Neither Honey nor Sting!
God forbids Bilaam to go with Balak’s ministers and curse Israel, for Israel is a blessed nation. Quoting a midrash, Rashi interprets this verse as a conversation between the Holy One and Bilaam:
God: You shall not go with them.
Bilaam: Fine, then I will curse Israel from my place.
God: You shall not curse the people (of Israel).
Bilaam: Fine, then I will bless Israel instead.
God: They do not need your blessing, for they are already blessed.
This creative take on the verse ends with what was a popular saying: “ They say to the wasp, we want neither your sting nor your honey! (אוֹמְרִים לָהּ לַצִּרְעָה, לֹא מִדֻּבְשָׁךְ וְלֹא מֵעֻקְצָךְ.)”
Rashi’s interpretation of the verse gives us an important bit of wisdom regarding how we deal with bullies. People with weaker self-confidence, who are already more vulnerable to bullying, might think, “Gee, if I behave differently, then the bully will treat me with respect.” Rashi is telling us that approach is completely wrong. The correct attitude is, “ I do not want this bully to oppress me, and I don’t want any of his respect, either. His oppression is cruel and his respect is worthless.”
