The national character of Israel is righteousness. Israel, in fact, means straightforward – righteous! with God. This is true when we are together, and Hashem is then King over us, as Devarim 33:5 states, “And He was King in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together.” Rashi explains that when there is unity and peace in Israel, God is our king, but not when there is strife among us. Yeshurun and Yisrael are both yashar, righteous, that is ALL of Israel, every last one.
The reason is because God will ultimately correct ALL of Israel to have a portion in Olam Habbah, the world to come. As Samuel 2 14:14 states, “For we must die, as water spilled on the ground which cannot be recovered, and God favors not a soul (from death), but He devises means לְבִלְתִּ֛י יִדַּ֥ח מִמֶּ֖נּוּ נִדָּֽח [that a banished be not banished from Him].”
So wickedness in Israel is only temporary on the path to ultimate correction. So ALL of Israel is righteous, because ALL of Israel have a share in the world to come. As Mishnah Sanhedrin 11:1 states, ALL of Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it says, (Isaiah 60:21), “Thy people are ALL righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I be glorified.”
But as separate parts, there is an attempt to differentiate between those that are righteous and those that are wicked. But in truth, the parts are the same, and all are then seen as wicked (by our prophets).
Now the whole point of Bilam’s prophecy was to establish this fact of the national righteous character of Israel. Listen to Bilam’s own words. Bamidbar (23:21), “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them. Did you hear that? God sees no iniquity in Jacob or perverseness in Israel! This is when the shout of a King is among them, as Devarim 33:5 states, “And He was King in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together.”
But Balak was a clever fellow! He already saw that fault was not being found in Israel as a whole. So he came up with a great plan! as Bamidbar 23:13 states, “Balak said to him, Come with me to another place from where you will see them; however, only see a PART of them, not all of them and curse them for me from there.” Balak figured out the secret that Israel not as a whole was curseable. Makes no difference which part he saw!
Bilam then relates as above, “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither has he seen perverseness in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.” But why didn’t Balak’s idea work, since Bilam only saw part of them?
The answer is because the shout of a King was among them! They were united under the King! There was no PART to behold. We are our own destroyers! Only if we part ourselves, we are destroyed! Israel Unite!
