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Why did Bilaam offer to bless the Jewish people instead of cursing them? The shiur reveals that Bilaam understood a profound truth: excessive blessings often become a person's greatest downfall. Abundance of talents, wealth, and abilities can be harder to handle than adversity.
The shiur analyzes Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation of the dialogue between Bilaam and Hashem (ה׳) in Parshas Balak. When Hashem told Bilaam not to go with Balak's messengers and not to curse the Jewish people, Rashi explains that Bilaam responded by offering to bless them instead. This raises a puzzling question: why would Bilaam, who clearly harbored ill intent toward the Jews, suddenly want to give them blessings? Rabbi Zweig explains that Bilaam's motivation never changed - only his tactics shifted. Bilaam understood a fundamental truth about human nature: blessings can be more destructive than curses. When a person receives excessive blessings - whether in the form of wealth, intelligence, talents, or abilities - these very gifts often become the source of their downfall. Unlike curses, which people recognize as threats and guard against, blessings lull people into complacency and can lead to spiritual and moral decline.
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Parshas Balak
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