Midrasch zu Mischlej 7:22

(Numb. 22:20:) “Then God came unto Balaam at night.” This text is related (to Job 33:15-17), “In a dream, a vision of the night […]; Then he uncovers a human ear […]; To turn a person from an action and conceal pride from a man.” What is the meaning of “conceal from a man”?²⁴Numb. R. 20:11. The Holy One, blessed be He, hid from him (i.e, from Balaam) that his going (with Balak's messengers) would obliterate him from the world and bring him to the grave. ” [To darken (from)] (as in Job 33:30) “Bringing him back from the grave, that he may bask in the light of life.” For when someone is going to sin, Satan dances before him until he completes the transgression. As soon as he has transgressed, he returns to inform Him. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 7: 22–23), “Going after her right away, he comes like an ox to the slaughter …. Until an arrow pierces his liver….” So did the Holy One, blessed be He, hide [obliteration] from Balaam, until he had gone and destroyed his soul. After he had taken leave of his honor, had gone and destroyed his soul and realized how he stood, he began to beg for his soul (saying in Numb. 23:10), “let my soul die the death of the righteous.”

(Numb. 22:20:) THEN GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM AT NIGHT. This text is related (to Job 33:15–17): IN A DREAM, {IN} A VISION OF THE NIGHT …, THEN HE UNCOVERS A HUMAN EAR …, TO TURN AWAY {AN ACTION FROM A PERSON} [A PERSON FROM AN ACTION] AND CONCEAL PRIDE FROM A MAN. What did he CONCEAL<…. > FROM A MAN?²⁷Tanh., Numb. 7:7; Numb. R. 20:11. The Holy One hid from him (i.e, from Balaam) that his going (with Balak's messengers) would obliterate him from the world and bring him to the grave; for when someone is going to sin, Satan dances before him until he completes the transgression. As soon as he has obliterated him,²⁸The parallel passage in the traditional Tanh., Numb. 7:7, reads: “As soon as he has transgressed.” he returns to inform him. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 7: 22–23): GOING AFTER HER RIGHT AWAY, <HE COMES LIKE AN OX TO THE SLAUGHTER> …, UNTIL AN ARROW PIERCES HIS LIVER. So did the Holy One hide <obliteration from Balaam, until he had gone and destroyed his soul. After he had taken leave of his honor, had gone and destroyed his soul, and realized how he stood, he began to beg for his soul (saying in Numb. 23:10): LET MY SOUL DIE THE DEATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

11 (Numb. 22:20) “Then God came unto Balaam at night”: This text is related (to Job 33:15-17), “In a dream, a vision of the night […]; Then he uncovers a human ear […]; To turn a person from an action and conceal pride from a man.” What is the meaning of “conceal from a man”? The Holy One, blessed be He, hid from him (i.e, from Balaam) that his going (with Balak's messengers) would obliterate him from the world and bring him to the grave.” [To darken (from)] (as in Job 33:30) “Bringing him back from the grave, that he may bask in the light of life,” to destroy his soul in his going. For when someone is going to sin, Satan dances before him until he completes the transgression. As soon as he has transgressed, he returns to inform Him. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 7: 22–23), “Going after her right away, he comes like an ox to the slaughter …. Until an arrow pierces his liver […].” [So] did the Holy One, blessed be He, hide [obliteration] from Balaam, until he had gone and destroyed his soul. After he had taken leave of his honor, had gone and destroyed his soul and realized how he stood, he began to beg for his soul (saying in Numb. 23:10), “let my soul die the death of the righteous.”