Chasidut for Numbers 24:4
נְאֻ֕ם שֹׁמֵ֖עַ אִמְרֵי־אֵ֑ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר מַחֲזֵ֤ה שַׁדַּי֙ יֶֽחֱזֶ֔ה נֹפֵ֖ל וּגְל֥וּי עֵינָֽיִם׃
The saying of him who heareth the words of God, Who seeth the vision of the Almighty, Fallen down, yet with opened eyes:
Kedushat Levi
Numbers 22,32 “the angel of the Lord said to Bileam: ‘why did you strike your she-ass three times?’” We have to examine why it bothered the angel that Bileam struck his ass? As long as he had not been aware that the angel had blocked the path, why does an owner of a domestic animal not have the right to discipline it when it does not obey its master’s instructions?
We must assume that when G’d instructed the angel to act as hindrance to Bileam, He had told the angel under what conditions Bileam had been allowed to accompany Balak’s emissaries, i.e. that he was restricted to do and speak only words that G’d would put in his mouth. (verse 20) The angel’s task was to check if Bileam conformed with the conditions G’d had stipulated for his journey. When someone sets out on an errant in order to perform a command of G’d and he encounters unforeseen difficulties, he must examine the reason for this. If he cannot find a reasonable explanation for the obstacles, he should conclude that G’d may no longer wish for him to pursue that errant and return home. When the angel became aware that in spite of three such covert warnings Bileam had chosen to press on with his mission, he recognized that this was due to Bileam’s evil intentions, and he became angry, challenging him and telling him that he had actually already forfeited his life by his conduct. Bileam’s stature as a prophet, and his boast of being familiar with G’d’s ways, (Numbers 24,4) should certainly have alerted him that the ass’s strange behaviour was a warning from G’d for his own benefit, to desist from this enterprise. The angel therefore was completely justified in asking Bileam why he had struck his ass three times.
We must assume that when G’d instructed the angel to act as hindrance to Bileam, He had told the angel under what conditions Bileam had been allowed to accompany Balak’s emissaries, i.e. that he was restricted to do and speak only words that G’d would put in his mouth. (verse 20) The angel’s task was to check if Bileam conformed with the conditions G’d had stipulated for his journey. When someone sets out on an errant in order to perform a command of G’d and he encounters unforeseen difficulties, he must examine the reason for this. If he cannot find a reasonable explanation for the obstacles, he should conclude that G’d may no longer wish for him to pursue that errant and return home. When the angel became aware that in spite of three such covert warnings Bileam had chosen to press on with his mission, he recognized that this was due to Bileam’s evil intentions, and he became angry, challenging him and telling him that he had actually already forfeited his life by his conduct. Bileam’s stature as a prophet, and his boast of being familiar with G’d’s ways, (Numbers 24,4) should certainly have alerted him that the ass’s strange behaviour was a warning from G’d for his own benefit, to desist from this enterprise. The angel therefore was completely justified in asking Bileam why he had struck his ass three times.
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