Bilaam, though -- a prophet at the level of Moshe Rabeinu -- had the first reaction when his donkey started talking with him. What was he thinking? Bilaam was well respected/feared. Yet in this instance, he is just getting frustrated and acting like a complete lunatic... all because of his donkey pushing his foot against the wall three times and refusing to go further. What's up?

The donkey begins by asking Bilaam why he has hit her these three רגלים/times. Rashi notes that the HaShem has the donkey use the unusual term "רגלים" (instead of the more usual "פעמים") to hint a rebuke to Bilaam: You are trying to uproot a nation that goes three רגלים/times a year to celebrate each year?!

R' Biderman explains why that particular rebuke was chosen. After all, Klal Yisrael performs many mitzvos -- including the daily acceptance of the yoke of heaven in kriyas shema and binding our minds and bodies to service of HaShem with t'fillin. The mishna in Avos tells us 10 miracles that happened in Yerushalyim. One, during the רגלים, the crowds were so thick that one could pick up his feet and not fall -- shoulder to shoulder like sardines; and yet when it was time for the private confession, each person had a clear four amos of space. Another miracle was that no one ever complained that there wasn't enough room.

Hang on -- there clearly-- was not enough room. The miracle was that no one complained. Literally millions of Jews over hundreds of years making the journey from home to Yerushalayim three times a year -- and not one complaint! That's HUGE! Why not? Because we love doing mitzvos, and Klal Yisrael loves being close to HaShem. We are in love. When you are in love, you can sleep on the edge of a sword.

Passion brings focus. Klal Yisrael is so in love with HaShem that all we can focus on is being close to Him. Nothing bothers us. Bilaam's hatred of Klal Yisrael was so intense that he could argue with a donkey who is stopping him from achieving his purpose. Even stubbing a toe along the way is intolerable.
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