The midrash (Bereishit Rabbah, 93:10) counts two episodes of rebuke in the Torah that provide some sort of a microcosm of the rebuke that is experienced after we leave this world and enter the Yom HaDin—the ultimate day of judgment in the next world.
The first incident the midrash mentions takes place in our parsha, in an interaction between Bilam and his loyal she-donkey: Bilam is on his way with high hopes to curse Bnei Yisrael, but his journey isn’t that smooth, especially for his donkey. Indeed, Hashem sends an angel—with a drawn sword—to impede their journey. The donkey sees it, but Bilam doesn’t.
On three separate occasions, the donkey attempts to avoid the angel and diverts from the regular method of journeying, and each of these times, Bilam hits his donkey. Finally, after the third wack from Bilam, the donkey miraculously begins speaking, and says to Bilaam: “What have I done to you that you struck me these three times?” to which Bilaam responded, “Because you mocked me! If only there was a sword in my hand, I would now have killed you!” The donkey then challenged Bilam by saying, “Am I not your she-donkey, that you have ridden upon me all your life until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such a thing to you?” Put in his place, Bilam conceded, responding with a flat out, “No.” With the strength of the piercing truth of such an argument and rebuke, Bilam was compelled to agree—despite how wise and clever he was.
The second incident takes place back in parshat Vayigash when Yosef reveals his identity to his brothers: Yosef exclaimed, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive?!” Thoroughly discombobulated and embarrassed, the brothers simply could not respond. Now, this midrash considers this as Yosef’s rebuke to his brothers. But, where is the rebuke?
At first glance, it could seem that the term “rebuke” in reference to Yosef’s remark is used loosely here and the midrash simply means that for the brothers, their difficult experience of disconcertedness, embarrassment and speechlessness is a reaction as if they received rebuke, and that this too, will be our reaction when we receive rebuke on our Yom HaDin. However, it seems that Yosef was actually rebuking them with his very words that he said, “I am Yosef, is my father still alive,”—as according to Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchick—with these words, Yosef, essentially, was pointing out to them a direct and inherent contradiction in their actions. According to Rav Soloveitchik, the words, “Is my father still alive?” is meant to be understood as a bewilderment, as Yosef intended to impart to them: How can it be that my father is still alive, despite all the agony that he has been experiencing all these years since you sent me away? You claim to care about the pain of our father by not wanting Binyamin away from him, but why didn’t you care about his pain when it came to selling me!?” Says Rav Soloveitchick, the rebuke on the great day of judgment in the next world will entail of our inconsistencies, contradictions and hypocrisies within the realm of our actions being revealed (Beis Halevi, Vayigash).
It seems to emerge from Rav Soloveitchik that the intention behind Yosef’s words—i.e., the idea of hypocrisy—was essentially the rebuke to his brothers, and that that will be the form of rebuke that every one of us will experience on our Yom HaDin.
According to this, we can suggest that the same way the intention behind Yosef’s rebuke will be the type of rebuke we will experience; perhaps, the intention behind the donkey’s rebuke to Bilaam will also be the form of rebuke we will experience on our Yom HaDin. What was the essence of the donkey’s rebuke when it said, “Am I not your she-donkey that you have ridden upon me all your life until this day? Have I been accustomed to do such a thing to you?”
Perhaps, the donkey was essentially challenging Bilaam’s level of hakarat hatov: “I have done so much for you, I have been so loyal to you! This is how you treat and give back to that which has benefitted you and helped you so much? Where’s the appreciation; where’s the gratitude?” From the donkey’s rebuke to Bilaam, it’s possible, perhaps, that the rebuke in the next world also includes challenging our level of hakarat hatov—how could we have used the good that Hashem has given us and bestows upon us in ways that are not in sync with Hashem’s will?
Hashem gives us life and is constantly showering us with good. The degree that one appreciates the myriads of blessings one has been given from Hashem, and in the direction that he utilizes them in—whether for that which is proper or the opposite—can reflect on one’s level of hakarat hatov towards Hashem.
Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchok Elchanan, and of Wurzweiler School of Social Work.
