$WET

The prophet Balaam was a respected and cherished man: his blessings were considered powerful, while curses were seen as condemnations. When the Moabite king Balak became afraid of the Israelites, he sent for Balaam with bags of silver: "Come and curse them." Formally, Balaam asked God and received a prohibition, but the clinking gold was too persuasive. He set out on his journey, confident that everything was under control.

On the way, something strange happened. The usually docile donkey suddenly stopped, turned off the road, and pressed against the wall. Balaam struck her with his staff, grew angry, and shouted — and did not see what she saw: an angel with a drawn sword standing in the path. Finally, the donkey spoke in a human voice and asked why she was being beaten. At that moment, Balaam's eyes were opened, and he understood: the prophet had become blind, while the animal was seeing.

The angel told him that his path was dangerous and his intentions were twisted. Balaam continued on his way, but instead of curses, he could only pronounce blessings: the word could not be sold as he had hoped. He remained alive, but his reputation as a prophet cracked.

Moral: when greed blinds, the market becomes an angel with a sword — and often the first to understand everything is not the "prophet" but the donkey with basic caution.