Midrash sur Les Nombres 22:13

10 (Numb. 22:12) “Then God said unto Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them’”: He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them from where I am.” He said to him, (ibid., cont.) “You shall not curse the people.” He said to Him, “If so, let me bless them.” He said to him, “They do not need your blessing, (ibid., cont.) ‘for they are blessed.’” Similarly one says to a hornet, “None of your honey and none of your sting.” (Numb. 22:13) “So Balaam arose in the morning and said to the ministers of Balak”: Balaam did not tell them, “He did not give me permission to go and to curse.” [He simply said] (ibid., cont.), “To let me go with you”: He said to me, “It is not in accord with your honor to go with these people. Rather [you must go] with people greater then they,” since He takes pleasure in my being honored. Therefore (in vs. 15), “Once again Balak sent ministers, more numerous and more honorable [than (the first ones)].” (Numb. 22:17) “For I will surely honor you greatly”: [Even] more than what you [wanted] formerly will I give you. (Numb. 22:18) “But Balaam answered and said […], ‘[Even] if Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, [I could not transgress the command of the Lord my God to do less or more].’” From here you learn that he had three things. And they are an evil eye, a haughty spirit and a greedy soul:¹⁷See Avot 5:19. An evil eye, as it is written (in Numb. 24:2), “Then Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel […].” A haughty spirit, as it is written (according to Numb. 22:13), “for the Lord refused to let me go with you.” A greedy soul, as it is written (according to Numb. 22:18), “[Even] if Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold.” [He said to Balak,] “If you sought to hire soldiers to fight against them, it is a question whether they would vanquish them or fail, [yet you would pay it]; is it not [then proper] that you would give it to vanquish [them with certainty]?” See you have learned that he sought this. (Ibid., cont.) “I could not transgress [the command of the Lord my God]”: [He was] prophesying that he could not annul the blessings with which the ancestors had been blessed by the mouth of the Divine Presence. (Numb. 22:19) “Now you also please stay here tonight”: What is the meaning of “you also.” That in the end you will go in disappointment like the former [messengers]. (Ibid., cont.) “So that I may know what else (rt.: ysp) the Lord may say to me”: Thus he prophesied that the Holy One, blessed be He, was going to multiply (rt.: ysp) blessings for them through him.