In Memory of Shmuel Leib ben Zvi (Lewis Berkin) & Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirimiyahu (Barry Pessin) Chukas/Balak 5783

R'Elimelech Biderman relates that inn this week's parasha it states (Bamidbar16:32) ,"The earth beneath them opened its mouth and swallowed them…" It isn't written explicitly that it was Hashem Who opened the earth's mouth. Whereas, for Bilaam's talking donkey it states "Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey." To explain the difference, we repeat a mashal from early scholars: Gold asked copper, "Why is it that when the smith hits you with a hammer, there's a very loud noise, which can be heard from the distance, but when the smith hammers on me, no sound is heard?"

Copper replied, "The hammer that hits me is my brother because the hammer is made from copper, just like me. The pain is far greater when a brother hits than when a stranger hits. But you are gold, and the smith doesn't hit you with a gold hammer. It isn't your brother, so the sound isn't as loud. We can similarly say that when Bilaam came to curse the Jewish nation, he came as a non-Jew striking a Jew. It wasn't a brother hitting, so the mouth wouldn't open unless Hashem opened it. However, when Korach and his community caused machlokes in the Jewish nation, it was a machlokes between brothers. The pain was so severe. And therefore, the earth's mouth opened up on its own.

Sometimes we are quick to use words and harsh language when we speak to our spouses, children or parents. The kind of language that we would never dream of using with strangers on the street. We must remember that the closer we are to someone the more painful our words can be.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath