Free Will and Divine Assistance: The Principle of Bilaam

Full Summary

Rabbi Zweig analyzes the enigmatic story of Bilaam from Parshas Balak to reveal a fundamental principle of Jewish thought that most people live opposite to. The principle, derived from the Talmud (תלמוד), states that 'in the path a person wants to go, God leads him along' (B'derech she'adam rotzeh leilech, molichin oto). This means that God not only permits us to make our choices but actively assists us in pursuing them, even when they are wrong choices. When Bilaam initially sought to curse the Jewish people, God told him not to go. However, after persistent badgering, God eventually said 'go,' and when Bilaam later offered to turn back, the angel encouraged him to continue. This demonstrates that God gives us a comfort level in making even bad choices, not out of approval but to preserve our free will. The shiur explores why Bilaam, despite engaging in morally reprehensible behavior including bestiality, achieved prophetic levels. Rabbi Zweig explains that Bilaam connected to the aspect of God that grants humans independence and space to make their own choices. His prophecy came from tapping into God's daily moment of 'anger' - the divine frustration that results from empowering beings who can rebel against their Creator. This daily divine frustration represents the price God pays for giving humans free will, allowing us to achieve genuine accomplishments rather than being mere puppets. The principle has profound implications for how we measure success. Most people mistakenly view their success as proof they are doing the right thing, but success merely indicates that we want something badly enough. God assists us in achieving our goals regardless of their moral value because restricting our choices would undermine our free will. However, this principle has crucial limitations. While individuals can destroy themselves through poor choices, God prevents communities from destroying themselves or the world. This is illustrated through the examples of Noah's ark, the Exodus from Egypt, and Moses's death, where God intervened 'on that very day' to prevent communal destruction. The shiur addresses the frightening reality that we can be successful in immoral endeavors while feeling divinely supported. The only protection against this deception is to actively ask moral and halachic questions before making decisions, consulting with others, and genuinely seeking what is right rather than justifying what we want. Rabbi Zweig emphasizes that most people decide what they want to do first, then find ways to justify it, rather than starting with the question of what is morally correct. True spiritual growth requires using our God-given space and freedom to ultimately reconnect with our Creator, not to distance ourselves from Him. When we genuinely seek to do the right thing, God provides the same level of assistance He gives to those pursuing wrong paths, but channeled toward positive outcomes.