11 July, 2025 08:52

If I were to make a list of jewish concepts of God, I’d have to add Humor to the list… as in ironic humor.

Obviously if God is what Judaism says; than Humor would be one its attributes, since everything we know of the world eminates and exists ONLY due to God’s Will.

Bilaam….

So God appears to him at night. This is an what a talmudic teacher might call al a gav [on the back] – … a side teaching … that all the other Prophets except Moses got their prophecy while asleep / in a dreamlike state …

Also, Bilaam according to the same talmudic types "only" is in the torah to counter an argument from non Hebrews / jews that they don’t have a prophet in the 5 books. Additionally – the same talmudic types say Bilaams prophecy was on near level as Moses. And just like Moses he did not always listen to God.

God speaks to him at night. And first tells him to not go at all! But ya know, does anyone actually listen to God? — ?? Are you going to say that God did not know that more gifts were coming?

God Knows / is the Knower / and the Known.

The Unity of God is beyond our comprehension. If this is starting to sound a bit over the top…check out RamBam!

; God tells Bilaam not to go. But of course [in Gods Infinite humor] God gave humans free will or at least the illusion of free will.

And the bribes and compliments / top dignitaries kept coming. You know like a gift from Qatar

And… the whole bribing / gifts / compliments rolled in. But it all "had" to happen.

Because another [side]? part of the story is of course the extraordinary donkey TALKING.

The Torah according to Itself was given to Moses without riddles … but the entire Bilaam story was eventually revealed to Moses — the hebrews [the jews] sit on the side of the story and have "no idea" that the plot to destroy them is even happening. We know it – and I suppose Moses eventually was told and he wrote it in the Torah.

The reason the story had to take place? The mouth of the donkey we are taught in Pikey Avot is the list of things created at creation. It is in the very fabric of the entire Universe.

It was not some cute thing God did to talk to Bilaam. God has / had infinite ways to talk to Bilaam.

More on the donkey… and perhaps this is a lessor known talmudic type teaching… the Torah says the donkey was one Bilaam knew…. and wink wink wink… knew as in sexually.

And Bilaams words come out as blessings …

One has to wonder [but it is not too hard to imagine]…. what a guy who has sex with his donkey *really* wanted to say.