Jeremías 27:6 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bamidbar Rabbah & Otzar Midrashim

(Numb. 22:2:) “Now Balak [ben Zippor] saw (rt.: r'h).” This text is related (to Deut. 32:4), “The Rock, His work is perfect, because all His ways are justice.” As the Holy One, blessed be He, did [not] leave the nations of the world a pretext for saying in the future to come, “You alienated us and did not give us anything like what You gave Israel in this world."¹Numb. R. 20:1. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? Just as He raised up kings, prophets, and sages for Israel, so did He raise them up from the nations of the world. Moreover, the kings, prophets, and sages that belonged to Israel were examined alongside the kings, prophets, and sages that belonged to the nations of the world. He raised up Solomon as king over all the earth, and he did the same for Nebuchadnezzar, as stated (Jeremiah 27:6), “I even give him the wild beasts to serve him.” The [former] built the holy Temple and said many praises and supplications; and the latter destroyed it and cursed and blasphemed, and said (in Isaiah 14:14), “I will go up to high places of the clouds, I will resemble the Most High.” He gave David wealth, and he acquired the house for His name.²Cf. Ps. 30:1 [introduction]: a song at the dedication of the house (i.e., the Temple) of David. The Temple was David’s in that he acquired the materials to build it. He gave wealth to Haman, and he acquired a whole nation for slaughter. Every dignity Israel received, you find that the nations of the world [also] received. In like manner He raised up Moses for Israel, who spoke with him any time that he wanted, [and] he raised up Balaam for the nations of the world, in order that he might speak with Him any time that he wanted. Look at (rt.: r'h) what a difference there is between the prophets of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world! The prophets of Israel warn the nations about transgressions, and so it says (in Jer. 1:5), “I have given you as a prophet to the nations.” The prophets who He raised from the nations, however, established a breach to cut off mortals from the world to come. And not only that, but all the prophets had a merciful attitude towards both Israel and the nations of the world; for so did Isaiah say (in Is. 16:11), “Therefore my inner parts throb like a harp for Moab….” And similarly has Ezekiel said (in Ezek. 27:2), “Son of man, ‘Raise up a dirge over Tyre.’” But this cruel man rose up to uproot a whole nation without cause, for nothing. Therefore the parashah about Balaam was written to make known why the Holy One, blessed be He, removed the holy spirit from the nations of the world. [It was] because He raised this man out of the nations of the world, and look (rt.: r'h) at what he did!

Another interpretation (of Prov. 22:29:) HE SHALL STAND BEFORE KINGS. This refers to the Holy One, of whom it is written (in Deut. 5:28 [31]): BUT AS FOR YOU, STAND HERE WITH ME. (Prov. 22:29, cont.:) HE SHALL NOT STAND BEFORE THE OBSCURE. This is Pharaoh, [since it is written <of Moses>] (in Exod. 9:13): GO EARLY IN THE MORNING <TO PRESENT YOURSELF BEFORE PHARAOH>. All the wicked ones become corrupt during their lifetimes. You find in the case of Zedekiah, king of Judah, that all the kings were subjugated to Nebuchadnezzar. What is written about him (in Jer. 27:6)? {ALL} [AND EVEN] THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD HAVE I GIVEN HIM TO SERVE HIM. Zedekiah went up to offer a gift.¹⁰⁰Gk.: doron. Nebuchadnezzar said: Dine with me at noon. So he made a dinner. Now a Babylonian dinner is not like a dinner in the land of Israel. He brought him meat which he had roasted. He saw Nebuchadnezzar eating with his spittle running down onto his beard. Zedekiah looked at him in astonishment and said: Is it to this one that the whole world is subjugated? He ate with him. What did he do? After he had dined, he took Zedekiah and made him take an oath. He said to him: <Swear> that you shall not go to your land and leave me. He got free and came to the land of Israel. He began to scorn (rt.: BZH) him, and he revoked that oath <which he had taken >. So Ezekiel cried out concerning him (in Ezek. 17:16): {BECAUSE HE SCORNED (BZH) AN OATH} [WHOSE OATH HE SCORNED (BZH)]. The kings who were reclining with him heard him. They sent and said to him (to Nebuchadnezzar): Zedekiah is sitting <here> laughing at you. Where is it shown that they sent to him and said < this > to him? R. Samuel said: It is written (in Is. 16:1): SEND A LAMB (KR) TO THE RULER OF THE LAND. What is the meaning of KR? It is like someone who says to his comrade: Find out (HKR) for whom he is ruling the land. Where is it shown that he had sworn an oath to him? Where it is stated (in II Chron. 36:13): AND HE ALSO REBELLED AGAINST KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR WHO HAD MADE HIM TAKE AN OATH BY GOD. What did he do? He immediately sent and had him come. Then he fed him barley, stood him up, and scorned (rt.: BZH) him shamefully. The Holy One said (to Nebuchadnezzar): So you have shamed (rt.: BZH) him. By your life, you shall not depart from this world until all creatures laugh at you. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 4:29 [32]): YOU SHALL BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM HUMANKIND. Moreover, just as you have shamed (rt.: BZH) him, so you shall be shamed (rt.: BZH) before all creatures. What is written (in Hab. 2:17)? AND THE VIOLENCE OF THE BEASTS WILL TERRIFY THOSE FEMALES (rt.: HTT+N)….¹⁰¹This translation of Hab. 2:17 fits the context of the midrash. In the biblical translations shod is usually rendered DESTRUCTION rather than VIOLENCE. Moreover, since the midrash is concerned with sexual acts, it is necessary to translate the femimine verbal suffix meaning “them” as THOSE FEMALES. R. Abba bar Kahana said that he became a bridegroom (HTN) to all cattle and wild beasts. And what caused him this shame (rt.: BZH)? It was simply because he had shamed (BZH) Zedekiah.

“Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites” (Numbers 22:2).
“Balak son of Tzipor saw” – this is what the verse said: “The Rock, His actions are perfect, as all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Holy One blessed be He did not leave the nations of the world recourse in the future to say: ‘You distanced us.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? Just as He established kings, sages, and prophets for Israel, so He established for the idolaters. He established Solomon king over Israel and over all the earth, the same He did for Nebuchadnezzar. This one built a Temple and recited several songs and paeans; that one destroyed it, cursed, blasphemed, and said: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, [I will be comparable to the Most High]” (Isaiah 14:14).
He gave David wealth and he purchased a Temple¹This is a reference to the wealth that David set aside for the purpose of building the Temple. to His name, and he gave wealth to Haman and he purchased an entire nation, to slaughter it. Every prominence that Israel took, you find that the nations took a corresponding prominence. He established Moses for Israel and Bilam for the idolaters. Look at what distinguishes between the prophets of Israel and prophets of idolaters: The prophets of Israel cautioned Israel to refrain from transgressions, as it is stated: “You, Son of man, I have appointed you as a sentinel [for the house of Israel. You shall hear a matter from My mouth and you shall warn them from Me]” (Ezekiel 33:7). But a prophet that stood from the gentiles established a breach in order to eliminate people from the world.²Bilam plotted to have Moavite women corrupt Israel. Moreover, all the [Jewish] prophets were with the attribute of mercy toward Israel and toward the idolaters, as Jeremiah says: “Therefore, my heart will sigh like flutes for Moav” (Jeremiah 48:36). And likewise Ezekiel: “You, son of man, raise a lament for Tyre” (Ezekiel 27:2). But that one [Bilam] was cruel; he stood to uproot an entire nation gratuitously. That is why the portion of Bilam was written; to inform why the Holy One blessed be He removed the Divine Spirit from the idolaters, as this one stood from them, and look at what he did.