Chasidut sur Les Nombres 23:1
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים׃
Alors Balaam dit à Balak: "Dresse-moi ici sept autels, et prépare-moi ici sept taureaux et sept béliers."
Kedushat Levi
Our author describes the prophecy of Moses as dealing with the holiness of matter, whereas the prophecy of Bileam was focused on the קליפות, the peels surrounding the essence of the fruit, i.e. matter which at best only “protects” the holy essence from being harmed. Most of the time when we speak of קליפות, we refer to matter that must be removed before we can lay bare the useful or holy essence within it. He quotes Sifrey on Mattot 2 as support for this thesis. It is stated there (in respect of the words זה הדבר) that Moses was able to employ the level of זה הדבר, “this is the word” (the word of G’d itself, (not a repetition of it), i.e. G’d speaks through my throat. This is a totally supernatural level of prophecy. A prophecy emanating from such supernatural regions is subject to being reversed (according to our author) something that is not possible when the utterance of the prophecy commenced in this material world of ours. Reversals of prophecies described as זה הדבר, can occur both when referring to “good” prophecies and “bad” prophecies. This is why Moses’ prophetic powers were used to promote holiness, sanctity, and could often “stand in the breach,” i.e. was able to reverse decrees that would have harmed or destroyed Israel otherwise.
Bileam, whose prophecies only dealt with matters devoid of sanctity, applied this technique also, but used it only to reverse “good” prophecies to “bad” prophecies The fact that Bileam did possess such powers is hinted at in the Torah when it quotes him as telling Balak (Numbers 23,1) בנה לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, “build for me as a symbol of the power of זה seven altars.” He repeats this with a slight variation when he tells Balak: והכן לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, “prepare for me, etc.” (Numbers 23,29). He again added the word בזה to indicate under what auspices he planned to change G’d’s mind about blessing Israel.
Rashi, commenting on 23,16 where G’d says to Bileam: שוב אל בלק וכה תדבד, “go back to Balak and speak to him using the method by which other prophets introduce their prophecies,” i.e. with the preamble כה, “thus,” explains that G’d had understood what Bileam had had in mind and He thwarted him from using the method called זה, which would have enabled him subsequently to reverse the blessings. In other words, G’d ensured that the words Bileam would utter could not be reversed.
Bileam, whose prophecies only dealt with matters devoid of sanctity, applied this technique also, but used it only to reverse “good” prophecies to “bad” prophecies The fact that Bileam did possess such powers is hinted at in the Torah when it quotes him as telling Balak (Numbers 23,1) בנה לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, “build for me as a symbol of the power of זה seven altars.” He repeats this with a slight variation when he tells Balak: והכן לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, “prepare for me, etc.” (Numbers 23,29). He again added the word בזה to indicate under what auspices he planned to change G’d’s mind about blessing Israel.
Rashi, commenting on 23,16 where G’d says to Bileam: שוב אל בלק וכה תדבד, “go back to Balak and speak to him using the method by which other prophets introduce their prophecies,” i.e. with the preamble כה, “thus,” explains that G’d had understood what Bileam had had in mind and He thwarted him from using the method called זה, which would have enabled him subsequently to reverse the blessings. In other words, G’d ensured that the words Bileam would utter could not be reversed.
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