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Why does the Torah (תורה) use 'vayikar' for God's communication with Bilaam, a term Rashi (רש"י) associates with tumah, when describing Divine appearance? The answer lies in how Bilaam achieved prophecy: unlike Jewish prophets who reached clarity through spiritual elevation, Bilaam required temporary nullification of his evil inclination—a state resembling spiritual death that created the tumah, while paradoxically enabling the highest prophetic clarity.
Rabbi Yeshaya Greenberg ZT"L begins by examining the distinction between 'vayikra' and 'vayikar' in Divine communication. When God appeared to Bilaam, the Torah (תורה) uses 'vayikar,' which Rashi (רש"י) explains indicates something that happened accidentally, degradingly, with difficulty and disgrace. This contrasts with 'vayikra' used for Moshe, which indicates an official calling. The Baal HaTurim notes that 'vayikra' is written with a small alef because Hashem (ה׳) wanted a big alef (showing honor), while Moshe's humility led him to prefer no alef at all (making it like Bilaam's 'vayikar'), so they compromised with a small alef. The Baal HaTurim raises a fundamental question: how can 'vayikar' be associated with tumah (spiritual impurity) when describing God's appearance to Bilaam? This seems to suggest God appeared in a state of impurity, which is impossible.
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Parshas Balak 23:4
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