Hukkat Balak 5769: Blessings and curses?

This week, we have a double portion, and a lot of story, but there are a few episodes I’d like to highlight. In Hukkat, Miriam dies, which starts the people complaining there's no water. Moses in a hissy fit strikes a rock instead of talking to it like God wants. God responds by telling Moses that he's never going to set foot in Israel for that stunt. Later the people will not complain about water, but dig their own wells.
Then in Parshat Balak, King Balak of Moab has watched all of his neighbors go down to defeat militarily at the hands of the Israelites. Realizing military solutions are a bad idea, he sends envoys to the greatest magician in the area, Balaam, to curse the advancing Israelites. After some odd adventures, Balaam meets up with Balak, and sets up the curse. Three times in a row, the curse ends up as a blessing, the most famous being “ma tovu” and Balak is furious. The only thing that actually seems to slow down is another suggestion by Balaam. The Midianite women seduce many of the Israelites, including senior officials, to start worshipping Baal-Peor. God gets upset with this and starts a plague. One such tasteless coupling happens in front of the Mishkan, in sight of a shocked Moses and congregation. Aaron’s Grandson Pinchas gets up, grabs a javelin and runs them through, ending the plague.
 
This is a week late for a reason. I haven't been in the best of moods to write this, because I was in an auto accident. While I’m uninjured, my car wasn’t. After a lot dealing with auto body people, tow truck companies and insurance companies, I’m rather rattled.  Then there is the “should have” thing that keeps running in my head. I keep thinking when I decided to get into the car I should have gone with my first idea of taking the bus.  It’s not very inspiring to write this. Then I remembered some words of a rather disappointed Balak talking to his hired spiritual gun Balaam

11. And Balak said to Balaam, What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and, behold, you have blessed them. [Numbers 23]

Such is not a new phenomenon. When god first talks to Abraham, we read:

1. And the Lord had said to Abram, Get out from your country, and from your family, and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you; 2. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing; 3. And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.

What is considered a blessing or what a curse. Can we really tell which is which? A Zen parable describes a farmer who once has a series of events, some fortunate and some unfortunate. While his neighbors all make judgments of whether it is fortunate or unfortunate, all the framer says is “could be”
 
I’m still rattled by the accident. Dealing with body shops, tow companies and insurance companies seem out only out to victimize and exploit those who were in the accident,a long drawn out affair to get back to normal seems a curse in my mind.  Was it? It is indeed a blessing there was no real injuries, or loss of life. Not having my car for a few weeks is a curse. There may yet be a blessing in this, that I was not in another accident somewhere else which could have been life threatening. I cannot know.
 
Yet I think of another event that may have been a curse for some. For me, it is the greatest blessing bestowed on me, an answer to a prayer I made at the Wall in Jerusalem. The weekend after Christmas last year, a freak snowstorm shut down a large city that rarely sees snow. Someone who rarely checks their e-mail who I knew twenty years ago sent me a birthday greeting, and I sent a thank you back. Since she was trapped at home and bored, she wrote me back. We wrote each other five times that day. The next day, three times, the next two days very long letters about Hebrew and Aramaic. Then we had a chat via Facebook on my birthday, and more e-mails over the next week while I was on vacation. By the end of the next weekend, we were calling each other daily. We have every day since then. Sweetie’s moving in with me next month.  The love of my life never would have happened if not for the curse of a snowstorm.
 
Curses and blessing are not absolute, but a matter of perspective. I can think that Insurance companies, auto body shops and the like are also blessings: I don’t have to fix my own car. I’d still like my car back, but eventually that will happen too. Balak got it wrong: cursing doesn’t make a good weapon, they can become a blessing far too easily.

The Israelites learned this with water as well. When Miriam dies, their source of water died with her. But later in the text not having Miriam or Moses give them water led them to finding their own. The curse of losing a constant supply meant the blessing of learned skills to find water everywhere.
 
May you find many blessings in your life.