Timeless Torah

The King of Moav was afraid, but why? It seems that the Israelites, having just triumphed over the giants Og and Sichon, were camping too close to his country for comfort.
The king’s solution? Hire the best sorcerer that money can buy.
Predictably, Bilaam accepted the job. Unpredictably, instead of utilizing his many servants, he himself saddled the donkey in preparation for the journey. Is there a reason why the master of the household had to carry out this most menial of tasks? Our Sages say it wasn’t greed alone that drove the wicked prophet. Rather, hatred of the Jews caused Bilaam to forego his usual dignity and violate his own honor.
Is this the first time in history that someone of stature had gotten up early and saddled their own beast of burden? Actually, centuries prior, Abraham, the first Jew, on his way to fulfill G-d’s command to sacrifice his son had already done no less.
Is there some moral equivalency between these two Biblical figures that compelled the Torah to compare their actions? They were both equally eager; one to wantonly destroy that which he hated, the other to obediently hand over that which he loved.
What are some of the things that you are excited about? That you don’t let others do for you, but try to be personally involved? For some, it is the charitable cause that they are involved in, or our activism on behalf of Eretz Yisroel. For others, it’s their weekly spot at the poker table having a beer with the guys.
Was Bilaam only interested in destroying others and collecting his paycheck? Were there no spiritual quests on his agenda? Without a doubt, any individual who spoke to G-d, angels and donkeys, understood that all creatures have a soul that outlives their temporal bodies. His desires surely took that into account.
That’s a sentimental thought, but can you prove that this prophet of doom was at all worried about that eternal soul of his? Actually it states in the Torah narrative that Bilaam petitioned on High that, “May my soul die the death of the upright, and may my end be like his.”
And in plain English, what does that mean? Bilaam prayed that when his life ended he should be admitted to the World to Come.
Obviously, this sorcerer fellow was concerned, but he forgot one very important thing. Do you know what it was? That eternal rewards don’t just happen, we create them.
How do we create them? By living an ethical life, and by facing up to our responsibilities to G-d above and man below.
But what exactly do you have to do in order to die as a righteous person? Simple. Live like one.
Is there a story that illustrates this point? Sure. Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach was recognized as one of the greatest scholars of our generation. His erudition was well matched by his amazing commitment to help others. When he passed away in Jerusalem, his funeral attracted the masses.
Can you guess how many people took out time from their busy schedules to attend? Over three hundred thousand! During the procession, a non-religious policeman was desperately trying to direct the never ending traffic.
At one point, he asked one of the participants, “Who in the world was this man?” The response, “He was a true tzaddik, a righteous man.”
Do you know what the officer replied? “Boy! If I knew my funeral would look like this I would drop dead right now!”
Can you figure out that which escaped Bilaam? To enter the next world smiling before G-d, you have to make G-d smile while you are still in this world.
Finally, is there a reason why this TIMELESS TORAH is written in a question and answer format? I think I’ll answer that one like a Jew? Why not?