The Midrash is often referred to adding spice to the Torah through its colorful additions to the unwritten storyline. Albeit that this weeks parshah is action packed, the Midrash doesn’t fail us in filling background and supportive details to the narrative of the parshah. Bilaam is the focal point of the episode and his ethics, morality and the nature of his very character are of a questionable nature.
The Midrash takes it one step further, and reveals many skeletons that were hidden in Bilaam’s closet. Mudslinging of this sort is usually only reserved for politics in WashingtonD.C. The Midrash states that Bilaam of all things was a Cyclops of sorts, with only one eye. Not only does the Midrash rip apart his character and immorality, it also seemingly is poking fun at his physical appearance as well.
Rav Tzadok HaCohen picks up on this line in the Midrash and questions the necessity of its being recorded in our holy writings. If it is to be taken literally that he had only one eye, what is the point of mentioning a birth defect of this sort. And if it was an exaggeration to force Bilaam one more rung lower on the totem pole, do we really achieve anything with wild claims.
The Mishna in Ethics of Our Fathers (5:22), states: Whoever has the following three traits is among the disciples of our forefather Abraham; and whoever has three different traits is among the disciples of Bilaam the Wicked. Those who have a good eye, a humble spirit, and a meek soul are among the disciples of our forefather Abraham. Those who have a bad eye, an arrogant spirit, and a greedy soul are among the disciples of Bilaam the Wicked…. The disciples of Avraham are distinguished by their “good eye” and the disciples of Bilaam are distinguished by their “bad eye” or “deficient eye”.
Avraham, known as the founder of monotheism, arrived at that conclusion, not through a divine revelation, but through insight and honest philosophical debate. As the Midrash relates, he saw a world with so many wonders, it wasn’t plausible that it was coincidence or the work of inanimate idols that themselves were man-made. Rather, the world must be the handiwork of a supreme being, G-d. With this realization Avraham pursued understanding who is G-d, and what does G-d what from him.
Bilaam on the other hand lived for the moment, seizure diem, he was into bestiality and money hungry. The Midrash relates that when Bilaam’s donkey finally spoke up after being beaten, he revealed a secret of Bilaam’s, they were more than partners on the road, but at night as well. Whatever brought instant gratification was king in Bilaam’s world. Despite G-d’s repeated insistence that he not travel to Balak to curse the Jewish people, Bilaam so crazed by the thought of the waiting treasure troves couldn’t resist its temptation and was willing to risk it all and let the dice roll one last time on the craps table of life.
To this the Midrash attributed to him the status of having one eye, even though he physically had two eyes. A person with only one eye can not perceive depth. Bilaam lived in a flat and superficial world without depth and hidden meaning. This so clearly dictated his moral and ethical barometer. Thus, the Mishna so aptly sums up the evil character traits of Bilaam or his disciples as having a “bad eye”, an eye of superficiality and a thereby a very narrow world
