Numbers 22:28

וַיִּפְתַּ֥ח יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶת־פִּ֣י הָאָת֑וֹן וַתֹּ֤אמֶר לְבִלְעָם֙ מֶה־עָשִׂ֣יתִֽי לְךָ֔ כִּ֣י הִכִּיתַ֔נִי זֶ֖ה שָׁלֹ֥שׁ רְגָלִֽים׃

Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have hit me these three times?”

Balaam is one of the more interesting individuals in the Torah. He is not Jewish, but is a prophet of God. He seems to have no family or tribal ties, but is wholly devoted to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. When asked to place a curse upon the Israelites who are on the verge of entering Israel, his response is that he can’t, as he can only do the will of God. Few individuals in the Torah have as deep a relationship with God as Balaam does.

On the way to meet with Midianite and Moabite dignitaries, Balaam’s donkey stops in the road. The story is packed with symbols. The donkey sees an angel in her way which Balaam cannot see, and in trying to urge his donkey forward, he hits her a number of times. At that point the donkey turns to Balaam and verbally chastises her rider. The most surprising thing is not that the donkey talks. It’s that Balaam is not phased. There is no indication of surprise that his donkey all of a sudden has the ability to speak.

Balaam’s relationship with God is all encompassing and deeply personal. Because of this, there is nothing within nature or beyond it that can surprise him. The Torah wants us to internalize just this lesson. We’re reminded throughout the Torah of moments like God’s splitting of the sea, or the creation of the universe that are meant to remind us that we can pray for the incredible. No, I don’t expect any of the animals around me to strike up a conversation. But the meaning of the story holds true. To have a relationship with God means allowing for the possibility of miracles.