Bilaam and Avraham

It is difficult to assess the character of Bilam. At first glance, Bilam seems to be a completely commendable character, and a devoted servant of God. Or is he? Why does he have a terrible reputation in the words of the Sages? Bilam appears in an increasingly negative light as the Torah’s narrative continues. We seek to present a fuller picture of Bilam, and examine positive and negative perspectives of Bilam. Following the Mishna's contrast in Masekhet Avot, we compare and contrast Bilam with Avraham. As we explore the powerful parallels, we find that elements of the story of Bilam have been interposed onto midrashic depictions of Avraham's journey for Akeidat Yitzhak.The power of prophecy comes with important choices. Character traits make the major difference in determining the value of one's prophecy.