By: Yisrael Yitzchak Rosenfeld
Parashat Chukat begins, as we have already learned, with the laws of the Parah Adumah (the Red Heifer),
a mitzvah
that even King Solomon could not fully comprehend.
It reminds us that the deepest truth is not always visible on the surface.
Not everything is as it appears,
and not everything can be grasped through human logic.
In the same parashah, we witness the passing of Miriam and Aharon, two mighty spiritual protectors of the people of Israel.
With their departure, the spiritual condition of the nation changes, and immediately new challenges emerge.
Against this backdrop, Balak appears.
At first glance, Balak,
the king of Moab, does not seem like an evil man.
The people of Israel are approaching his territory, and Balak wishes
—as any ruler would—to protect his nation.
He does not immediately call for war or destruction;
he simply wants Israel to disappear.
Outwardly, his concern appears understandable and even legitimate.
Bilaam also initially appears to be a God-fearing and upright man.
When Balak’s messengers come to him, he declares:
“I cannot transgress the word of Hashem, my God, whether in a small matter or a great one.”
He repeatedly emphasizes that he will say only what Hashem places in his mouth.
Yet the Mekubalim and the inner teachings of the Torah warn us
not to judge people and situations solely by their outward appearance.
Very often there is a deep gap between what is visible and what is hidden in the heart.
There is a remarkable allusion to this:
“Bilaam Balak”
(בלעם בלק)
contains the very same letters as
“b’lev Amalek”
(בלב עמלק)
—“Amalek is in the heart.”
On the outside:
• Piety
• Courtesy
• Even prophecy
But on the inside:
The same cold hostility of Amalek
—doubt, separation, and resistance to the Divine plan.
This pattern appears again and again throughout the Torah.
Lavan spoke politely.
Avimelech presented himself as innocent.
Pharaoh negotiated and at times appeared accommodating.
Yet behind their words lay opposition to Hashem and to Israel.
Just as the Parah Adumah teaches us humility before the hidden ways of Hashem,
so too our encounter with Balak and Bilaam calls upon us
to look beyond the external facade.
Not everything that sounds pious is holy.
Not every kind word comes from a pure heart.
The greatest danger of Amalek is often not the open attack,
but the hidden coldness that sows doubt, creates alienation, and weakens one’s connection to Hashem.
May we be protected above all from the “Amalek within the heart.”
May we possess the wisdom to distinguish between outward appearance and inner truth.
And may we learn to recognize the hidden hand of Hashem even in places
where things appear different from what they truly are.
