Pensée juive sur Les Nombres 23:5

Third, the Beloved also began to knock on the door of the tent of theology, and possibly this is ‎the ‎strongest beckoning. I have, on several occasions, emphasized in my remarks concerning the ‎Land ‎of Israel that the theological arguments of Christian theologians to the effect that the Holy ‎One has ‎taken away from the Community of Israel its rights to the Land of Israel, and that all of the ‎biblical ‎promises relating to Zion and Jerusalem now refer in an allegorical sense to Christianity and ‎the ‎Christian Church, were all publicly shown to be false, baseless contentions by the ‎establishment of ‎the State of Israel. One must have a broad familiarity with theological literature ‎from the time of ‎Justin Martyr down to the theologians of our own day to comprehend the full ‎extent of this marvel ‎by which the central axiom of Christian theology was shattered. We should ‎pay careful attention to ‎the learned explanation of our Secretary of State, Mr. Dulles (who served ‎as the deacon of an ‎Episcopalian Church), to a Committee of the United States Senate that the ‎Arabs hate the Jews ‎because they killed the founder of their religion. This “explanation” possesses ‎hidden and deep ‎symbolic significance. I am not a psychiatrist and surely not a psychoanalyst, but I ‎know how to ‎study Talmud, and I remember well what our Rabbis of blessed memory said about ‎Balaam: “from ‎his blessings … you may learn what was in his heart” (TB Sanhedrin 105b). ‎Sometimes, when a ‎person speaks too much, something of the truth slips out. When one of the ‎Senators asked the ‎Secretary of State, “Why do the Arabs hate the Jews?” he really wanted to ‎answer, “Personally, I ‎too, as a Christian, have no great love for them, because they killed our ‎messiah and consequently ‎forfeited their portion of Abraham’s heritage.” An angel sat in the ‎throat of the Secretary, or a ‎hook was put into it (as in the exegesis of the Rabbis of blessed ‎memory on the phrase “and God ‎put a word in Balaam’s mouth” [Numbers 23:5, TB Sotah 10a], ‎‎“[i.e.] he put a hook in his mouth”), ‎and instead of saying, “Our Lord” and “for myself,” he let other ‎words slip out, the “Arabs” and ‎‎“Mohammed.” In his subconscious he was terrified of the “awful” ‎fact that the Community of ‎Israel rules over Zion and Jerusalem. I find satisfaction in reading about ‎the State of Israel in the ‎Catholic and Protestant newspapers. Despite themselves they must ‎mention the name of Israel ‎when they report the news of Zion and Jerusalem, which we possess. I ‎always have a special sense ‎of satisfaction when I read in the paper that Israel’s reaction is not as ‎yet known because today is ‎Saturday and government offices are closed or when I read, on the ‎eve of Passover, an item from ‎the United Press that “Jews will sit down tonight to the seder table ‎in the hope that the miracles of ‎Egypt will return and recur today.” Listen! My Beloved Knocks!‎

(2) The second degree is this: A person feels as if something came upon him, and as if he had received a new power that encourages him to speak. He treats of science, or composes hymns, exhorts his fellow-men, discusses political and theological problems; all this he does while awake, and in the full possession of his senses. Such a person is said to speak by the holy spirit. David composed the Psalms, and Solomon the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon by this spirit; also Daniel, Job, Chronicles, and the rest of the Hagiographa were written in this holy spirit; therefore they are called ketubim (Writings, or Written), i.e., written by men inspired by the holy spirit. Our Sages mention this expressly concerning the Book of Esther. In reference to such holy spirit, David says: “The spirit of the Lord spoke in me, and his word is on my tongue” (2 Sam. 23:2); i.e., the spirit of the Lord caused him to utter these words. This class includes the seventy elders of whom it is said, “And it came to pass when the spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, and did not cease” (Num. 11:25); also Eldad and Medad (ibid. ver. 26); furthermore, every high priest that inquired [of God] by the Urim and Tummim; on whom, as our Sages say, the divine glory rested, and who spoke by the holy spirit; Yahaziel, son of Zechariah, belongs likewise to this class. Comp. “The spirit of the Lord came upon him in the midst of the assembly, and he said, Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, thus saith the Lord unto you,” etc. (2 Chron. 20:14, 15); also Zechariah, son of Jehoiada the priest. Comp. “And he stood above the people and said unto them, Thus saith God” (ibid. 24:20); furthermore, Azariah, son of Oded; comp. “And Azariah, son of Oded, when the spirit of the Lord came upon him, went forth before Asa,” etc. (ibid. 15:1, 2); and all who acted under similar circumstances. You must know that Balaam likewise belonged to this class, when he was good; this is indicated by the words, “And God put a word in the mouth of Balaam” (Num. 23:5), i.e., Balaam spoke by divine inspiration; he therefore says of himself, “Who heareth the words of God,” etc. (ibid. 24:4)