Even smart people say stupid things
YouTube Founder Steve Chen: “(I am worried that) there’s just not that many videos people want to watch.” (February 2005)
Later selling YouTube for $1.65B to Google
Bilam in his interaction with G-d thought that there were things that G-d did not know, and therefore he believed that he would be able to curse the Jewish nation without G-d being aware of it.
Bilam , I was not a fool. Our sages say that Bilam’s prophetic powers, were equivalent to Moses. How could someone with such 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 prevents his thinking that something can be concealed from Him.
The profound lesson that our rabbi’s are teaching us, is that even wise and experienced people are capable of thinking and committing reckless stupidity. We witness countless incidents where intelligent and successful people are so consumed with desire that their logical thought is paralyzed, and their own wisdom is of no use in preventing their foolish act.
King Solomon said, ‘do not rely on your wisdom’. Bilam was so consumed with hatred for the Jewish people that he could not think rationally and instead acted foolishly.
A mental illness that we witness daily on a global scale! The only safeguard is to seek the opinion of an objective observer, someone whose judgment is not affected by his particular personal distorted beliefs.
