Slow Looking

Leann Shamash
Jul 9
5 min read

Oh, Parshat Balak, you are a wild and crazy parsha! As we continue through Sefer Bamidbar, the stories become stranger and stranger, bringing us to the story of Balak and Bilaam. In Parshat Balak, named for a king who seems rather unimportant and fearful of the Hebrews, the Hebrews have just defeated the nearby Amorites. King Balak is intimidated and wants the Israelites out. Perhaps he feels he cannot do it himself, so he calls upon Balaam, a gifted Aramean prophet of God, to curse the Jewish people. Balaam, a spokesperson for Gd, initially refuses, but eventually agrees after much cajoling by dignitaries, but all the while he insists that a prophet can only speak the words that Gd puts into his mouth.

The journey to arrive to the ultimate cursing spot, high atop a mountain, is a surreal story in its own right, complete with angels of Gd yielding swords and Balaam’s long suffering she-donkey, who sees things that Bilaam, the supposed seer cannot see. The story continues as Bilaam tries to curse the Hebrews three separate times, but in true prophetic form, only words of blessing leave his lips. This leaves King Balak apoplectic as Balaam finally concludes his blessings and goes on his way.

The rabbis try to understand this strange tale. One of the many themes that they uncover is the idea of seeing. The words for seeing and eyes appear a number of times in the parsha and the rabbis make comparisons between Balaam and Avraham in whether they view the world in a positive or negative way. In the text itself Balaam refers to himself as a man "whose eye is true" (24:15) and then again as a person whose "eyes are unveiled"(24:16)yet what is it that he sees when he looks down upon the Jewish people from Mount Peor? He sees Israel "encamped tribe by tribe," and recites the famous words, now included in the Siddur in daily prayers,

"How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!"

My question to you, dear reader, is what did Balaam see when he looked down upon the Hebrews? Did he take a passing glance at the tent tops? Did he spend a mere few seconds looking before he opened his mouth or did he peer and stare, trying to assess this people?

Did he see people, appearing as tiny as traveling ants, go from one tent to the next? Did the tent tops have marks of color on them, perhaps the specific colors of each tribe? Could he make out the Mishkan in the center of the encampment? Further, was the sun out that day? Were there clouds in the sky that cast shadows on part of the camp? Was Balaam able to see the patterns of the tents in their formations?

Did the words that emanated from his lips reflect any reactions to what he saw? As a prophet, did it matter at all what he saw?

A few nights ago I stumbled upon an article in the New York Times on the idea of Slow Looking. There seemed to be a very real connection of this practice to Parshat Balak, given the references to seeing and vision.

Slow Looking is the practice of visually concentrating on a piece of art for ten minutes (or more!). The purpose of Slow Looking is to encourage a deeper, more meaningful engagement with artworks by spending extended time observing and reflecting on them. It moves beyond a fleeting glance to foster a more intimate connection with the art and unlock its potential for personal interpretation and understanding. (Definition taken from AI)

So, let's pivot from Parshat Balak and Balaam for a few moments and on this cloudy July day and consider the idea of what Slow Looking might be and why it might be helpful.

Of course, Slow Looking can start with works of art, but the practice can really be taken anywhere. Take a slow look at your garden. Take a long, slow look at a work of art in your home or really look long and slow at your desktop, or perhaps an old family photo. What does it reveal? Perhaps not much, or perhaps something significant. At the very least, it slows you down and provides time to look and to "unveil one's eyes." (Back to Balaam we go!)

Let's learn more about Slow Looking

A few tips (taken from The Tate Museum Website)

Make yourself comfortable. Find a place, bench, stool or space on the floor that gives you a good view of the work. Feel free to stand or move around the artwork, to explore different perspectives.

Don't worry if nothing comes to mind at first. Be patient. Try focusing your attention on a particular detail. Try to forget any expectations, as well as anything you 'know' about the artwork. Keep an open mind. If you are still struggling, consider one of the following themes as an entry point: texture, colour, shape, symbols, story, perspective.

Trust in your own authority and intuition. Pay attention to your first impressions. Don’t underestimate the reason why you were drawn to the work in the first place.

Let your eyes wander. Your mind will try and make connections between elements of the work. These connections might be intended by the artist, or unique to you. It doesn’t matter, both are valid. See things from a fresh perspective. Make the familiar strange. Try and spot the details hiding in plain view.

Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t try too hard to shut out what is going on around you. Don’t be put off by those squeaky shoes or the sound of visitors chatting, this is part of the fun of slow looking.

How do you feel? Pay attention to how your mind and body respond. This might be in a subtle way. Does the art help you feel calm, does it irritate you, excite you? Does it trigger any memories?

Share your findings. How do you feel about this artwork now you have studied it in detail? Try and summarise your thoughts. This could be in your head, with your friends, or with the strangers looking at the artwork with you.

And now, let's try a bit of slow looking on this page. I have included two works of art, but please feel free to choose another!

Of course, this exercise is best done on a larger screen.

So,

In honor of those beautiful tents of Israel.

In honor of slowing down.

In the hope of perceiving and

the art of seeing,

let's get started.