Parashas Balak - We're just as powerful as Bilam is!

In this week's parasha, Balak went to Bilam and asked for a favor. Balak searched for someone wicked and skillful - skills which no other man possessed. What did Bilam have that others didn't? Speech and timing.

Bilam's curses were always accurate because he knew the precise timing for a curse to have an effect. In Tehillim it says, "Hashem is angered every day."[1] At that moment, if one were to curse someone else, Hashem would allow it to be effective.[2]

Why did Balak search for someone who was skilled with words? Why not use witchcraft against the Jews? Or gather a large army to wage war?

Balak told Bilam, “The reason why I chose you is because it seems that only words can harm the Jews. It seems that the only way to defeat them is by speech, therefore, I need you to curse them for me.” Unfortunately, we aren't aware of the power we Jews possess. Balak realized that our words are lethal.

It's one of the biggest weapons we have against anyone. We use our words to ask for forgiveness, to rebuke, to compliment, to daven, to learn, to express emotion, and (among other things) communicate.

Speech is what we use to get close to Hashem; we daven, learn, and ask for His help.

In reality, we also have the same power Bilam has. I've said this once before, and I feel it is worth mentioning again: The Chofetz Chaim speaks about how powerful one's words are. Speaking loshon hara can cause destruction in the world. [It arouses a demon named Sach'sucha who feeds off our loshon hara and uses our words to cause harm to others.] [3]

To raise the bars a little higher; The Chofetz Chaim mentions in his sefer that a person can learn Torah and daven all day – in which his speech forms white words rising up to the Kiseh HaKavod. However, one can easily transform those words into black hevel (dissipating words), which pull down the pure words, so that they never reach His kiseh - simply by using one's mouth to speak bad about others. [4]

It's time to realize the power Hashem entrusted us with. If Balak can realize the power of speech – it's time for us to take it seriously.

Have a wonderful shabbos,
Nisso

[1] Tehillim 7:12
[2] Brachos 7a (and Tosfos)
[3] Sefer Chofetz Chaim; hakdama
[4] Sefer Shmiras Halashon