Based on the verse “The name of the wicked shall rot” (Proverbs 10:7), the Talmud rules that one should not name a child after a wicked person, so that their name will rot and be forgotten.
This raises a question: Why then is a Torah portion named after a wicked man and hater of the Jewish people—Balak—about whom the Sages said that he hated Israel more than all others?
An additional question can be asked: How does the name “Balak” connect to the content of the Torah portion? The majority of the parsha deals with Balaam’s prophecies and the lofty blessings he bestowed upon the Jewish people (including prophecies about the End of Days).
What connection is there between this content and Balak, whose role in the story was relatively minor—limited to summoning Balaam?
To Emphasize Worthlessness
This can be explained based on a halachic principle: “Any name of an idolatry mentioned in the Torah may be spoken,” even though it is normally forbidden to utter the name of an idol. The reason is that the prohibition on mentioning the name of an idol is to negate its significance, but when the Torah mentions such names, the purpose is to nullify their importance and value.
When the Torah mentions names of idols, it is to demonstrate that idols are nothing, emptiness, and utterly powerless. The Torah stories show that idols do not help people and that their worship often leads to harsh punishment.
Therefore, these mentions don’t give the idols any status, but rather highlight their falsehood and worthlessness.
Added Disgrace
In a similar manner, we can understand why our Torah portion is named Balak: when the Torah tells the story of Balak, its intention is to reveal how his evil plan to curse the Children of Israel was thwarted.
This does not contradict the principle that “the name of the wicked shall rot”—on the contrary, it adds to the disgrace and decay of his name.
When Jews refer to the parsha as “Balak,” they mean Balak as the Torah portrays him: a name that stands not in honor of Balak, but as a remembrance of his disgrace.
This is similar to how the Torah commands us to remember Amalek (“Remember what Amalek did to you”), which does not contradict the command to “erase the memory of Amalek,” because the purpose of the remembrance is, in fact, to erase.
Added Blessing
On a deeper level: In Balak’s story we see that not only did his evil plan fail, but it actually resulted in a greater blessing for the Jewish people—through his scheme to summon Balaam, Israel received the loftiest blessings.
Thus, the name “Balak” comes to symbolize how even the hatred and wickedness of enemies of Israel ultimately leads to elevation, help, and added strength for the Jewish people.
This is also one of the explanations as to why Balaam’s prophecy is among the only ones in the Chumash that openly speaks of the End of Days. One of the main features of the Messianic era is that the nations of the world will be refined to the point that they will use their power to assist the Jewish people. This is expressed in the name “Balak,” who forced Balaam to use his power and strength to bless the Jewish people.
(from the teachings of the Rebbe, Likkutei Sichot, vol. 23, translated from Sichot HaShevua)
