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We often convince ourselves of our ability to remain unaffected by negative influences, thinking that we can avoid their effects should we come into contact with them. However, we must awake up to the reality that we are convincing ourselves of a fallacy. Our posuk shows that all it takes is a contaminated atmosphere — devoid of any living influences — to affect man. One can have the strongest intention of remaining unaffected, but if he sets foot into the tent he becomes impure. He need not enter for more than a second to be affected and becomes impure for seven days.

Not only must we take steps to distance ourselves from people of negative influence, but even from negative environments, because even if we try not to be affected, we are indeed affected — and thus infected — by them.

Rashi states that Bilam inferred from G-d’s question that there are things which are unknown to G-d, and therefore he would be able to curse the Israelites without G-d being aware of it.

Bilam was not a fool. The Talmud states that Bilam’s prophetic powers, although of Satanic origin, were equivalent to those of Moses (Sifri, Deuteronomy 34). How could someone with such enormouse supernatural powers be so stupid as to believe that he could conceal something from G-d? Even a child’s concept of an all-knowing G-d precludes his thinking that something can be concealed from Him.

The Torah is teaching us that even a wise man can be subject to the greatest of follies. History is replete with incidents of wise men who did the most foolish things, and there is no dearth of such happenings in our own time. Invariably, these are due to some personal desire which so paralyzes logical thought that one’s wisdom is of no use in preventing the foolish act.

This is what Solomon meant when he said, “Do not rely on your wisdom” (Proverbs 3:5). Even when one has concrete evidence that one is wise, this does not rule out the possibility of committing folly.

Bilam was so consumed with hatred of the Israelites and a desire to destroy them that his rational judgment was suspended and his wish that he would be able to conceal his malediction from G-d resulted in his believing that this was indeed feasible.

The only safeguard against such folly is to have a confidant whose counsel one can seek. This confidant need not necessarily be wiser than oneself, because what is required is the opinion of an objective observer, whose judgment is not affected by one’s particular personal interests.

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