Talking Huskies, Talking Donkeys
Shabbat Shalom - Balak Numbers 22:2-25:9 - 7-19-24
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you probably know about talking huskies! But have you heard about talking donkeys? This week’s Torah portion, Bilak Numbers 22:2-25:9, introduces us to a creature that surely would have become a garnered a million fans on TikTok--Bilam and his donkey.
Long story short, the Moabites are a tribe in the desert. And they’re growing increasingly concerned about their new neighbors—the Israelites—who turn out to be vast in number and kind of scary. And so, the Moabites hire a man named Bilaam, to head over to the Israelite encampment and curse them.
It was a thing in those days.
Bilam agrees, but that night, he receives a message from God, telling him not to go. In fact, he receives several messages from God telling him not to go, but still he ignores it. Instead, he jumps on the biblical times version of a corvette—a donkey—and makes his way towards the Israelite encampment. He’s halfway through the mountain, when lo and behold, an angel appears in the middle of the road.
Now, only the donkey can see this angel—so he stops. And Bilam, angry that his donkey is being stubborn, begins to strike the animal. He strikes him over and over again, until finally, the donkey begins speaking. He explains to Bilam that he is hurt, and about the angel, and then, the donkey says something interesting. He says, “We’ve been together for years. We’ve traveled so many times. Have you ever known me to stop before?!”
A lot of commentators get caught on the fact that the donkey is speaking. It’s clearly a miracle, they reason. Or, they talk about how the text itself does not use the Hebrew word for speak, and that really, the donkey only cried out upon being hit. But for me, mother of talking huskies, I think there’s a much lovelier sentiment here about the relationship between humans and animals. Animals don’t use words to communicate us, but they communicate all the same.
We know when they’re sad or stressed. We know what it means when we’re eating dinner and they rest their cute head upon our kneecap, eyeballs gazing up. We see their excitement upon pulling out their leash, and their love when they snuggle up next to you over the covers.
And perhaps that’s the beautiful message deep down beneath the story or Bilam and his donkey. Animals do communicate with us. All the time. In their unique and beautiful ways. These special little creatures who sometimes embody the voice of Heaven.
All we have to do is listen.
Shabbat Shalom.
PS. To celebrate this portion, I would love to see a photo of your pets!!!