In Parasha / weekly Torah Reading of Balak/בלק – King of Moav, Balak afraid for his country, wants to attack the Jewish nation by employing the Gentile prophet Bilaam to curse them. The Jews could not attack Moav – because they were prohibited from doing so from Hashem. So why did Balak want to attack the Jews?

Answer 1: He was afraid that Israel would take over surrounding towns and plunder Moav. Ramban. (See Artscroll H’umash)

Answer 2: He was an anti-semite. His hatred made him irrational.

Answer 3: His great fear, seeing the Jews destroying the mighty Amorite kings Sihon and Og, made him have delusions and rationalizations that the Jews would attack.

We sometimes have fear of committing to Mitzvot because of “what will people think if I…?” But really they are delusions, because people respect others that follow Torah sincerely. A person in touch with himself will recognize the real reasons and motivations for their observance or non-observance of Torah and use this knowledge for Self-improvement.

We sometimes have certain predispositions or grudges or even hatred against people because of certain delusions or rationalizations. Investigating the source of these delusions will allow us to deal with the source of the problem and let go of the grudges and hate. Ultimately – we will live a happier life.