Commentary for Numbers 24:32

וירא בלעם כי טוב וגו׳ AND BALAAM SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD, etc. He said: I do not need to put the Holy One, blessed be He, to a further test for it is evident that He does not wish to curse them.

AND HE WENT NOT, AS AT OTHER TIMES, TO SEEK FOR ENCHANTMENTS. [This means] that on the previous [two] occasions Balaam acted as an enchanter, and wanted to curse them by means of enchantment, and G-d came to him as if by chance, and not because he [Balaam] had concentrated on [attaining] prophecy, nor because of any superior status that he had achieved [because he was in fact not worthy of prophecy]. But now when he was told, For there is no enchantment in Jacob, neither is there any divination in Israel,¹⁵⁸Verse 23. whether to do them evil or good, Balaam abandoned his enchantments, and he went not [any more] as at [the] other times to seek them. Instead, he set his face toward the wilderness where Israel was [encamped], so that he would see them and prepare his soul towards them, so that the Divine communication would come unto him, as had happened to him twice [previous], and so indeed it happened to him now. Therefore Scripture states, and ‘the spirit of G-d’ came upon him,¹⁷⁵Verse 2. for now the hand of the Eternal was upon him as it was upon the prophets,¹⁷⁶Ezekiel 37:1: The hand of the Eternal was upon me. and just as Moses said, would that all the Eternal’s people were prophets, that the Eternal would put ‘His spirit’ upon them!¹⁷⁷Above, 11:29. — and it is further said: ‘The spirit of the Eternal G-d’ is upon me.¹⁷⁸Isaiah 61:1. Therefore Balaam now referred to himself as him who heareth the words of G-d,¹⁷⁹Verse 4. for he was [for that particular moment] a prophet.¹⁸⁰Genesis 20:7. Now Rashi commented: “And he set his face toward the wilderness. This is to be understood as the Targum [Onkelos] rendered it.” For the Rabbi’s [Rashi’s] Targum contained [the following text]: “He directed his face toward the wilderness in which the children of Israel had made the [golden] calf.” But this is not found in accurate editions of Onkelos’ Targum,¹⁸¹Nor is it found in our texts of Onkelos. and is [only] written in some of the texts [of Onkelos], which were emended on the basis of the Targum Yerushalmi,¹⁸²It is also found in our texts of the Targum of Yonathan ben Uziel. — There are three traditional Targumim (translations) of the Pentateuch: Onkelos, Yonathan, and Yerushalmi. The latter was lost for many centuries, and only parts of it have reached us. Recently, however, a copy of this Jerusalem Targum has been found in its full version, and the text quoted here by Ramban appears in it. but the correct interpretation is as we have explained [above, that Balaam turned to the wilderness in order to receive Divine communication as he had previously, and not because that was the place where they had made the golden calf].
Scripture says [in describing Balaam]: Who seeth the vision of the Almighty,¹⁷⁹Verse 4. meaning that he now saw through a lucid spectrum, as did the early prophets of whom it is said, And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the Name ‘E-il Sha-dai’ (G-d Almighty).¹⁸³Exodus 6:3. Or it may be that Balaam [only] received [the Divine communication] through a degree [of vision] less than theirs, since ‘the vision of’ the Almighty¹⁷⁹Verse 4. is not the same as the Almighty.¹⁸³Exodus 6:3. Thus the patriarchs saw by ‘E-il Sha-dai’ (G-d Almighty), [a double expression], whereas Balaam saw only by ‘the vision of’ the Almighty — two degrees lower than them [because only one Name of G-d is used, and he only saw a vision of it]. Therefore Balaam described himself as [one who saw the vision of the Almighty] with opened eyes, which is the degree of prophecy attained by the sons [i.e., the disciples] of the prophets, as it is said, Eternal, open the eyes of these men etc.,¹⁸⁴II Kings 6:20. and in connection with Balaam himself it says, upon his seeing the angel, And the Eternal opened the eyes of Balaam.¹⁸⁵Above, 22:31. Now do not [be induced to] think otherwise than that which we have explained in this matter, because of the statement of our Rabbis who said in the Sifre:¹⁸⁶Sifre, Berachah, 357. “And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses.¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. In Israel there hath not arisen, but in the [other] nations of the world there has arisen. And who was he? It was Balaam. But there was a difference between the prophecy of Moses and that of Balaam, because Moses did not know about what G-d was going to speak to him [as will be explained further on], and Balaam knew about what He was going to speak to him, as it is said, The saying of him who heareth the words of G-d.¹⁷⁹Verse 4. Moses did not know when He would speak to him, as it is said, [then he heard the Voice] speaking unto him,¹⁸⁸Above, 7:89. and Balaam knew when He would speak to him, as it is said, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High.¹⁸⁹Further, Verse 16. He spoke to Moses while he was standing, as it is said, But as for thee [Moses], ‘stand’ thou here by Me,¹⁹⁰Deuteronomy 5:28. and to Balaam He spoke when he was fallen down, as it is said, fallen down, yet with opened eyes.¹⁷⁹Verse 4. [The prophecy of Balaam may be] compared to the cook of a king, who knows what expenses the king has for [the food on] his table.”
The explanation of the meaning of this Beraitha¹⁹¹The teachings of the Sifre are considered Beraithoth. See in Vol. II, p. 133, Note 209, for fuller explanation of this term. is as follows: Scripture stated, And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses,¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. and our Rabbis explained that this verse does not come to declare the superiority of Moses’ prophecy over that of the other prophets, since Scripture has already informed us of his superiority over them in two places — in the verse, And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the Name ‘E-il Sha-dai’ (G-d Almighty), but by My Name, the Eternal, was I not known unto them,¹⁸³Exodus 6:3. and in the verse, If there be a prophet among you etc.¹⁹²Above, 12:6. But now [in speaking of Moses’ prophecy]¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. He did not say about Moses that he knew G-d, as Moses had requested, Show me now Thy ways, that I may know Thee,¹⁹³Exodus 33:13. for the verse there¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. does not say that “he knew G-d face to face,” but says: whom ‘the Eternal’ knew face to face,¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. because it is telling us an explanation of [the nature of] Moses’ prophecy. It is thus saying that to Moses our teacher [the Divine communication] used to come clearly, like one who speaks to his friend face to face,¹⁸⁷Deuteronomy 34:10. and tells him his words and his meaning until he sees from [the expression on] his face that he understands his words and his intention, and [indicates this] by saying so and by showing on his face that he recognizes what [his friend] wants. Thus the Rabbis [in the Sifre quoted above] said that Balaam had this [degree of prophecy only] when he prophesied in honor of Israel, for he fully understood the words of G-d and His intention and wish in all that was destined to happen to Israel. And even so there was still a difference between the prophecy of Moses and that of Balaam! For Moses did not know what He would tell him, and about what topic or which commandment He would speak to him, but he was ready at any time for the Divine communication, and the Holy One, blessed be He, would command him as He so desired. But Balaam had to concentrate and think about the [particular] matter which he wanted [G-d to speak to him about], and he would retire into solitude and prepare himself spiritually so that the [Divine] Spirit⁶³See Vol. I, p. 59, Note 237. See also ibid., pp. 228-231, where Ramban discusses at length the subject of angels in relation to prophecy. would come upon him, peradventure the Eternal will come to meet him, as is explicitly stated here [in our verse]. He knew [also] that if the Spirit were to come upon him, it would speak to him [only] about that subject which he had thought of, and not about any other matter. Furthermore, Moses did not know when He would speak to him, because he did not have any fixed time for the [Divine] communication, but whenever Moses wanted it and directed his mind towards [receiving] a Divine communication, He would speak to him; as Moses said, Stay ye, that I may hear what the Eternal will command concerning you,¹⁹⁴Above, 9:8. Although Moses had not been told in advance that G-d would speak to him, he knew that if he concentrated on receiving a Divine communication, he would surely receive one. and similarly whenever G-d wanted to command him from the Tent of Meeting,¹⁹⁵Leviticus 1:1. then he [Moses] heard the Voice speaking unto him.¹⁸⁸Above, 7:89. But Balaam knew how to determine the [exact] moment when he would have the [Divine] communication, and the Spirit would only rest upon him at that moment. Perhaps this is “the moment” that our Rabbis speak of in Tractate Berachoth¹⁹⁶Berachoth 7a. The Gemara there states that there is “one moment” every day when G-d, is angry, and Balaam knew precisely when that moment was. The anger is occasioned when the sun begins to shine “and the kings of the world put on their crowns and prostrate themselves to the sun.” — It is the Rabbis’ way of saying that the deification of nature by man occasions the displeasure of the Creator, for how could they change His glory for that which is His creation and tool! and in Tractate Sanhedrin,¹⁹⁷Sanhedrin 105b. The same text as in Berachoth 7a is also quoted there. and at that moment he [thought he] would utter the curse, and it was [only] at that moment that the Spirit would rest upon him, and never at any other time. Similarly the fact that Moses remained standing [during the Divine communication] indicates his superiority, whereas Balaam’s falling down denoted his inferiority, [implying] that he could not endure the prophecy, just as it says, if we hear the voice of the Eternal our G-d any more, then we shall die;¹⁹⁸Deuteronomy 5:22. Go thou near, and hear.¹⁹⁹Ibid., Verse 24. The Rabbis further said [in the Sifre quoted above]: “[The prophecy of Balaam may be] compared to the cook of a king, who knows etc.” [This comparison refers] to the first distinction [between Moses’ prophecy and that of Balaam, namely, that Moses did not know in advance about what G-d would speak to him, whereas Balaam did know], and the intention of the Rabbis thereby is to say that the cook knows what are the expenses of the [upkeep of the] king’s table, but his minister who is trusted in all his house²⁰⁰A reference to Moses. See above, 12:7. and knows his secrets, does not know the expenses of the household. This example indicates that the Sages’ intention was to say that Balaam himself knew, after concentrating [his intention on receiving a Divine communication], that G-d would tell him [to say]: How shall I curse, whom G-d hath not cursed?²⁰¹Above, 23:8. and the whole of the blessing [mentioned in the verses], and that afterwards he would hear the communication in [precisely] those words which he had thought of in his heart. This is, as I have mentioned,²⁰²Ibid., 22:5; 31. because he was a diviner, and thus future [events which would befall the people of Israel] would come into his heart [through divination]; but now on account of Israel he also heard the [Divine] utterance about them, and therefore he now prided himself, saying, The saying of him who heareth the words of G-d.¹⁷⁹Verse 4.
Now I have seen this same subject which is taught in the Sifre [quoted above] said in another form in the homiletics of Bamidbar Sinai Rabbah,²⁰³Bamidbar Rabbah 20:1. but there is no need for me to prolong [this subject]. The general idea is that the Sages intended to say that Balaam’s prophecy came to him in words which he clearly understood, and the reason for this was, as the Sages have said,²⁰³Bamidbar Rabbah 20:1. so that the nations of the world should not have an excuse to say: “If we had had a prophet like Moses, we would have served the Holy One, blessed be He.” But the degree of Balaam’s prophecy was [nonetheless] lower than that of the other prophets, because it was [only] by the ‘vision’ of the Almighty,¹⁷⁹Verse 4. as we have explained. And so also the Rabbis have said in Vayikra Rabbah:²⁰⁴Vayikra Rabbah 1:13. “The Holy One, blessed be He, only revealed Himself to the prophets of the [other] nations of the world with a half-communication,’ as it is said: ‘Vayikar Elokim’ (And G-d ‘happened to meet’ Balaam²⁰⁵Above, 23:4. [instead of saying ‘vayikra’ Elokim — and G-d ‘called’ to Balaam], but to the prophets of Israel [He revealed Himself] with a complete communication, as it is said: ‘Vayikra’ (And He called) unto Moses.”¹⁹⁵Leviticus 1:1. The meaning of [the expression] “a half-communication” you will understand from what we have explained [above].

לקראת נחשים, he stopped trying to divine the precise hour when a curse could stick to the Israelites, seeing that by no he had realised that it pleased G’d to bless the Jewish people. There was no hope that any curse could become effective.

וירא בלעם כי טוב, Bileam realised that it was good in the eyes of G'd, etc. In view of the Midrash we quoted on 22,12 that G'd had told Bileam that he should neither curse the Israelites nor bless them seeing they were blessed already and had no need for his blessing, how could Bileam assume that it pleased G'd if he continued blessing this people? We must therefore understand Bileam differently. Up until now he had been forced to bless this people although initially G'd had told him not to bless them seeing they were blessed already. In view of his experience so far Bileam had found out that G'd had turned his intended curses into blessings. Seeing this was possible, Bileam now reasoned that G'd could also do the reverse, i.e. turn his voluntary blessings into curses. On the other hand, if we add what we explained on 23,5 that it had not really been Bileam who had pronounced the blessings but an angel using his mouth as the vehicle, Bileam now concluded that there was really no point in consulting all kinds of charms, etc. but that he might as well bow to the inevitable. ולא הלן כפעם, and he did not go as on previous occasions, etc. He concluded a) that there was no point in it, b) that the charms had proved ineffective anyway. He therefore decided to change his strategy and turned his face towards the desert, i.e. to examine how the Israelites had angered their G'd while they had travelled through the desert. He hoped to find something which would enable G'd to let him curse these people.

ולא הלך כפעם בפעם לקרת נחשים, to try different locations in order to find one from which he could curse the people. The Torah reports that as of now Bileam had his heart in blessing the Israelites. As a result, ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים, the spirit of G’d now remained with him. G’d now inspired him out of a feeling of genuine liking for him.

ולא הלך כפעם כפעם לקראת נחשים, “he no longer went as every other time, toward divinations.” Nachmanides writes that on the previous occasions Bileam employed his sorcerer’s tools, wanting to curse the people, but Hashem happened upon him, i.e. as if by accident, not to endow him with real prophetic insights. Now that Bileam had been told by G’d, i.e. had been made to declare publicly that Israel is superior because it does not resort to divinations, etc., he absorbed the lesson and no longer resorted to the tools of his trade before viewing the people and awaiting inspiration. This is also why the Torah now explains that the source of Bileam’s inspiration had changed and

ולא הלך כפעם בפעם לקראת נחשים, “and he did not go as every other time towards divinations. The reason was that he had been told: “divinations are useless in connection with Yaakov” (23,23). As a result of abandoning this venue Bileam was granted a measure of Holy Spirit (verse 2).

I will mention their sins… The correct text is as follows: “Whether or not He wants to curse, I will mention…” Meaning, whether He wants to curse them or not, I will mention their sins.

Kap. 24. V. 1 וירא. Erst jetzt war der Nebel vollends von Bileams Sinn geschwunden, er glaubte nicht mehr, durch seine Magie einen umstimmenden Einfluss auf Gottes Entschlüsse herbeiführen zu können. Was sein Mund Verse 9 u. 20 des vorigen Kapitels gesprochen, das war jetzt Wahrheit in seinem Herzen. Darum schaute er einfach von dem ihm durch Balak angewiesenen Standpunkt hinaus in die Wüste und wartete, ob Gott sich ferner seiner als Organ bedienen wollte.

'ולא הלך וגו, “he did not continue to attempt using divinations;” he knew that such attempts would be futile. From this point on he blessed the Israelites with a full heart. G–d Himself assisted him in doing so. This is why the Torah immediately testifies at that point the spirit of Hashem came to rest upon him. Alternately, Bileam’s mindset actually was not deterred, but G–d forced him to utter blessings because he had been so inspired from above.

ולא הלך כפעם בפעם, “and he did not go aspreviously time after time;” seeing that there was no point in continuing to manipulate the G-d of the Israelites, Bileam knew that he had G-d’s approval as the Torah wrote in Numbers verse 2 that the spirit of the Lord had settled upon him. (B’chor shor)

ולא הלך כפעם בפעם HE WENT NOT, AS AT OTHER TIMES — as he had already done twice.

וישא אל המדבר פניו, to bestow limited blessings on them, blessings which contained potential harm for the nation if it did not live up to the premise underlying the blessings. Our sages (Taanit 20) have illustrated this point when they said “the curse of the prophet Achiyah from Shiloh was easier to live with than having to live with Bileam’s blessings.”

וישת אל המדבר פניו, “he set his face toward the desert.” Israel was encamped there in the wilderness of Moav. Bileam faced them to that he could see them, concentrate on what he was going to say, and make sure that his blessings would take full effect.
Rashi explains the words in accordance with Onkelos, who says ושוי לקבל עגלא דעבדו למדברא אפוהי, “to the calf which they had made in the desert.” According to Rashi, Bileam hoped to be able to curse the people. The author queries if Rashi had an accurate text of the Targum, seeing he only quotes two words from the Targum, i.e. ושוי למדברא, These words need not mean that Bileam addressed the spirit of impurity which resides in the desert and which caused the Israelites to fall victim to the sin of the golden calf.
Whenever Bileam wanted to receive inspiration from Hashem, the Torah first mentions that he offered an ox and a ram as burnt-offering (23,2). The reason Bileam requested Balak’s assistance in these sacrificial procedures was because he, Bileam, addressed the attribute of Mercy, whereas Balak was to address the attribute of Justice. This is the meaning of “he set his face toward the desert,” and on this occasion we do not read about Balak assisting in the procedures at all. [Our author considers Bileam alone the subject of the word ויעל פר ואיל במזבח, he did not want the attribute of Justice to be addressed at all as this would interfere with his train of thought. It is difficult to read this into the text. Ed.].

As Targum Onkelos renders. [Meaning:] He mentioned the sin of the [Golden] Calf they made in the desert.

We may also understand the word המדבר as related to דבור, speech; in Numbers 27,3 אבינו מת במדבר the Zohar volume 3 page 205 understands the word in that sense. If we follow this path Bileam referred to the fact that on each of the ten occasions on which the Israelites had angered G'd in the desert their sin consisted of what they said, i.e. דבור. Bileam was confident that amongst all the Israelites he was looking at there must have been a number who had been guilty of one or several of the rebellious comments which had angered G'd so often.

וישת אל המדבר פניו, “and he raised his eyes in the direction of the desert.” This was the region where the fields of Moav were located, the area where the Israelites were located at the time.

לקראת נחשים TO SEEK SEEK FOR ENCHANTMENTS — to practise enchantments whereby the Lord might perhaps come to meet him according to his (Balaam’s) wish. He said: Whether He wishes or does not wish to curse them, I will make mention of their sins, and the curse will fall upon them at the mention of their sins, therefore —

We can also take our cue from another comment of the Zohar volume 2 page 157 in which the מדבר, desert, is described as the "home" of Satan, i.e. the angel of death and the forces at his command. Bileam looked towards this region in order to awaken the forces of Satan, etc. Satan's armies are all hostile to Israel. Bileam was careful to say פניו, "his face," using a word describing his anger. One of the means to draw G'd near is שמחה ולב טוב, joy and being of good cheer. On the other hand, one attracts the forces of Satan when one is in a vile mood, angry, etc. Bileam displayed his bad mood, פניו, in the direction of Satan to secure his help. An example of the use of פני "My (angry) face," is found in Exodus 33,14 where G'd describes His presence as dangerous to the Jewish people when He is in the frame of mind described as פני.

וישת אל המדבר פניו HE SET HIS FACE TOWARDS THE WILDERNESS — Understand this as the Targum has it (Rashi’s Targum read, as in some editions: He directed his face towards the calf that the children of Israel had made in the wilderness).

There is still another way of explaining our verse. Bileam realised that only someone who is good himself is worthy to bless G'd's people, (compare Proverbs 22,9: "the generous man is blessed"); our sages in Sotah 38 suggest that in order to correctly understand this verse in Proverbs the word Yevorach "blessed," should be punctuated as if it had been written yevarech i.e. "he will bless." Inasmuch as Bileam was known for his avarice, he was obviously not suited to be the instrument G'd would choose to bless His people. Bileam now understood that he personally was unfit to bless the people and that the blessings which had come out of his mouth had been spoken by the angel. This is why he concluded that there was no point in heaping more sin upon himself by consulting his charms. Instead, he faced the desert, a place described in Exodus 18,5 as the place where G'd's Presence rests. Bileam made a spiritual turnabout, became a penitent, -but only in order to become worthy to bless the lsraelites.-The Torah informs us that he did not do so out of free volition, but לפנים, he did so in order to deceive G'd into believing he had done תשובה. Perhaps he did so only in order to fool the angel who had put the bar in his mouth. If he could get the angel to remove the bar, he would pronounce blessings of his own accord which were designed to cause harm to the people receiving same. According to Sanhedrin 105 he actually did so when he said כנחלים נטיו, "as valleys stretched out, etc." (24,6). The Talmud points out that this meant that the Israelites should not have orchards and vineyards. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit invalidated Bileam's evil intention, turning these so-called blessings into the real thing.

וישא בלעם את עיניו AND BALAAM LIFTED UP HIS EYES — he wished to cast the evil eye upon them. Thus you have his three characteristics — an evil eye mentioned here, and pride and greed which have been mentioned above (see Rashi on Numbers 22:13 and 18).

וישא בלעם את עיניו, Bileam raised his eyes, etc." The Torah had to write Bileam's name once more as well as the word וישא, "he raised." Seeing that we have explained earlier that the Israelites were surrounded and enveloped by G'd's protective cloud so that no evil eye could harm them, the Torah had to tell us that Bileam "raised" his eyes, i.e. that he invoked the prophetic powers with which he had been equipped, in order to see what ordinary people could not see (compare verse 4: "who sees the vision of G'd…with open eyes"). The Torah describes things Bileam saw with his mental eye. His name was mentioned here once more in order to make clear that what Bileam did here he did in his capacity as a prophet designated by G'd to the Gentile nations. He succeeded in seeing the Israelites as a result of invoking these powers G'd had equipped him with.

ותהי עליו רוח אלוקים, “the spirit of G’d remained upon him.” Now the hand of Hashem rested upon Bileam similar to the phenomena experienced by true prophets. This is similar to what Moses had had in mind when he told Joshua that he wished every member of the Jewish people would be endowed with the kind of prophetic visions granted to Eldod and Meydod. (Numbers 11,29) As a result of this experience Bileam was now able to refer to himself as

וירא את ישראל שוכן לשבטיו, “He saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes.” He saw the flags arranged in proper order. He noted that the entrances of the tents did not face each other so as to preserve a maximum of privacy for each family at all times. This would prevent an evil eye damaging the air-space of one’s neighbour. As soon as he realised the purpose of this arrangement, he exclaimed: “how goodly are your tents O Yaakov” (Baba Batra 60).

To induce the evil eye in them. For if not so, why did he raise his eyes now more than at other times?

V. 2. וישא וגו׳. Als er aber seine Augen aufhub und Israel "לשבטיו" in seinen nach Häusern und Familien gegliederten Stämmen gelagert sah, da sah er in diesem Anblick bereits die Antwort auf Balaks Frage gegeben vor sich, und "es kam auf ihn Gottes Geist" — er war nicht, wie die ersten beiden Male, widerwilliges Organ der ihm in den Mund gelegten Worte Gottes; was er fortan spricht, spricht er im reinen Geist, der Prophetie.

שכן לשבטיו DWELLING ACCORDING TO HIS TRIBES — He saw each tribe dwelling by itself not intermingled one with another; he saw that the entrances of their tents were not exactly facing each other so that one could not peer into the other's tent (Bava Batra 60a).

נאם הגבר, “the words of the man, etc.” Bileam referred to himself as גבר, “man,” in the masculine sense of the word, seeing that the masculine rooster has intuitive knowledge of the moment dawn breaks. Bileam claimed similar knowledge of the “moods” of the Lord, as we pointed out earlier (compare Berachot 7 which states that he was the only human being able to do this). The rooster is the only one of the birds which possesses this talent. The rooster is credited with calling out seven times during the night. We also find that Bileam raised his voice i.e. וישא משלו, on seven different occasions during his visit to Balak. Just as the rooster is the sexually most promiscuous animal amongst the birds, mating with innumerable hens, so Bileam was stooped in sexual licentiousness, sleeping with any female he could get hold of. The reason that the rooster is not acceptable as an offering on the altar is precisely because of its sexual mores. Bileam is reputed to have slept even with his ass, and it is not surprising therefore that he tried to seduce the Israelites into becoming similarly indiscriminate in their sex life (compare Sanhedrin 105).

It occurred to him not to curse them. Rashi wishes to answer why Scripture wrote, “And the spirit of Hashem rested upon him,” which implies that [a spirit of] prophecy was upon him, but it does not specify afterwards what the prophecy was. Rather, the Torah recounts the praise of Yisroel, and he explains, “It occurred to him…” as if the Torah had stated that a different sprit was upon him, which was the spirit of Hashem that caused him not to curse. (Divrei Dovid) In the Gemara (Bava Basra 60a) Rabbi Yochanan states: He saw that the entrances to their tents did not face each other and he said, “They are fit to have the Divine Presence rest upon them.” There Tosafos explain that one learns this because afterwards it is written, “The spirit of Hashem rested upon him.” However, this requires explanation because the Torah says, “The spirit of Hashem rested upon him” in reference to Bil’am. Rather, one must say that the explanation is as follows: There is a difficulty with the verse because it states, “He saw Yisroel encamped according to its tribes, and the spirit [of Hashem] rested upon him.” This implies prayer, [i.e.,] that he prayed for them that the Divine Presence would rest. [Consequently, we must explain that] whenever a person prays [on behalf of someone] and he needs the same thing, he is answered first. Here too, Bil’am merited that the spirit of Hashem rested upon him. This is why Rashi writes that it occurred to him not to curse them, since the spirit of Hashem had come upon him. Gur Aryeh explains why he wished to curse them that they not have Synagogues and Study Halls. Bil’am wished to remove the Divine Presence from their midst. [We find] a similar teaching regarding Study Halls: “From the day that the Temple was destroyed, Hashem only has [i.e., rests His Presence upon] four amos of Halachah.” Bil’am’s only intention was to separate the Divine Presence from Yisroel. However, Hashem reversed this and he blessed them saying, “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov, your dwelling places, Yisroel.” Furthermore, [one may explain the blessing] based on [the verse], “The voice is the voice of Yaakov,” [whose Midrashic interpretation is]: As long as the voice is the voice of Yaakov [i.e., Yisroel are engaged in prayer and study], the hands are not the hands of Eisav [i.e., he is powerless].

וירא את ישראל שכן לשבטיו, "He observed the Israelites encamped according to their tribes. He was overcome by the Holy Spirit." Bileam discovered two things of importance. 1) The Israelites were disciplined, each tribe occupying the area assigned to it, their leader at their head. The reason for this separation of the tribes was that each tribe represented a spiritual level all its own. 2) The Holy Spirit rested on the people. It is also possible that Bileam realised the truth of the statement in Baba Batra 60 that the reason the people qualified to have the Holy Spirit rest on them and to have become the מרכבה, G'd's chariot, as it were, was that each tribe had arranged to be a closed unit.

ותהי עליו רוח אלהים AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS UPON HIM — Then he made up his mind not to curse them (i.e. he decided to comply with the will of God, רוח אלהים).

בנו בער — The grammatical form בנו is exactly like that in (Psalms 114:8) “To a spring of (מעינו) water” (see Rashi on Numbers 23:18). But a Midrashic statement is: Both of them (Balak and Balaam) were superior to their fathers, for it states (Numbers 23:18): “Balak — his son was Zippor”, i.e. that his father (Zippor) was his son (his inferior) in respect to royalty, and Balaam was greater than his father in prophecy (because it states here, בלעם בנו בעור i.e. Balaam — his son was Beor): he was, so to speak, a Maneh, son of a Half-Maneh (Sanhedrin 105a, Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13, cf. Taanit 28b).

SHETHUM HA’AYIN.’ The commentators have not found the root of this word [shethum] anywhere else in Scripture. Onkelos translated it: “who sees well,” as [if to say] “open-eyed,” and in the language of the Sages we find:²⁰⁶Abodah Zarah 69a. “sufficient time sheyishtom and to close it up” — meaning to say: [enough time to open a hole in the barrel of wine] — and to stop it up again. Perhaps the word [shethum] is a composite one [consisting of the two words shethui mah — “whatever is put” before the eye], from the root ‘shithi’ (My setting) these My signs,²⁰⁷Exodus 10:1. Thus, unlike Rashi and R’dak who explain the word shethum on the basis of the root shatham found in the Mishnah, Ramban explains it on the basis of Biblical language. [and here it means] that Balaam is a person [of whom one can use the phrase] “whatever is put” [before him] — because he understands everything that he puts his eye upon.

וישא משלו, "He began his parable, etc." Why were these two words necessary? We also need to know why he had to say: "says Bileam, etc." Who did not know that Bileam was speaking? Furthermore, why did Bileam have to tel us once more who his father was? Besides, why did he have to give details about identifying marks on his body? What did he mean when he said: "who hears the words of G'd?" If he meant to boast that he was privy to communications from G'd, why had he waited so long to do this?

שתום העין, someone whose yes were open, someone granted divine visions, as we have been told in Avodah Zarah 69. [ what we have been told there is that the expression שתום refers to the brief moment which elapses between opening one’s eye and blinking before closing it again. Ed.]

According to Midrash Aggadah: Both of them were greater… [This refers to] Bil’am and Balak. Previously concerning Balak it is written (23:18), בלק בנו…צפור [lit. "Balak… his son was Tzipor"], which also meant that he was the son, and that Tzipor his father was similar to Balak. However, Rashi did not explain [that he was greater than his father] above in the comment on בנו צפור. The answer is that above one might have said that the vav was superfluous, as with the vav in למעינו מים ["into a spring of water"]. However here he expounds it, given that the Torah writes בנו בעור [having written בנו for] a second time, implying for it to be expounded. Subsequently, one also learns from here the meaning of בנו צפור.

VV. 3 u. 4. וישא וגו׳. Dieser רוח אלקי scheint ihm selber ein neuer gewesen zu sein, darum ist er, wie keiner der Propheten Israels, zu allererst von sich voll und kann über die Beschreibung seines neuen Zustandes und seiner gehobenen geistigen Persönlichkeit nicht zu seinem eigentlichen Worte kommen. — נאם (siehe Bereschit 5, 30-31). — בנו בעור (vergl. Kap. 23, 18). Sanhedrin 105a wird der Ausdruck im entgegen — gesetzten Verhältnis, als wir geglaubt, gefasst: אביו בנו הוא לו בנביאות, Bileam, dessen Vater Beor sich als Sohn zu ihm verhält, der als Prophet den Vater überflügelt.

When Bil’am saw that it was favorable. He saw that they were favorable to Hashem. He did not approach, as at each time, towards sorcery. In other words, he did not search after their transgressions that were committed as a result of the first נחש (serpent). But he set his face toward the wilderness. This is according to the Midrash (Shemos Rabbah 2:4): Who is this rising up (עולה) from the wilderness? (Shir HaShirim) — all the good qualities (מעלתן) of Yisroel were [acquired] from the wilderness. The intention of this Midrash is that, due to the trait of humility that Yisroel possessed — that they made themselves as the wilderness upon which everyone tramples — Yisroel merited all the good qualities. As soon as Bil'am turned his eyes towards all the good qualities that Yisroel merited from the wilderness, intending to infect them with an evil eye, his eye was immediately blinded. Therefore, Bil'am refers to himself as, the man of the open-socketed eye, (v.3) specifically on this occasion.

שתום העין WITH THE PENETRATING EYE — his eye was bored out and had been extracted and its eye socket could be seen to be open. The word שתום used in the sense of “boring a hole” is a Mishnaic usage: sufficient time that we can bore a hole (ישתום) in the cask and stop it up, and it (the clay of which the stopper is made) can dry (Avodah Zarah 69a). And our Rabbis said, Because he had said, (Numbers 23:10) ומספר את רבע ישראל, meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, occupies Himself with counting the issue of the marital life of the Israelites, awaiting the time when a righteous man will be born, he therefore said to himself, “Does He who is holy and whose ministers are holy direct his mind to matters such as these?” On this account Balaam’s eye was blinded (Niddah 31a). But some explain that שתום העין means “open-eyed”, just as Onkelos translated (“who can see well”). And since it says, שתום העין "with an open eye” and it does not say, “with open eyes”, we may learn that in one of his eyes he was blind (Sanhedrin 105a).

He was a coin, son of half a coin. As if to say he was a litra [measure], son of half a litra [measure].

We must remember that up until this moment Bileam had uttered only words which the angel had put in his mouth; all the words he had spoken were the complete opposite of what he wished to say. Now he was anxious that G'd should agree with what he would utter, i.e. that the words he would say would be considered as if he had spoken them willingly. He was quite prepared that G'd would turn any curse he would try into a blessing. However, he wanted to make sure that if he were to pronounce a blessing G'd would not invoke His power to bless but would accept Bileam's words of blessing as they were. This was especially so if you accept our second interpretation on the words "he turned his face to the desert," where we explained that he pretended to have become a בעל תשובה, a penitent, and to thereby become fit to bless the Jewish people. The verse then may be understood as follows: וישא משלו, Bileam referred to a parable which originated with him personally, not with the angel. Once we accept this approach we can easily understand the quote from Sanhedrin 105 that his blessings were couched in such a language that they were actually curses as in כנחלים נטיו. These נחלים, rivulets which flow through the valley, are brooks which dry up in the summer so that they do not irrigate orchards adjoining them. The Holy Spirit corrected Bileam, adding the word נטיו, i.e. that not as Bileam meant that they would run dry, but they would continue to flow in every season. The Torah continued כאהלים נטע השם, "as aloes planted by the Lord;" actually, Bileam had not wanted to say the additional words "which G'd has planted;" he had only wanted to single out a category of plant which has a short life; G'd altered the meaning by adding the words: "planted by the Lord," i.e. enduring. In this fashion G'd added whatever was necessary to Bileam's "blessings" in order to make real blessings out of them, not hidden curses. If Bileam's words had been spoken by the angel just as previously, why would the angel phrase them so that they could be perceived as curses in disguise? It is dear therefore, that what we have here are words which Bileam spoke of his own accord although G'd added something in each case in order to blunt his evil intention.

שתם .שתם kommt nur noch in der Mischna (Aboda Sara 109 a) als Gegenteil von סתם vor: כדי שישתום ויסתום ויגוב, wo es das Öffnen eines Spundes bedeutet. שתם העין: er fühlt sich jetzt erst geöffneten Auges. מחזה שדי: das, was der über der Weltordnung Stehende, Maß und Ziel, Gesetz und Ordnung Setzende von dieser Seiner Weltordnung den Sterblichen sehen lassen will (siehe Bereschit 17, 1). —נפל: der über ihn gekommene רוח אלקים hat ihn überwältigt, aber er ist dabei גלוי עינים, sein Geist ist hell und wach.

Enough for it to have been opened sealed and dried. [The Mishnah] is speaking about yayin nesech [wine handled by gentiles]. It teaches that if a barrel of wine was in the house of a gentile and remained there [for a length of time that the gentile] could make an opening in the barrel, remove some wine and then seal and wipe it, meaning that the seal would dry, as Targum Onkelos translates חרבו המים ["the water dried" (Bereishis 8:13)] as נגובו [“dried”], then it would be considered yayin nesech. From there we see that שתום is an expression of open.

This then is why the Torah wrote three distinct statements to make it unmistakably clear that here we speak about Bileam initiating these blessings. 1) נאם בלעם (3 ,ויאמר (2 ,וישא משלו. It should be recorded forever who it was who thought up these words and uttered them. The reason that Bileam (or the Torah) recorded three separate words identifying the speaker may be analogous to what we learned in the Mishnah Peah 7,1. We are taught there that in order to be certain that a farmer is guilty of violating the law against harvesting fruit from trees he had previously forgotten (שכחה), none of the following three conditions must obtain: 1) The olive tree in question must not be known by a particular name. 2) its produce must not be of a particularly well known quality. 3) The tree in question must not be known because of its specific location. The Mishnah rules that if any of these three conditions applies to the tree in question, it is not conceivable that the owner "forgot" to harvest it when he harvested the rest of the orchard, and therefore he is allowed to pluck the olives from this tree even when this appears to be an afterthought. In our verse, the words "the son of Be-Or" identify the speaker just as the Mishnah identifies the tree. The reason the Torah did not write the usual בן, "son of," but בנו, "his son," is to remind us that Bileam's father was inferior to Bileam the son in achievements. It is also possible that all the Torah wanted to tell us was that Be-Or had only one son, Bileam. If you were to say that he did have additional sons, then the Torah meant that the only son of his who counted was Bileam. As to the specific quality of the fruit of the tree in question mentioned in our Mishnah in Peah the Torah writes הגבר שתום העין, the man whose piercing look would cause harm to anyone he set his eyes on. This is why he had to make it a habit to close his eye i.e. סותם עינו, to avoid killing people indiscriminately. Alternatively, his left eye was distinguished in some way. According to the commentators who understand the expression שתום העין to mean that his eye was opened, it means that when he used to open this eye he would inflict harm on the objects he looked at. Concerning the third identifying mark mentioned in the Mishnah in Peah, the specific location of the tree in question, the Torah wrote שומע אמרי א־ל, "the one who hears the words of G'd," i.e. that he stood in a place where the power of prophecy descended upon him.

Some interpret שתום as “of the open eye.” As if to say that he had better vision than other people.

We now have to explain why Bileam said three times of himself that he was speaking, i.e. נאם. This may have to do with three distinct hidden powers Bileam possessed. 1) He was endowed with special powers at birth, something he inherited in his genes. 2) He acquired special powers due to certain deeds of his, just like any person who acquires psychic or spiritual powers due to a certain lifestyle. 3) G'd endowed him with certain powers in order to defuse the claim of the Gentile nations that if only they would have had a prophet such as Moses, they too would have distinguished themselves spiritually just as the Jewish people had done (compare Bamidbar Rabbah 20,1). Bileam intended to bring to bear all of his three powers in his speeches. Concerning the powers he had inherited by way of his genes he said נאם בלעם בנו בעור; he made a point of describing himself as the son of Be-Or instead of describing himself as "a son of Be-Or" so as to avoid the impression that his father had possessed these powers in even greater measure than he himself. He was only interested in underlining his own part in these powers. Concerning the psychic spiritual powers he had acquired on his own, he said נאם הגבר, "says the man." The word גבר is also an allusion to גבורה, heroism or bravery. When he added the words שתום העין, he may have referred to something in the Zohar volume 3 page 208 that he made a pilgrimage to Azza and Azael (names of deities, fallen angels) where he acquired spiritually negative powers. There he gained insights into many mystical matters at the same time finding the acquisition of these powers very exhausting, as described there by the Zohar. Finally, concerning the powers G'd endowed him with, Bileam described himself as שומע אמרי א־ל. He repeated the importance of this element among his powers by adding the word ומחזה, calling attention to the fact that he enjoyed visions granted to him by G'd. He referred to two levels of prophetic powers 1) He could hear G'd's words; 2) He could see visions when addressed by G'd. When he added the words נפל וגלוי עינים, "falling down yet with eyes open," he described his reaction when receiving communications from G'd. If the communication was visual, he would fall down at the time. If it was merely aural, he was able to absorb such messages with eyes open, i.e. without having to go into a trance.

But did not say, “Of the open eyes.” Rashi wishes to answer the question: Surely we have a tradition that Bil’am was blind, so how could he explain that Bil’am was of open eye, which implies that he had good vision? Therefore he explains that it does not say, “Of open eyes…”

נפל וגלוי עינים FALLING BUT HAVING HIS EYES OPEN — Its plain sense is as the Targum has it (“lying down when it was revealed to him”), meaning, that God revealed Himself to him only at night when he was lying on his bed. — And a Midrashic explanation of it is: When He revealed Himself to him he had no strength to stand on his feet, and he, therefore, fell on his face — because he was uncircumcised and it was therefore a loathsome thing that He should reveal Himself to him whilst he stood in an erect posture before Him (cf. Tar. Jon. and Rashi on Genesis 17:3).

אשר מחזה שדי יחזה, sometimes, when he was asleep in bed, and sometimes with his eyes open, i.e. גלוי עיניפ in daytime. At the time he was speaking these lines he was granted prophetic vision in full daylight. The word נופל means that the subject had no control over his body, compare Samuel I 31,8.

שומע אמרי א-ל, “the one who has first-hand experience in hearing G’d’s words.” This was another way of declaring himself as a prophet.

According to the Midrash… he did not have the strength to stand. For according to the plain meaning there is the difficulty why it states “fallen,” since it should have said “lying with opened eyes.”

אשר מחזה שדי יחזה, “who sees the vision of the Almighty;” an expression announcing that what follows is of prophetic dimension. It is similar to Numbers 23,3 where Bileam looked forward to being shown parts of the future so that he could reveal it at this time.

אשר מחזה שדי יחזה, “who sees the vision of Shaddai.” He had now received the kind of vision which men such as the patriarchs enjoyed when at the beginning of Avraham’s career the Torah reports in Exodus 6,3וארא אל אברהם, אל יצחק, ואל יעקב בא-ל שדי, “I appeared to Avraham, to Yitzchok, and to Yaakov in My capacity as the G’d Shadday.” It is also possible that here we speak about one rung lower for מחזה שדי is not equivalent to א-ל שדי.

מה טבו אהליך HOW GOODLY ARE THY TENTS — He said this because he saw that the entrances of their tents were not exactly facing each other (Bava Batra 60a; cf. v. 2).

!מה טובו אהליך יעקב; a reference to the Torah academies. [the word אהל in that sense dates back to Genesis 25,27 where Yaakov is described as יושב אהלים a dweller in tents.” It was also used in this sense by Noach when he blessed his son Shem (Genesis 9,27) We find it even more prominently as possessing this meaning in Exodus 33,7 “anyone desirous of finding the presence of G’d would go out to the Tent of Testimony.”

מה טובו אהליך יעקב, "How goodly are your tents O Jacob," etc. Bileam addresses both categories of Israelites in this verse. Concerning the average Israelite who studies Torah only occasionally, relatively briefly, Bileam spoke of the "tents of Jacob," i.e. temporary dwellings. Concerning the elite of the Israelites, the ones who make Torah the mainstay of their daily lives, Bileam spoke of the משכנות, the permanent residences. In the homes of the צדיקים Torah finds a permanent home.

VV. 5 u. 6. מה טובו וגו׳. Wie siehst du das Volk מראש פעור, war die Balaksfrage, wie steht es zur Keuschheit, zur Sittlichkeit der Geschlechter? Das Lager "לשבטיו", das er vor sich sah, die אהלי יעקב, die משכנות ישראל, die es ermöglichen, dass jedes Kind seinen Vater kennt, und nach der Vaterschaft sich Häuser und Familien und Stämme gruppieren — משפחת האב קרויה משפחה —: das ist der Maßstab für die Sittlichkeit der Geschlechter.

מה טובו אהליך יעקב, ”how goodly are your tents, Yaakov;” In the Talmud tractate Sanhedrin folio 105 treatment of this verse, Rabbi Yochanan is quoted as saying that the wording, i.e. the metaphors of Bileam’s blessings reveal that these blessings had been involuntary. He had intended to point to the paucity of synagogues and houses of Torah study, but what came out of his mouth were words of admiration for same. He referred to these houses of studies now as if they were equivalent to Tabernacles devoted to G–d as His residence, i.e. משכנותיך ישראל. Instead of saying that its dynasties would be short lived, he said that they would flow like rivers. Instead of saying that they would not enjoy orchards and vineyards, he said: כגנות על נהר, “like gardens situate near a river;” (for easy irrigation) Rabbi Yochanan there continues in this vein. An alternate interpretation by Rabbi Abba bar kahane: all of Bileam’s blessings eventually turned into curses when the Jewish people did not live up to the idealistic version of them he had painted, except the blessings concerning the synagogues and houses of Torah study. A different scholar understands the word נטיו, derived from נטיה, meaning: “propensity,” rivers having a propensity, inclination, to wend their way through the landscape in a certain fashion sometimes becoming wider or narrower depending on the contours of the landscape surrounding them. Bileam suggests that the fortunes of the Jewish people in the future will parallel what we observe with rivers. Isaiah uses the same simile in Isaiah 66,12, when he said: נוטה אליה כנהר שלום, “like a river at peace.” (as opposed to flood in the next simile of the prophet) Bileam’s similes reflect the changing experiences of rivers and streams as reflecting Jewish history in the future. The more active the rivers, the more they symbolise powerful blessings for the Jewish people. Isaiah 54,2 is also a metaphor describing this concept where it is applied to the earth’s solid surface.

מה טובו אוהליך יעקב, “how goodly are your tents o Yaakov.” The reason that Bileam complimented the Jewish people in these terms is that Yaakov had been described by the Torah as: איש תם יושב אהלים, “a quiet man, a dweller in tents.” (Genesis 25,27)

How goodly. Bil'am prophesized that the spirit of Hashem and bounty from the upper worlds cleave to Yisroel in this lowly physical world.

משכנתיך means thy encampments, as the Targum has it. — Another explanation — מה טבו אהליך HOW GOODLY ARE THY TENTS — How goodly are the tent of Shiloh and the Temple when these flourished, in that sacrifices were offered therein to atone for you;

משכנותיך, a reference to the synagogues of the Jews all over, as well as to their Temples when these existed. The reason that Bileam said מה טובו, an unusual formulation, is that he wanted to make plain that the Torah academies are not only of benefit to the people who study in them, but that they also are good in a transitive sense, i.e. their very existence is of benefit to the entire nation. The very name יעקב also contains such a dual meaning. On the one hand it appears to have a negative connotation, but it also symbolises עקב a heel, something at the tail end of matters, meaning after everything else has already disappeared the עקב still remains, endures. The name “Israel” that was added to Yaakov’s name was justified by this thought, that its bearer had come out of a confrontation with celestial forces and had survived, had endured. If Israel could contend with celestial forces successfully, it would certainly be able to do so with terrestrial forces, i.e. עם אנשים, (Genesis 32,29).

Bileam may also have alluded to two different time frames when distinguishing between "tents" and "residences," respectively. In Exodus 26,7 the Torah speaks of the coverings of the Tabernacle making a tent of it. When Bileam spoke of the "tents of Jacob," he referred to this element the Tabernacle represented. In Kings I 8,1 where Solomon dedicates the Holy Temple, he describes G'd as taking up residence in a permanent home, using the word לשכון for residing somewhere permanently. When Bileam spoke of the משכנות ישראל, he referred to the time when the permanent Temple would be built. The reason Bileam spoke of either dwelling in the plural i.e. אהליך and משכנותיך is that both the Tabernacle and the Holy Temple consisted of different levels of holiness in that the Holy of Holies was more sacred than the Sanctuary in front of the dividing curtain.

מה טבו wie "gut" nicht: wie "schön" wie gut, wie sehr dem Sittenideal und der wahren Wohlfahrt eines Volkes entsprechend sind deine "Häuser", sie mögen flüchtige Wanderzelte "Jakobs" sein, oder stolze, festere Wohnungen "Israels!" (משכנות vergl. משכנותם לדור ודור Ps. 48, 12; וישב עמי בנוי שלום ובמשכנות מבטחים Jes. 32, 18). Israels Familienstätten sind נחלים und גנות, sie sind Segen bringende "Bäche" und selbst gesegnete "Gärten". Jedes Haus und jeder Familienzweig führt Bach gleich den Segen leiblicher, geistiger und sittlicher Wohlfahrt auf jedes kommende Geschlecht hinab, und ist selbst in jeder seiner Gegenwart ein leiblich, geistig und sittlich gesegneter Menschengarten. Sie sind in ihrer Gesondertheit in besonderer Eigentümlichkeit ihren Lauf nehmende Bäche, die aber alle wieder einem Strome ihre Errungenschaften zuführen, und sie sind gleichzeitig Gärten, die ihren Blüte- und Fruchtsegen einem gemeinsamen Strome verdanken. Sie sind zu gleicher Zeit אהלים und ארזים, vereinigen die ätherische Aloewürze mit der festen Zedernstärke, das Wohltuende edler und adelnder Geistigkeit mit der Ausdauer und Kraft. — אהלים wie מר אהלים וקנמון (Prov. 7, 17) מר ואהלות עם כל ראשי בשמים (Hohel. 4, 14). Das ätherisch Geistige der אהלים und insbesondere die dadurch vergegenwärtigte geistige Begabung der Israelgeschlechter ist eine unmittelbare Gottesspende, bedingt durch die Pflanzung nach Gottes Willen, daher: אהלים נטע ד׳, und das Wasser, der Leben und Kraft bringende Quell, an welchem diese Menschenzedern wachsen.

'כאהלים נטע ה, “like aloes planted by Hashem.” This is a metaphor recalling the excellence of the plants in the garden (Eden) which G–d Himself had planted. (Compare Genesis 2,8)

משכנתיך How goodly are they even when they are in ruins, because then they are a pledge (משכון) for you, and the fact that they are in ruins is an atonement for your souls, as it is said. (Lamentations 4:11) “The Lord hath brought His fury to an end”. And by what means hath He brought it to an end? “He hath kindled a fire in Zion! (i.e. hath destroyed the Temple) (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 11).

כנחלים נטיו AS THE BROOKS THAT WIND — which lengthen and draw themselves out so that they extend (נטיו) into the distance. — Our Rabbis said: From the blessings uttered by that wicked man we may learn what was in his heart as regards cursing them, when he thought to set his face towards the wilderness (cf. v. 1). When the Omnipresent turned the words of his mouth he uttered blessings corresponding to the contents of those curses which he had wished to pronounce as it is related in the chapter beginning with the word חלק Sanhedrin 105a.

כנחלים נטיו, for indeed Torah academies and synagogues are for the multitude what the brooks carrying water to irrigate their fields are as a material blessing. People spend their times in Torah academies and synagogues will receive for their souls what their fields receive from the waters of the brooks Bileam describes. This is why he used the simile כגנות עלי נהר, “as the gardens alongside a river.” These gardens never fail to deliver the fruit expected of them. Our sages paraphrase this when they said that the covenant of the 13 attributes of G’d He made with Moses means that he who invokes them in his prayer will be assured that he will have at least part of his prayer granted. (Rosh Hashanah 17)

כנחלים נטיו, "As valleys stretched out, etc." Our sages in Sanhedrin 105 offer many interpretations on this verse. I believe we may do well to explain the verse in the following manner. Bileam speaks of four different groups of righteous people amongst the Jewish nation. One category is similar to the prophet Samuel who used to tour the whole land of Israel year after year in order to spread Torah knowledge (Shabbat 56). The second group of righteous men are the ones who made their headquarters on the Temple Mount near the Sanctuary teaching and judging. Actually, this group is not basically different from people such as the prophet Samuel except that people wishing to hear the word of G'd had to come there instead of the word of G'd coming to them. The group of people who emulate the prophet Samuel are superior to this group as they bring the word of G'd to all parts of the country. The third category of righteous people is the group who study Torah for its own sake, i.e. without ulterior motives. The group mentioned previously is superior in that it not only studies but also teaches. The fourth category of the righteous are the ones who provide the financial backing for those who study by going out to earn the money necessary to support both themselves and the people studying Torah.

כנחלים נטיו, brooks which run in a straight course.

כנחלים נטיו, “stretching like brooks;” Our verse uses four separate expressions describing the dwellings of the Jewish people. The four expressions correspond to the four flags of each of the four camps of the people in the desert. Each expression symbolizes another type of enjoyment, delight. Our sages in Taanit 20 consider the curse with which the prophet Achiah Hashiloni cursed Israel as better than the blessing bestowed on the Jewish people by Bileam [Compare Kings I 14,15: “The Lord will strike Israel (the ten tribes) until it sways like a reed in water.”] You will note that reeds have a habit of bending with the wind without breaking, not being uprooted by the most powerful winds, whereas the cedars which Bileam used as similes for Israel in his blessings are prone to being uprooted by the wind. When that happens the trunk will not rehabilitate itself.

They stretch forth like streams. This refers to the tents of the women. This matter, as is known (Taanis 23b), is that the benefit women bestow upon the poor is close at hand, such as through their acts of charity and kindness. Charity (צדקה) is compared to a flowing river; charity is seeking to bestow goodness to others, as a river. The ultimate kindness performed by the Jewish women is when, through it, others are brought to Torah and serving Hashem. For women, on their own, do not possess holiness of Torah and serving Hashem. Rather, they are like a purifying mikveh for Yisroel, which brings about holiness. For this reason, the well of water in the desert was provided in the merit of Miriam, and when she died, it left.

How goodly. The reason Bil'am did not want them to possess synagogues and academies of Torah study was in order to separate, God forbid, the spirit of Hashem from Yisroel. For all the while they possess synagogues and academies of Torah study, the spirit of Hashem is among them. Furthermore, because of (Bereishis 27:22), The voice is the voice of Yaakov; through their synagogues and academies of Torah study, the enemies of Yisroel have no effect on them and are unable to harm them.

כאהלים — Understand this as the Targum does (“as aromatic plants”), — taking it in the same meaning as in (Psalms 45:9) “Myrrh and aloes (אהלים).

כאהלים, similar to the same word in Song of Songs 4,14 מר ואהלות, “myrrh and aloes.” The vowels patch under the letters כ in the words כאהלים and כארזים are justified as they substitute for the semi vowel sheva which could not be used twice in a row. Seeing the next letter had a chataf patach. We find similar construction in Isaiah 44,4 כערבים על יבלי מים,

Bileam had something to say with regard to each of these four groups of righteous Jews. He compared the members of the category who model themselves after the prophet Samuel by describing them as "brooks which stretch out," to describe the way they reach out spreading their Torah knowledge. He complimented these people for being like drawers of water enabling others to drink. He described the second category of the righteous, the ones who study and dispense knowledge and justice on the Temple Mount as "gardens along the river;" a garden has been planted as a fixture and anyone who wishes can come and avail himself of what it has to offer. The fruits of this garden eventually reach all corners of the country when the people who had come there take the fruit with them. This is what the prophet Isaiah had in mind when he said (Isaiah 2,3) that "Torah emanates from Zion and the word of G'd from Jerusalem." The third category of the righteous, the ones who isolate themselves in study for study's sake but who do not interact much with the community they live in, Bileam compared to aloes "planted by G'd;" they are similar to Jacob whom the Torah described as a loner, "a man living in his tent" i.e. devoting his life to study. [The author uses the letters of the word aholim in the text as if they had been vocalised oholim "tents." Ed.] The reason Bileam used the word נטיעה, "planted" in this context is that the older these plants (aloes) become the more roots they develop i.e. their souls become ever more deeply rooted in Torah values. Finally, concerning the fourth category of the righteous the ones who provide the material wherewithal for those who study and/or disseminate Torah, Bileam describes them as towering cedars. This is hyperbole for the men of physical and spiritual stature of this world. Although they possess all these attributes they do not yield fruit as they have not studied Torah themselves.

נטע ה' (LIKE THE ALOES] WHICH THE LORD HATH PLANTED in the Garden of Eden. - Another explanation: כאהלים נטע ה׳ LIKE TENTS WHICH THE LORD HATH PLANTED — i.e., like the heavens which are stretched forth as a tent (cf. Isaiah 40:22: וימתחם כאהל לשבת).

I have written repeatedly about the fact that the only true "fruit" is the fruit resulting from Torah study. It behooves us to study what the Zohar volume 3 page 202 has written on Deut. 20,19: "do not destroy its trees." The author understands the trees mentioned in that verse as a reference to Torah scholars, whose Torah knowledge is considered as the fruit they yield. Bileam adds the words עלי מים, that these cedars grow near sources of water to explain the reason why they endure. Water is a simile for the Torah which stands by people who study it, just as water is an indispensable part of physical life. People who enable the Torah scholars to keep on studying by providing their physical needs share fully in the rewards of these scholars, as we have documented repeatedly. The entire blessing is meant to describe all of the Israelites as deeply rooted in sanctity, even the section of the population which devotes itself to the pursuit of material goals in order to share the results with the Torah students.

נטע ה׳ [LIKE TENTS] WHICH THE LORD HAS PLANTED — We can speak of planting a tent for we find the expression “planting” in connection with tents, as it is said, (Daniel 11:45) “And he shall plant (ויטע) the tents of his palace”.

מדליו means OUT OF HIS SPRINGS, and its explanation is as given in the Targum (“The king appointed from amongst his sons shall be great”).

AND HIS KING SHALL BE HIGHER THAN AGAG. “Their first king [Saul] will conquer Agag²⁰⁸I Samuel 15:8. king of the Amalekites. Agag is here called by his name before he was born.²⁰⁹This whole paragraph — from “Agag is here called” until “…before they were born” — is not found in our texts of Rashi. Similar cases are [the expressions]: to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden;²¹⁰Isaiah 45:1. Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name.²¹¹I Kings 13:2. So also were the names of Isaac,²¹²Genesis 17:19. Ishmael,²¹³Ibid., 16:11. and Solomon²¹⁴I Chronicles 22:9. [given before they were born]. AND HIS KINGDOM — that is, Jacob’s — SHALL BE EXALTED more and more, because David and his son Solomon will come after him [Saul].” This is Rashi’s language, and he has explained it well.
It is possible that every king of the Amalekite people was called Agag, because the first king whom they set up over them was so called [Agag], and thus all his descendants who occupied his throne were called by his name,²¹⁵Thus there is no need to say, as Rashi did, that Agag here refers to the specific Amalekite king of King Saul’s days, and that his name is foretold a few hundred years before he was born, as Scripture would not foretell the birth of a wicked man. as are most kings even nowadays, who are called by the name of those who [originally] seized the kingdom. So also Haman the Agagite²¹⁶Esther 3:1. [was so called] because he was a descendant of that royal family. For it is unlikely that the prophet [Balaam] would cite the name of a wicked man [Agag] even before he was formed in the womb.²¹⁷See Jeremiah 1:5. So also [the name] Gog²¹⁸Ezekiel 39:1. was one by which all the princes of Magog were called.
Thus Balaam added with this third prophecy of his [to his previous two prophecies] by telling Balak that Jacob’s tents are goodly,²¹⁹Verse 5. referring to the period from the time that they were dwellers in tents until they would inherit the land [of Canaan], and the dwellings of Israel²¹⁹Verse 5. after the conquest and division of the Land will also be good, meaning that they will dwell therein in safe habitations. And [Balaam further informed Balak that] Israel’s land will be full of all goodly things, like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not,²²⁰Isaiah 58:11. and that Israel will conquer Amalek because he attacked him, and will destroy his memory; and that the kingdom of Israel will be even more exalted,²²¹Verse 7. because they will have afterwards mighty kings, who will be exceedingly elevated. And he further told him that Israel would eat up his adversaries and break their bones in pieces,²²²Verse 8. referring to their wealth and all their belongings. And [finally, in Verse 9] he told him that Israel would dwell in the Land safely, fearing no people, as a lion, and as a lioness that does not fear any ravenous beast.²²³Isaiah 35:9. And so now Balak despaired of [ever fighting] Israel, for [he realized that] if he would fight against him, he would be truly destroyed, for Israel would eat up all his adversaries²²²Verse 8. in the same way that he would destroy Amalek because he attacked him. Therefore Balak now told Balaam to flee to his place,²²⁴Verse 11. for he has no more desire for him [and his counsel].

יזל מים מדליו, "Water will flow from his buckets, etc." We have a tradition expressed in Shemot Rabbah 28,6 that every Israelite received his personal share in the Torah [some insight not revealed to someone else at the revelation at Mount Sinai; this was why all the souls who had not yet been assigned bodies were present at that time. Rabbi Moshe Alshich elaborates on this. Ed.] This is the reason Moses called the Torah מורשה in Deut. 33,4 (compare Pessachim 49). The Talmud suggests that the word Morashah could be read as Me-orassah, "betrothed." The "bucket" Bileam speaks about is the common source from which all the Torah insights are derived. Moses is considered as the one who filled this "bucket" with water originally, i.e. that all these insights have been alluded to in the written Torah.

וירום מאגג מלכו, a reference to King Sha-ul. Every ruler of the people of Amalek was always called Agag, just as Egyptian rulers were called Pharaoh, and just as the rulers of the Philistines were always known as Avimelech. Kings of Jerusalem in those days always had a title incorporating the word צדק, such as Malki Tzedek, and Adoni Tzedek.

וירם מאגג מלכו, “his king shall be exalted over Agog.” According to Rashi this is a reference to the king of Amalek, who had been named by Bileam before he was even born. Nachmanides writes that it is quite possible that every Amalekite King was known as Agag, much as every King of Egypt was known as Pharaoh seeing that the original Amalekite King was in fact called Agag. Any descendants of that king, if they ascended the throne, adopted the name of the original King.

Their first king. [Referring to] King Sha'ul. This is what the verse is saying: “He will be greater” referring to King Sha'ul who will take the monarchy from Agag by conquering him. [וירם מאגג מלכו can also be understood as, "He will uproot the monarchy from Agag"].

V. 7. יזל מים מדליו, das Wasser fließt aus Gottes Eimern, und Seine Saat ist jeder Menschenkeim, der an diesen Strömen göttlicher Belebungsquelle wird gesät — das ganze Geheimnis, das den Zelten und Wohnungen Jakob-Israels den Charakter des "Guten" verleiht und das ganze in ihnen sich entwickelnde Leben zu einer solchen "segnenden und gesegneten" Menschheitpflanzung gestaltet, liegt gerade in dem Sittlichen, in der durchgreifenden Heiligung und Heiligkeit des geschlechtlichen Familienlebens, das, geweiht und gefeit gegen jeden Anflug sinnlicher Peorgemeinheit, die Kraft der Menschensaat als das Gott Eigenste und Heiligste achtet und jeden Menschenspross nur von Gott nach seiner Weisung, an den Quell Seiner Lehre und Seines Gesetzes, zu Seiner Verherrlichung, zu der Verwirklichung Seines Willens auf Erden gesät und gepflanzt sein lässt, wie dies eben schon der Anblick der nach Häusern, Familien und Stämmen um das gemeinsame Gottesheiligtum Seines Gesetzes gelagerten Zelte und Wohnungen Jakob-Israels — das ישראל שכן לשבטיו — dem Beschauer ausspricht. Und gerade in diesem Sittlichen des privatesten Geschlechts- und Familienlebens liegt Israels Siegeskraft und Unüberwindlichkeit nach außen. Weil יזל מים מדליו, weil Gottes Lebensordnungen die Gefäße sind, denen der Strom entfliesst, an dessen Ufern der jüdische Menschengarten blüht, weil זרעו, weil jeder reine jüdische Menschenspross ein Erzeugnis dem göttlichen Gesetze untergeordneter Sinnlichkeit, darum steigt höher als Agag sein König, darum erhebt sich sein Reich, denn es ist eben der Sieg des göttlichen Sittengesetzes, die Hoheit des Gottesreichs auf Erden, die in jedem Siege Israels siegt und mit der Ausdehnung seines Reiches Herrschaft auf Erden gewinnt.

יזל מים מדליו, “water shall drip in a stream from its boughs;” the root נזל is used by Bileam in the same sense as by Devorah in her victory hymn to the Lord, Judges 5,5: הרים נזלו, “mountains quaked;” just as at the revelation on Mount Sinai. The power of rushing waters we call tzunami nowadays, are described by the prophet in Isaiah 8,7 as the turbulent flood waters of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris in Assyria.

יזל מים מדליו, “water shall flow from his branches.” This is not the only time when the Bible uses the singular mode when speaking of מים, water, which is mostly used in the plural mode. A relatively well known example of “water” being used in the singular mode is found in Numbers 19,20 מי נדה לא זורק עליו, “the water used to cleanse menstruants has not been sprinkled upon him.”

וזרעו במים רבים AND HIS SEED SHALL BE IN MANY WATERS — This is an expression denoting prosperity — he shall be as seed which is sown upon well-watered soil.

Bileam used the word bucket as hyperbole although a bucket is hardly a highly valued tool, because he envisages a time when the Messiah comes and the 50th level of בינה, "insight" will be revealed to mankind. At that time all the preceding 49 levels of insight which have been attained by various people throughout the preceding years will be considered as having been raised from that "bucket." In retrospect then, this insignificant bucket will be perceived as having been an extremely valuable and prestigious tool. Bileam refers to that period in the future as the time when the descendants of Israel will enjoy many waters, i.e. many insights.

וירום מאגג מלכו, “and its king will rise above that of Agag. Bileam foresees the first king of the Israelites, King Sha-ul, as defeating the Kingdom of Amalek headed by Agag at the time (Samuel I chapter 15). All the Kings of the Amalekites bore the title “Agag,” just as all the Kings of Egypt bore the title “Pharaoh.” All the kings of the Philistines bore the title “Avimelech.”

מדליו, “ from its branches.” We find this word in this sense also in Jeremiah 11,16: ורעו דליתיו, “it breaks its branches.” The meaning there seems to be that the water dripping from the branches drips to its roots (harming them).

וירם מאגג מלכו AND HIS KING SHALL BE HIGHER THAN AGAG — Their first king will conquer Agag king of the Amalakites.

וזרעו במים רבים, “their roots have abundant water.” They get irrigated by abundant water supplies and continue to grow and develop day after day. It is similar to Isaiah 17,11: “on the day that you plant, you see it grow; on the morning you sow you see it bud.”

וירום מאגג מלכו, "and its king will be greater than Agag." Bileam here revealed that Israel would become a formal kingdom at the time when king Agag the first king of the Amalekites ruled that nation. Saul lost his kingdom having failed to kill Agag and he was replaced by a more worthy colleague, i.e. David. The reason that Bileam described the commencement of the Jewish monarchy in terms of Agag the king of the Amalekites was only because this first Jewish king wasted his chance to kill Agag before the latter had progeny. Megillah 13 reveals that during the night that Saul kept Agag prisoner he succeeded in impregnating a woman who perpetuated his seed throughout the ages. The correct meter of our verse then is: "the reason that David became a greater king than Saul is the latter's failure to deal with Agag as G'd had commanded." The subject of מלכו is David. Bileam continued ותנשא מלכותו, that the kingdom of the Messiah who is a reincarnation of David will be more exalted even than that of David after Saul (Compare Ezekiel 37,24: "and My servant David will be king over them." Compare also Isaiah 52,13: ירום ונשא וגבה מאד מאד, where you have both these expressions in one and the same verse applied to one and the same person).

ותנשא מלכותו, “their Kingdom shall be exalted;” the kingdom of the Israelites.

וזרעו במים רבים, “and his seed shall be in many waters.” This is why it never has to worry about failing to produce fruit. This is the parable, followed by the declaration that David’s kingdom will outrank that of Agag, King of the Amalekites.

ותנשא מלכתו AND HIS KINGDOM SHALL BE EXALTED — i.e. the kingdom of Jacob (the Israelitish people) shall be exalted more and more, because the powerful monarchs David and Solomon will succeed him (their first king).

וירום מאגג מלכו, “and may its kingdom be exalted over Agag.” A reference to King Shaul who captured Agag, the King of Amalek.

Another thought Bileam may have had in mind when he spoke about the kingdom of the Israelites surpassing in grandeur that of Agag maybe a reference to the war against Amalek preceding the arrival of the Messiah. Inasmuch as all Amalekites nowadays are descended from Agag, G'd will have to defeat Agag and wipe out any memory of Amalek before His throne can be firmly established on earth (compare Tanchuma at the end of Parshat Ki Tetze).

אל מוציאו ממצרים GOD WHO BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT — Who was the cause of all this greatness? God who brought them out from Egypt; by his strength and his sublimity HE EATS UP (יאכל) THE NATIONS (גוים) who are (צריו) HIS ADVERSARIES.

יאכל גויים צריו, a promise that will be fulfilled in the distant future. Moses repeats this in Deuteronomy 32,43 ונקם ישיב לצריו, “G’d will take vengeance on their oppressors.”

א־ל מוציאו ממצרים, "The G'd who has taken them out from Egypt, etc." We approach this on the basis of the tradition that when the Israelites left Egypt they had isolated all the sparks of sanctity which had been trapped inside Egypt by the forces of the קליפה, spiritually negative forces. We have explained already that holiness possesses the power to seek out and identify its branches (which had been lost temporarily). When Bileam speaks about מוציאו…כתועפות ראם לו, the subject is the Jewish people. [The word א־ל then is not to be translated as plain "G'd," but as "the divine power possessed by Israel." Ed.] These Israeliteshad taken out the sparks of sanctity previously trapped inside of Egypt by dint of their own holiness. The words: "he consumes nations which are its enemies" refer to the process which liberates the sparks of sanctity trapped inside the bodies of the pagans. These "sparks" will be absorbed by the collective "Soul" of the community of Israel. This is the mystical dimension of Proverbs 13,25: צדיק אכל לשבע נפשו, "The righteous eats in order to satisfy his soul" [as opposed to his body. Ed.]. ועצמותיהם יגרם, "and he crushes their bones." Bileam means that Israel crushes even the strongest parts of its opponents.

תועפות, strength, as in Psalms 95,4 ותועפות הרים לו, “He possesses the strength of mountains.”

With his power and exaltedness, shall consume. The intention of this verse is not to say that the God who brought them out of Egypt has power like His [own] exaltedness and loftiness, and that with this power and exaltedness Yisroel will consume the idolaters, who are His enemy, and crush their bones. For the verse does not come to inform of Hashem’s strength; for this was already mentioned above (23:22). Furthermore, it would leave the statement, “He will consume His enemy nations” without any reference, either before or after. Therefore, the explanation of the verse is as follows: Hashem, who took them out of Egypt, has power like His [own] exaltedness and loftiness, and with this power and exaltedness, Yisroel will consume. Rashi adds the word את [which denotes the object] and the hei denoting the definite article to the word גוים ["nations"] saying את הגוים ["the nations"] because with this it is understood that the nations will be consumed, not that they will consume [Yisroel]. He also adds the word שהם ["who"] because with this the word צריו ["his oppressors"] is an explanation of the word גוים ["nations"]. Furthermore, he adds של צרים ["of the oppressors" to the comment “their bones”] to indicate that those who are their oppressors will be crushed, but not all of the nations. This is why it states צריו ["his oppressors"] rather than צרים ["the oppressors"].

V. 8. אל מוציאו וגו׳. Oben 23, 22: מוציאם. Allein eben diese keusche Sittlichkeit der Geschlechter, dieses Freisein von גילוי עריות und jeder Peorunsittlichkeit, war schon in Mizrajim der gemeinsame Erbadel der Söhne und Töchter Israels, und diese Gemeinsamkeit des sittlichen Geschlechtscharakters bildete schon damals ein starkes Band der "Einheit", als noch äußerlich jede andere Bedingung einer Volksvereinigung fehlte. Der Gott, der um dieses ihres sittlichen Grundcharakters willen sie erlöste, der ist es auch, der ihnen diesen mächtigen Aufschwung ferner verleiht, weil eben durch sie sein Sittengesetz wieder eine Stätte im Kreise der Menschen gewinnt. Sie besiegen Völker, oder vielmehr Gott lässt Völker vor ihnen schwinden, weil diese Völker צריו sind, weil sie Feinde seines Sittengesetzes sind und ihm den Boden auf Erden streitig machen. Wird doch wiederholt (Wajikra Kap. 18) in dem עריות-Kapitel darauf hingewiesen, dass die kanaanitische Bevölkerung eben um ihrer sittlichen Ausschweifungen willen dem göttlichen Verhängnis erlag!

יאכל גוים צריו, “they shall devour its oppressors.”

וחציו ימחץ, “piercing them with his arrows.” He (Israel) will use its arrows to pierce its opponents. There are numerous words in the Torah where the letter ב that we would have expected has been omitted. The word וחציו instead of ובחציו, is one of such examples.

ועצמתיהם AND THEIR BONES — those of the adversaries.

וחציו ימחץ, again words paraphrased by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,42. אשכיר חצי מדם “I will make My arrows drunk with blood.”

Leaving the bone על ערמימותו ["exposed"]. In the sense of ערום ["naked"].

וחציו ימחע, "and smashes their arrows." We may best understand this by referring to Tanchuma Beshalach 15 where Isaiah 24,21 is explained. The author of the Midrash understands the words יפקד ה׳ על צבא המרום במרום that G'd does not annihilate the army of a nation in the terrestrial world until after He has vanquished that nation's "protector" in the celestial spheres. If the nation is only "weakened" and not destroyed in battle on earth, this is a sign that its שר, "protector or representative" at the celestial court has not been vanquished. G'd only humbled such a representative prior to this representative's "client" on earth suffering a defeat. When a nation experiences what happened to Sodom and Gomorrah, this meant that the celestial representatives of these kingdoms had been liquidated by G'd. Bileam refers to these celestial representatives of the various nations as "their arrows", the ones who carry on the fight on behalf of their clients in the celestial spheres. The word ימחץ may be understood as similar to Psalms 110,6: מחץ ראשו על ארץ רבה, "He crushed its head in the land which is "great" i.e. in the celestial spheres." It is a reference to the "protectors" of these various nations being vanquished. If we were to understand the word מחץ as meaning immersion or washing, then Bileam alludes to all these arrows as having been soaked in the blood of the enemies of the Jewish people.

ועצמתיהם יגרם. Wir haben zu Bereschit 19, 14 bemerkt, wie גרם die Knochen nicht als das Feste, Starke, wie עצם, sondern als Glied und Gelenk bedeutet. גדם in Piel dürfte daher das Aufhören, Trennen der Gelenke, oder ihnen die Gelenkkraft nehmen bedeuten. עצמתיהם יגרם hieße daher: alle ihre Stärke nützt ihnen Israel gegenüber nichts, vor Israel verlieren sie ihre Gelenkkraft, "es macht, dass ihnen ihre עצמות nicht mehr als גרמים, als Mittel der Weiterbewegung dienen."

ועצמותיהם יגרם, “and it will cause their bones to be crushed.”

יגרם — Menachem ben Seruk explained it in the sense of “breaking to pieces”, similar to, (Zephaniah 3:3) “who have not broken to pieces (גרמו) in the morning”, and similar to, (Ezekiel 23:34) “and thou shalt crunch (תגרמי) the sherds thereof”. I, however, say that it has the meaning of “bone” (גרם in Aramaic corresponds to Hebrew עצם) — it means that one pulls away the flesh with his teeth from around the bone, and the marrow from inside, and brings the bone into its original bare condition (i.e., as it was before flesh grew upon it).

Like בעלי חצים [translated as] מרי פלגותא. This is [Onkelos’s] translation of בעלי חצים, thus the verse is saying as follows: And [he shall apportion the land of] the חלוקה ["division" corresponding to פלגותא – "portion"] that came after the Flood, and from [this division] emanated all of the nations, who were [all] descended from Shes.

וחציו ימחץ: und als Gottes Pfeile verwundet Israel, d. h. Israel ist die Waffe in Gottes Hand in seinem Kampf gegen צריו, gegen die Feinde der Herrschaft seines Sittengesetzes auf Erden, und eben nur als Gottes Pfeil hat Israel die Völker besiegende Macht.

וחציו ימחץ AND PIERCE THEM THROUGH WITH HIS ARROWS — Onkelos translated this as meaning, the חצים of the adversaries, taking it in the sense of “their postion of land”, similar to (Genesis 44:23) בעלי חצים, which he translated by מרי פלנותא “those who part (differ) from him”. So, too, according to the Targum ימחץ denotes “dividing” having the same meaning as in (Judges 5:26): “She divided (מחצה) and struck through his temples”. The meaning therefore is, that they will divide amongst themselves their (the adversaries’) land (Hence the translation of Onkelos: “they shall take possession of their land”). — But it can also be explained as meaning חצים literally (i.e., arrows): the arrows of the Holy One, blessed be He, He will ימחץ in the blood of the adversaries — i.e., he will dip and thus dye the arrows in their blood. Similar is, (Psalms 68:24) “In order that thou mayest colour thy foot (תמחץ) by the blood”. However, even in this sense it does not lose the usual meaning of “wounding”, as in (Deuteronomy 32:39): “I wound (מחצתי)”, for what is dyed by blood, looks as though it were wounded and stricken.

כרע שכב כארי HE CROUCHED, HE LAY DOWN AS A LION — Understand this as the Targum does (“He will have rest, he will dwell in strength like a lion”), meaning, they will be settled in their land in strength and might.

מברכיך ברוך. We know that this was the case already in Avraham’s time. Even in exile, Avraham;s descendants will be of benefit to the nations who host these exiles. (compare Deuteronomy 30,9)

כרע שכב כארי, "He couched, he lay down like a lion, etc." Bileam extols the prowess of the Jewish people as being evident even when the nation is in repose, unarmed, etc. The nation relies on its reputation and does not fear attack even when lying down. The reason Bileam uses two different names for lions in this verse is once again in accordance with the way he divided the Jewish people into Jacob and Israel, i.e. into the average Israelite and the elite, respectively.

מברכיך ברוך “the ones who bless you, may they be blessed.” Although Bileam combines plural and singular in this verse, we encounter something similar in both Genesis 49,22 and Proverbs 28,1.

V. 9. כרע שכב וגו׳, und wenn es die Völker besiegt hat und seine friedliche Stellung in ihrer Mitte genommen hat, dann ruht es so Achtung gebietend, dass keiner es anzugreifen wagt.

מברכיך ברוך ואורריך ארור, “those who bless you will be blessed and those who curse you will be cursed.” Bileam ridicules people who wish to curse the Jewish people, as in so doing they only bring a curse upon themselves. The Torah had made this point already in Genesis 12,3, when G-d said so to Avraham when he set out to migrate to the land of Canaan. In addition, Yitzchok had passed on this blessing to his son Yaakov, when he said to him in Genesis 27,29: “those who curse you will themselves be cursed, whereas those who bless you will be blessed.”

מברכיך ברוך וארריך ארור, "the ones who bless you is blessed, those who curse you is cursed." Why are the respective subjects in this verse described in the plural whereas their respective victims or beneficiaries are described in the singular? The reason is simple. Bileam did not want to bless more than a single Jew. He used himself as a model; his well known avarice would not allow him to proliferate blessings. When he appears to have used the same approach in describing the people who curse the Israelites, he limited the negative fallout for people who curse the Israelites to a single one. In other words, although many may attempt to curse Israel only one of them will wind up cursed himself. Bileam used this stratagem so that he himself would not necessarily be included if he succeeded to curse the Israelites. Possibly, he had another evil intent here. When he said "those who bless you is blessed," he meant that the blessing should be fulfilled on the person doing the blessing who would remain blessed as a result of pronouncing it. He mentioned the second alternative, i.e. that those who curse Israel will be cursed only afterwards so as to ensure that he had already secured an enduring blessing for himself by having blessed Israel first. G'd made certain that Bileam's curse, i.e. his evil intent, boomeranged, so that he himself wound up accursed both in this world and in the hereafter (compare Sanhedrin 90 where we are told that Bileam forfeited his share in the hereafter).

מברכיך ברוך וגו׳. Er blickt noch einmal auf Israel hin und spricht das große Wort: מברכיך וגו׳, das größte, das einst Gott über Abraham bei seiner ersten Erwählung (Bereschit 12, 3) ausgesprochen und Jizchak in seinem Segen (daselbst 27, 29) wiederholt hatte. Hier wie in der zuletzt zitierten Stelle steht מברכיך und אורריך im Plural, das Prädikat ברוך und ארור im Singular. Es dürfte daher so zu fassen sein: alle diejenigen, die dich segnen, d. h. die dein Prinzip achten und durch Anschluss fördern, die sind das Gesegnete, d. h. sie sind dasjenige, das von Gott Segen und Gedeihen zu erwarten hat, sie sind dasjenige, dem überhaupt unter Gottes Waltung eine Zukunft winkt. Diejenigen aber, die dir fluchen, d. h. die dem durch dich im Menschenkreise zum Bewusstsein kommenden Prinzipe feind sind und ihm in dir den Untergang wünschen, ארור, die sind eben dasjenige, das selber den Fluch in sich trägt, dem überhaupt Gott den Untergang bestimmt hat, das keine Zukunft hat auf Gottes Erden.

ויספק means he clapped one hand upon the other.

ויספק את כפיו, as a sign that he had abandoned hope of achieving his objective, seeing that Bileam was cursing those whom he wanted to be the cursers.

ויתר אף בלק..ויספק את כפיו, "Balak became angry… and clapped his hands, etc." He expressed his anger by clapping his hands together.

V. 10. ספק ויספק את כפיו und שפק kommt wie hier in der Bedeutung: die Hände zusammenschlagen, als Ausdruck des Erstaunens und des Entsetzens vor. Auch als Schlagen auf die Hüfte ספקתי על ירך (Jirmija 31, 19) als Ausdruck des Schmerzes. Zugleich bedeutet es aber auch: genügen, befriedigen, אם ישפק עפר שמרון (Kön. I. 20, 10) usw. und ist auch, insbesondere in der Mischna und im Talmud, der gewöhnliche Ausdruck für Zweifel. Es scheint das Händezusammenschlagen die Grundbedeutung zu sein. Eine die innere Fläche כף nach oben vorstreckende Hand, drückt das Bedürfnis des "Empfangens" aus, ist daher ebenso Ausdruck des Verlangens nach einer materiellen, als nach einer intellektuellen Gabe, des Aufschlusses über etwas, der Antwort. Ein Schlag mit der hohlen Hand in diese verlangende hohle Hand einem Ereignis, einer Äußerung gegenüber, sagt: also das soll meinem Verlangen, meiner Frage, meiner Erwartung entsprechen! und ist somit Ausdruck des Erstaunens, eventuell des Entsetzens. Davon heißt dann ספק oder שפק überhaupt: etwas in eine hohle zum Empfangen gestreckte Hand legen, d. h. einem Verlangen genügen, ein Verlangen befriedigen. Die hohle Hand, statt sie auszustrecken, niederstrecken und an die eigene Hüfte oder Schenkel schlagen, drückt die Hoffnungslosigkeit aus: wir haben nichts mehr zu hoffen, zu erwerben. Endlich scheint ספק, das Schlagen einer Hand in die andere auch die völlige Gleichheit zweier Verhältnisse auszudrücken, so dass sie sich gegenseitig aufheben und nach keiner Seite einen Ausschlag zulassen, und daraus die Bedeutung: Zweifel hervorzugehen.

ברכת ברך, "you have surely blessed." Balak meant that the blessing he heard Bileam pronounce was not the kind that was a curse in disguise. He proved this because Bileam had said that anyone who blesses Israel (in this fashion) was to be blessed himself, etc. Clearly, Balak had not understood the nuances of Bileams's words we have explained as reflecting his evil intent even here.

ברח לך, the use of the word ברח does not refer to escape from a pursuer, but refers to abandoning a certain place because of fear of what might happen there in the future.

ועתה ברח לך, "And now, you better flee for yourself, etc." Balak decreed four penalties against Bileam. 1) He was not allowed to remain in Moav but was forced to return home (in disgrace). 2) He should make haste, i.e. ברח, "flee." 3) He should go by himself without attendants, i.e. לך "by yourself." 4) He was not to go from this city of Moav to another city or even to Midian but straight to his home, מקומך, "your place." Balak explained to Bileam that if he was forced to belittle him in this fashion though he had previously boasted about his ability to confer a lot of honour on him (22,17), this was only because G'd did not want Bileam to receive this honour, i.e. הנה מנעך השם מכבוד. Balak appears to have interpreted G'd's refusal for Bileam to curse the Jewish people as only a stratagem to prevent Bileam from being honoured.

ועתה ברח לך אל מקומך, “and now, flee to your place, etc.” He did no longer ask him to curse the Israelites seeing that Bileam had told him that G’d had told Avraham that anyone cursing him or his descendants would himself be cursed by Him. (Genesis 12,3) Another reason was that Bileam had told Balak that the Israelites would consume all those who would oppress them. (24,8) He had included oppressors from all nations. Originally, Bileam had limited his remarks to what would happen to the Kings of the Canaanites, but now that he had widened the scope by including oppressors of the Israelites from any quarter, Balak had decided to refrain from antagonizing their G’d. He was convinced that he could not prevail.

ועתה ברח לך אל מקומך, “and now, flee to your place!” According to the father of R. David Kimchi this is not a flight in the conventional sense of the word but means the same as “go quickly!” The word is used in a similar meaning in Isaiah 48,20: ברחו מכשדים, “flee from Chaldea! Declare with loud shouting, Announce this, bring out the word to the end of the earth!” It may describe that Israel departed from Egypt with great fanfare. When the prophet Jonah is described as לברוח תרשישה, “hiring a ship to escape to Tarshish” (Jonah 1,3) this must not be taken to mean that he imagined he could escape from the Lord; it means that he meant to travel to Tarshish quickly. This is also the meaning of the words מלפני ה' that we find there which means “away from the presence of the Lord” and not מפני ה', “on account of the Lord,” as we find in Psalms 139,7 where David makes plain that it is impossible to flee from G’d using the words: “Where can I escape from Your spirit (presence)?”
The reason that Bileam was anxious to leave was to forestall G’d giving him a sign such as He did to the people of Nineveh (in later years) which would prompt them to do repentance, resulting eventually and indirectly in the destruction of the Northern kingdom of the Ten Tribes. Jonah himself told G’d that the reason that he was in such a rush to embark for Tarshish was to forestall that demise of the Jewish kingdom, not to escape from the Lord (Jonah 4,2). The “sign” to the people of Nineveh which prompted them to take Jonah’s prediction of their doom seriously and to repent their evil ways was undoubtedly that they had heard what had happened on the boat to Tarshish, how Jonah despite being thrown overboard had miraculously remained alive, etc., etc. This is a beautiful explanation although it clashes with that of our sages at the beginning of Mechilta 21 who do understand Jonah’s flight to Tarshish as an attempt to escape G’d in order not to be burdened with Holy Spirit, something he thought is not imposed when away from the Holy Land.

ועתה ברח לך אל מקומך, “and now flee to your place!” Balak urges Bileam to disappear with all possible speed before he will express his anger in stronger terms. The expression: ברח, “flee!” is used in this context in Song of Songs 8,14, ברח דודי, “flee my beloved;”An alternate interpretation: the words “ועתה ברח לך,” are not so much a dismissal of Bileam, as a reversal of what Bileam had been saying to him repeatedly when exploring if there was a place from which cursing the Israelites might be effective. He would no longer accompany Bileam to any place suggested, as he knew that he would not curse the Jewish people when he would come to such a place. The best thing for Bileam to do therefore would be to return home at once.

אמרתי כבד אכבדך, “I had said that I would honor you greatly;” the reason Balak used the word כבד, “honor,” twice in succession is that it refers to the two locations to which Balak had taken Bileam, hoping each time that he would curse the Jewish people. Now that he had taken him to a third location he no longer even planned to honor Bileam since he had acquired a reputation of blessing the Israelites instead. As soon as Bileam had declared that those who curse the Israelites will themselves be cursed whereas those who bless them will be blessed, Balak had lost all hope of a successful confrontation with that people and he told him “to get lost.” He blamed his inability to reward Bileam on G’d, saying that “G’d has prevented me from honoring you.”

Bileam immediately denied this argument when he reminded Balak that he had already told the delegates that he would only be able to say what G'd would tell him, and that Balak had insisted that he should come all the same. Bileam reminded Balak that he had repeated the word כבד אכבדך, i.e. he had insisted that Bileam should come because he wanted to honour him regardless of what he would say. He also repeated the words: "your delegates whom you sent," although the words "whom you have sent" were quite redundant, because he also referred to the first set of emissaries. The word מלאכיך refers to the second set of delegates, the words אשר שלחת refer to the first set of emissaries. He added the word לאמור to remind Balak that he had not only told the emissaries what was on his mind, but had asked them at the time to make sure that they would convey this to Balak.

[AND BALAAM SAID UNTO BALAK]: ‘SPOKE I NOT ALSO TO THY MESSENGERS ETC.?’ Balaam was now defending himself on the basis of what he had told Balak’s messengers when they came back to him, before he knew what the Eternal would speak unto him more;²²⁵Above, 22:19. In other words, in Verse 18 ibid., we are told that he said to Balak’s servants that he cannot go beyond the word of G-d even if Balak would give him a house full of silver and gold. It is on the basis of these remarks that he is now defending himself. But, as Ramban continues, in actual fact he misled Balak, because he still made out that he was prepared to curse the people even after the Eternal spoke to him further, and he did not tell Balak of G-d’s true message then. but afterwards [i.e., after G-d had told him that he may only go with them, but must not curse the people] he still made out that he was ready to come and curse [the people], until the angel warned him on the road, as I have explained.²²⁶Ibid., Verse 20.

הלא גם אל מלאכיך, you have no cause to be surprised as I told your emissaries already that the reason I had not complied with your request was not that I did not think that you paid me sufficient honour. I had told them that the matter was not within my power.

לעבר את פי ה׳ [I AM UNABLE] TO GO BEYOND THE WORD OF THE LORD — Here it does not say “[the Lord] my God”, as it is said at first (Numbers 22:18), because he had now become conscious that he was regarded by the Holy One, blessed be He, as something vile and banished from His presence.

הולך לעמי [AND NOW, BEHOLD, I] GO TO MY PEOPLE — “From now on, behold, I am like the rest of my people”. He said this because he knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had departed from him.

COME AND I WILL COUNSEL THEE. Since Balaam wanted to tell [Balak] about the punishment [that would befall] his people, as it is written, and he shall smite through the corners of Moab,²²⁷Further Verse 17. therefore he told him, I will counsel thee, that is to say: “I will tell you ‘on the side’ an advice, so that others should not hear it.” “Come and I will counsel thee what you have to do [to revenge yourself upon Israel]. And what was the advice [that he gave him]? [He told him]: ‘The G-d of these [Israelites] hates immorality, etc., [therefore I advise you to seduce Israel into sin by means of the lure of the Moabite women],’ as is narrated in the Chapter Cheilek.²²⁸Literally: “Portion” — “All Israel have ‘a portion’ in the World to Come.” Sanhedrin 106a. The story of the Israelites committing immorality with the Moabite women is related in the following chapter of the Torah, and tradition has it that this plan was suggested by Balaam in his parting words to Balak. This, as Rashi explains, is the reason why he used the phrase “I will ‘counsel thee’ what this people shall do”, meaning: “I will counsel thee how to lead the people astray, and I will tell you what this people shall do …” Ramban explains the phrase “I will counsel thee” differently. You may know that it was Balaam who gave them this counsel [to lead Israel astray] through immorality, for it is said, Behold, these [women] caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, [to revolt so as to break faith with the Eternal].²²⁹Further, 31:16. WHAT THIS PEOPLE SHALL DO TO THY PEOPLE. This is an elliptical verse [which means as follows]: ‘I will counsel thee how to corrupt them, and I will [also] tell you what evil they are destined to do to Moab in the end of days.’” This is Rashi’s language.
The correct interpretation [of the word i’atzcha, normally translated: I will counsel thee] seems to me to be that Balaam told Balak: “I will tell you the purpose that G-d has planned that this people shall do to thy people in the end of days,” this being similar to the expressions: This is the ‘eitzah’ (purpose) that is ‘y’utzah’ (purposed) upon the whole earth;²³⁰Isaiah 14:26. Hear ye the ‘atzath’ (design) of the Eternal, that He hath ‘ya’atz’ (purposed) against Edom.²³¹Jeremiah 49:20. Balaam said i’atzcha [which literally means “I will give you counsel”], because one who hears counsel, [as Balaam heard G-d’s counsel], is called a no’atz [he with whom counsel is taken].²³²See Isaiah 40:14: ‘Eth mi no’atz’ (with whom took He counsel).
And this prophecy [in the following verses], refers to Messianic times, for all of Balaam’s prophecies added [to the previous ones] in [speaking of more] distant events. Thus at first²³³Above, 23:7-10. he said that Israel is [now] the portion of the Eternal and His inheritance;²³⁴Deuteronomy 32:9. in the second prophecy²³⁵Above, Chapter 23, Verses 18-24. he added that they would [later on] conquer the Land and kill its kings. In the third [prophecy]²³⁶Above, Verses 3-9. he saw them dwelling in the Land and increasing and multiplying therein, and that they would appoint a king [Saul] who would defeat Agag, and that the kingdom [of Israel] would be further exalted; for he saw David [whose kingdom] was exalted exceedingly,²³⁷I Chronicles 14:2. as it is said, And David perceived that the Eternal had established him king over Israel, and that He hath exalted his kingdom for His people Israel’s sake,²³⁸II Samuel 5:12. that is to say, because He had promised them that their kingdom would be exalted. And now in this fourth prophecy Balaam continued [on the future] and saw the Messianic era; therefore he spoke of it as a very distant event, saying, I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not nigh,²²⁷Further Verse 17. [a phrase] which he did not use in his first [three] prophecies. He stated that this is the purpose of G-d which He had planned, to come to pass in the end of days.²³⁹Verse 14.

לכה איעצך, the advice was to use the women as seducers. This is made crystal clear in Numbers 31,16.

ועתה הנני הולך…איעצך, "And now, I am ready to go..and I will advise you, etc." On the one hand Bileam says that he will comply with the king's orders at that time. He speaks in the singular corresponding to Balak's orders that he was to leave לך, i.e. unaccompanied even by his lads. He adds the word לעמי, "to my people," to indicate compliance with Balak's orders that he was to return directly אל מקומך, "to your home." However, concerning Balak's instruction that he was to leave in a manner which reflected flight Bileam demurred. He was not scared of Balak, being a powerful enough sorcerer. It is interesting to read in the Midrash Hagadol on 31,8 how much effort even the Israelites had to make in order to succeed in killing him. If the Israelites encountered such resistance, we can imagine how much more difficult it must have been for pagans to overcome Bileam.

איעצך, a counsel of how to entrap the Israelites in sin.

לכה איעצך, “I shall advise you;” Nachmanides writes that seeing that Bileam wanted to predict the disaster that would befall Moav as we read in 24,17 ומחץ פאתי מואב, “it will smash the nobles of Moav, this is why he now introduces his comments as “well-meaning advice.” This was said to Balak in private, not within the hearing of any of his servants. Rashi interprets the words לכה איעצך, as Bileam adding further details to what he had already said concerning what the Israelites would achieve in the future. Nachmanides adds that in his own opinion Bileam is telling Balak that he is about to reveal to Balak the advice G’d will give to His people how to deal with Moav when the time comes, just as He gives this kind of advice to Israel concerning any of the other nations at that time. The word עצה appears in that sense in Isaiah A person receiving and accepting advice is called נועץ. The prophecy announced here by Bileam applies to the end of time, i.e. to the period immediately preceding the final redemption and the coming of the Messiah. All of Bileam’s prophecies refer to the future, but follow a chronological pattern once the period to which they apply has commenced. They begin with describing the Jewish people as an integral part of G’d Himself and His heritage, followed by the description of their conquest of the land of Canaan, how they will kill many kings, etc. In his third prophecy he envisions Israel on its own land being fruitful and multiplying. A later stage, that of the defeat of Agag, at the hands of a Jewish king, but not yet a king of the Davidic dynasty whose descendant in due course will usher in the Messianic age, is envisioned by Bileam, but he qualifies it by saying that though he foresees it, it is not relevant at this time. At this point, Bileam describes himself as knowing what is in G’d’s mind even in the distant future. In other words, he presumes to foretell events that he has not been specifically told about in a vision, but which he knows by intuition, his being on a wavelength with G’d. When the Torah commences with the words:וישא משלו ויאמר, in verse 16, and he does not mention that what follows is a prophecy as he had done on the previous three occasions, it is clear that what follows is not something that he had heard from the mouth of the divine vision he had experienced. Nonetheless, the fact that he speaks of himself also here as the שומע אמרי א-ל, “the one who has heard words of G’d,” it is clear that the origin of what follows is divine, no less so than the previous prophecy.

ועתה הנני הולך לעמי לכה איעצך, “and now that I am about to go to my people, let me give you some advice.” He meant that he was going to give Balak advice how to trip up the Jewish people, to deflect them from their pious ways. He should encourage the Moabite women to make themselves sexually available to the Israelites. He, Bileam, knew that the G’d of the Jews hated sexual promiscuity. Although in our verse Bileam did not spell out precisely what he advised, it becomes clear in Numbers 31,16 where Moses tells the returning warriors that the Midianite women whom they failed to kill were the seductresses who, at the instigation of Bileam, were responsible for the thousands of Jewish lives lost in the pestilence.

V. 14. לכה איעצך. Kap. 31, 16 heißt es von den Midjanitinnen: הן הנה היו לבני ישראל בדבר בלעם למסר מעל בד׳ על דבר פעור, dass sie sich auf Bileams Anleitung den Söhnen Israels ergeben hatten, um sie zum Verrat an Gott im Peorkult zu veranlassen, ein Ereignis, das hier sofort nach Bileams Fortgang (Kap. 25) erzählt wird. Man bezieht daher gewiß mit Recht hierauf das איעצך, womit Bileam ihm den Rat erteilte, der Israels Jugend zum Falle bringen sollte. Hatte doch eben in seiner letzten Spruchrede Bileam erklärt, dass gerade in der Peorseite, in welcher Balak den letzten Versuch machte, eine schwache Seite an Israel zu erkunden, dieses Volkes Stärke liege, ja, dass diese geschlechtliche Reinheit die Grundbedingung ihres nahen Verhältnisses zu Gott bilde. Was lag näher, als dass er ihm nun sagte: dein Volk wird einst von diesem Volke zu leiden haben, aber dies liegt noch in weiter Ferne. Für jetzt hast du von diesem Volke nichts zu fürchten, vielmehr weiß ich eben nach der uns gewordenen Offenbarung einen Rat, wie du es versuchen kannst, diesem dir verhassten Volke empfindlich wehe zu tun. Wir haben es soeben gehört, אלהיהם של אלו שונא זימה הוא wie es Sanhedrin 106a heißt, der Gott dieses Volkes ist ein Feind jeder Unzucht, er ist der gerade Gegensatz zum Peor. Gelingt es dir, sie zur sinnlichen Ausschweifung, zu verlocken, so führst du ihren Fall herbei, und den Versuch kannst du durch Töchter deines Volkes veranstalten (siehe folgendes Kapitel).

לכה איעצך, “now I will give you some advice.” According to Rabbi Yochanan, there were three people involved in this “advice.” They were Bileam, Job, and Yitro. Job who kept silent was punished for not objecting with the afflictions described in the Book of Job. Yitro who left this discussion in disgust, was rewarded by his descendants becoming seated in the offices near the Temple of Solomon. Bileam was killed by the sword in the campaign against Midian. This has been documented in Chronicles I 2,55. The families of scribes mentioned in that verse were the descendants of Yitro. They are also mentioned in Judges 1,16: as “the sons of Keyni, the father-in-law of Moses, who had settled in the cities of Date Palms, (formerly Jericho) (based on Sanhedrin folio 106. An alternate explanation of the word: איעצך. “I will give you an advice concerning your concern that the Israelites in your proximity will completely ruin any grassland with its roots.” As long as you will not provoke them you have nothing at all to fear from them.”

לכה איעצך, “come and I will advise you, etc.” Moses does not spell out precisely what advice Bileam gave Balak at that point seeing that it was something Bileam had not done publicly. However, when the Torah describes the portion dealing with the Midianites, it becomes clear to the reader what Bileam must have suggested to Balak, i.e. to find a way to seduce the Israelites into promiscuous conduct with the females of Moav and Midian and thus pull down their G-d’s wrath on themselves. (Compare what Moses said in Numbers 31,15 to the soldiers bringing female Midianite prisoners of war home with them)

לך איעצך COME AND I WILL COUNSEL THEE what you have to do. And what is the counsel? The God of these people hates unchastity, therefore tempt them to sin by means of thy women-folk, as is related in the chapter חלק (Sanhedrin 106a) — You can know that it was Balaam who gave this counsel, to make them fall by the sin of unchastity, for it is stated, of the women of Midian (Numbers 31:16), “Behold, these were an enticement to the children of Israel through the word of Balaam”.

Although I know what these people are going to do to yours in the distant future, at this time, during your life, you have no call to fear them. This was the advice that is described later on in Numbers 31,16. Here Moses does not spell out the details of this advice as Bileam himself did not have the courage to say this aloud, and he only whispered it to Balak. It was revealed in detail by Moses only when there was a need to do so.

אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך באחרית הימים, for indeed the evil this people will cause to your nation will not occur during your lifetime so that you, personally, have nothing to fear. It will only happen at the end of time. He repeats this later on in verse 17, and we find reference to this in Isaiah 11,14.

אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך באחרית הימים, "what this people will do to your people at the end of days." On the one hand Bileam wanted to reveal to Balak what Israel would to do Moav, that they would uproot the people completely. On the other hand he realised that Balak the sorcerer with the aid of צפור might already be aware of this. He therefore meant to calm Balak by telling him that what was in store for Moav would be a long time hence, nothing to worry about at this time. The reason he had to tell Balak this was that otherwise Balak might be afraid to implement his advice to seduce the Israelite males with the Moabite women. The Moabite women would be afraid even to approach the Israelites fearing they would be stabbed to death. [after all Israel had only been forbidden to invade Moav. Ed.] Bileam therefore had to reassure Balak that it would not be dangerous for his women to try and "chat up" and fraternise with the Israelites. Bileam emphasised the word לעמך, "to your people," i.e. the people over whom you are king, the Moabites. Other nations had reason to fear the Israelites already. Balak personally was not included in the words לעמך, as he was really a Midianite. Balak was killed as one of the "kings" of Midian mentioned in Numbers 31,8 (compare Bamidbar Rabbah 20,20).

אשר יעשה העם הזה, “what this people will do in the future.” This will be explained presently.

אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך, “what this nation will do to your nation.” Seeing that this prophecy concerned events far in the future, Bileam consoled Balak that he had nothing to fear from the Israelites in the immediate future. The details will be spelled out shortly, Bileam again emphasizing that he does not speak about the immediate future. (verse 17)

אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך WHAT THIS PEOPLE SHALL DO TO THY PEOPLE — This is an elliptical verse, the meaning being: I will give thee counsel how to make them fall into sin, and I also will tell thee what evil they will once do to thy people Moab in later days: viz., (v. 17) “they will pierce the corners of Moab”. — The Targum explains at length what is implied by the terseness of the Hebrew text (“Come I will give thee counsel what thou shouldst do and I will show thee what this people etc.")

He referred to himself now as one who heareth the words of G-d,²⁴⁰Verse 16. and as one who seeth the vision of the Almighty,²⁴⁰Verse 16. as he had done in the third prophecy,¹⁷⁹Verse 4. but he added now [the phrase] and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High.²⁴⁰Verse 16. Now one who speaks in this manner, saying “I know the knowledge of a certain person” means to say that he understands him, and what is in his heart, [even] those matters which he does not utter verbally, and similarly this [man Balaam] intended to say that he knows and will now say what is in the “mind” [i.e., intention] of G-d the Most High to do in His world at the end of all days.²³⁹Verse 14. This is similar to that which it says, for the day of vengeance is in My heart,²⁴¹Isaiah 63:4. and the Rabbis have said²⁴²Midrash Tehillim 89:2. [with reference to that day, that its precise timing is a matter which “His] heart has not divulged to the mouth.” Now Scripture states here, And ‘he took up his parable,’ and said²⁴³Verse 15. and it does not mention that this was [said] by prophecy, as it says about the [previous] three occasions, for since he said, The saying of him who heareth the words of G-d … who seeth the vision of the A lmighty²⁴⁰Verse 16. it is self-understood that the hand of G-d was upon¹⁷⁶Ezekiel 37:1: The hand of the Eternal was upon me. him, just as at the third time, where it says: and the spirit of G-d came upon him;²⁴⁴Verse 2. and he himself said so.²⁴⁵For in his third prophecy, Balaam said of himself, who heareth the words of G-d, who seeth the vision of the Almighty (Verse 4) and it says there, and the spirit of G-d came upon him (Verse 2). So here too, in his fourth prophecy, where it says who heareth the words of G-d, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, it was also through the spirit of G-d which came upon him, even though it does not say so expressly.

וישא משלו, He began his parable, etc. I have already explained that everything Bileam said has to be understood allegorically.

VV. 15 u. 16. וישא וגו׳ (siehe Verse 3 u. 4). Er spricht hier noch יודע דעת עליון von sich aus, weil, wie Ramban im Kommentar erläutert, er hier Ereignisse der allerfernsten Zeit offenbart, die in der Gegenwart nur noch bloße Gedanken des Höchsten sind.

וידע דעת עליון WHO KNOWETH THE MIND OF THE MOST HIGH — i.e., who knoweth to determine the precise moment when He is angry. (The meaning of the text is: “who knoweth His state of mind”, not, ”who knoweth his thoughts”) (Sanhedrin 105b).

ויודע דעת עליון, “and who knows the knowledge of the Most High;” he knows that it is not “G-d’s intention to have the Israelites cursed as long as they are not guilty of trespasses.

מחזה שדי יחזה, “and who sees the Vision of the Almighty.” He sees Him both when he is reposing and when he is fully awake with both eyes. In other words, Bileam boasts of having prophetic insights both at night and by day.

אראנו I SEE HIM — I see the preeminence of Jacob and his greatness, but it is not now (ולא עתה), but will be after some time.

THERE SHALL STEP FORTH A STAR OUT OF JACOB. Because the Messiah will gather together the dispersed of Israel from all the corners of the earth, Balaam compares him [metaphorically] to a star that passes through the firmament from the ends of heaven, just as it is said about [the Messiah]: and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man etc.²⁴⁶Daniel 7:13. Balaam thus said that he saw that at a distant time a star would pass from the ends of heaven, and there would rise out of it the sceptre of a ruler, and he shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth, the son of Adam,²⁴⁷Genesis 5:3. who was the father of all the nations.²⁴⁸See Ramban ibid., Vol. I, p. 98. He mentioned the corners of Moab in order to inform Balak that his people would not fall into the hand of Israel now, but in the end of days²³⁹Verse 14. Moab will not be saved from the hand of the ruling king [in Israel]. And the meaning of ‘the corners’ of Moab is that this ruler [in Israel] will break down all the sons of Seth, and they [Moab] will not be saved, even though they are cut off on ‘the corner,’²⁴⁹Jeremiah 9:25. This is an epithet for certain Arabian tribes, who had the corners of their hair clipped. Ramban here uses this term metaphorically, in its literal sense of “cut off in the corner”, to refer to a people who live in the remotest corners of the world. and have no name among the nations, and will not fight against Israel.

אראנו, I can clearly see it but it is not due now.

אראנו, I can see it now but it will not happen until some time in the future. ולא עתה; none of these prophecies are meant to become reality in the immediate future.

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “A star has come forth from Yaakov;” The reason why the Messiah is compared to a star is that he will gather in the Israelites who at that time are dispersed all over the globe, and a star shines in the sky and is visible all over the world. He envisions a man who will come forth from the edges of the horizon and wield a staff of authority.

אראנו ולא עתה, "I can see it, but it will not occur now, etc." Bileam again repeats the same message using different words each time. He also repeats the message about the Messiah but describes him differently each time, i.e. "star" and "sceptre." Bileam also varies the expressions with which he describes the exploits of this Messiah, i.e. מחץ, "smites," and קרקר, "destroys." The entire prophecy concerns the Messiah and is best understood in light of Sanhedrin 98 where the Talmud discusses the meaning of the apparently contradictory prophecy בעתה אחישנה, "at its appointed time I will hasten it" (Isaiah 60,22). The Talmud explains that the timing of the arrival of the Messiah depends on the conduct of the Jewish people. If they merit it, G'd will accelerate His timetable; if not, the Messiah will arrive at the time appointed for this event originally, a time far into the future. The fact that we are already into the sixth millenium shows you that up until now G'd did not accelerate His timetable. Bileam speaks of two possible messianic scenarios. When Bileam speaks of אראנו, "I can see it," he refers to the scenario of אחישנה, "I will hasten it." While it does not occur now, it may occur relatively soon. After all, our sages said in Devarim Rabbah 2,23 that if the Israelites were to become truly penitent they will be redeemed immediately even if they had spent only a single day in exile. They base this on the verse: "G'd will answer you on the DAY you are in trouble" (Psalms 20,2). Concerning the possibility that the redemption will only occur at the predetermined time, Bileam said אשורנו ולא קרוב, "I behold it though it is not soon." He commences the substance of his prophecy with the words דרך כוכב, "a star will step forth."

V. 17. אראנו וגו׳: ich sehe es so klar, als ob es gegenwärtig wäre, obgleich es nicht jetzt vorgeht, vielmehr schaue ich in ferne Zeiten, von deren Ereignissen noch nichts nahe ist. Damit beschwichtigt er Balaks Befürchtung, als ob Israels wachsende Größe ihn und seinem Volke in nächster Gegenwart gefährlich werden könnte. Es schließt sich dies unmittelbar seiner letzten Äußerung Vers 14 an: אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך באחרית הימים.

אראנו ולא עתה, אשורנו ולא קרוב, “what I see for them will not be yet, what I behold will not occur soon.” This is in contrast to prophecies by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,35: כי קרוב יום אידם וחש עתידות למו, “for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.” The subject can be better understood by a parable. A king took a stroll accompanied by both one of his friends and by someone whom he knew to be hostile to him. When the king mentioned that he had become thirsty, the hostile man said that they were a long distance from the nearest source of water, in order to make the king feel even more uncomfortable. His friend, on the other hand, encouraged him to ride on, assuring him that there was a source of water nearby. (He wanted to encourage the king even though he was not certain that what he said was true) Bileam, the enemy of the Israelites portrayed the salvation of that people as being a long way off, whereas Moses, the people’s friend, encouraged the people to observe the law of the Torah as a result of which their salvation would prove to be quite near (chronologically).

אראנו ולא עתה, “I see him but not now;” this is a reference to King David, who would not rule over Israel for another 400 years. (Ibn Ezra)

דרך כוכב A STAR COMETH OUT [OF JACOB] — Understand this as the Targum does (“a king will arise from Jacob”). The word דרך has the same meaning as in (Lamentations 2:4): “He has bent (דרך lit., trodden) his bow; this expression is used because the star shoots across [the heavens] as an arrow does when the bow is trodden. In O. F. destent. It is as much as to say, “Prosperity (a good fortune) will rise”.

דרך כוכב, both physical and enduring. We find the word כוכב used in this sense in Daniel 12,3 as ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבם לעולם, “and those who lead many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.”

כל בני שת, according to the plain meaning a reference to the Messiah, i.e. the words דרך כוכב מיעקב. (compare Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides in order to understand this. Ed.]

ומחץ פאתי מואב וקרקר כל בני שת, “he shall smash the nobles of Moav and the foundations of all of mankind.” The Messiah will not just be a King of the Jews but will be accepted as head of all the nations. The reason that Bileam singles out the nobles of Moav in that context, is to set Balak’s mind at rest that the ultimate destiny of the Moabites is not to fall victim to an Israelite King in his guise as an Israelite, but in his capacity as mankind’s saviour. The Moabites will not escape this man’s grasp although they are insignificant among the nations, and had not fought against the Israelites in the war preceding the coming of the Messiah..

The fact that Bileam repeats both the description of the substance of the prophecy and the message itself in different words can also be understood by Sanhedrin 98. The sages draw a picture of the process of redemption due to Israel's merits as being quite different from what it would be like if it had to occur only in order to honour G'd's timetable. In the former event the whole process would be orchestrated by Heaven, one miracle would follow another. The Zohar volume 1 page 119 as well as volume 3 page 212 describes these miracles in detail. If the redemption occurs only as a result of G'd's timetable decreeing that it cannot be delayed any further, it will be quite different, such as the prophet Zachariah 9,9 describes in a vision of the redeemer as being a poor man, riding on the lowly donkey. When Bileam spoke of the arrival of the Messiah as a result of Israel's merits, he described his arrival as similar to that of a star, i.e. a celestial figure making a prominent appearance in the sky. When Bileam spoke of "there arises a sceptre in Jacob," he referred to the other alternative, i.e. the Messiah arriving at the end of time. The redemption will then appear as almost a natural event, devoid of the kind of miracles G'd performed when the Israelites came out of Egypt. Daniel had a similar vision (Daniel 4,14) "and the lowliest of men He will raise up over it." A poor man riding on a donkey will be elevated to become the Messiah.

דרך כוכב וגו׳. Sterne gehen in angewiesenen Bahnen, הככבים ממסלתם (Richter 5, 20) ומצדיקי .Sterne sind Wegweiser aus der Höhe für die Menschen auf Erden. ומצדיקי הרבים כככבים (Daniel 12, 3). Ein solcher der Menschheit ihren Weg weisender Stern wird aus dem bis dahin seiner Schwäche willen gering geachteten Jakob seine gottgewiesene Bahn antreten, וקם שבט מישראל und dieser "Stern" wird zugleich ein "Zepter", er wird mit dem gebietenden Einfluss bekleidet sein. Aus Israel, dem die "Gottesherrschaft bekundenden und verbreitenden" Volke, wird es zugleich als Zepter hervorgehen. Eben indem aus שבט ,יעקב hervorgeht, wird es ja ישראל. Bileam steht aber im Geiste in der Gegenwart des Vollzugs dieses Ereignisses, daher: דרך, nicht: ידרוך. —

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “there shall step forth a star from Yaakov, etc.” The verb דרך here is used as similar to the prophetess Devorah using it in Judges 5,21: תדרכי נפשי עוז, “march on my soul with courage!” [In both instances it is used poetically as walking in a reinforced manner, with determination and purpose. Ed.] (Compare Isaiah 56,1,כי קרובה ישועתי לבא וצדקתי להגלות, “for soon My salvation shall come and My deliverance will be revealed.”)

אשורנו ולא קרוב, “I behold him but not in the near future;” this is part of a poetic formula, the poet repeating himself with different words meaning the same.

וקם שבט AND A שבט RISES [OUT OF ISRAEL] — a king, who chastises with the rod (שבט) and has sovereign power.

ומחץ פאתי מואב, even though all the nations will be wiped out by G’d the nations Edom and Moav will be decisively defeated by the Jewish people themselves as an act of vengeance for their longstanding enmity to the Jewish people.

Although, at first glance we would have expected Bileam to associate the early redemption with Israel and the delayed redemption with Jacob instead of vice versa, Bileam is true to form in his vision. If even the average Israelite, i.e. "Jacob" is deserving then the redemption will occur ahead of the original timetable set for it. If, however, G'd has to fall back on the elite, i.e. "Israel" in order to bring the redemption, it will only occur at the pre-arranged time.

ומחץ פאתי וגו׳ וקדקר וגו׳. Die Bedeutung von פאתי ist zweifelhaft. Der Form nach kann es nicht stat. constr. plur. von פאה sein. Man müsste sich denn einen dual. פאתים denken, von welchemפאתי der stat. constr. wäre. Allein die Bedeutung dieser Dualform bliebe unklar. Wir haben geglaubt, es als gleichbedeutend mit פות, wie ראם von רום, das ja auch in וראמה (Secharja 14, 5) und in ראמות (Job 28, 18) das quieszierende ו in א übergehen lässt, somit wie הפותות לדלתות (Kön. I. 7, 50) Türangel, als Repräsentant für Türe, verstehen zu dürfen. Es stände dieses dann in einem Begriffskreise mit dem folgenden קרקר .וקרקר וגו׳ erscheint nämlich als Verdoppelungspi'elform von קיר, Mauer, und heißt: entmauern. So מקרקר קיר (Jes.22, 2). בני שת sind die Nachkommen Sets. Es umfasst diese Bezeichnung die ganze nachflutliche Welt, als Nachkommen Noas, des letzten setischen Sprösslings. Der Sinn wäre: dieser von Jakob-Israel ausgehende, Zepter führende Stern wird Moabs Tore schlagen und alle Völker entmauern, d. h. vor der Macht seiner den Völkern den einzigen Weg zum Heile weisenden Lehre wird Moab keine Angeln mehr haben für Abschließungstore: es wird sein Isolierungshochmut aufhören und werden alle Menschen "mauerlos" werden: materieller Machtaufbau wird keinen Schutz mehr gewähren und wird nicht mehr als das Schützende verehrt werden.

וקם שבט מישראל, “and a scepter shall arise out of Israel;” our author understands the word שבט here as meaning a rod used to discipline someone. This rod will be applied to Moav in the distant future. The word פאתי in our verse, commonly translated as “corners of,” is understood by our author as meaning the same or almost the same as in Psalms 118,22: היתה לראש פנה, “had become the chief cornerstone.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the time of David (Samuel II 8,2) ויך את מואב וימדדם בחבל וגו', “He smote Moav and made them lie down on the ground, and measured them with a cord.”

And a scepter (shevet) shall rise out of Israel: This is also an expression [that means] star, such that it goes and is dragged in its path towards the place of the constellation. And similar to it is (Berakhot 58b), " a shooting (shavit) star"...

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “a star shall step forth emanating from Yaakov;” the word is used describing walking, just as Deuteronomy 1,36: אשר דרך בה, “who walked on it.” Bileam describes the Israelites as having reached a level that includes walking among the stars, whom they enlisted in their support.

ומחץ פאתי מואב AND PIERCETH THE CORNERS OF MOAB — This is a reference to David of whom it is stated, (II Samuel 8:2) “[And he smote Moab] … making them to lie down on the ground and he measured two lines to put to death etc.”.

Moreover, when Bileam describes the Messiah as a star emerging from Jacob, he refers to the Messiah who is the descendant of David, whereas when he speaks of the Messiah in terms of his being a sceptre rising out of Israel, this is a reference to the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim. Here again, Bileam suggests that there would not be a need for the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim [a concept of an interim Messiah who will actually be killed. Ed.] if the Israelites would merit redemption on the basis of their moral achievements rather than G'd's timetable. We are told in Sukkah 52 that the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim (if he has to come) would be killed by Romilus. Bileam here informed us that if the redemption will occur as a result of Israel's merits, then וקם שבט מישראל, then even the man destined to become the redeemer from the tribe of Ephrayim, וקם, "will remain alive, and will not be killed by Romilus." The sages who have formulated our prayers (compare Shaar Ha-amidah) have included the prayer לישועתך קוינו השם "we trust in YOUR salvation o G'd," as a means of asking G'd's mercy so that the redeemer from the tribe of Ephrayim should not be killed in battle.

וקרקר כל בני שת, “and break down all the sons of Sheth.” According to Rashi, the reference to Sheth, the third son of Adam of whom all mankind is descended after the deluge, the word is a metaphor for the gentile nations. It does not include the people of Israel here, seeing that at the beginning of the verse Bileam had made the Jewish people the subject in his prophecy.

וקם, “and there will arise, etc.;” both scepter and royalty,

וקרקר AND UNDERMINETH — This is an expression denoting “digging”, as in (2 Kings 19:24): “I have dug (קרתי)”; (Isaiah 51:1): “The hole of the pit from which you were dug out (נקרתם); (Proverbs 30:17) “The ravens of the valley shall dig it out (יקרהו)". In O. F. forer.

We can understand what Bileam meant when he described the Messiah as "smiting the corners of Moav" by reference to Bereshit Rabbah 44,23 where we are told that the extra three nations whose lands the Israelites would inherit in addition to that of the seven Canaanite nations, are Ammon, Moav and Edom. This is so although in the parlance of the covenant between the pieces in Genesis 15,18 G'd referred to them as Keyni, Kenizi and Kadmoni respectively. Bileam describes the Messiah as not only smiting Moav but as not even leaving a vestige, a corner of it. This is why he chose the word פאה to describe what would happen to Moav.

The Children of Seth (Shet): [This is] like the sons of Adam (all people), since [Seth] was the main [son of Adam], as Noah was from his descendants (such that everyone who lived afterwards was of the Children of Seth). And the Yitzchaki1 said that its understanding is [that it refers to] the Children of Ammon and also [the Children of] Moab, and its meaning is [hence] twofold. He also said that its usage [is like its usage in], "those with revealed shet" (Isaiah 11:3), which is a reference to the daughters of Lot (the mothers of Ammon and Moab). But that is distant [from the correct understanding] in my eyes; as shet is the posterior, which is like a foundation, as in (Psalms 11:3), "When the shatot are destroyed." And many understood, "all the children of shet" as the same usage as "When the shatot." And the explanation is that when he destroys the countries (which are like foundations). And this is not distant.

ומחץ פאתי מואב, “and shall smite even the corners of Moav.” Bileam prophesies that in the future Israel will also capture the territories of Edom, Moav and Ammon. A practical example of this is found in Judges 5,20 during the war between the armies of Barak and Sisera, the Field Marshal of Ammon. During that period even the stars were perceived by the Canaanites and Ammonites as engaging in war against them on behalf of Israel (song of victory by the prophetess Deborah) G-d, in His initial promise to Avraham had included these lands in the ones promised to Avraham’’s descendants. (Genesis chapter 15,1921).

כל בני שת ALL THE CHILDREN OF SETH — i.e., all nations, because all of them issued from Seth, the son of Adam, the first man (cf. Onkelos).

Alternatively, Bileam may have alluded to the fact that King David would precede the Messiah by smiting the Moabites and reducing them in power so that all the Messiah would have to do would be a mop-up operation, removing the last vestiges, פאה, of them. Bileam added וקרקר כל בני שת, referring to the liquidation of the kingdom of Ammon. The reason he equated the Ammonites with the descendants of Sheth is because the very name of the Ammonites was a reminder of the shame, בשת, maybe read ב־שת, a reminder of the incest to which they owed their existence. Inasmuch as this will be the final destruction of that shameful experience, Bileam uses a stronger term for their destruction i.e. קרקר.

It is also possible that Bileam refers to mankind as a whole, all of whom are descended from Sheth. Ammon is merely part of that group. The reason Bileam singled out only Moav by name amongst all the other nations whom the Messiah would destroy [maybe as nations, not individually, Ed.] was because they had sent for him and he was speaking to them and about them specifically.

וקרקר כל בני שת, “and break down all the sons of Sheth.” Some commentators understand this prophecy as referring to the Moabites as the latter were the descendants of an incestuous relationship between the daughters of Lot with their father. (Genesis Compare Isaiah 20,5, for use of the word שת in this sense.)

You may ask that G'd allocated to the Israelites only the lands of 10 nations, so why did Bileam speak about "all the descendants of Sheth?" Bileam provided the answer to this question when he continued והיה אדם ירשה, "that Edom shall be a possession." Inasmuch as the Edomites had established their rule over all of mankind, defeating Edom is equivalent to defeating all the descendants of Sheth. Bileam spoke of the collective term "descendants of Sheth," which does not mean that the concept of nations continuing to exist in the post-messianic era is excluded. Had Bileam said that the Messiah would מחץ, smite, "all the descendants of Sheth," we could have mistakenly concluded that all of mankind except for the Jews would be wiped out. Concerning all of mankind, Isaiah 65,20 says that they will all live to a ripe old age. [The prophet had previously described the new world order as including Gentiles. Ed.]

והיה ירשה שעיר איביו SEIR ALSO SHALL BE A POSSESSION [FOR HIS ENEMIES] — for his enemy, Israel.

AND EDOM SHALL BE A POSSESSION, SEIR ALSO, EVEN HIS ENEMIES SHALL BE A POSSESSION. The downfall of Edom²⁵⁰See Vol. I, pp. 444-445, and 568-569, for an explanation why this term is used about Rome. will be by the hand of the Messiah, because our present exile under the hand of Rome is considered Edom’s [exile], just as it is said: The punishment of thine iniquity is absolved, O daughter of Zion, He will no more carry thee away into captivity; He will punish thine iniquity, O ‘daughter of Edom,’ He will uncover thy sins²⁵¹Lamentations 4:22. — for G-d will not punish Edom until the sins of Zion are absolved, at the time when He will no more keep them in captivity.²⁵¹Lamentations 4:22. Therefore Balaam mentioned Edom, for it is he who disputes our [right to] kingdom, and about him it has been said, and the one people shall be stronger than the other.²⁵²Genesis 25:23. “They will never be equally great at the same time; when one rises, the other will fall” (Rashi ibid.). Balaam was thus prophesying that Edom will not completely fall until the time of the end [of the exile] by the hand of ‘the star’ [i.e., the Messiah] who will step forth out of Jacob [as stated in the previous verse].
Seir also, even his enemies shall be a possession. This means that Seir will become a possession of his enemies [i.e., of Israel].²⁵³This is Rashi’s interpretation, according to which the phrase his enemies is to be interpreted as to his enemies. Or [the term] his enemies may refer to [Jacob’s enemies, i.e.,] Edom and Seir mentioned [previously in the verse], who are the enemies of Jacob, [and the meaning of the verse would thus be: “Edom, and Seir also, who are the enemies of Israel] will become a possession [of Israel].”²⁵⁴See my Hebrew commentary p. 301 for a quote from the Zohar, which interprets the verse in this way.

שעיר איביו, "even Se-ir his enemies." Bileam lumps Edom and Se-ir together as being one. The word ירשה implies that that which has been destroyed will not be rebuilt. Edom will not rise again from its ruins as will other nations. The reason is that these people were enemies of Israel, איביו. Compare Psalms 137,7 where the Jewish people are quoted as asking G'd to pay back the people of Edom for what they have done to them. The Psalmist pleads with G'd to destroy Edom to its very foundations. This is why Bileam predicts that Edom's defeat will be much more severe than that of the other descendants of Sheth.

ירשה, a construction similar to שמנה, shemeynah, or seveyah in Proverbs 27,7 נפש שבעה

והיה אדום ירשה, ”Edom will become a conquest;” Bileam prophesied concerning the defeat of Edom at the hands of the Messiah. Nowadays, (at the time of the author) our exile is that imposed upon us by Edom, seeing that the Romans are descendants of the original Edom. The reason Bileam singled out Edom from all the other nations is that Edom had been the first to contest Israel’s right to exist as a separate nation. That dichotomy had already started in the womb of Rivkah, as she had been told by G’d in Genesis

His enemies, the Bnei Yisroel. Meaning that “his enemies” that is written in the verse refers to Yisroel who are the enemies of the idolaters. Rashi adds a lamed to the word אויביו ["his enemies", thus reading "to his enemies"] because without this, the verse is not telling to which nation Se'ir would become a possession.

V. 18. יְרשה .והיה אדום ירשה: etwas was in den Besitz eines andern übergeht. Indem hier Edom neben שעיר genannt und von beiden dasselbe prädiziert wird, so ist wohl unter אדום die edomitische Macht und unter שעיר deren ursprüngliches Stammland Seir zu verstehen. Jene reicht weiter als dieses. Die edomitische Macht, bis dahin die höchste nationale Macht, die keinen Herrn über sich hatte, wird ירשה: erhält einen Herrn, wird herrneigen, und damit wechselt ihr Stammland Seir den Herrn, erhält einen andern, und beides, weil sie beide אויביו, die Urfeinde Jaakob-Israels sind. Und während so Seir-Edom die Selbständigkeit verliert, erstarkt Israel zur einflussreichsten Macht. עשה חיל heißt sowohl das Schaffen, das Ansammeln von Kräften, wie הנתן לך כח לעשות חיל. (Dewarim 8, 19), als auch das Ausüben solcher Kräfte, wie ימין ד׳ עשה חיל (Ps. 18, 15). חיל: siehe Schmot 18, 21.

והיה אדום ירשה, “and Edom shall become a possession;” the Edomites became servants to David, paying annual tributes to him.

וישראל עשה חיל, "and Israel will do valiantly." Bileam means that the destruction of Edom and the descendants of Sheth will enable the Israelites to perform deeds of valor. Destruction of the Gentile nations and Samael liberates the sparks of sanctity trapped inside many of them. This in turn enables Israel to perform deeds of valor in "repatriating" these sparks of sanctity who had been stained while inside the bodies of the Gentiles. The expression עשה חיל suggests that one repairs something, rehabilitates it.

והיה ירשה שעיר אויביו, “Seir, also Israel’s enemies, became a possession of those who had previously been its enemies.

וירד מיעקב AND OUT OF JACOB ONE SHALL RULE — and there will be yet another ruler from Jacob,

And the meaning of the verse, and he shall destroy the remnant from ‘the’ city,²⁵⁵Verse 19. is “from ‘every’ city,” for there will not be left a remnant of any city in the world [i.e. of those belonging to the Roman Empire, here referred to by the names Edom and Seir]. Thus at first [in Verse 17] Balaam said that [the Messiah] will break down all the sons of Seth, and now he is saying that he will not leave any remnant or survivor [of them]. Thus was completed Balaam’s counsel to Balak.

וירד מיעקב, "and someone from Jacob will exercise dominion, etc." According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra Bileam referred to Yoav, David's commander-in-chief. Rashi understands the verse as a reference to King Messiah. I believe that Rashi is correct. If Ibn Ezra had been correct this verse should have preceded the verse predicting the downfall of Edom, as the wars under the leadership of David and Yoav against Moav certainly preceded the downfall of Edom. Edom's downfall is always equated with ushering in the age of the Messiah. Rashi's explanation means that although Bileam had already described the defeat of all the descendants of Sheth, i.e. of all mankind, he wants to tell us that Bileam here gives notice that there will be numerous survivors of the war against Edom and the descendants of Sheth. However, none of these survivors will ever again establish an independent state as previously but they will be ruled over by Jacob.

וירד מיעקב, a ruler emanating from Yaakov will wield authority over all kingdoms. We may add the word איש in front of the word מיעקב.

והאביד שריד מעיר, “he will destroy even the remnant of the city.” In other words, there will not remain any survivors of the Amalekites in any city on the globe. At the beginning Bileam had spoken of וקרקר כל בני שת, that the Messiah would uproot all the various nations of the world; now he amplifies that there would not remain any survivors from the people of Amalek anywhere According to Ibn Ezra this whole prophecy describes David’s rule. Some commentators understand the words כל בני שת as the descendants of Lot, and that seeing that Bileam mentioned the פאתי מואב, the nobles of Moav [Moav was a son of Lot and his daughter. Ed.], Bileam expands further on the theme of what would happen to the various descendants of Lot. Some commentators understand the שריד מעיר as referring to people whose descent from the original Sheth can be verified. Yet other commentators derive the word שת here not from the third son of Chavah, but from השחית, destroying, so that Bileam would describe the Messiah as destroying even all those who try to hide from him, i.e. he would destroy all organized states.

Yet another ruler shall come from Yaakov. That is to say, aside from David who had been mentioned (above, v. 17).

V. 19. וירד מיעקב. Indem aber so gerade aus dem machtlosen "Jaakob" der Zepterstern ausgeht, vor dessen geistiger Hoheit alle materielle Macht und selbst das edomitische Zepter sich beugt, geht damit der letzte Rest einseitiger "Kulturvergötterung" verloren, והאביד שריד מעיר. Indem nämlich hier עיר ganz absolut steht, dürfte damit die Städtekultur bezeichnet sein, mit deren einseitiger, sich selbst genügender Entfaltung ja eben die menschenvergötternde Geschichtsentwicklung (Bereschit 4, 17 und 11, 4) beginnt, die mit der endlichen Huldigung des Zepter führenden Sterns aus Jakob zum Abschluss kommen soll. So steht auch Jesaias 32, 14 u. 19 עיר als Repräsentant einseitiger Kulturvergötterung überhaupt, und das gottschauende Lied jener Zeit lautet Jesaias 26, 1: עיר עז לנו ישועה ישית חומת וחל, unser ist eine unüberwindliche Stadt, denn Gotteshilfe setzt er statt Mauer und Wall!

וירד מיעקב, “and out of Yaakov one shall have dominion.” A dictator will arise from Yaakov and destroy the last vestige of the Edomites. Bileam refers to David’s general Yoav, of whom it has been reported in Kings I 11,16: “for Yoav and all Israel stayed there for six months until they had killed off every male member of the Edomites.” וירד מיעקב, “of this man it is said: “he will not leave a remnant of the house of Esau.” (Ovadiah, 18)

והאביד שריד מעיר AND HE WILL DESTROY THE REMNANT OF THE CITY — the most important city of Edom, and that is Rome. It is of King Messiah that he is thus speaking, of whom it is said, (Psalms 72:8) “And he shall have dominion (וירד) from sea to sea”; (Obadiah v. 18) “And there shall be no remnant (שריד) of the house of Esau".

והאביד שריד מעיר, from Edom; in accordance with Ovadiah 1,18 that “there will not be a single person who belongs to the descendants of Esau escaping, seeing G’d had so decreed.”

והאביד שריד מעיר, "and shall destroy the remnants of the city." Bileam means that not only will these nations not again attain the degree of independent statehood presided over by a king, but they will not even attain enough independence that would warrant their appointing a שריד, a governor of sorts.

וירא את עמלק AND HE SAW AMALEK — i.e. He perceived the retribution destined to befall Amalek.

VAYAR’ (AND HE SAW) AMALEK. “He contemplated the punishment of Amalek and he said, Amalek was the first of the nations — he was the first of them all to wage war against Israel. And so did Onkelos translate it. But his end will be to be destroyed by their hands, [as it is said], thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek.”²⁵⁶Deuteronomy 25:19. This is Rashi’s language.
It is possible that the word vayar is to be understood in its literal meaning [“and he saw,” and not, as Rashi explained it, “and he contemplated”], since Balaam was on the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert²⁵⁷Above, 23:28. and so he looked towards the land of Amalek who dwelt in that hill-country.²⁵⁸Ibid., 14:45. Thus he said that Amalek is now ‘the first’ of the nations, meaning that he is considered a leader of the nations, because they were mighty men, and valiant men for the war;²⁵⁹Jeremiah 48:14. for were it not so, it would not have occurred to them to come and attack Israel, and Moses would not have had to choose a select number of men [to fight them],²⁶⁰Exodus 17:9. or to pray and lift up his hands [towards heaven] until he was weakened.²⁶¹Ibid., Verses 11-12. He [Moses] also built an altar and called its name ‘Ado-nai nissi’ (the Eternal is my banner),²⁶²Ibid., Verse 15. because he considered [the defeat of Amalek] a great miracle. Therefore this [man Balaam] said that Amalek is the first of the nations, but his end shall come to destruction more than all the others, as He said, For I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.²⁶³Ibid., Verse 14. Similarly, ‘the first’ oils²⁶⁴Amos 6:6. means “the best” of them, which are counted first [in quality].²⁶⁵Of the quality used for lighting the lamps in the candelabrum (see Menachoth 86a). The same [usage is also found in these expressions]: ‘the first’ [i.e., “the best”] of the devoted things;²⁶⁶I Samuel 15:21. ‘head’ and chief over them;²⁶⁷Judges 11:11. Literally: ‘first’ and chief. ‘the chief’ spices.²⁶⁸Exodus 30:23. Literally: ‘the first spices.’ See Ramban, Vol. II, p. 528.

ראשית גוים עמלק ואחריתו עדי אבד, "Amalek was the first of the nations, but its end will be utter destruction." The word "the first" refers to the first nation Israel has been commanded to destroy (compare Exodus 17,14) where G'd orders the Israelites to record this commandment in a book (before the Torah had been revealed at Mount Sinai) and where G'd promises to wipe out the memory of Amalek. This occurred shortly after the Exodus when Amalek attacked the Israelites in no-man's land without provocation. At that time, the Amalekites left the battlefield and went home. Later on, in the days of Saul, the Israelites almost wiped out Amalek completely except for their king. In the days of Mordechai the Jews killed over 75.000 of their enemies, presumably mostly people descended from Amalek. When Bileam refers to אחריתו, "the end of Amalek," he refers to the messianic era when the Messiah will wipe them out completely.

וירא את עמלק, from a location where these people were visible he beheld them.

וירא את עמלק, “He saw Amalek;” According to Rashi the word וירא, “he saw,” refers to Bileam’s mind’s eye; he observed the retribution that would befall Amalek. Nachmanides writes that it is possible that we can understand the word וירא at face value, i.e. as what Bileam saw with his physical eye, seeing that from his vantage point on the top of Peor, it was quite possible to look down on the cities of Amalek who dwelled in the mountains across the valley. He went on to say that although Amalek was (among) the first organized nation-states at his time, so that it bore the title ראש העמים, “first among the nations,” nonetheless, in the end it would be utterly destroyed. Bileam paraphrased what G’d had already foretold Moses in Exodus 17,14 that He, personally, would utterly destroy that nation.

וירא את עמלק, “he saw Amalek;” (in a prophetic vision, seeing that nation was hundreds of miles distant). The reason this prophecy commences with Amalek is that this nation is both a descendant of Esau and was the first to engage Israel in military combat after the Exodus. It will also be the last nation to do so prior to its utter destruction. In our days Amalek is represented by the Roman Empire. This is the reason Bileam concluded his prophecy with predicting the destruction of the Kingdom of the Kittim, another name for the Roman Empire. Bileam predicts utter destruction for these kingdoms, using the word עדי אובד as something parallel to G’d’s prediction in Exodus 17,14 where the words are מחה אמחה.

He gazed at Amalek’s punishment. Not referring to a physical vision, for afterwards it is written, “And his end will be total destruction” meaning that the word וירא ["saw"] must refer to vision in thought. The reason why Rashi did not explain above (v. 17) that the word אראנו ["I see it"], which is a sense of gazing, refers to a vision in thought [as Rashi does here] is because the verse above speaks about the praiseworthiness and greatness of Yaakov, which is obviously a vision in thought. However here it says “Amalek was the first among nations” and one might have said that it is referring to a physical vision, therefore he explains that it refers to a vision in thought. Re’m

V. 20. ראשית גוים, das erste im Range; denn der Zeit nach war Moab älter. Es war auch das erste der Völker, das, völlig unprovoziert, den Kampf mit Israel begonnen, ואחריתו und sein Ende lautet: עדי אבד, es verfolgt seine Bahn so lange, bis es אבד, ein völlig Verlorenes wird. Selbst sein Andenken schwindet aus dem Bewusstsein der Menschen.

וירא את עמלק, “he saw Amalek” (in a prophetic vision). Bileam is also described as seeing the Kenite, the descendants of Yitro in our verse, also a prophetic vision. These two nations are lumped together here because the Amalekites were the first anti Jewish nation, whereas the descendants of Yitro, the Kenites were the first pro Jewish nation. This is why Bileam predicts total destruction for Amalek, and lofty dwellings for the Kenites. The word שים here is not an imperative mode of the root שום, “to place, to set,” but is a noun meaning: “the place of, the seat of.” They will dwell on rocks, i.e. secure from attack from below

וירא את עמלק, “He saw (with his mental eye) Amalek, i.e. the descendants of Amalek; seeing that this was the first nation to engage the recently liberated Israelites in battle, Bileam details its eventual demise as separate from all the other nations who will share a similar fate.

ראשית גוים עמלק AMALEK WAS THE BEGINNING OF NATIONS — he was the first of them all to war against Israel; thus, too, does Onkelos translate it. ואחריתו BUT HIS LATTER END will be to be destroyed by their hands, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 25:19) “Thou shalt blot out the memory of Amalek”.

ראשית גויים, as per Onkelos, i.e. the first organised nation militarily opposing the Jewish nation.

In waging war against Yisroel. Rashi wishes to answer the question: Surely there were many nations before Amalek. And one cannot explain that ראשית ["first"] is an expression of importance, for Amalek descended from the concubine of Elifaz son of Eisav.

Another way of explaining this verse may be as follows. The word ראשית does not describe something chronological, but is derived from ראש, head, i.e. "first in importance." There was a time when the people of Amalek ranked very high amongst the nations. Nonetheless, the time would come when it would be utterly destroyed. It is part of the everlasting glory of Israel that it will be the nation which destroys Amalek. Bileam continues in verse 24 by describing other nations which will experience destruction at the hands of third nations, such as Tzim at the hands of the Kittim, etc. It will be to Israel's advantage that these various nations will be destroyed.

Will be to perish by their hand. As if to say that [their end] will not be like that of the kings of other nations, who will perish through war [with other nations]. It is because the Torah writes, “You shall obliterate the memory of Amalek” that we know that it will be through our hand.

וירא את הקיני AND HE SAW THE KENITES — Because the Kenites were settled near the Amalekites — just as it is stated, (I Samuel 15:6) “And Saul said unto the Kenites, [Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites]’’ — he mentioned them immediately after the Amalekites. He beheld the greatness of the descendants of Jethro, of whom it is said, (I Chronicles 2:55) “The תרעתים, שמעתים, שוכתים" — [These are the Kenites] (see Sifrei Bamidbar 78:1 on Numbers 10:29; Sanhedrin 104a, 106a, Sotah 11a).

And the meaning of the verse, And ‘he saw’ the Kenite²⁶⁹Verse 21. is also that Balaam [actually] saw their land, for he [the Kenite] dwelt with Amalek. And he took up his parable, and said²⁶⁹Verse 21. to them by way of counsel, Firm is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock,²⁶⁹Verse 21. meaning: “Make thy dwelling in a firm place, and [set] thy nest in a rock, that is, depart and go away from the Amalekites, lest thou be swept away²⁷⁰Genesis 19:15. See also I Samuel 15:6. with them, and put in a firm rock thy dwelling, with Israel,” just as it is said, And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah etc.²⁷¹Judges 1:16. And Balaam continued: For if the Kenite will be wasted,²⁷²Verse 22. meaning to say: “Do not be afraid of coming [to settle] in Israel, because even if you will be wasted together with them, because when the enemy will exile Israel they will destroy all inhabitants from the Land, — ‘ad mah’ (for how long) will Ashur [Assyria] carry thee away captive?²⁷²Verse 22. He will not hold you captive forever, because you shall be redeemed from his hand together with Israel, but if you will remain with the Amalekites, your end will be to perish with them forever.” Similarly we find [this usage of ad mah in the following verses]: ‘ad mah’ O Eternal, wilt Thou be angry forever?;²⁷³Psalms 79:5. ‘ad meh’ shall my glory be put to shame?²⁷⁴Ibid., 4:3. — which [in both cases] means “for how long.” Or [it may be that the phrase ad mah] comes to emphasize the magnitude of something, such as: ‘mah’(how) weak is thy heart!;²⁷⁵Ezekiel 16:30. ‘mah’(how)was thy mother a lioness!²⁷⁶Ibid., 19:2. and [here it means] to say: “To what extent can the captivity which Assyria will take captive of you reach, and how great [can it be]? It should be of no significance at all to you, because you will not [ultimately] be destroyed, as you would be if you were together with Amalek.” Therefore Balaam continued and took up his parable about Assyria, [saying] that the time of his own land²⁷⁷Jeremiah 27:7. will come for him too, and nobody will be saved from the great and terrible day of the Eternal²⁷⁸Malachi 3:23. [which will come] upon all the nations; for ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, which refers to the Romans, and they shall afflict [the] Ashur [who is] mentioned [later on in that verse], and shall afflict Eber,²⁷⁹Verse 24. which means Israel. He is thus stating that [the Romans] will oppress both the captors [i.e., the Assyrians] and their captives [the Hebrews]; but he also — the people of Kittim [namely the Romans, as explained above] — shall come to destruction²⁷⁹Verse 24. in the end.
Thus Balaam completed his words [by foretelling] the destruction of the Kittim, who are the fourth beast²⁸⁰In Daniel’s vision of the four kingdoms [symbolized by four beasts], the fourth beast represents Rome (see Daniel 7:7). See an important note on this subject in Genesis, Vol. I, p. 350, Note 8. which will be destroyed by the hand of the Messiah, as it is said, I beheld even till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed, and it was given to be burned with fire,²⁸¹Daniel 7:11. [and the phrase here] shall come to destruction [is used] because their memory will be completely extirpated. Now it is well-known in the sayings of our Rabbis²⁸²Abodah Zarah 2b. that the fourth beast which Daniel saw²⁸⁰In Daniel’s vision of the four kingdoms [symbolized by four beasts], the fourth beast represents Rome (see Daniel 7:7). See an important note on this subject in Genesis, Vol. I, p. 350, Note 8. represents Rome who exiled us, and it is this [“beast”] which will be destroyed by the hand of the Messiah.
Now do not be astonished at this [explanation we have given above, that Kittim means Rome, and do not refute it] because the third kingdom [mentioned in Daniel]²⁸⁰In Daniel’s vision of the four kingdoms [symbolized by four beasts], the fourth beast represents Rome (see Daniel 7:7). See an important note on this subject in Genesis, Vol. I, p. 350, Note 8. was Greece, as is stated explicitly in the Book of Daniel,²⁸³Daniel 7:6. See also Ramban further on for a fuller explanation. and the Kittim are of the seed of Javan [who was the ancestor of the Greeks], as it is said, And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. [and therefore one might think that the Romans, who are the fourth beast, i.e., the fourth kingdom, could not be the Kittim]! For it is indeed true [that Kittim are the Greeks, as is stated in the verse quoted above,²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. but nonetheless here it refers to the Romans, who were descendants of the Greeks]. And our Rabbis admit this [that the Greeks and Romans were related], as they have said:²⁸⁵Megillah 6b. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 302, Note 86. “Italy of Greece — this is the great city of Rome,” and it is well-known that the name of the land of which [the city of] Rome forms a part, is called in their books and in their language “Italy.” [Thus it is clear that Greece and Rome are related, and therefore the Kittim, who in the Book of Genesis are described²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. as descendants of the Greeks, refer here in the prophecy of Balaam to Rome.] But the history [of the Kittim] is similar to that of Canaan; for the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, they and their children and their fathers, are each of them considered an independent nation, just as it says: the Hittite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, seven nations greater and mightier than thou.²⁸⁶Deuteronomy 7:1. The reason for this [i.e., for considering each one a separate nation], is because each one of these [seven] sons [of Canaan] became a mighty nation, and these [individual] nations were called by the names of their ancestors. But the other sons of Canaan²⁸⁷Genesis 10:17-18: the Arkite, and the Sinite, etc. who did not become strong as did their brothers, considered themselves a part of him [i.e., of Canaan].²⁸⁸See Vol. I, p. 151, for an explanation why the verse in Deuteronomy 7:1 [quoted above] counts the Canaanite as one of Canaan’s seven children, since, as we have explained, each of his seven sons founded a nation in his own right. So also the “land of Canaan” is so called because of [Canaan] the father [and not because of that particular son of his who founded the Canaanite people — since all his seven sons lived there with their peoples.²⁸⁶Deuteronomy 7:1.]. And the Philistines and Caphtorim, the sons of [Mitzraim]²⁸⁹Genesis 10:13-14. also became separate nations [whereas the other sons of Mitzraim: Ludim, Anamin etc. were known merely as descendants of Mitzraim].²⁹⁰Ibid., Verse 13. Similarly we find in the families mentioned in the section of Pinchas: [The sons of Menasheh]: of Machir, the family of the Machirites — and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites.²⁹¹Further, 26:29. Here the Gileadites — descended from Gilead the son of Machir — are counted by Scripture as a separate family, although it first mentioned the family of the Machirites. This is because Gilead increased more than the other sons of Machir, and became a large family in his own right. There are many such cases [in Scripture]. Here too: The sons of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. are considered part of Javan [Greece], and they constitute the third kingdom [in the vision of Daniel], but the Kittim [who were also amongst the sons of Javan]²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. became a mighty nation, and are [therefore] counted as the fourth kingdom [i.e., that of Rome], and it is this kingdom which will continue until the [times of the] Messiah, and it will be destroyed by him.
But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has confused this matter,²⁹²Ibn Ezra in his commentary to Daniel 7:14. To include all the empires in the “four kingdoms” that will rule the world, as symbolized by the four beasts, Ibn Ezra suggested that both Greece and Rome should be counted as the “third beast,” and the “fourth beast” will then be the Islamic empires of his times. Ramban totally rejects this interpretation. and introduced into it the kingdom of Ishmael [i.e., the Arabic kingdoms of his times] for their fear was fallen upon him,²⁹³Esther 8:17. and he argued: “How can one not count such a great and powerful empire [as the Arabic empire, amongst those seen in Daniel’s visions]!” This argument stems from a lack of knowledge, for each of the four kingdoms which Daniel saw, gained power one after another, and each one prevailed over its predecessor and seized the kingdom [of the world] from it. [Likewise] each one continued the enslavement and exile of Israel during the period that it ruled. Therefore Daniel saw in his dream that the Chaldeans [i.e., the Babylonians] would [be the first] to enslave us [i.e., the Jewish people], and that after them the Persians would seize the kingdom, and would [continue] to enslave us, and after them in their stead would come the Greeks; and after them the Romans would become powerful and seize the kingdom, and subjugate us until the time of the end²⁹⁴Daniel 12:9. [of the exile], for their kingdom would only come to an end by the hand of the redeemer [i.e., the Messiah]. Thus [the extent of] our exile is the duration of [rule of] the four kingdoms [Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome], and even if there will be other empires in the world contemporaneously with these four kingdoms, Scripture does not count them and Daniel did not see them [in his visions], since he did not have to see them at all in order to know the [date of the final] redemption. And indeed in the days of [the kingdoms of] Persia and Greece, and today also, there are great empires in the world, besides those of Rome and Ishmael, such as the peoples of India, Ethiopia, Rumania, the Tartars, and others. And if so, [Ibn Ezra] should have counted many kingdoms! And [another reason why Ibn Ezra is mistaken is that] it is well-known that it was the Romans who exiled us in the days of Vespasian and Titus, and not the Ishmaelites [the Arabs]; therefore wherever we are, whether under Ishmael, or [anywhere] from India, even unto Ethiopia,²⁹⁵Esther 1:1. This is a term which refers to anywhere in the known world. we are in the exile of Rome, until her memory will be destroyed and we shall be redeemed from it. Who knows, perhaps the kingdom of Ishmael will still be destroyed before the coming of the Messiah! But the fourth beast is the one which exiled us, as is said with reference to it, I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them.²⁹⁶Daniel 7:21. We shall remain in this exile until the coming of the Messiah, as it is written, until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High; and the time came, and the saints possessed the kingdom.²⁹⁷Ibid., Verse 22. “The Ancient of Days” is a synonym for G-d the Eternal. And anyone who understands the visions of Daniel will find this interpretation clearly indicated there. For in the second vision Daniel saw the pushing ram,²⁹⁸Ibid., 8:4. which was explained to him as [representing the] kingdom of Persia,²⁹⁹Ibid., Verse 20. and the rough he-goat is the king of Greece, and the great horn is the first king³⁰⁰Ibid., Verse 21. Alexander [of Greece], who prevailed over Persia. And when he was strong, his kingdom was broken,³⁰¹Ibid., Verse 8. in the place whereof four stood up,³⁰²Ibid., Verse 22. these being his four generals [Ptolemy, Seleucus, Antigonus and Lysimachus] who reigned in his stead after his death. And Scripture mentions: And ‘out of one of them’ came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beauteous Land³⁰³Ibid., Verse 9. and it says concerning it, Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host, and from him the continual burnt-offering was taken away.³⁰⁴Ibid., Verse 11. Thus it clearly refers to the kingdom of Rome, which came “out of Greece” since [the Kittim referred to by Balaam, which means, as explained above, Rome] were of his sons [i.e., Javan’s,²⁸⁴Genesis 10:4. who is the ancestor of the Greeks], and it is that kingdom [Rome] which removed the continual burnt-offering³⁰⁴Ibid., Verse 11. [through destroying the Second Temple]. Therefore [Daniel] calls both of them [Greece and Rome] one beast, this being the rough he-goat,³⁰⁰Ibid., Verse 21. one of whose [four] horns waxed great³⁰³Ibid., Verse 9. and removed the continual burnt-offering.³⁰⁴Ibid., Verse 11. There are further such proofs there [in the Book of Daniel, that the fourth kingdom means the Romans]; however the tradition of our Rabbis, of blessed memory, [that the “fourth beast” is the kingdom of Rome] is true [in its own right] and needs no other support.

וירא את הקיני, "He saw the Kenite, etc." This is a reference to Yitro. In order to understand Bileam we must first refer to Baba Batra 15 where we are told that the איתן of whom Bileam speaks here is Abraham. Abraham was the first proselyte; all subsequent proselytes are not only known as his spiritual descendants but are even named after him. According to Shemot Rabbah 27,6 Yitro converted to Judaism. This is why Bileam said of Yitro (Keyni) "your dwelling is with Abraham (Eytan)." He meant that Yitro's future would be parallel to that of Abraham's future. ושים בסלע קנך, "and although you have set your nest in a rock," Bileam reminds the Kenite that he has another point in his favour, namely that Yitro gave his "nest" i.e. his daughter Tzipporah to Moses as a wife. Bileam compared Moses to a rock because he was strong in Torah knowledge and had the authority of a king at the same time. Moreover, the word סלע does occur as hyperbole for Torah according to Tikkuney Ha-Zohar 21.

איתן מושבך, you imagined that your seat of power was inviolate, unconquerable as the rock of Gibraltar. It will turn out to be different from what you thought, but יהיה לבער קין, Kayin will be consumed, by the time the Kingdom of Assyria will emerge you will be taken prisoner, and will go into exile.

וירא את הקיני, “He saw the Kenite, etc.” The land of the Kenite was also visible from the elevation on which Bileam was standing, seeing that he dwelled among the Amalekites, as we know from when King Sha’ul asked the Kenites to leave that land before he made war against Amalek (compare Samuel I 15,6) Bileam’s words to them, i.e. וישא משלו ויאמר, were in the nature of advice, such as when he describes the place where that tribe resides. At the time, the Kenite i.e. descendants of Yitro, were still dwelling in Midian, and only after they were allocated land by the Israelites did they become a separate tribe. Their settling on a rock is meant to show that they had something in common with the Jewish nation when they (the descendants of Moses’ father-in-law) ascended from the city of Palms in the valley to higher ground with the tribe of Yehudah. (Judges 1,16) He continued:

וירא את הקיני, “when he saw the Kenite, etc.” This is the family of Yitro. They are described as Kenites in Chronicles I 20,25 (according to Ibn Ezra there). In Judges 4,11 they also appear under that name when Yael slew Siserah. Bileam uses a play on words when describing that these people have set their “nest” in a lofty rock. The word קן, meaning “nest” in Hebrew is employed by Bileam to contrast the advantages gained by that family which converted to Judaism and will share the glorious future of that nation with that of the enemies of the Jewish people. Bileam exclaims “sarcastically?” that even if the Amalekites had made their home in lofty rocks this would not help them against the wrath of G’d and Israel in the future he describes. They would be brought down even from such lofty heights.

Tirasites, Shimasites, Sochasites. Meaning that they were the members of the Sanhedrin, and all of these terms are related to the Sanhedrin. תרעתים ["Tirasites"] is an expression of a שער ["gate" because the letter shin can sometimes be switched with the letter taf, and the order of letters is also switched], meaning [that they sit at] the gate of the Sanhedrin. שמעתים ["Shimasites"] is because they know the שמעתא ["teachings"]. שוכתים ["Sochasites"] is because סוכין ["they see "] with Divine Inspiration.

VV. 21 u. 22. וירא את הקיני וגו׳. Richter 4, 11 wird berichtet, dass ein von seinem Stammvolk Kajin losgelöster Zweig, נפרד מקין, sich in Israels Mitte niedergelassen hatte und wegen dieser Abstammung קיני genannt wurde. Es war dies der Zweig, zu welchem Mosche Schwiegervater gehörte, unter dessen Vorgang sich dieser Anschluss an Israel vollzog (siehe oben zu Kap. 10, 29). Bileam mahnt ihn, diesen Anschluss an Israel und diese Niederlassung in dessen Mitte nicht zu verlassen. Er möge seine Niederlassung urfest und unveränderlich sein lassen, möge in diesen Fels hinein, den er einmal erwählt, sein Nest bauen und nicht wieder zu seinem Urstamm Kajin zurückkehren. Denn Kajin wird von Aschur vernichtet und in die Gefangenschaft fortgeführt werden. Kehrte er daher zu Kajin zurück, so verfiele er auch diesem Geschicke, und wohin würde er da in der Gefangenschaft verführt werden?! Diesem Geschicke entgeht er, wenn er in Israel bleibt. Scheint er doch, wie bereits zu Kap. 10, 29 bemerkt, selbst der über Israel kommenden assyrischen Macht nicht erlegen und ihm die Freiheit und Selbständigkeit erhalten geblieben zu sein. In Israel hat sich daher in Wahrheit sein מושב als איתן bewährt.

וירא את הקיני, “He envisioned the Kenite;” Here the reference is to the people known as Ammon, the Kenite mentioned in Genesis chapter 15 not the descendants of Yitro. This tribe is mentioned there as a part of a group comprising the Kenite, K’nisite, and the Kadmoni. (Genesis 15,19) Bileam had already prophesied about Moav, and Edom of the future; now he adds a prophecy about the future of the Ammonites.

איתן מושבך FIRM IS THY DWELLING PLACE — “I wonder whence you merited this; for were you not with me in the advice we gave Pharaoh (Exodus 1:10): ‘Come, let us deal wisely with them’, and now you have a seat in the strength and power of Israel, (in the Sanhedrin)’’! (Sanhedrin 106a).

I wonder how you merited this. Rashi had to explain that this was in the sense of wonder, because Bil’am came only to relate the greatness of Yisroel, so why did he relate the greatness of the sons of Yisro? For one cannot say that it was [merely] because they were encamped near to Amalek, and this was why he mentioned them after Amalek, as Rashi explains above [s.v. "He saw the Keinite"]. There is also the difficulty as to how Rashi knows that this is in the sense of wonder? The answer is that if so, [that they were only mentioned because they encamped near Amalek] why did he mention their greatness just to expound upon their deficiencies, namely that they would be exiled? [And even the mention of their deficiencies] is not demeaning, given that they have hope of returning. Rather, one must say that he only mentioned this in the sense of wonder. Another answer is that because he mentions them in the second person, saying, “How powerful is your dwelling place” rather than “his dwelling place,” we see that it was in the sense of wonder.

תשבך, Aschur steht hier femin. Wohl in Hinblick auf das sofort auch über Aschur zum Ausspruch kommende Verhängnis.

איתן מושביך, “you considered your dwelling place as secure. You boasted that when G-d had told the Israelites no to harass them that they were invincible.

ושים, “and for additional safety you positioned your home on top of a rock.” The word ושים should really have been ושימת, “you have positioned,” in the past tense.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין וגו׳ FOR IF THE KENITES WILL BE REMOVED etc. — Happy are you that you have firmly settled yourself in such strength, to which I have referred, so that thou will therefore never be driven from the world. For even if you will in the future go into exile with the Ten Tribes and be removed from the place where you had settled, what does it matter?

כי אם יהיה לבער, "how long before it will burn?" Bileam trains his mind's eye on what will befall the Kenite saying: "how long will it be until even the Kenite will burn?" אשור תשבך, "Ashur will take you into captivity." This is a reference to Sancheriv king of the Assyrians taking the Kenite into captivity.

ASSYRIA WILL TAKE YOU CAPTIVE. The kingdom of Assyria will take you captive and will exile you in captivity.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “for if the Kenite should be laid waste, etc.” They would have no reason to worry, as their exile would end at the time the Assyrians would take the ten tribes captive. There would be no residents left in the land formerly occupied by the ten tribes, so that the Kenites would have no one to restrict their tenure.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין עד מה אשור תשבך, “yet shall Kayin be consumed when Ashur takes you captive.” According to Ibn Ezra, Bileam uses the word Kayin to describe the Kenite, saying: “how long can Ashur keep you captive, i.e. the exile of the Ten Tribes of the Jewish people by the Assyrians is of limited duration, whereas the other captives of Assyria would never regain their freedom. The reason the word Assyria is used in the feminine gender is that Bileam relates to the camp of Assyria, similar to Job 1,15 referring to Sheba in the feminine gender. The same feminine form is used to describe Israel in verse Samuel I 17,21.

Perhaps to Chalach and Chavor. Meaning: He will only exile you to Chalach and Chavor, and this is not considered being driven [from the world]. “To Chalach and Chavor” are names of places, and the verse is saying as follows: Even if you are destined to be uprooted along with Yisroel, [you] Kayin, what difference will this make to you, until where Ashur will take you captive? Meaning that they will only exile you to Chalach and Chavor, and this is not considered being driven from the world.

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “nonetheless Kayin will be laid to waste;” this will occur when the are exiled. [Seeing that there had not been male descendants of Kayin since the deluge, the meaning of this line is somewhat obscure. Ed.]

כי אם יהיה לבער קין, “nonetheless Kayin shall be wasted;” his descendants will be wiped off the earth.

עד מה אשור תשבך HOW FAR WILL ASSYRIA CARRY YOU AWAY CAPTIVE? Possibly as far as Chaloch and Chabor — this is not being driven from the world, but only being moved from place to place, and in the end you will return with the other exiles!

עד מה אשר תשבך, “where to can Assyria take you captive?” This is a rhetorical question, designed to reassure; “how long could your exile under the Assyrians possibly continue?” You would, at the least, be redeemed at the same time as will Israel, whereas if you were to throw in your lot with Amalek you would face utter annihilation just as Amalek.

עד מה אשור תשבך, “for how long or when will this occur?” When the Israelites themselves will go into exile and will be sent to Assyria. [According to this, the word Kayin here is a derivative of Kenites. Ed.] The descendants of Yitro will never be subject to total oblivion as will the Amalekites. Therefore it is foolish to be hostile to them, and it is wise to befriend them.

עד מה אשור תשבך, “How long? Until Ashur shall carry you away captive;” He will not give you rest unless you will make common cause with him until you will burn up.

The expression כי אם, occurs frequently as meaning: אלא, but.

קין, this word here is a reference to the name of a place. This is why Ammon here is identified with the place known as Kenite. (According to most interpretations the descendants of Yitro, if they distance themselves from Amalek, will not share in Amalek’s destruction, but will survive together with Israel)

וישא משלו וגו׳ AND HE TOOK UP HIS PARABLE etc. — Because he mentioned the captivity into Assyria he exclaimed, אוי מי יחיה משמו אל, who is able to save himself alive, so that He who decrees (God) should not place upon him (משמו) these things (אל, the equivalent of אלה) — for Sannacherib, king of Assyria, shall rise up and bring all the nations into confusion. And further, there will come —

מי יהיה משמו א־ל "Who shall live after G'd has appointed him?" Our sages in Sanhedrin 106 offer two interpretations on this verse. I recommend that you look at them. Personally, I prefer to understand this verse with the help of an introductory comment by the Zohar which I have referred to frequently. The purpose of exile is to enable the Israelites to isolate and rescue "sparks" of sanctity which are trapped in the land in which the Jews are exiled. This concept is alluded to in Kohelet 8,9 את אשר שלט האדם באדם לרע לו, "a time when man rules over man to his detriment." Solomon means that such rule will boomerang to the detriment of the pagan ruler himself. This will occur when the spiritually valuable element trapped within the ruler will be taken from him so that he will be exposed exclusively to the spiritually negative forces within him. We have explained repeatedly that the only factor which keeps a wicked person alive is the presence of a spiritually positive force trapped within him. Having said all this, we may now turn to our verse. Having previously referred to the fact that the Kenite would be exiled, the Torah (Bileam) continues the theme of exile, referring to the Israelites themselves experiencing exile. Bileam bewails the future of the nations who host Israel during its exile, predicting that all of these nations will be laid waste by G'd. The word אוי refers to the nations with whom G'd will deal by means of retribution seeing that most of them have hosted Jews as exiles. The Jews in these various countries will extract all the spiritually positive forces which alone have been reponsible for such people remaining alive.

אוי מי יחי, who will be able to survive on account of the King Messiah when G’d will orchestrate all these events which will disintegrate all the descendants of mankind.

Who is capable…? Meaning: Who is the person who is capable of causing Him not to put these decrees [into effect] against him? [These decrees] refers to the commingling that will come to the world.

V. 23. אוי מי יחיה משמו אל: Vor der Gründung Israels durch Gott wird niemand seine dem eben damit zur Herrschaft gelangen sollenden Prinzipe widerstrebende Selbständigkeit bewahren können. Mit dem gottgeleiteten Eintritt Israels in die Geschichte ist allem dieser Gottesabsicht Entgegenstehenden die Zukunft gekündigt.

?ויאמר אוי מי יחיה משמו א-ל, He said: “alas who shall live (unless) G–d has planted him firmly?” According to Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the Talmud tractate Sanhedrin, the meaning of this line is: “woe to any person who when assuming authority compares himself to G–d!” According to Rabbi Yochanan, the former’s brother-in-law, the meaning is: “woe to any nation that is around at the time when G–d will redeem His people!” Anyone at that time daring to declare himself as ruler anywhere will pay dearly for such arrogance. He is compared to placing his throne between a male lion and that lion’s mate, when that pair is in its mating season. (Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin, folio 106.) Another interpretation: Bileam refers to any fool who still has aspirations at ruling after the Messiah has taken his rightful place on earth.

צים מיד כתים SHIPS FROM THE LAND OF CHITTIM and the people of Chittim — these are the Romans — will pass over in big ships against Assyria.

וצים, as in Isaiah 33,21 וצי אדיר, where not even a mighty vessel can keep afloat.

וצים מיד כתים, “and Tzim from Kittim;” a reference to the Romans.”

Similarly Doniel explains. That is to say that afterwards, the nations who caused suffering to Ashur and those on the other side will ultimately be lost for eternity.

V. 24. וצים וגו׳. (Jes.33, 21) וצי אדיר לא יעברנו, (Jecheskel 30, 9) יצאו מלאכים מלפני בצים, ergibt für צי plur. צים die Bedeutung: Schiff. Anderseits heißt צִיָה die Wüste, und ציים Wüstenbewohner. Analogien wie בי (die Bittpartikel) von בהה בעה (siehe Bereschit 1, 2), הי die Klage von ”ההה“ in מי ;אהה von ,פי מהה ,מה Plur. פים (Sam. I. 13, 21) von פהה ,פה, verwandt mit קי ,פחה ,פעה (in קיקלון Habakuk 2, 16) von קאה, lassen vielleicht als gemeinschaftliche Wurzel von צי, Schiff, und ציה, Wüste: צאה, verwandt mit שהה ,שאה ,צעה, wovon auchשי , annehmen. Grundbedeutung wäre eine lange oder starke Bewegung zu einem Ziele, verwandt damit auch זוע und יזע: Bewegung und Schweiß. שהה chald.: lange verweilen, ohne zum Ziele zu kommen, säumen, שאה: seinen Sinn lange auf etwas richten, ohne das Erkenntnisziel zu erreichen, daher auch wüst sein. שי etwas, dessen Überbringung lange Zeit erfordert, ein großes Geschenk. צעה: sich mit Nachdruck, mit besonderer Aufmerksamkeit bewegen, einherschreiten. צי ein Schiff, das weite, Überwindung von Schwierigkeiten erfordernde Reisen zu machen hat, ein großes Seeschiff. ציה: eine Gegend, in welcher man lange wandern und Schwierigkeiten überwinden muss, ehe man zu einem Ziele gelangt: eine Wüste.

וצים מיד כתים, “and the fleet of large ships sailing from the harbours of the Assyrians.” [Many commentators understand the word כתים, as a reference to the Romans. Ed.] We find what appears like a similar reference in a prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 33,21: וציר אדיר לא יעברנו, “where no floating vessels can travel.”

וענו עבר AND WILL AFFLICT THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE (עבר) of the river Euphrates.

וענו אשור, “they will afflict Ashur.”(Assyria)

כתים .מיד כתים (Bereschit 10, 4) waren Nachkommen Javans. Die Überlieferung sieht in ihnen die aktitalische Bevölkerung griechischer Abkunft, daher איטליא של יון Großgriechenland, und versteht unter כתים die Römer. יד בתים wäre dann die italienische Küste am Mittelmeer. עבר nach ת א die Länder jenseits des Euphrats. Möglich, dass עבר alle die Bereschit 10, 26-30 genannten Joktaniden als Nachkommen Ebers begreift. יד בתים wie יד הירדן (Kap. 13, 29). יד אשדוד (Josua 15, 45). Es kann auch מיד כתים: von der Kitter Macht bedeuten. וגם הוא bezieht sich wohl auf יד כתים und wäre dann יד hier männlich gedacht, wie Jechesk. 2, 9 והנה יד וגו׳ והנה בו וגו׳.

וענו אשור, “and they shall afflict the Assyrians.” This will occur despite the might of the Assyrian Empire.

וגם הוא עדי אבד BUT HE ALSO SHALL PERISH EVERLASTINGLY — (“He” means the Romans). And so, too, did Daniel expressly state, (Daniel 7:11) “until the beast (Rome) was slain and its body destroyed".

וענו עבר, “they will afflict those on the other bank of the great river.”

וענו עבר, “and they shall afflict Ever, (Ivri) i.e. the Hebrews.”

וצים means [AND] BIG SHIPS, as it is written (Isaiah 33:21) “A gallant ship (צי)", the Targum translation of which is “a big ship” (Yoma 77b).

וגם הוא עדי אובד, “but it too will be destroyed forever.” It will face destruction in the end just as will the Kittim (the Romans). Bileam concluded his words with a reference to the Romans and their perishing ultimately, as they were symbolized by the fourth of the four beasts in Daniel’s famous vision (Daniel chapter 8) According to the unanimous opinion of our sages the Roman Empire, or its successors, will be vanquished by the Messiah. May we soon live to see this prophecy come true! Even though in Genesis 10,4 כתים is listed as one of the four sons of Yavan, (commonly regarded as the forerunner of the Macedonians and Greeks) and they are the third (not fourth) of the four beasts in Daniel’s vision, the true state of affairs is as follows: seeing that the descendants of Elisha Dodanim and Tarshish, the other sons of Yavan, were not numerous, they were lumped together under the heading of their father Yavan, who between them formed the third empire discussed in that chapter of Daniel. The Kittim, however, developed into a numerous and powerful nation so that they are considered the fourth of the empires in Daniel’s vision. This power will be predominant until the Messiah will destroy it when he comes. Ibn Ezra explains the expression ראשית גוים, not as “the first of the nations (ever),” but as the first of the nations warring against Israel. Its end will be utter destruction in the days of the first Jewish King, Sha’ul who killed every man woman and child, the prophet Samuel killing the King, Agag, whom Sha’ul had failed to kill, a sin of omission which cost him his dynasty. He explains the words ושים בסלע קנך, (verse 21) not as an advice but as a warning that even if you were to build your nest in a solitary inaccessible rock this will not save you. The words לבער קין refer to the time when the Kenite will be laid waste by the all-consuming army of the Assyrians. “Ashur” is in the feminine mode, a reference to the camp of Ashur [the word מחנה in Hebrew may be used both in the masculine and in the feminine mode. Ed.] When Bileam refers to Ashur taking the Kenite captive, however, in verse 25, Bileam foresees the time when the Assyrians who had thus far taken others captive, will themselves become victims and will perish completely. The meaning of the word עבר, is a reference to the Kenites who had “crossed over” to the Israelites, had thrown in their lot with theirs, and as a result had suffered exile when the Israelites did, but they would not be wiped out as did the other pagan nations Bileam speaks of. Some commentators say that the meaning of צים is similar to that of ציים in Isaiah 34,14 where it refers to wildcats or hyenas. Bileam compares Ashur to these animals, animals that men sometimes dress up as, i.e. they are impostors. This explains the previous line אוי מי יחיה משמו א-ל, “who can survive when he comes up against human (such as the King of Ashur) beings that try to play G’d?” [An appropriate comment in view of the boastful messenger of Pul, the King of the Assyrians. [Ravshakeh in Kings II 18,9-19-8. Ed.]

וגם הוא עדי אובד, “and it too will perish totally.” (The Roman Empire) The successors of the Roman Empire too will perish when the era of the messiah will commence.

ויקם בלעם וילך Bileam rose and went on his way, etc. The only reason the Torah tells us this detail is to inform us that he did not even go to his inn before setting out homeward bound. Nonetheless the Torah had to add the extra words: "he returned to his place" instead of merely saying: "he went to his place," to tell us that he went with his head held high, not like a fugitive. Had the Torah only written: "he arose and went," I would not have known if he went maintaining his usual posture. The Torah also informed us that Bileam went back to his home as he had been told to do by Balak. When the Torah adds that Balak went on his way (at the same time), this is to tell us that he did not see Bileam off.

ויקם בלעם, “Bileam arose;” he had been lying down while his eyes had been wide awake.

It is also possible that the words: "and also Balak went on his way," may indicate that he already lost his position as king at that time as the Moabites no doubt had heard of the failure of Bileam's mission. Under the circumstances, there was no further need for them to have an alien as king over them. This would also account for the fact that he was killed in Midian during the Israelites' punitive campaign against that country.

וישב למקומו, he returned to his place, i.e. to Aram Naharayim.