He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Israel. Hashem his G-d is with him, and the friendship of the King is in him.
Be’er Mayim Chaim: The pasuk would be more reassuring if there actually had been no iniquity in Yaakov! But there was. And we are warned against believing that HKBH casually disregards sin. What, then, did Bilaam mean? Teshuvah is the usual antidote to sin, not Hashem’s refusal to perceive it. The pasuk does not seem to be dealing with teshuvah in any shape or form. So what was it that Hashem was not looking at?
Here is what may be going on: We observe at times that Hashem is overly generous with a person, even though he does not really deserve such treatment. His relationship with HKBH is not sufficiently close to merit such beneficence. Yet, he receives it because Hashem looks to the future. There, he sees a person who has grown to a point that he does deserve the perks. He treats him at one moment of time according to what he will accomplish in the future.
We enjoyed this principle as a people. Leaving Egypt, it was difficult if not impossible to make the case for the miraculous and loving treatment of the Bnei Yisrael. G-d looked at them not for what they were at that moment, but what they would be as they stood around Har Sinai, eagerly waiting to receive the Torah.
At times, Hashem’s hanhagah towards a person looks beyond anything he will do in his lifetime, but is predicated upon the birth of some righteous soul generations in the future. This too was shown to us in early history. Lot and his daughters were saved because of the Dovid Ha-Melech who would descend from them hundreds of years later.
Interestingly, this phenomenon only works in one direction. A person’s future misdeeds – or evil descendants – do not factor in the way he is treated at the moment. Again, this was demonstrated in antiquity. As the young, half-dead Yishmael cried out for help, the angels urged Hashem not to save him, pointing to the horrors that his descendants would inflict upon the Jews of the future. He rejected their arguments. “What is he at this hour? Righteous or guilty?” Hashem did not consider Yishmael’s future evil, nor that of his progeny.
Balak did not understand any of this. Neither did his contemporaries. They rejected the idea that G-d had anything to do with the Exodus. Why would G-d intervene on behalf of a people who facially seemed no different, no more righteous than the Egyptians? It might have occurred to them that a merciful G-d would take into account future accomplishments, but they reasoned that He would similarly take into account future misdeeds! Balak and company therefore discounted Divine intervention on behalf of the Bnei Yisrael. “Behold, a nation has come out of Egypt – as if they simply found a way out on their own. They left – through natural means, or through black magic – but they certainly were not taken out by a Divine Hand. Therefore, they reasoned, the Bnei Yisrael should be vulnerable to attack.
Bilaam, their hired gun disagreed. “He perceived no iniquity in Yaakov, and saw no perversity in Israel.” There was iniquity to be seen, both at present and in the future – but Hashem did not pay any attention to it. “Hashem his G-d is with him.” This means that He most definitely peers intently into the future in regard to merit. He sees when someone or one of his descendants will relate to Him properly as his G-d. Hashem treats this future accomplishment as if it were already “with him” even though it hasn’t happened yet in real time, and favors him accordingly.
Hashem, it turns out, sees exactly what He wants to see.
Based on Be’er Mayim Chaim, Bamidbar 23:21
Bilaam said to Balak... “Am I empowered to say anything? Whatever words G-d puts into my mouth, that shall I speak.” (22:38)
Many commentators struggle to understand; what exactly was Bilaam thinking? He knew that Hashem loved and protected the Jewish people and he knew that no matter how much money he would be paid, he could not influence any change against the will of Hashem. Indeed, he knew, that Hashem knew, that he knew, that Hashem knew, what he was thinking and would not allow him to succeed in his quest to harm the Jewish people! So again, what was he thinking, and what did he hope to accomplish?
R’ Tzadok Hakohen zt”l explains that all Jews have a special connection to the Torah, which is rooted in their collective souls. As Chazal tell us (Sanhedrin 104b): “Every (member of) Israel has a portion in the World to Come.” The strength behind this unique bond is the great love that Hashem has for us, His Chosen Nation, and even if we sin, Hashem will never sever our unbreakable bond.
Bilaam, on the other hand, had no connection to Torah, to purity, to sanctity. He does not have any portion in the next world, despite the fact that he was on par with none other than Moshe Rabbeinu with respect to his level of prophecy. The Zohar teaches that Bilaam wished to insert an ayin hara - an evil eye - into this pure and untainted root (שורש) of the Jewish people, for he hoped that by doing so, he will be able to bring about an eventual collapse of Jewish values. Even if he could not destroy them immediately, even if it would take many years before they would fall under the spell of sin and iniquity, he recognized that all he needed to do right now was to make a small blemish, a hairline fracture in the foundation of kedusha and purity of the Jewish psyche. However, Hashem saw this coming too, and not only did He not allow Bilaam to weaken His people, He strengthened this bond, this connection to Bnei Yisroel, so that later on, even when they will sin, He will remain totally committed to them. He will never forsake us.
