By Alex Bolotovsky, CEO of J Leaders
Parsha in a Nutshell
In Parshat Balak, King Balak of Moab is terrified of the Israelites and hires the prophet Balaam to curse them. But every time Balaam opens his mouth, blessings come out instead of curses. It’s a strange story of talking donkeys, divine messaging, and the tension between saying the right thing and being the right kind of person.
Digging Deeper
At first, Balaam seems cautious. He tells Balak’s messengers, “Even if you gave me your palace full of silver and gold, I couldn’t go against G-d’s word” (Numbers 22:18). But then he tries anyway.
Balaam had already received a clear “no” from God. But when Balak sends a flashier delegation, Balaam reopens the conversation, hoping, it seems, for a different answer. God allows him to go, but the Torah immediately says that God is angry with him for going (22:22), showing us that Balaam’s heart wasn’t fully aligned with his words.
Leadership Takeaway
Saying the right thing isn’t the same as leading with authenticity. You can say all the right things and still be motivated by ego, insecurity, riches or the desire to please. But leadership that lasts comes from aligning what you say, what you do, and why you do it.
Weekly Leadership Challenge
This week, practice alignment:
- Ask yourself before a big decision: “What’s really driving this?”
- Notice when you’re saying what people want to hear vs. what you believe.
- Choose one place where you can speak—and act—with deeper integrity.
Integrity isn’t what you say once, it’s what you choose over and over, even when it’s inconvenient.