The General and the Magic Cream
General Maximilian Ironsides caught wind of an inventor from a far-off land—an inventor who had created a miracle: a cream that, when applied to the skin, would render a person completely invulnerable to arrows. The general, naturally, was intrigued. Who wouldn’t be? A cream that could stop arrows? It was either the greatest thing since sliced bread or the most spectacular scam ever invented. Either way, Ironsides was determined to find out.
So, he set off, traveled the length of the world, spent a small fortune, and returned home with a jar of the mysterious cream. The journey back was uneventful—until they entered a dense, dark forest. Out of nowhere, a band of robbers leapt from the shadows and began shooting arrows.
The general, ever the calm and composed leader, smiled as the arrows bounced harmlessly off his chest and arms. His soldiers, too, walked unscathed, as if they were strolling through a gentle spring shower—only with arrows instead of raindrops. The robbers, unnerved, stopped shooting and stared in stunned silence.
As the last arrow clattered harmlessly to the ground, the general continued as if nothing had happened. He adjusted his helmet and offered the robbers a friendly nod. "Come, come!" he called cheerfully, gesturing for them to sit. “I bear no ill will. Please, let me offer you some wine and food. I’m sure you’ve had a long day of highway robbery.”
The bandits, unsure whether they had fallen into a strange dream or a nightmare, cautiously approached. One of them finally asked, “We tried to kill you! And yet, you’re offering us hospitality? What’s going on here?”
General Ironsides smiled. “Ah, yes. You see, I’ve traveled a great distance to acquire something quite extraordinary: a cream that promises to stop arrows. It was this very cream that protected me and my men. But before your little ‘test,’ I had my doubts. I thought to myself, ‘What if this is a scam? What if I’ve been duped into buying a jar of overpriced lotion?’”
He chuckled. “But thanks to you, I now know the truth! I was worried I’d be stuck with a useless product. But you, my good bandits, have proved that this cream is worth every penny. So, thank you. I owe you one.”
Balak's Grievance
The Israelites knew they were under God's protection—“No sorcery can work against Israel” (Num. 23:23). But like any promise, it is not truly known until it is tested. And who, in their right mind, would ever ask for a test like that?Enter King Balak. His frustration could not have been greater. Instead of cursing Israel, as he intended, Balaam did the unthinkable: he proved that no curse could touch them. Balak had hoped to weaken Israel, to diminish their confidence, but instead, he was forced to confront the irrefutable truth—that Israel’s protection was invincible. It was as solid as the earth beneath his feet.
“Now it will be said to Jacob and Israel what God has done,” Balak declared bitterly. And the Jewish people, like the general in the parable, could move forward with renewed confidence, knowing that their protection was real, tangible, and unbreakable. Now they knew that God watches over them and protects them from all enemies.
(Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, pp. 358-359)
