“If Balak will give me his house full of silver and gold I will not be able to transgress Hashem’s Word”
(Bamidbar 22:18)
The Alter of Kelm asks: “What’s the difference between Bilaam and l’havdil the Avos? After all Bilaam also said ‘I will not be able to transgress Hashem’s Word ’ seemingly an elevated spiritual level.”
He answers: “Bilaam said ‘I won’t be able to transgress Hashem’s Word.’ He wouldn’t be able to do anything against Hashem; nonetheless he didn’t forgo his desire to do so and tried tactics to ‘convince’ Hashem to allow him to do his will. And in the end Hashem did agree to his will and allowed him to go with Balak’s ministers. ‘In the way that a person wants to go – he is led.’
But the level of the Avos was different. They nullified their will before His Will. They had no desire of their own only to do their Creator’s Will. (Rav Yaakov Neiman Darchei Mussar)
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