Potpourri: Balaam's Name, Shimshon's Death, Rebelling Against God, and Poverty vs. Wealth
Q. Why do we say Balaam in English when his name was clearly Bilaam in the Ivrit? Why the change in pronunciation?
A. Thanks for your question, which was forwarded to my attention. It's for the same reason it's Abraham and Joseph in English rather than Avraham and Yoseif – when things are translated from one language to another, proper names tend to get tweaked to reflect the pronunciation of the new language. That's why Moshe in Hebrew becomes Moishe in Yiddish, Moses in English, Moïse in French and Moisés in Spanish. (It's also why we say "Christopher Columbus" instead of "Cristoforo Colombo," "Japan" instead of "Nihon," and many other non-Bible examples.)
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Q. What is the meaning of rebellion against God?
A. There are a number of reasons one might sin. The most common is temptation, such as if one desires something that isn't his. Such a person might love God and desire to do His will, they just need to strengthen themselves against their own weaknesses. But some people might sin in order to rebel against God, i.e., to show disdain or to spite Him. These people actively do things specifically because God said not to. Neither is a good thing, but there's a world of difference between being morally weak and going out of one's way to disrespect God.
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Q. Why was Samson committing suicide appropriate?
A. Thanks for your question, which was forwarded to my attention. It wasn't so much "committing suicide" as it was "undergoing a suicide mission." Sometimes soldiers undertake missions from which they don't expect to return. They do this for the greater good, to protect their nations from the enemy. Here, Samson undertook a mission to take out the enemy, knowing that it would be the end of him as well. His primary purpose wasn't to kill himself, though he may have seen dying with the Philistines as atonement for his errors.
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Q. Are differences in life a factor for human success?
A. Thanks for your question. Yes, differences in life are a factor in success – specifically, material success. Someone who is born into a financially well-off family is likely to have an easier time securing an education and employment than someone born into poverty. But they're not necessarily a factor in spiritual success. As mentioned previously, both having money and not having money can be a test. In many ways, being well-off can be more challenging, spiritually speaking.
Everyone is dealt a unique hand in life; the best one can do is play their hand. Any hand has the potential to be a winner so long as one plays smart and follows the rules we have been given.
Rabbi Jack's book Ask Rabbi Jack is available from Kodesh Press and on Amazon.com.