Connecting Generations

          Balaam was forced, against his will, to bless the Children of Israel. His first blessing is:

For from the top of the rocks (merosh tzurim)

I see him, and from the hills I view him:  lo, the

people shall dwell solitary  and not reckon  itself

among the  nations.  Who has counted the dust

(affar)  of Jacob and number the fourth part  of

Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and

let my end be like his.            Numbers 23:9-10

          Ba’al haTurim comments that the gematriya (numerical equivalent of the letters) of the words merosh tzurim equals that of mi’z’chut  avot (through the merit of the Fathers). Further, Ba’al haTurim suggests that affar is not to be translated in the simple meaning of “dust”, but rather is derived from ofer ha’ayalim (young gazelle), and refers to Jewish children. As authority for this unusual translation, Ba’al haTurim cites Onkelos’ first century translation “who has counted the infants of the House of Jacob”.

          According to Ba’al haTurim, Balaam’s blessing, which in truth was authored by God (verse 5) and is therefore His blessing to His people, relates to the past and future generations. The basis of the People of Israel is the merit of the Forefathers, while its future lies with the “infants of the House of Jacob”, the generation which will carry on. What Ba’al haTurim does not mention explicitly, but clearly implies, is the role of the intermediate generation in being the link between the Jewish past and future. The Jewish future depends upon the Jewish past.