פירוש על במדבר 23:35

SEVEN ALTARS. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra alluded here to a profound secret.¹⁰⁶“There are profound secrets which are understood by few in number. There is a unit of seven, in days [making a week] etc.” Ibn Ezra continues to show the mystic power of the number seven, which is a major factor in time and also in the worship of G-d through offerings, an allusion to which is seen here in the “seven altars” which Balaam asked Balak to build. These allude to the seven [lower] Emanations. — See also my Hebrew commentary, p. 293, and p. 294, Note 12. Now Balaam wanted that the Will of G-d should cleave to him through these sacrifices, and therefore he offered burnt-offerings according to the number of them all,¹⁰⁷Job 1:5. and wanted that Balak should occupy himself personally in [offering] them. Therefore Scripture states, and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram,¹⁰⁸Verse 2. the one slaughtering [them], and the other sprinkling the blood [upon the altar]. And the meaning of [Balaam’s words], I have prepared the seven altars¹⁰⁹Verse 4. is by way of prayer, as if he were saying: “I have prepared for You the perfect [number of] altars with the perfect [number of] sacrifices;¹¹⁰This refers to the seven altars and the seven sacrifices, which allude to the seven Emanations. may they come up with acceptance on Your altar,”¹¹¹Isaiah 60:7. this being similar to that which Scripture says: Receive the memorial of all thy meal-offerings, and accept the fat of thy burnt-offering,¹¹²Psalms 20:4. and it also states, I will offer unto Thee burnt-offerings of fatlings, with the sweet smoke of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah,¹¹³Ibid., 66:15. and so also in many places. And the meaning of the definite article [in ‘hamizbechoth’ — ‘the’ seven altars] — Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra has already mentioned.¹⁰⁶“There are profound secrets which are understood by few in number. There is a unit of seven, in days [making a week] etc.” Ibn Ezra continues to show the mystic power of the number seven, which is a major factor in time and also in the worship of G-d through offerings, an allusion to which is seen here in the “seven altars” which Balaam asked Balak to build. These allude to the seven [lower] Emanations. — See also my Hebrew commentary, p. 293, and p. 294, Note 12. Now in the end when Balaam no longer wanted to meet with enchantments,¹¹⁴Further, 24:1. he did not want Balak to participate in the bringing of the sacrifices, in order that he should not cause them to be rejected on account of his [improper] intention; and therefore Scripture said: and ‘he’ offered up a bullock and a ram,¹¹⁵Chapter 23, Verse 30. [the singular pronoun] referring to Balaam mentioned [previously at the end of that verse: And Balak did as Balaam had said, and he offered up a bullock and a ram].¹¹⁵Chapter 23, Verse 30. It is possible, however, that Balak [and not Balaam] offered them up, for he [Balak] did it to appease his [own] mind, while he [Balaam] no longer desired these sacrifices.

בנה לי בזה, for this is a place from where I can view the Jewish people.

בנה לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, "build me on this site seven altars, etc." Bileam was not prepared to reveal to Balak what he had in mind and why as the mutual trust had been breached. Balak carried out Bileam's request, i.e. he displayed confidence in Bileam at this time. When the Torah adds the words כאשר דבר בלעם, (verse 2) it means that he did so without delay.

Kap. 23. V. 1. שבעה מזבחות. Durch die Zahl sieben waren die Altäre dem unsichtbaren Einen errichtet, die Stiere und die Widder dem unsichtbaren Einen geweiht (vergl. Bereschit 21, 28).

בנה לי בזה שבעה מזבחות, “build seven altars for me in this location!” Bileam wanted to equal the numbers of altars which righteous people had built in honour of G-d up until now. They were Adam, Hevel, Noach, Avraham, Yitzchok , Yaakov, and Moses. By sacrificing offerings to the Jewish G-d on each of these altars he hoped to stave off the destruction decreed by G-d on the seven Canaanite nations. This is also why he composed seven separate poems extolling G-d. (Compare 23,7, 1824.)

שבעה פרים ושבעה אלים, “seven bullocks and seven rams.” Matching the number seven was a common custom amongst people in those days, and even the Torah, on occasion, also reflects this custom.

ויעל בלק ובלעם פר ואיל, Balak and Bileam sacrificed a bull and a ram (on each altar). It appears that the Torah refers to Bileam doing the offering and not Balak. Bileam had told Balak only to prepare the animals for him. Why did Bileam do something such as this without first obtaining permission from G'd? Had he not been instructed not to do anything other than what G'd would instruct him to do? Some commentators say that Bileam did what G'd had commanded him to do and they base themselves on Bileam saying to G'd in 23,4: "the seven altars which I have established and sacrificed, etc." These words appear to imply that Bileam had carried out G'd's instructions when building the altars and offering the sacrifices. I do not believe that such an interpretation makes any sense at all. It is inconceivable that G'd would desire the offerings of wicked people, especially so when the intent of the person offering the sacrifice was to harm G'd's chosen people. I have found the very opposite in the Yalkut Shimoni item 956 on Proverbs. According to that Midrash Bileam built seven altars and offered seven offerings to match the combined number of altars which the patriarchs are recorded as having built starting with Adam, Abel, Noach, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. We also find in Sotah 47 that Rav Yehudah said that a person should study Torah even for impure motives as in the course of time he would do so for pure motives. The Rabbi claims that the 42 sacrifices Balak offered were the reason (the reward) that Ruth the Moabite who became the great-grandmother of King David was descended from him.

פר ואיל במזבח, “a bullock and a ram to be offered on each of these altars.”

In my estimation the correct interpretation of verses 2-4 is that Bileam considered G'd's prohibition as applying only to actions which were in themselves sinful and designed to strengthen the forces of impurity. He did not think that it would be objectionable if he emulated deeds which the patriarchs had performed and of which G'd had obviously approved at the time when the various patriarchs had performed them. This is why he offered these sacrifices in honour of G'd. The Torah uses the definitive article when mentioning את שבעת המזבחות, to show that all Bileam had done he did in G'd's honour; Bileam did this as he wanted to see if G'd objected even to this. He demonstrated his desire to offer more sacrifices to G'd than had the patriarchs, most of whom had built only a single altar. He, Bileam, on the other hand, had built seven altars. This is the difference between the Torah speaking of שבעה מזבחות, or את שבעת המזבחות. Our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 20,18 have already said that Bileam tried to outshine the patriarchs with the seven altars he built for G'd. Bileam's whole point was to neutralise any advantage the Jewish people might have over him by their reliance on the merits of their ancestors.

'אולי יקרה ה‎‎ לקראתי PERHAPS THE LORD WILL HAPPEN TO MEET ME — Perhaps: He is not accustomed to speak with me by day.

התיצב על עולותך, so that you can mentally concentrate on what you are doing during the offering of each single part of the animal, a reminder of the blood being the essence of the animal (Leviticus 17,11).

וילך שפי; he was partially lame; we find the expression in this sense in Job 33,21 ושופו עצמותיו .

וילך שפי, “He went alone.” Ibn Ezra, quoting Onkelos, says that the word שפי means “alone,” Other commentators understand the word as meaning “at an angle,” i.e. that Bileam was limping and could not walk upright. They derive this from Job 33,21 ושפי עצמותיו לא ראו, “that (from the context) up until then the deformity of his bones had not become visible.” The correct interpretation of the verse is that it parallels Jeremiah 3,21 קול על שפיים נשמע בכי, ”a sound is heard on the bare heights, weeping, etc.” The word אל, “to,” in front of שפי is missing here.

He does not usually speak with me by day. As it is written (Bamidbar 22:8), “Spend this night here” and similarly, “Fallen, with opened eyes” (24:4), which according to the simple interpretation means, as Onkelos translates, that Hashem only appeared at night when he slept on his bed. (Gur Aryeh) For if not so, why did he say “perhaps” which implies a doubt, while above he said “I will know what he adds…” which implies that he was certain that Hashem would speak to him?

V. 3. על עלתך. Wie bereits zu V. 1 angedeutet, bilden die sieben Opfer einen Begriff. אולי יקרה ד׳ וגו׳ (siehe zu Wajikra 1, 1). Wörtlich heißt es: Vielleicht wird Gott durch die in unsern Opfern liegende Macht sich mir entgegenbringen lassen. Bileam und Balak war, wie bereits zu Kap. 22, 5 bemerkt, der Gotteinheitgedanke ד׳ nicht fremd. Allein es war ihnen der Gedanke heidnisch getrübt und sie glaubten durch Opfer einen bannartigen Machteinfluss auf die Gottheit üben zu können. ודבר מה יראני והגדתי לך, er erwartet מראה אלקים, eine prophetische Erscheinung, und will ihm das, was er sehen wird, in Worten schildern.

וילך שפי, “he was limping,” as a result of the ass having squeezed his leg against the wall. He was so consumed with hatred for the Jewish people that he did not even take time out to wait until his injury had healed.

וילך שפי AND HE WENT שפי — Understand this as the Targum does: “alone”; it is an expression denoting ease and tranquillity; the statement means that there was nothing with him except silence (nothing to disturb him).

'אולי יקרה ה, perhaps through my isolating myself I can achieve to see “the King’s face, have him relate to me with a benevolent mien.” Bileam hoped, (perhaps), to achieve the kind of familiarity with G’d which the Torah reports about Moses, whom G’d described as having unrestricted access to His entire “house.” (Numbers 12,7) יקרה לי, that G’d would come toward me, as had happened to Moses at the beginning of his career as a prophet at the burning bush. G’d had waited with addressing Moses until the latter had made up his mind not to ignore the bush that burned but would not become consumed by the flames (Exodus 3,4).

שפי, the expression in this sense occurs in Job 33,21: עצמותיו and his bones were rubbed away.”

ויקר AND [GOD] HAPPENED TO MEET [BALAAM] — This is an expression ordinarily used to denote events of a casual character, an expression for something shameful, an expression for an unclean happening (קרי). It is as much as to say: with reluctance and in a contemptuous manner. And on this occasion He revealed Himself to him by day, only to show how dear Israel was to Him (cf. Genesis Rabbah 52:5; Rashi on Leviticus 1:1).

AND G-D HAPPENED TO MEET BALAAM. Because this man had not reached the status of prophecy, therefore Scripture speaks of him in this way, [meaning to say] that now the [Divine] communication came to him by way of chance, and in honor of Israel. Hence it says concerning him, and G-d ‘came’ unto Balaam,¹¹⁶Above, 22:9. for this expression is not used in connection with [true] prophets, but only about a person who has not attained this status. Similarly [we find]: and G-d ‘came’ to Abimelech; and G-d ‘came’ to Laban.¹¹⁷Genesis 20:3 — Ibid., 31:24. It is possible that [the term “coming” in these verses] means the “coming” through speech of the Will from the Most High to the [Separate] Intelligences⁶³See 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. that cause one to dream, for Balaam also would fall down at daytime, and a deep sleep would fall upon him while he was yet with opened eyes.⁹⁷Further, 24:4.

ויקר אלוקים אל בלעם, “G’d happened upon (met with) Bileam, etc.” The Torah chose this expression for the encounter between G’d and Bileam in light of the fact that Bileam was not a prophet in the true sense of the word. Communications to Bileam from G’d, or even Hashem as in verse 17, are only due to G’d’s benevolent interest in the Israelites, as at the time of Avraham (Genesis 20,3) when He told Avimelech to return Sarah to her husband. This is also why the Torah speaks of G’d appearing to Lavan, warning him not to harm Yaakov. (Genesis 31,24) We must not err and assume that such nocturnal apparitions or voices of heavenly origin are testimony to the recipients being considered by G’d as especially deserving.

It denotes disgrace … as if to say “reluctantly and in humiliation.” Rashi says בקושי ["reluctantly"] in the sense of מקרה ועראי ["a chance or casual occurrence"] and בזיון ["in humiliation"] in the sense of קרי ["a seminal emission"].

V. 4. ויקר וגו׳. Gott ließ dem Bileam seine Absicht erreicht werden. Er fügte sich zu Bileam. Und Bileam spricht: die Altäre habe ich dir, dem unsichtbaren Einen (שבעה) geordnet und Offenbarung über irdisches "Tun und Leiden" (פר ואיל) erbeten.

ויקר אלהים אל בלעם, “G–d met with Bileam.” [This verb does not occur in connection with any other prophet, proving that he was not really a prophet. Ed.] All the scholars wonder why apparently G–d came towards Bileam, when He had never done so to Moses? He called to the latter to come towards Him, as we read repeatedly: ויקרא אל משה, “He called out to Moses!” Some commentators understand the description of the relationship between G–d and Bileam as comparable to a King who sits in his palace and is suddenly visited by a person displaying symptoms of the dreaded disease tzoraat. He calls out at the gate that he desires an interview with the King. When his servants tell the king about this, the king tells them not to admit him to the palace lest he infects the palace with his disease. However, the king declared himself willing to grant the stricken person an audience outside the palace. Although the person concerned wants to speak with him, he does not move from the spot, so that the king relents and admits him to his palace after all.

ויקר אלוקים, “and G-d met;” the letter ק has the vowel patach under it, to make sure we would understand that this “meeting” of G-d with Bileam would be understood as if per chance, מקרה. Bileam was not able to prearrange a date with G-d. Other examples of the use of this word in a similarly adjusted construction, are found in וירא, instead of ויראה, from the root ראה “to see.” Here we would have expected ויקרה.

את שבעת המזבחות — “Seven altars I have set in order” is not written here, but “THE SEVEN ALTARS”. He said to Him: The ancestors of these people together built before Thee seven altars, but I alone have built altars equal to all of them. — Abraham built four: (Genesis 12:7) “And he built there an altar to the Lord who had appeared to him”; (Genesis 12:8) “And he removed thence unto the mount… [and he built there an altar]; (Genesis 13:18) “And Abraham moved his tent … [and built there an altar]”; and one he built on Mount Moriah (Genesis 22:9). Isaac built one: (Genesis 26:25) “And he built there an altar”. Jacob built two, one at Shechem and one at Bethel (Genesis 33:20 and Numbers 25:7);

AND G-D HAPPENED TO MEET BALAAM AND HE SAID UNTO HIM. The meaning [of this verse] is that when an occurrence happened to Balaam in the nature of those experiences which occur to men of Ruach Hakodesh⁶⁴Literally, “The Holy Spirit.” See Rambam in Moreh Nebuchim II, 45, at the paragraph beginning: “the second degree of prophecy.” See also above, Seder Korach, Note 71 and Ramban ibid. when dwelling alone and a spirit passed before his face that made the hair of his flesh to stand up,¹¹⁸Job 4:15. fear came upon him, and trembling, and all his bones were made to shake,¹¹⁹Ibid., Verse 14. and his vigor turned into weakness¹²⁰Daniel 10:8. and he fell upon his face to the ground — and then Balaam said, I have prepared the seven altars,¹⁰⁹Verse 4. this being by way of prayer, as I have explained.¹²¹Above in Verse 1. But G-d did not hearken to him and his intention, but told him: Thus shalt thou speak.¹²²Verse 5.

שבעה המזבחות ערכתי, “the seven altars which I have prepared, etc.” Bileam sought to secure for himself G’d’s goodwill by means of these offerings, and he wanted that Balak join him in that endeavour. This is why the Torah describes both Balak and Bileam as presenting the bull and the ram offering (verse 2), one of them slaughtering the animal, the other sprinkling its blood on the altar. The meaning of the verse (4) ויאמר אליו וגו, “He said to Him, etc.” are a prayer by Bileam asking G’d to accept his and Balak’s offering. In the course of the account we find that later on Bileam no longer asks Balak to be a participant in his efforts, as he was afraid that Balak’s very presence, -i.e. negative attitude- would disqualify it from having any chance of G’d welcoming it. The subject of ויעל, “he (sing.) offered up,” instead of “they offered up, i.e. only Bileam, reflects precisely this feeling of Bileam that Balak’s attitude should not act as a hindrance to Hashem accepting that offering. Perhaps Balak was indeed a party to this, not because he thought that this might be effective, but because he wanted to appease Bileam.

But Avrohom only offered up a singe ram. For if not so, it should say, “I offered burnt-offerings”. Why does the Torah say “an ox and a ram”? Rather it was because “Avrohom only…”

ואעל פר ואיל במזבח AND I HAVE OFFERED UPON EVERY ALTAR A BULLOCK AND A RAM — “but Abraham”, said he, “offered only a single ram” (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 11, Midrash Tanchuma, Tzav 1).

AND THE ETERNAL PUT A WORD IN BALAAM’S MOUTH. Some commentators¹²³I have not identified these commentators. See, however, my Hebrew commentary, p. 294, Note 22, for a similar opinion found in the Zohar. explain that Balaam did not understand the words [he said], but G-d filled him with words and said to him: “Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak,¹²²Verse 5. for the words will come forth [automatically] from your mouth.” Perhaps this is also the opinion of our Rabbis, who have said:¹²⁴Tanchuma, Balak 12; Bamidbar Rabbah 20:16. “He shaped his mouth and formed it [so that he would speak as He desired], like a person who fixes a nail onto a board. Rabbi Eleazar says: It was an angel that spoke: Rabbi Yehoshua says: etc.”¹²⁵“It was the Holy One, blessed be He, that spoke through the mouth of Balaam” (ibid.). But it does not appear to me to be correct [that Balaam did not know what he was saying], because he said [that he] heareth the words of G-d; seeth the vision of the Almighty.⁹⁷Further, 24:4. But the meaning of [the word] ‘vayasem’ (and He put) is “instruction,” signifying He taught him the words so that he should recite them with his mouth, and he should not forget or omit any part of it, similar to [the expression], teach thou it the children of Israel; ‘simah’ (put it) in their mouths.¹²⁶Deuteronomy 31:19. This means: let them know the words of this song by heart (Ibn Ezra). Similarly, for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been ‘sumah’ (‘put; determined’).¹²⁷II Samuel 13:32.

וישם ה׳ דבו בפי בלעם, G'd put words in Bileam's mouth, etc. Although most commentators have already treated this verse exhaustively, they have also left some room for our comments. G'd wanted to use this opportunity to reveal part of the future and to mention the wonderful things that would happen to Israel at that time. He was particularly interested that this future be revealed to the Gentile nations by their own prophet. This is why He chose Bileam as His instrument to predict both Israel's eventual greatness and the other nations eventual downfall at the hands of Israel. When the Gentile nations would be able to note that one of their own had predicted all this it would impress them all the more. Due to the negative spiritual influences Bileam had surrounded himself with, the Holy Spirit which would enable him to foretell the future could not come to rest on him; not only this, but the words of G'd themselves are inherently sacred and not entrusted to a member of an impure nation. This is why G'd had to resort to a special stratagem so that words of holiness would not be spoken in impure surroundings. G'd constructed a barrier between the power of the speaker and the words he spoke, and the "mouth of the pig." This is what the Torah means when it writes: "G'd put a thing, דבר, inside Bileam's mouth." The דבר was the artificial barrier between G'd's holy words and Bileam's mouth. In this way Bileam's mouth was converted into a domain all by itself, divorced from Bileam the person. When the Torah continued וכה תדבר, the meaning is that with the help of this barrier in his mouth Bileam would be able to speak the words of G'd. The Zohar volume three page 210 writes that the word כה is an allusion to something sacred. Students of the Kabbalah will understand what I mean.

וישם ה' דבר בפי בלעם, “Hashem put words in the mouth of Bileam, etc.” There are some commentators who derive from this that Bileam was unaware of the utterances he was about to make. G’d filled his mouth with words and told him to go back to Balak and “open your mouth to speak,” and the following words would come tumbling out of his mouth. Perhaps this coincides with what our sages had in mind when they said that G’d twisted Bileam’s mouth until it looked like that of a carpenter having nails between his lips, and is the correct interpretation. I do not think so, for the Torah goes on to quote Bileam (24,4) as saying (about himself): ”the one who hears the sayings of G’d and who sees visions of Shaddai.” שומע אמרי א-ל אשר מחזה שדי יחזה. The meaning of the words וישם...דבר is more likely that G’d trains Bileam so carefully what to say. [The difference between ויתן and וישם is always one of degree, the word always implying a more deliberate action. Ed.] In other words, pronouncements made by Bileam in the name of G’d are not “off the cuff remarks,” uttered casually, but are most deliberate and deserve to be examined minutely.

V. 5. וישם ד׳ וגו׳. Gott gewährte ihm nicht eine Erscheinung, deren Auffassung er sodann in Worte zu kleiden gehabt hätte, sondern er legte ihm die Worte in den Mund, die er zu sprechen hatte.

כה תדבר, “G–d commenced with the same word with which He had announced to Avraham that he would become the founding father of a nation, though at that time he had not yet been able to father a single child. [Compare Genesis 15,5, a conversation between G–d and Avraham which had preceded the command for him to leave Charan in chapter 12. Ed.] He reminded Bileam by referring to that promise that any attempt by him to curse Avraham’s descendants would be futile. In fact G–d had guaranteed to Avraham that his descendants would increase and multiply.

וכה תדבר, “and thus you shall say;” there was no need to spell out the precise wording Bileam was to use at this stage, as long as he would know what would follow.

In the event that you do not understand the nature of this separation within Bileam's mouth, consider Chagigah 15 where the Talmud explains how G'd had divided between different great bodies of water although they are adjoining one another without any visible barrier. The separations between these bodies of water are as thin as a hair. We are also taught in Shabbat 35 concerning the well which accompanied the Israelites thanks to the merit of Miriam that if someone wishes to see it he should climb Mount Carmel and look down into the sea where he would observe something that looks like a sieve. This is the well that used to accompany the Israelites in the desert.

שוב אל בלק, "go back to Balak, etc." G'd forced Bileam to say the unpalatable things he was going to say in Balak's presence.

ארה לי יעקב ולכה זעמה ישראל CURSE JACOB FOR ME AND COME EXECRATE ISRAEL — by their two names did he bid him curse them, for perhaps one of them was not distinctive enough to point them out beyond all doubt as being the people against whom the curse was directed.

וישא משלו, he explained in parable form what he had seen in a vision.

וישא משלו ויאמר, And he began his parable and said: When Bileam noticed that G'd had neither told him what to say nor had He told him not to speak, he thought he had been given permission to speak. This is why be made ready to say what he had in his mind. At that moment G'd twisted his mouth and tongue and forced him to say something quite different. What Bileam said is introduced by the word ויאמר. We may also understand the verse to mean that Bileam abandoned his prepared parable and instead said what the Torah has recorded here. According to Bamidbar Rabbah 20,19 the words מן ארם ינחני בלק must be understood as "Balak dragged me down from a spiritually high level so that I now face destruction." According to this the word וישא may be understood to mean "he raised his voice lamenting that he had become למשל ולשנינה, an example of someone who used to be of lofty stature and now had become an example of how the mighty had fallen."

ינחני, meaning the same as the past tense הנחני.

מהררי קדם, “from the mountains of the east.” The word קדם is reminiscent of the קדמונים, far earlier generations who had erected either a pile of stones, or a מצבה, a monument in the sense of an altar, (Lavan and Yaakov) and had entered into a formal pact of peace between them. They had promised each other that neither would cross these landmarks while intending to harm the other.

מן ארם ינחני בלק...מהררי קדם, “from Aram, Balak...led me, from the mountains of the east;” The word קדם here means “east.” When Bileam quoted Balak as asking him: ארה לי יעקב, “curse Yaakov for me,” he ridiculed Balak for even imagining that it would be possible to curse a nation of whom G’d had said that they were “part of Hashem” (Deut. 32,9). If it had not been for Yaakov, i.e. the Jewish people, i.e. Avraham who had saved Lot the ancestor of Moav, Balak’s nation would not even exist at all. Lot had been saved from the destruction of Sodom only by an act of kindness G’d performed on account of Avraham as we know from Genesis 19,29: “when G’d destroyed the towns of the valley, He remembered Avraham and sent Lot away from there.” Bileam also conceded that he himself was only on earth due to Yaakov who had served Lavan who had admitted that his blessings were due to Yaakov’s presence (Genesis 30,27). The Torah speaks of the sons of Lavan in Genesis 31,1. He, Bileam, was one of the direct descendants of Lavan. In view of the above, how could either he or Balak be so ungrateful as to curse the very people responsible for their existence on earth?

With both names. Though the verse only states (22:6) [that Balak told him], “Curse…” it is logical that he instructed him so, given that this was what Bil’am said. We find a similar instance in the verse, “And you said: Let us send men […to spy out the land]” (Devarim 1:22) even though this [request] is not mentioned in the Torah.

V. 7. משל .וישא משלו siehe oben Kap. 21, 27 und Bereschit 4, 7.

מהררי קדם, “from the mountains of the East.” This was a repetition as we know that Aram is in the East, (Isaiah 9,11)

ויאמר, after having related his vision (which has not been described in the Torah), he proceeded to interpret its meaning He described how Balak had brought him from a region far away.

מהררי קדם, these words are simply a repetition of the words מן ארם ינחני. We know that Aram is situated in the East. Bileam’s point is that Balak bringing him all the way to Moav was an exercise in futility, a strenuous journey which would accomplish nothing.

לכה ארה לי יעקב, “come curse Yaakov on my behalf!” In this verse Bileam mentions both names of Israel, i.e. Yaakov and Israel. This is proof that when one curses one must mention all the names of the person to be cursed in order for the curse to have any effect. Also, one needs to use the two attributes of the name of G’d representing the attribute of night and the attribute of day. This is why Bileam mentioned both the attribute י-ה-ו-ה and the attribute א-ל in verse 8. [Bileam would not have needed to change the name of G’d’s attribute and could have said: מה אקוב לא קבה א-ל ומה אזעם לא זעם א-ל. You will note that in Psalms 7,12 David does combine זעם with the attribute א-ל, i.e. the problem is not with the type of curse but with the attributes of G’d invoked. Ed.].
In fact, Job did something similar when he cursed the day he was born and said (Job 3,8) יקבהו אררי יום. He had already cursed both the day and the night separately in the earlier verses of that chapter. According to our traditional sources the separate mention of day and night in verse 3 of that chapter was heretical, suggesting that separate powers are in charge of day and night respectively. Concerning that statement our sages in Shemot Rabbah 30,8 claim that this was heresy, (although Nachmanides points out that Jeremiah (20,14) appears to have been guilty of the same offense and no one accused him of heresy).
It is also necessary to see the intended victim of one’s curse with one’s own eyes as the curse will then be far more effective. This is why Balak went out of his way to take Bileam to the tops of surrounding hills and mountains. The same principle applies to blessings. In order for blessings to be fully effective the person to be blessed must be within an area that the one bestowing the blessing can see with his eyes. All his names should be mentioned just as Bileam did in 24,5 when he spoke of the goodness of the tents of Yaakov and the dwellings of Israel.
When Balak is quoted as having said to Bileam: “curse Yaakov for me,” the question is why he did not simply say: “curse Yaakov?” Actually Balak had not added the word לי “for me.” Bileam had added it to point to the incongruity of Balak’s request. By adding the word לי, Bileam hinted that Balak’s request to curse the Jewish people was equivalent to Balak asking that he himself be cursed seeing he could not have existed but for the Jewish people. We find support for this in Tanchuma Balak 12 where the Midrash says: “whoever curses these people curses himself seeing G’d had told Avraham that anyone cursing him or his descendants would be himself be cursed by G’d” (Genesis 12,3). Every type of curse Balak mentioned in connection with his attempt to have Israel cursed (22,11; 23,13; 23,27) always is accompanied by the word לי, the Torah’s way of saying that such a curse would boomerang on himself.

We may also understand the verse in terms of the different levels of prophecy we discussed in Beha-alotcha on Numbers 12,6. We had stated there (page 1436) that there are some prophets whose powers of perception are not strong enough to be able to cope with a direct effusion of G'd's message. Such prophets receive the message in the form of a parable. Even Jewish prophets had to receive their prophecies in this fashion. It is not surprising therefore that Bileam, a Gentile, received his prophetic inspiration in the form of parables. When the Torah describes Bileam as וישא משלו, the idea is that he considered prophecy as a burden, משא. The reason for this is the extraordinary emotional stress experienced by the prophet.

מן ארם וגו׳. Darin hat Balak selbst bekundet, wie er eine Ahnung davon habe, dass diesem Volke von seinem Ursprunge an ein Eigentümliches innewohne, auf welches zurückzugehen wäre, wenn man über dieses Volk und seine Zukunft sich ein Urteil bilden wolle, hat vor allem darin bekundet, dass dieses Volkes Geschick von dem Gott abhänge, von dem ein Bewusstsein sich noch bei den Weisen Arams erhalten und der von dort her, der eigenen Heimat Balaks, diesem nicht unbekannt geblieben. ארה לי יעקב וגו׳, nach seiner materiellen Erscheinung ist es: Jakob, das Machtloseste unter allen Völkern, nach dem Göttlichen in ihm und seiner geistigen Bedeutung: Jisrael, die Gottesherrschaft auf Erden ankündigend. Balak will, dass durch Bileams Wort Jakobs Zukunftshoffnung in der Wurzel getroffen werde, es soll ארור, von dem Segensquell abgeschnitten werden, und als Jisrael: זעמה ישראל. Während die anderen Ausdrücke des Zürnens: בעס, קצף ,אנף, intransitiv den Gemütszustand des Zürnenden ausdrücken und daher nur mit einer Präposition על־ ב־ konstruiert werden, ist זעם aktiv und hat das Objekt im Akkusativ. והעם אשר זעם ד׳ (Maleachi 1, 4), יזעמוהו לאומים (Prov. 24, 24) usw. Daher auch passiv זעום ד׳ der von Gottes Zorn Getroffene (daselbst 22, 14). Durch Bileams Wort soll das göttliche Wohlwollen, von welchem Israels Blüte bedingt ist, in das Gegenteil umwandelt werden. ת׳׳א übersetzt es: תריך, das chaldäische גרש, also: machen, dass sein Gott es von sich weise. — זֹעֲמָה die seltene פועל-Form, wie: למשופטי (Job 9, 15).

זעמה, I believe that the vowel patach here is indicative of the imperative mode. On the other hand the word zoamoh as it appears in our verse is a feminine construction meaning “being angry.” The construction is similar to the word ochlah in Deuteronomy 4,24 אש אוכלה or שופטה את ישראל in Judges 4,4.

לכה ארה לי יעקב, "come and curse Jacob on my behalf." Inasmuch as there were two categories of Israelites, the righteous and the average ones, Balak had expressed his hope that he could smite at least the average Israelites, the ones described as Jacob as opposed to the righteous who are described as Israel. As to the righteous ones, Balak had expressed the hope to at least drive them out of his proximity. Bileam took his cue from what Balak had requested from him. The word ארה represents a curse of greater intensity than the word זעם, which Bileam reserved for the righteous Israelites. Even Balak had realised that it would be difficult to effectively curse the righteous Israelites.

מה אקב ולא קבה אל HOW SHALL I CURSE WHOM GOD HATH NOT CURSED — Even when they deserved to be cursed, they were not cursed. When their ancestor, Jacob, made mention of their sin — (Genesis 49:6) “For in their anger they slew a man” — he cursed their anger only, as it is said, (Genesis 49:7) “Cursed be their anger”. When their ancestor, Jacob, went to his father with deceit he deserved to be cursed, but what is stated there (Genesis 27:33)? “Yea, he shall be blessed”. In the case of those tribes who had to recite the blessings it is said, (Deuteronomy 27:12) “These shall stand to bless the people”, but in the case of those who had to pronounce the curses it does not state, “And these shall stand to curse the people”, but, “And these shall stand for the curse”, — it does not wish to mention the term “cursing” in direct reference to them (the people) (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 1; Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

מה אקב לא קבה קל, "how can I curse when G'd has not cursed ( first)?" The problem with this verse is that if G'd had indeed cursed Israel why would there be any need for Bileam to do the same? Balak had obviously invited Bileam to curse people whom G'd had not cursed! Besides what did Bileam mean when he added in verse 9 as justification for his curse or otherwise that he had observed the Isaelites "from the the top of rocks?" What did this detail have to do with cursing or failing to curse the people?

'לא זועם ה, did not anger them. We find the verb zoam used similarly in Maleachi 1,4 והעם אשר זעם ה', “the people against whom G’d was angry.”

When they deserved to have been cursed, they were not cursed. Thus the meaning of the verse is, “How can I curse when I know that Hashem will not agree to curse them through me?” And how do I know this? Because He never cursed them, even though they were deserving of a curse. One cannot say that it means that Hashem does not want to curse them, for if this were so what was meant by saying, “What Divine wrath can I evoke if Hashem has not been angry.” Surely if he had already said that Hashem did not want to curse them, even if he had been angry in those days he would not have been able to curse them.

V. 8. מה אקב וגו׳ (siehe Kap. 22, 11). קבה mit dem weiblichen Zeichen und dem männlichen Laut. Es muss erst durch Gottes Fluch seine Männlichkeit verloren haben, ehe mein Wort ihm etwas anhaben könnte.

'ומה אזעום לא זעם ה, “how could I successfully curse someone whom Hashem has not cursed?” Bileam, who specialised in timing G–d’s “moods,” knew that at that time G–d had not had any reason to be angry at His people. If you were to quote the prophet Micah in Micah 6,5, who refers to Bileam having detected that G–d did display anger at Israel at the time, (as interpreted by the Talmud, tractate B’rachot 7,) that anger lasted but a moment and did not enable Bileam to pinpoint accurately. At least Bileam did not have time enough to curse all the Israelites before the curse was turned into a blessing as we know from what Moses said in Deuteronomy 23,6 where he describes G–d as interfering in Bileam’s attempt immediately He had become aware of it. If Bileam had cursed them with the single word: כלם, “make an end of them” he would have had time enough. According to the Talmud the words ותרועת מלך בו, “and the King’s shofar blast is active on their behalf,” (in verse 21 of our chapter) hints at how G–d annuls Bileam’s attempt at cursing the Jewish people. The word מלך, “King,” consisting of the same letters as the word כלם,” destroy them,” shows how G–d interfered with Bileam’s curse. Our author raises an objection to this methodology of turning curses into blessings by quoting the Talmud on the same folio where it reports Rabbi Yoshua ben Levi being harassed by a member of the Tz’doki sect, raising what he considered contradictory verses in the Torah. One day the Rabbi took a cockerel, positioned him at the bottom of his bed, and looked at that bird intently, intending that as soon as the time when G–d is briefly angry would arrive, he would curse that Tz’doki. By the time that hour arrived, the Rabbi had fallen asleep, (and missed his chance). When he awoke, he realised that he had been saved from committing a sin by having fallen asleep at the crucial time, and he interpreted Proverbs 17,26: גם ענוש לצדיק לא טוב, “it is also not good to punish the righteous,” to mean that one must not deliberately become the instrument by which G–d punishes the wicked. Our author questions how Rabbi Joshua ben Levi could have succeeded to successfully curse that Tz’doki at the precise moment of G–d’s anger, as it would have taken too long, according to what we just learned? He therefore comes to the conclusion that what is critical is only if the beginning of one’s curse coincides with the precise moment at which G–d is angry. He supports his theory by pointing to the Talmud in tractate Sanhedrin folio 105 where Rabbi Yochanan is quoted as having said that the very wording of Bileam’s blessings hinted already at the fact that they had been meant to be curses which G–d had reversed. When he had meant to say that he wished that the Israelites would lack synagogues and Torah academies he commenced with the words: ”how goodly are your tents, etc?” [The word אהל for “tent” in which to study G–d’ Torah occurs frequently, commencing with Yaakov in Genesis 25,27. Ed.] He quotes some other “blessings” of Bileam there as similarly revealing what his curse would have sounded like had he been permitted to pronounce it. Clearly, he would not have had time enough to pronounce all these curses in the minute time span G–d remains angry. This proves that the very beginning of uttering what was in his mind is what is critical.

'מה אקוב וגו, “how can \_ curse where G-d has not cursed;” seeing that Bileam stood on the top of high rocks, as we have read in 22,41.

לא זעם ה׳” GOD IS NOT ANGRY — As for me, my power lies only in that I know to determine the exact moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry, and He has not been angry all these days that I have been coming to you. And this is the meaning of what is said (Micah 6:5): “O my people, remember now what [Balak, king of Moab] devised and what Balaam [the son of Beor] answered him … that ye may know the righteous acts of the Lord” (Sanhedrin 105b).

But He was not angry during all those days… You might ask: Since he could only curse them at the moment when Hashem was angry, and Hashem was not angry during all of those days, why did Hashem tell him not to curse the people? Surely the curse would not have taken effect. The answer is that Hashem knew that they were destined to stumble with Baal Pe'or and that a plague would come upon them, thus if he has cursed them, people would have said that the plague came because of the curse.

In order to understand the matter properly we must first discuss the condition of the person or people who have been subjected to a curse. If the accursed had been guilty he will obviously suffer harm for his guilt even if he had not been cursed at all. If, on the other hand, the person who was subjected to a curse was innocent, and had not done anything which would make him subject to punishment at the hands of G'd, the curse would boomerang on the one who uttered it. The difference between blessings and curses is that if someone receives a blessing though he did not do anything to deserve it, seeing that the power of good exceeds that of the power of evil, the recipient of the blessing will enjoy it though he may not have done anything to deserve it. However, G'd would certainly not cause harm to a person who did not deserve to come to harm.

The principal effect of a curse then has to do with G'd's attribute of extending His patience to the sinners and delaying their punishment. G'd's patience extends both to the righteous and to the wicked who are bent on sinning. It is one of the thirteen attributes G'd revealed to Moses and operates at all times when G'd is not angry. G'd's anger, however, is shortlived as we know from Psalms 30,6 "for He is angry but for a moment." At such a time the attribute of Justice is in the ascendancy and the attribute of ארך אפים is temporarily suspended. Similarly, when a person curses his fellow man the effect of the curse is that G'd will no longer extend His attibute of ארך אפים to the guilty person who has now also been cursed. As a result, the attribute of patience may be suspended as far as that person is concerned. If the person cursed did not have to depend on the attribute of ארך אפים, G'd's patience, in the first place, then the curse is quite ineffective against him.

Let me explain something else. Every person who commits a sin thereby causes some blemish in the particular מדה, virtue, in the Celestial regions which fulfilment of the commandment he did not fulfil was intended to strengthen. He does not thereby destroy the entire מדה, attribute or virtue, but he causes damage to the root of his soul. The damage expresses itself in that certain spiritually negative forces which ought not to possess any hold on his soul (the sinner's) have been enabled to lay some claim to his soul. These forces now enjoy what should have been the exclusive source of life for the individual who has now sinned. If this process continues, the spiritually negative forces eventually gain a hold on the personality of the sinner. This results in his imbibing their spiritual values instead of the holy and pure spiritual values of his soul's counterpart in Heaven. This process, of course, assumes that the sinner has not done תשובה in the meantime, or has not been punished for his sin. This is the mystical dimension of what the Torah has called נושא עון, of which our sages have said that it means that G'd nourishes the accuser which was created by means of the sin committed by man. This is the force which will punish the sinner (Zohar volume 3 page 83). This concept is based on Jeremiah 2,19: "the evil which you yourself have created will be what will discipline you." We have a verse in Isaiah 64,6: "and our iniquities have made us melt," which expresses a similar thought. The person who utters the curse sets in motion retribution long delayed because of certain attributes of G'd at a time when G'd's anger had not yet been aroused.

Another factor we have to keep in mind is that the curse itself- something we normally perceive as abstact becomes concretised- and the destructive force it represents assumes the very "name" of the curse itself. We know this from Deut. 28,20 where G'd threatens to send the מארה, or the מגערת, "the curse or the rebuke." These are names for categories of destructive forces. The word קללה describes the category of curse resulting from the commission of a serious sin, whereas the word זעם describes the destructive force created by relatively minor sins. To sum up, when Bileam wished to curse a nation he chose the time when they were all guilty at least of relatively minor sins. Inasmuch as most people are guilty of some sins almost all of the time Bileam could expect his words to be effective. He employed his sorcery to determine if at that time most of the Israelites still suffered from sins which they had not repented or for which they had not as yet been punished. Having examined the status of the Jewish people on that basis, he came to the regretful conclusion of מה אקב, "how can I be expected to make a curse effective" seeing that the spiritually negative forces had not been able to establish their hold on any part of the collective Jewish soul, their holy roots? The Israelites were so innocent at the time that Bileam was not able to activate sins they had committed to act as a curse against them.

Bileam had examined the Israelites on two separate levels of their relationship with G'd, i.e. their relationship to the attribute א־ל as well as their relationship to the attribute י־ה־ו־ה. The former attribute reflects the fact that G'd had changed Jacob's name to ישר־א־ל, meaning upright, honest, not crooked. The change of name had been a recognition that none of the spiritually negative forces had been able gain a foothold on the holy soul of Israel. The ineffable 4-lettered name is mentioned as an integral part of the Jewish people in Deut. 32,9 כי חלק י־ה־ו־ה עמו, "for the ineffable name has become a part of His people." Bileam therefore found out that Israel had not forfeited either of these two distinctions at that time. They had not even committed the kinds of minor sins which might deprive them of the close association with G'd's four-lettered name. Under these circumstances what possible good could Bileam's curses do? If you were to say that Bileam could have gone back to earlier times and have searched out sins the Jews had committed which would have tainted some part of their holy roots, the Torah says כי מראש צורים אראנו, that Bileam referred to his investigation of Israel's past -the צורים being a reference to the patriarchs,- whereas the ראש refers to Abraham's father Terach. Bileam found to his regret that even in Israel's distant past there were no residual sins which would now make his curse take hold.

We may understand the meter of our verse as being that Bileam says in effect: "the reason I say that G'd is not mildly or severely angry at this people and has not cursed them in any way is not only that I have made a superficial examination of them. I have examined every aspect of this people, i.e. מראש צורים, and have come up with a blank. Not only that but ומגבעות אשורנו, (verse 9) I have even examined their maternal ancestry, their matriarchs, and I have not been able to find any kind of defect in the root of their holy soul that would allow my curse to take hold." We may be surprised at that as we know that Terach was an idol worshiper and so were Bethuel and Laban. We would have assumed that such an association would have left a mark on the holy soul of this people! Bileam answers this by saying הן עם לבדד ישכון ובגוים לא יתחשב. "They are a nation that lives in solitude and does not consider itself as part of the nations surrounding it." They do not share a common root with Terach and his ancestors, their soul is not part of that branch. Their collective soul has been hewn out of a separate "quarry," the one all Israelite souls emanate from. The words "and does not consider itself as part of the surrounding nations" includes even those nations who consider themselves closely related to the Jewish people through common ancestors. Bileam referred to Ishmael and Esau both of whom are called גוים in the Torah. The Torah mentions that Ishmael is a גוי in Genesis 17,20: "I will make him into a great nation." In Genesis 25,23 when G'd tells Rebeccah that she will give birth to twins, the Torah states that both children will develop into nations, שני גויים בבטנך, "you have two nations in your womb." However, in Genesis 21,12, G'd made it plain to Abraham that He would only consider his son Isaac as his true seed. This excluded Ishmael and Esau from being considered as true descendants of Abraham, descendants whose task it was to carry on Abraham's contribution to establishing the kingdom of G'd on earth. In view of all this Bileam could not find any way to make a curse against Israel stick, not against the average Israelites, and certainly not against the elite, the righteous. While it is true that the Israelites had been guilty of the sin of the golden calf plus that of the spies who had caused the whole nation to reject the land of Israel some 38 years ago, G'd had already said clearly that He had forgiven the people for those sins. Perhaps the reason that G'd did not display His anger against them during the last 38 years was to deprive Bileam of the opportunity to make a curse against them effective.

It is also possible that by saying the words הן עם, "lo, it is a people," Bileam expressed his amazement at Balak's wanting to curse such a people. Bileam hinted that in view of the fact that this was a nation which would survive all other nations in solitary splendour, how could nations which were not even assured of a relatively lengthy existence in the course of human history presume to curse them effectively? How could Moav which itself was slated for extinction presume to uproot a nation whose future is eternal? When Bileam added: ובגוים לא יתחשב, this means that when it comes to enumerating the various virtues and accomplishments of other nations, Israel is not even in the same league; its merits are incomparably greater and not to be measured with the nations at large.

כי מראש צורים אראנו FOR FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCKS I SEE HIM — I look at their origin and at the beginning of their root (descent), and I behold them strongly founded as younder rocks and mountains through their ancestors and ancestresses (Rashi translates thus: For (כי) starting from their very beginning (מראש) I behold them firm as rocks) (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

FOR FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCKS I SEE HIM. The meaning of this is that since Balak had brought him up to Bamoth-baal¹²⁸Above, 22:41. [which was a high place] to see Israel, Balaam said: “From the top of the rocks and from the hills I look and I see him, for he [is a people that] shall dwell alone, and there is no other nation with him that can be counted together with him, in the way that many [different] peoples and various nations gather together to become one camp — for these [people of Israel] all have one law and one ordinance,¹²⁹Ibid., 15:16. and are one nation, dwelling alone by the name of Jacob and Israel.” Therefore he [Balaam] mentioned, Come, curse me Jacob, and come defy Israel,¹³⁰Above, Verse 7. referring to them [both] by their name of honor [Israel] and by the name of their ancestor [Jacob], meaning to say that they are a people alone, and have names befitting them from their ancestors. For Balak did not tell him [Balaam] the name “Israel,” but merely said, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt,¹³¹Above, 22:5. as if he was a stranger to them and did not know them, and he was not grateful for the favor that their father had done.¹³²This refers to Abraham risking his life in order to save his nephew Lot — who was the ancestor of the Moabites (Genesis 14:12-16; 19:36-37). And the meaning of Balaam’s words is that “just as I see him now dwelling alone, so will he forever dwell in safety, the fountain of Jacob alone,¹³³Deuteronomy 33:28. and he will always be at the head, for no nation will [ever] prevail over him [and cause him to perish], and he will never become assimilated to them [i.e., other nations].

הן עם לבדד ישכון, in the final analysis, they are the only people who will eventually populate the earth. This concept is repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,12 ה' בדד ינחנו, “the Lord will guide only them alone.” It will be impossible to destroy them.

כי מראש צורים אראנו, Bileam now explains why G’d has not angered Israel and does not want to curse them. Now that Bileam has a chance to view their camp from the vantage point of a high rock and from a hilltop, he had begun to appreciate the solitary manner in which this people remains pure, not intermingling with other nations. Not only that, but they have a countless number of small children. The Jewish people are not counted until they have attained age twenty. It follows that they are far more numerous than the census figures would indicate.

כי מראש צורים אראנו, “For I look upon it as if from the top of rocks.” Seeing that Balak had taken Bileam to the nearest available hill in order to afford him a glimpse of part of the Israelites, Bileam uses the simile of rocks and hills when describing the vantage point from which he caught a glimpse of the people. Bileam perceives Israel as dwelling in solitary splendour, no other nation considering itself as its companion, unlike when many nations meet and form a united front or an economic or military union. The Israelites are joined together by a common ancestry that forms their national and cultural heritage known as the Torah. They are known primarily as descendants of Yaakov/Israel. This is why Bileam refers to them once as Yaakov, and immediately afterwards as Israel. (Verse 8) While true to their historic mission, they will always tower over all the other nations, and no one will be able to humble them.

And powerful like the mountains … because of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. The Patriarchs are called “mountains” and the Matriarchs are called “hills.”

V. 9. כי מראש צרים וגו׳. Von hohem Standpunkte sehe ich es nahe, von niederem noch ferne. Wie räumlich dem Rundblick aus der Höhe Entfernungen zusammenrücken, so auch zeitlich. Dem höheren, Jahrhunderte zusammenfassenden weltgeschichtlichen Überblick erscheinen Ereignisse nahe, die dem mehr auf dem Boden der Gegenwart sich Umschauenden fern auseinander liegen. שור ist die Fernsicht, die das sieht, was dem Blicke anderer verborgen bleibt (siehe Bereschit 49, 22). Er sagt: ich sehe dieses Volk in einer wenngleich nicht unmittelbar nahen, doch in der Entwicklung der Zeiten nicht fernen Zukunft, in welcher es das Ideal seiner Bestimmung erreicht haben wird (vergl. Kap. 24, 17).

הן עם לבדד ישכן LO, THE PEOPLE SHALL DWELL ALONE — This it is what their ancestors have given them as a prerogative: to dwell in the world alone — as is the sense given to the passage by the Targum (“Lo, this people is alone destined to inherit the world").

This was acquired for them by their forefathers. Meaning though the word הן ["behold"] refers to the beginning of the verse, “For [I view it] from the mountain peaks…” which refers to the Forefathers as Rashi explains. Thus it comes to teach what it was that was acquired for them by their Forefathers, as rendered by Targum Onkelos, “You are destined [to live] alone.” For if not so, what is the meaning of the term הן ["behold"]? But now it means the same as הנה ["here it is"], as if to say that when I said, “It was acquired for them by their forefathers,” this was that they would dwell alone.

הן עם לבדד ישכן וגו׳: es wird in einem räumlich umgrenzten Lande, ohne vielen Verkehr mit andern Völkern, seiner "innern" nationalen Aufgabe als "עם", als soziale Volksgesellschaft leben, und wird seine Größe nicht als "גוי" unter den גוים, nicht als durch Macht imponierender "Volkskörper" unter den Völkerindividuen suchen.

ומגבעות אשורנו, “and from the hills I see it.” They encamp by themselves and are totally self sufficient. No other nation can hope to attack them successfully as their Creator has assured them of His ensuring their security. This was the promise we read in Leviticus 25,19, and 26,5.

ובגוים לא יתחשב AND SHALL NOT RECKON ITSELF AMONG THE NATIONS — Understand this as the Targum does — They will not be exterminated with the other nations, as it is said, ( 30:11) “For I will make a full end of all the nations [… but I will not make a full end of thee]”. The words therefore mean: They do not come under the same reckoning (לא יתחשב) with other nations. — Another explanation is: When they rejoice, no other nation rejoices with them, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 32:12) “The Lord will lead him alone to future bliss”, and when the nations are in prosperity they (the Israelites) eat with each one of them and yet it is not taken into account or them thereby to diminish their reward in the future life; and this is the meaning of ובגוים לא יתחשב (“and when they enjoy with the nations it is not taken into account) (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

Another interpretation: When they rejoice, no nation rejoices with them. According to the first reason there is the difficulty as to how one would think that He would annihilate them along with the nations, therefore Rashi brought the other interpretation. However, according to the other interpretation there is the difficulty as to how one would determine to differentiate between rejoicing and punishment, therefore he brought the first reason.

מי מנה עפר יעקב וגו׳ WHO HATH COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB [AND THE NUMBER OF THE FOURTH PART OF ISRAEL] — Understand this as the Targum does: [who has counted] the infants of the house of Jacob, who are compared to the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16). The words מארבע משריתא in the Targum mean; [who can count … even one] of the four (רבע “a fourth”) banners (companies of the tribes). — Another explanation of עפר יעקב is: Countless are the commandments which they practise in connection with dust: (Deuteronomy 22:10) “Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass [together]”; (Leviticus 19:19): “Thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seeds”. There are also the ashes of the red cow (Numbers 19:9 ff.), and the dust used in the ordeal to which a woman suspected of infidelity is subjected (Numbers 5:17), and others similar to these (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

WHO HATH COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB? Balaam is saying: “I see them from the top of the rocks dwelling alone, and I cannot count them for they alone are like the dust of the earth, and no man can number the dust of the earth;¹³⁴See Genesis 13:16. nor can I count even rova Yisrael (one fourth of Israel) when they are encamped under four standards.” Thus he prophesied that they would increase in number and they shall not be diminished,¹³⁵Jeremiah 30:19. and the seed of Jacob will always be alone as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered.¹³⁶Hosea 2:1. This is Onkelos’ opinion [as to the meaning] of rova Yisrael [that it means “one fourth” of the total population of Israel, i.e., one standard of the four in which the people encamped].
It is also correct that the term rova be [interpreted as in the expression], Thou dost measure my going about ‘v’riv’i’ (and my lying down),¹³⁷Psalms 139:3. of [the same root as in]: Thou shalt not let thy cattle ‘tharbia’ (gender) with a diverse kind,¹³⁸Leviticus 19:19. and similar in expression to: and are come forth out of the fountain of Jacob.¹³⁹Isaiah 48:1.
Balaam said [in this verse]: Let me die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), and let mine end be like his, meaning that they are those who are inheritors of the Garden of Eden [i.e., they are assured of eternal life after death]. For since the end of man is death, therefore he wanted to die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), these being Israel, who are called Yeshurun,¹⁴⁰Deuteronomy 33:5: And there was a King in Jeshurun … because they spend their days in goodness.¹⁴¹Job 21:13. And let mine end be like his — like that of Israel whose portion is in [eternal] life,¹⁴²Psalms 17:14. and who do not go to Gehenna and destruction. Thus the general tenor of Balaam’s prophecy this time was that G-d does not want us to be cursed, and that we are a people [dwelling] alone, His portion and His people; we shall not mix with the [other] nations, nor be counted amongst them, and our end will be good, according to the way of the righteous.

תמות נפשי מות ישרים, if I were to die now I do not mind, provided that it would be the death of the righteous who will pass over into another life.

מי מנה עפר יעקב, Who can count the dust of Jacob? Considering the fact that Bileam was desperate to find some way in which to make a curse against Israel stick, he had also investigated another track. That track is one often employed by the forces of the קליפה, the spiritually negative forces. It is the track of "things numbered." We have learned in Baba Metzia 42 that "blessing does not take hold on things which have been numbered, measured, or weighed, but only on things concealed from the eye." Clearly, the author of this saying is trying to tell us that the examples given are subject to the effects of "the evil eye" and even though they may have been blessed such a blessing may not endure. Bileam, the master of the evil eye, had examined if the Jewish people could be hurt by his evil eye due to their having been numbered. He found out that they enjoyed the blessing of not being subject to being numbered. [generally, only males between the ages of 20 and 60 are ever reported as having been counted. Ed.] G'd had promised Abraham long before he had even had a son that his descendants would be as numerous as the dust of the earth, i.e. not subject to count as one cannot count the dust of the earth. and that as a result no evil eye could invalidate any blessing bestowed upon this people (Genesis 13,16). Although this blessing had been given to Abraham, it had only been fulfilled in the days of Jacob. This is why Bileam referred to "the dust of Jacob."

?מי מנה עפר יעקב, seeing that they have so many small children G’d does not want to curse them. Children do not know right from wrong. In fact, when adults do not know right from wrong G’d is also very reluctant to curse them as we know from the last sentence in the Book of Jonah where G’d makes this point to the prophet. In Yuma 22 the rhetorical question regarding collective punishment is asked: “granted that the adults have sinned, but what have the children been guilty of that they should suffer the fate of their elders?”

מי מנה עפר יעקב, “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov?” This is an apt simile, suggesting that they are as numerous as the dust of the earth that defies efforts to count it.

As Targum Onkelos interprets … of the four banners. Rashi explains that, “Who can count the dust…” is as Targum Onkelos interprets, and the Targum translates it as מארבע משרייתא [one] of the four camps"]. But since one might not know the meaning of this, therefore Rashi explains, “Of the four banners.”

V. 10. מי מנה עפר יעקב וגו׳, du, Balak, berechnest die Zahlengröße dieses Volkes, die Anzahl seiner Streiter, nach dieser Schätzung erscheint es dir zu mächtig, und wenn man es in dieser Beziehung schmälern könnte, glaubst du es besiegen zu können, glaubst überhaupt sein Wesen zu treffen, wenn es gelänge, seinem leiblichen Gedeihen Fluch zu bringen: מי מנה עפר יעקב, wer zählt denn, was irdisch ist an Jakob, ומספר את רבע ישראל und zählt in Zahl die tierischen Erzeugungen dieses Gottesvolkes (— רבע wie Wajikra 19, 19 u. 20. 16 —). Die Konstellation anderer Völker mag sich nach der Anzahl ihrer "Leiber" gestalten, in ihrer Vermehrung mögen andere Völker Gefahr erblicken, aus ihrer Verminderung Hoffnung schöpfen. Anders ist es bei Jakob-Jisrael. Ob sie als "Jakob" winzig an Zahl, als "Jisrael" zahlreich wachsend erscheinen — nicht was עפר ist, und sich — ja der Tier-רביעה ähnlich — physisch-animalisch vermehrt und vermindert, macht ihre Bedeutung, ihr Glück oder Unglück aus. Nicht einmal den leiblichen Tod haben sie zu fürchten, ihr wahres Wesen wird durch den leiblichen Tod nicht erreicht. תמת נפשי וגו׳, sterben möchte ich wie sie, möchte mein Ende dem ihrigen gleich wissen, ihr Sterben ist glückseliger als unser Leben, weil sie ישרים sind, weil sie der Bestimmung entsprechen, für welche überhaupt Menschen "Menschen" sind, und dieser Bestimmung ohne Abweichung in "gerader" Linie zustreben.

That is that He commanded us to read the recitation of Shema in the evening and the morning. And that is His saying, "and you shall speak about them" (Deuteronomy 6:4). And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in Tractate Berakhot; and there (Berakhot 21a), it is explained that the recitation of Shema is [an obligation] from the Torah. And it is written in the Tosefta (Tosefta Berakhot 3:1), "Just like the Torah established [a set time for] the recitation of Shema, so too did the Sages establish a time for prayer." This means to say that the times of prayer are not from the Torah - though the actual obligation to pray is from the Torah, as we explained (Sefer HaMitzvot, Positive Commandments 5) - and the Sages, may their memory be blessed, arranged times for them. And this is the content of their saying (Berakhot 26b), "They established the prayers corresponding to the daily sacrifices" - meaning, that they fixed their times according to the times of the sacrifices. And women are not obligated in this commandment. (See Parashat Vaetchanan; Mishneh Torah, Reading the Shema 1.)

ומספר את רובע ישראל, “or count the number of Israel?” Our author traces the word רובע as related to רביעה, i.e. as a rainfall ensuring ample growth of the grass in the field. An alternate interpretation: he was able to see only one of the four flags denoting the encampment of the four (ארבע) army groups comprising the men of military age.

מי מנה עפר יעקב, “Who has counted the dust of Yaakov?” Who can even count the small dust particles of Yaakov, the young children. They have small children en masse that are never part of any census. The only Israelites that have ever been subject to a census are the ablebodied men between the ages of 2060. In other words, the number of Israelites who have never been couned by far outnumber those that have been counted. Even if we were to assume that some of the adults had been guilty of some sins, the vast majority of them, the children, certainly have not been guilty of any sins. Therefore I am unable to make any curses effective against them.

ומספר את רבע ישראל The word רבע implies their matings — the offspring which issues from their relations (cf. Nedarim 31a; and Rashi on Numbers 24:3).

ותהי אחריתי כמוהו, so that my offspring be like that of the Israelites. The children of man and those who are the biological issue of him are known as אחריתו, [literally the ones who are following behind him. Ed.] We encounter the word אחרית in this sense in Psalms 109,13 תהי אחריתו להכרית, “may his posterity be cut off. We encounter it in this context also in Daniel 11,4 ולא לאחריתו, “but not for any of his posterity.”

רבע ישראל, the descendants of Israel. The word is derived from רביעה, a mating process. Man is the product of such a process having taken place between father and mother.

ומספר את רובע ישראל, ”or who has numbered even a quarter of Israel?” Bileam declares himself as unable to even count a quarter of the banners of the Jewish people, suggesting that they keep forever increasing in numbers.

Another interpretation … one cannot reckon the commandments which they perform with dust. Accordingly the sequence of the verse is reversed, as if it had said: “Who can count what Yaakov does with dust,” meaning the commandments which they perform with dust. “Or count the seed of Yisroel” refers to the seed which emanates during their intercourse. Thus, it as if the verse had said “Who can count the commandments of dust that Yisroel perform, or [who can] count the seed of Yisroel’s intercourse. But I do not know how they will explain the word את. The reason why Rashi brings another interpretation is because according to the first reason there is the difficulty as to how one could not have known the count of the four banners, for surely it was possible to count them. Therefore, he brought the other interpretation where he explains that it refers to reckoning their reward [for the number of mitzvos they perform with dust]. However according to the other interpretation one has to reverse the sequence of the verse, therefore he also brought the first reason.

Bileam may also have meant that it would be a practical impossibility to count the whole people even if they wanted to count themselves. G'd had specifically forbidden them to conduct or submit to a headcount. Any attempt to arrive at the number of Israelites had to be conducted via either the counting of coins or some other object, but not the people themselves.

Fassen wir diese erste "Spruchrede" Bileams zusammen, so hatte er damit auf die durchaus spezifische Verschiedenheit Israels von allen anderen völkergeschichtlichen Erscheinungen hinzuweisen und Balak zu sagen, dass dieses Volkes Zukunft durchaus von allen den physisch-materiellen Voraussetzungen unabhängig ist, welche das Gedeihen anderer Völker bedingen, und daher auch von all den schadenden Einflüssen unerreichbar ist, denen die Wohlfahrt anderer Völker erliegen könnte. Indem aber damit sein Wort die Beurteilung der Völkerwohlfahrt überhaupt von dem Prinzipium abhängig macht, aus welchem sie ihr Gedeihen schöpfen, so ist seine Rede ein wahrhaftes משל, ein über den konkreten Einzelfall hinübergehender, an dem konkreten einzelnen die "allgemeingültige" Wahrheit zum Bewusstsein bringender Ausspruch.

תמות נפשי מות ישרים, “may I die in the same way as do the righteous. Here is proof that there is an afterlife, if Bileam, the arch enemy of Israel wishes for himself the same kind of afterlife reserved for righteous or repentant Israelites. After all, it is indisputable that he was speaking while having been temporarily inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Or count the seed of Yisroel. Regarding Yisroel, who are people of great wisdom, who undertake important matters for the sake of the entire community, and who endure for all generations… Therefore, who can comprehend the collective power that results from their actions? The term seed is used to imply this — that they bear fruit which itself multiplies for generations.

ומספר את רובע ישראל, “nor who has numbered even one quarter of Israel?” Balak himself had told Bileam that only a small section of it was visible from their vantage point. (verse 13)

תמת נפשי מות ישרים LET ME DIE THE DEATH OF THE UPRIGHT amongst them.

ותהי אחריתי כמוהו, “wish that my end (final destiny) would be like theirs!” Bileam wishes himself the kind of share in life after death that is reserved for deserving Israelites. None of the Israelites are destined to perish in purgatory.

The seed… (Divrei Dovid) Explains this matter according to the teaching in the chapter [entitled] Kol Hayad (Niddah 16b) that the angel who is appointed over pregnancy is called Layla [“Night”]. He takes the drop [of seed] before Hashem and says “Creator of the Universe, what shall become of this drop? Will it be strong or weak, wise or foolish?” With this Bil’am mentioned the praise of Yisroel, that even a repulsive matter such as this was important for Hashem involve Himself with.

ומספר את רבע ישראל, "or numbered the births of Israel?" We have already explained that Bileam had mentally divided the Israelites into two categories, the elite and the average Israelites. He referred to the latter as "Jacob," whereas he referred to the elite as "Israel." When he had said: "who counted the dust of Jacob," he referred to the number of average Israelites, whereas when he referred to the numbering of Israel, he meant the elite amongst the people. He was impressed to have found out that there was an innumerable number of righteous people amongst the Israelites. Alternatively, he may have meant that although the actual number of righteous was not all that impressive, their impact on the Israelite society on the whole made them appear as innumerable. The reverse is true of the wicked. Although they may be large in number, their influence may be negligible. We know this from what G'd said to King Chiskiyah who had complained about the large numbers of Assyrians facing him (compare Sanhedrin 27). G'd assured Chiskiyah that the wicked are not important in proportion to their number. The reason that Bileam referred to רבע is an allusion to the righteous who are "lying" within their tents as we know from Jacob's blessing to Issachar in Genesis 49,14: "couching down between the sheep-folds." [The author uses the word רבע and רבץ interchangeably .Ed.] Another reason may be that the שכינה רבעת עליהם, that G'd's presence is constantly "resting" uopn them. There is also a mystical dimension here, i.e. that the righteous are the cause that G'd's Unity is able to fuse with the terrestrial world.

The death of the righteous. Since he touched upon this characteristic of exemplary kindness possessed by Yaakov and Yisroel, he felt anguish for himself — if only he could be worthy by the end of his life to die the death of the righteous. The word righteous implies proper conduct in worldly affairs between man and his fellow. Bil'am did not have the heart to pray that he should die the death of the pious or devout, for this is a matter which involves Torah and mitzvos which only apply to Yisroel. However, regarding this matter, he prayed to be similar to Yaakov who excelled in the trait of righteousness, since there is also an abundance of kindness among the nations of the world.

תמות נפשי מות ישרים, “let me die the death of the righteous!” He had foreseen in the stars that he was destined to die by the sword.

Among them. Not just a regular righteous [death], for if this was his intent, the blessing would not have been directed to Yisroel. Thus, how could Balak say, “I took you to curse my enemies but you have in fact blessed them” (v. 11)?

Bileam also alluded to the miracles G'd had performed for the Jewish people in Egypt at the time Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish boy babies be drowned in the river Nile. At that time the Egyptians tried to keep track of eventual births by the Israelite women through counting the number of nights after the women had undergone ritual immersion. This proved to be of no avail as G'd performed numerous miracles in order to frustrate the calculations of the Egyptians. You will find details about this in Shemot Rabbah 23 and in Sotah 11.

תמת נפשי מות ישרים, "May I die the death of the upright." These were Bileam's own words, they had not been inspired by G'd. We have already been told in Yalkut Shimoni (item 768) on this verse that whenever Bileam wanted to say something that would not prove harmful to the Israelites G'd did not interfere. The reason Bileam said מות ישרים instead of saying כמותם, "just like they," which would refer to the death of the Israelites is that the wicked Bileam here asked for something exceptional. We are told in the Zohar volume one page 122 that at the time of death the righteous are divided into two groups. In the case of the first group, the soul leaves the body and proceeds directly to the Celestial Regions without crossing any barriers in between. The second group of righteous people are not that fortunate as they have to undergo a period when they will be examined concerning any sins they had committed during their lifetime and for which they had not been punished. Even a minor sin can become the cause for the soul to experience some delay before entry into the Celestial Region to which it has been assigned. Bileam was careful to request that his soul should experience immediate transfer to the Celestial Region for which he hoped to qualify.

On the other hand, it is possible that even these words were spoken while Bileam was under the influence of the Holy Spirit. In that event he wanted to experience death "at the hands of ישרים," i.e. the 12,000 righteous Israelites Moses would choose to conduct the punitive campaign against Midian. In the event, his wish was fulfilled.

There is a third possibility namely that Bileam planned to become a penitent close to death so that he would have benefited by his wickedness in his terrestrial life while also "cashing in" on his repentance just before forfeiting his extra-terrestrial life. Now that Bileam, -though acknowledging by implication that his had been an extremely despicable life- wanted to delay his repentance, he was denied this opportunity. It is not unusual to hear potential penitents say that if they were assured of immediate death as soon as they become בעלי תשובה, penitents, they would opt for it. What they cannot contemplate is a continued life on earth as צדיקים, righteous people, and the demands made by life on earth on such people. Bileam did not ask to die the death of righteous Israelites, something obviously not possible; all he wanted was to die like a Gentile penitent.

ותהי אחריתי כמהו, "and may my end (future) be like theirs" Bileam referred to the Jewish people. He was referring to the hereafter which is described as the "end (final purpose) of the world." Even the righteous are examined once more before a final decision is made if they are entitled to the ultimate happiness in that world. Bileam prayed that he would be allowed to qualify on both counts.

According to the interpretation I have mentioned that Bileam wished that his death in this world should occur at the hands of the righteous Israelite soldiers who would conduct the punitive expedition against Midian, we must understand the words: "let my end be like theirs" in a different vein. According to Kabbalists, even the קליפות, the spiritually negative forces, contain some minute element of sanctity which is trapped inside them. It is this element which enables such forces to exist at all in our world. When such קליפות, i.e. the "owners" or better "captors" of these sparks of sanctity are killed by Israelites, the spark of sanctity is set free. It may happen that this spark attaches itself to the spiritual part of the Israelite who set it free. When Bileam prayed that he wanted to die at the hands of the righteous, he meant for the spark of sanctity inside him to become attached to the sanctity, i.e. soul of the Israelite who would kill him so that eventually he, Bileam, would become like the Israelite. Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (Ari zal) wrote in the Sefer hagilgulim, the book dealing with transmigrations of souls, that the soul of Bileam reappeared on earth in the guise of the she-ass of the pious Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair. This shows that it was rehabilitated. Although Bileam himself died at the hands of a righteous Israelite soldier, even the spark of sanctity within him had become so tainted already that it had to undergo a laborious process of cleansing until eventually it resurfaced on earth as the life-force of Rabbi Pinchas' she-ass. Having done so (and living an exemplary life under its illustrious master), it eventually qualified for a life in the hereafter.

לקב אויבי לקחתיך, "I have taken (engaged) you in order to curse my enemies, etc." Balak was furious at the blessing; whereas it was true that Bileam had warned him that he was not free to say anything, he had understood this to mean that Bileam was not free to curse, and that in the event G'd would not agree to his curse he would keep his mouth shut. It had certainly not occurred to Balak that instead Bileam would bless the Israelites. Even though Bileam had added that he would have to say the words G'd would put in his mouth (22,38), Balak had understood this to mean that in the event G'd would allow Bileam to curse he would do so with abandon. It had never crossed Balak's mind that someone whom he had hired to do him some good by cursing his enemies could actually turn around and cause him damage by blessing them. The very least he would have expected Bileam to do in such a situation was to refrain from saying anything damaging to his employer. This is what Balak meant by the additional word לי, "to me."

והנה ברכת ברך. "and here you have blessed them altogether." We have to understand why the verb ברך is repeated here. We must also wonder why Balak gave Bileam a chance to complete his blessing of Israel and did not interrupt him as soon as he realised what was going on. He could have already clapped his hands at this stage, why did he wait until 24,10? The answer is that Balak was aware that Bileam wanted to trick G'd in order to ultimately curse the Israelites. He did this by lavishing extraordinary compliments on the Jewish people first in order to humiliate them later. When you examine the kind of blessing Bileam bestowed on the Israelites you will find that it actually contained elements of a curse as our sages in Yalkut Shimoni item 771 explain. This was the reason that Balak waited patiently expecting Bileam to get around to the curse. When he found out that Bileam had concluded his speech, he suddenly became aware that the blessings had not been a prelude to curses but were meant as blessings pure and simple. This is why he repeated the word ברך, i.e. the blessing was absolute, without ulterior motive.

It is also possible that what "floored" Balak was that he heard Bileam wishing for himself a future similar to that of an Israelite. As soon as he heard this he realised that Bileam's blessing did not originate from his lips but from the depth of his heart. This is why he used the verb ברך in the infinitive, i.e. with a full mouth. If one wants to be oneself like the people one addresses, one naturally blesses those people without restraint.

הלא את אשר ישים ה' בפי, you already know that He is the G’d of Israel, and that therefore He will only speak well of the Israelites.

הלא את אשר ישים ה׳ בפי, "Did I not tell you that whatever G'd will put into my mouth, etc." Bileam explained that Balak had erred when he thought that Bileam would not be obligated to utter blessings if G'd put these into his mouth. He was not free to shut his mouth and refuse to speak. This is why he added the word אשמר. We have learned in Shevuot 36 that the words ,השמר פן and אל are formulations preceding a negative commandment, and that if one ignores a commandment preceded by these words (by remaining silent) one may become liable to the death penalty. We have not heard previously that Bileam was under such a restriction. Our sages in Tanchuma 12 explain that Bileam said to G'd he would rather die than to be guilty of cursing the Israelites when he realised that G'd watched every move he made. This was the meaning of "may my soul die, etc." However, he acted under duress having become only G'd's mouthpiece.

We may also understand Bileam's reply in terms of the Yalkut we quoted earlier that G'd put a bar in Bileam's mouth. When he wanted to curse G'd would twist the bar to make this impossible. He could only feel comfortable physically by complying with G'd's instructions. Otherwise he would become mute.

It is also possible that he told Balak that he was hoping G'd would put His words in his mouth, and this was why he spoke about אשר ישים ה׳ בפי, "what G'd is going to put into my mouth I will guard carefully." This is the reason he did not say: "what G'd has put in my mouth." He told Balak that although G'd had put restrictions on what he could say, he looked forward to uttering G'd's holy words even under the forced conditions. He considered it a privilege to become G'd's mouthpiece.

וקבנו לי — The verb is the imperative: CURSE THEM FOR ME (cf. Rashi on v. 27).

אשר תראנו משם, so that you can focus on them with your evil eye.

ויאמר אליו בלק לך נא אתי, Balak said to him: "please come with me, etc." On the one hand, Balak pleaded, i.e. נא; on the other hand he was authoritative as evident from the command וקבנו לי משם, "and curse for me from there!" We can understand this apparently contradictory behaviour by Balak in terms of what is written in Tanchuma 13 that Balak showed Bileam the place where Israel would become ordinary, i.e. after Moses would die there. Balak did not know what caused Israel to be נפרץ, to suffer such a breach. He thought this presaged sinfulness by Israel, but he did not realise that Israel would immediately repent its conduct which would cancel G'd's decrees against them. The word נא was a plea for Bileam to be quick and to seize the moment G'd would be angry in order to curse the Israelites. Balak wanted Bileam to even express the most powerful curse possible, קבה, while G'd would be angry with them.

VV. 13 u. 14. Balak hatte ihn zuerst zu den במות הבעל hinangeführt, jetzt führte er ihn zu dem שדה צופים, und als auch hier seine Absicht ins Gegenteil ausging, versuchte er es vom ראש הפעור hinab (V. 28). Vergleichen wir die Benennungen dieser drei Standörter unter einander und zu den Reden, die von ihnen aus Balak als Erwiderung auf sein Verlangen hören musste, so dürfte Balak mit jeder dieser Örtlichkeiten und ihrem Wechsel Bileam immer einen besonderen Gesichtspunkt angegeben haben, von welchem aus er die Verwünschung des Volkes versuchen sollte, und daher nach jedem misslungenen Versuche immer mit dem Standpunkt wechselte.

לך נא אתי אל מקום אחר, “please go with me to another location.” The letter ך here is as if it had been repeated, even though the root is still הליכה, “walking.”

אפס קצהו תראה וכלו לא תראה, do not try and look at all of them simultaneously, because if you will do you will not even achieve part of your objective. Compare the meaning of the word כלו, כלה in Jeremiah 46,28 כי אעשה כלה בכל הגויים ..ואותך לא אעשה כלה, “whereas I will make an end to all the nations, I will not utterly destroy you.” [seeing that the Jewish people have been assured that they will never be totally annihilated, do not try and do what is an exercise in futility, but try and make your curse effective against part of them. Ed.]

פעור ,צופים ,בעל, das dürften überhaupt die drei mächtigsten Potenzen sein, welche in der Anschauung eines Balak über das Wohl und Weh der Nationen entscheiden.

בעל: Baal erscheint als die allgemeinste kanaanitische Gottheit, die höchste "Naturgewalt" unter deren Einfluss alles physische Gedeihen und Blühen materieller Wohlfahrt stand. Nach Aboda Sara Jeruschalmi 3, 6 רב חמא בר גוריון בשם רב וכו׳ war er in der Darstellung identisch mit dem Phallus, dem Symbol der zeugenden Naturkraft (auch Name und Begriff פעל ,בעל Phal dürfte identisch sein). Die erste Bedingung nationaler Zukunft war nach Balaks Anschauung die Gunst des "Baal", die Gunst der über materielles Wachsen und Verkümmern entscheidenden Naturgewalt, und indem er Bileam zu den Baalsanhöhen führte, stellte er ihm die Frage: wie steht dieses Volk von seiner materiellen Seite zu der Gunst der hierüber gebietenden Göttermacht, kann es von dieser Seite nicht in seinem Gedeihen gehemmt werden? Nachdem Bileam ihm diese Frage verneint hatte, weil eine unter Baals Einfluss gedeihende "עפר- und רביעה"Größe überhaupt nicht zu den Grundbedingungen jüdisch-nationaler Existenz zähle, führte er ihn zu שדה צופים, dem "Seher- und Wächter"-Felde und führte ihn dort die Anhöhe hinan. Als zweite Bedingung erschien ihm Intelligenz, Anteil an nationaler geistiger Begabung, und zwar jener geistigen Begabung, die sich in geistig Auserwählten der Nation zu der in den Rat der Götter einblickenden, die Zukunft erspähenden, die Ereignisse vor ihrem Entstehen voraussichtlich erfassenden und meisternden Seher- und Wächterkraft potenziert, und es war damit an Bileam die Frage gestellt: wie steht dieses Volk zu der das Schicksal der Nationen entscheidenden, mit Einsicht, Vorsicht, Voraussicht und Zaubermacht die Geschicke bezwingenden geistigen Begabung? Bietet diese, die צופים-Seite, keine Blöße, die eine Schwächung seiner Zukunft zulässt? — Und wieder baute er sieben Altäre und richtete im פר- und איל-Emporopfer die Frage an die über "Tat und Geschick" der Sterblichen urteilende eine unsichtbare Gottheit in der Höhe.

שדה צפים FIELD OF ZOPHIM — There was a high spot upon which the watchman (צופה) used to stand to observe whether any hostile force was coming against the city.

ראש הפסגה THE TOP OF PISGAH — Balaam was not as expert a diviner as Balak. Balak forsaw that at some time a breach in Israel would originate from there — and as a matter of fact Moses died there, — and therefore he believed that there the curse would certainly fall upon them. “And this (the effects of the curse)” — he thought — “must be the breach which I behold” (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).

אקרה כה — This means, I WILL BE MET YONDER by the Holy One, blessed be He, for אקרה has a passive sense.

התיצב כה על עלתך ואנכי אקרה כה, “stand here by your burnt-offering and I will seek a manifestation (of G’d) thus.” Bileam had reasoned that the Israelites had relied on G’d’s promise to Avraham (after the former had been taught to offer sacrifices in Genesis 15) כה יהיה זרעך, “thus will be your descendants.” They also relied on the merit of receiving the priestly blessing which G’d had introduced by telling the priests כה תברכו את בני ישראל, “thus you shall bless the Children of Israel” (Numbers 6,23). Moses, when requesting permission to traverse the land of Edom had also quoted his own people, Edom’s “brother” as saying: כה אמר אחיך ישראל, “thus said your brother Israel.” Seeing that the formula כה appears to be an appropriate formula for people to gain their objectives, Bileam used the formula כה when “inviting” divine inspiration or grace. He hoped to achieve with his wisdom what Balak would accomplish with his offerings. This is why he used the word כה both when telling Balak to stand by his sacrifices and when referring to his own part in the proceedings.

V. 15. אקרה כה ,התיצב כה .ויאמר וגו׳. Vergl. ויפן כה וכה (Schmot 2, 12), wo auch כה als räumliche Modalität vorkommt. :אִקָרֶה ich will mich, mit Aufgebung aller Selbstbestimmung, dem "Gottesrufe", der göttlichen Fügung überlassen.

ואנכי אקרה כה, “and I will go toward a meeting yonder.” The letter א in אקרה has the vowel chirik.

וישם דבר בפיו AND HE PUT A WORD IN HIS MOUTH —And what was this “putting”? What would Scripture have lacked if it had stated “[And the Lord met Balaam and said,] Return to Balak, and thus shalt thou speak”? But the explanation is: When he heard that he was not permitted to curse, he said, “Why should I return to Balak to cause him annoyance?” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, put a halter and hook in his mouth as a person who pricks an animal with a hook to make it go wherever he wants. He said to him, “Despite yourself shall you return to Balak’ (cf. Sanhedrin 105b; Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).

AND THE ETERNAL HAPPENED TO MEET BALAAM. Now, in honor of Israel, this man ascended to [the level of] prophesying through the Divine attribute of mercy, by the Great Name [i.e., the Tetragrammaton — here translated as “the Eternal”] that had been revealed to Moses,¹⁴³See Vol. II, pp. 34-39. for until now it says about Balaam: and G-d ‘happened to meet’ Balaam,¹⁴⁴Above, Verse 4. and G-d ‘came’ unto Balaam.¹⁴⁵Ibid., 22:9. But now he knew that he would not be able to curse them under any circumstances, seeing that He [wanted] to deal graciously with them through the attribute of mercy. For until now, since he [Balaam] heard [the words of G-d] through the attribute of justice, [the Divine Name of Elokim, symbolizing the attribute of justice, is used in all the previous verses], he thought that he might find some pretext [to curse] them because of some sin that they had committed — so that G-d would consent to the curse falling upon them], as we find in [the verse saying]: Therefore He was to be their enemy, Himself fought against them;¹⁴⁶Isaiah 63:10. or [he hoped] that some evil would befall them from G-d, from which they would not be able to save themselves because of the attribute of justice [but now when G-d spoke to him through the attribute of mercy, he knew that he would not succeed in cursing the people under any circumstances]. This is the meaning of [the verse], And Balaam saw that it pleased the Eternal to bless Israel,¹⁴⁷Further, 24:1. for Yea, the Eternal will give that which is good¹⁴⁸Psalms 85:13. in the blessing. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.

ויקר ה' אל בלעם, ”Hashem happened upon Bileam.” Up until now G’d had manifested Himself to Bileam only in His capacity as the attribute of Justice; something that had kindled hope within the heart of Bileam that perhaps an opportunity would present itself to invoke this very attribute of G’d against the Israelites when he would recite some of their well known sins. Now that Bileam experienced a manifestation of G’d’s attribute of mercy, i.e. Hashem, he knew that there was absolutely no hope to be able to curse this people. This is why the Torah continues in 24,1 that Bileam saw that it was pleasing in the eyes of Hashem to bless the people.

What is this placing and what would Scripture have been lacking. Rashi is asking two questions: Firstly, “What is this placing”? For the verse does not explain to what it refers. Furthermore, “What would Scripture have been lacking”? Meaning that it should have written, “Hashem chanced to appear to Bil’am and He stated, 'Return to Balak…'." For surely the verse would not have been lacking anything if it had not said [the phrase], “And placed the word in his mouth.” Re’m explains: “What is this placing”? for it is impossible to say that the statement “Return to Balak” is what was meant by “and placed the word in his mouth.” For if so, why was it necessary to say “He said”? Instead it should have said, “And placed the word in his mouth: Return to Balak and say as follows.”

He said to him “You will be forced to return to Balak.” You might ask: Why did Rashi not explain this above (v. 5)? For there also it is written “Hashem placed the word in Bil’am’s mouth and He said: Return to Balak and tell him as follows.” The answer is that above one could say that “Hashem placed in his mouth…” was in response to “I have set up the seven altars…” (v. 4). However, here the difficulty is that Bil’am had not said anything.

ושרי מואב עמו AND THE PRINCES OF MOAB WITH HIM — But above (v. 6) it states, “And all the princes of Moab”?! As soon as they saw that there was no hope for them in him, part of them went away, and only part of them remained (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).

This denotes derision. For if not so, he should have inquired, “What do you [have to] say?” It was obvious that he had asked what Hashem had said. (Gur Aryeh) For if this were not so, why did he need to ask, given that he would certainly tell him what Hashem said, as he did at first? Rather, he intended to deride him.

V. 17. ושרי מואב, nicht וכל שרי מואב wie V. 6. Nach dem ersten misslungenen Versuch hatten sich bereits mehrere entfernt.

מה דבר ה׳ WHAT HATH THE LORD SPOKEN? — This was a derisive expression, as much as to say, “You are not your own master” (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).

קום בלק RISE UP, BALAK — When he perceived that he was mocking at him, he set himself to annoy him, saying, “Stand on your feet; you have no right to remain seated, seeing that I am sent to you on a mission by the Omnipresent” (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 13).

קום בלק, "arise Balak, etc." Why did Bileam insist that Balak arise? According to our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 20,20 that Balak made fun of Bileam who had become a toy in G'd's hands, Bileam wanted to annoy him. This is why he said to him: "get up and listen!" This leaves the question why Bileam added the word ושמע, "and listen" with the letter ו at the beginning? He may have wanted to tell Balak that he should begin to listen immediately, as soon as he stood up.

V. 18. וישא משלו וגו׳. Balak hatte ihn aufgefordert, von der צופים-Seite (V. 14) eine Schwäche des Volkes zu erspähen. Dagegen erhebt Bileam sein "Herrschwort" und spricht: קום בלק usw. Stehe auf, Balak! Du hast nach der götternahen Geistigkeit dieses Volkes gefragt, du hast aufzustehen vor dem, was ich dir von ihm zu berichten habe. Balak und Zippor dürften beide eingeweiht gewesen sein in die aramäische צופים-Weisheit. In der Aufforderung: קום בלק ושמע האזינה עדי בנו צפור spricht sich von vornherein der ganze Abstand aus, in welchem die hier zum Ausspruch kommen sollende geistige Stufe Israels die aramäischen Zophim überragt. "Du wirst Respekt haben müssen, Balak, und wirst zu hören bekommen, wovon dein Vater, dessen würdiger Sohn und Schüler du doch bist, keine Ahnung gehabt." האזינה עדי: es lohnt sich der Mühe, mir ganz aufmerksam dein Ohr zuzuneigen. בנו צפור, wohl: Zippor nennt dich gern seinen Sohn.

בנו צפור SON OF ZIPPOR — This (the suffix ו to mark the construct) is often found as a Biblical Hebrew form, as in (Psalms 50:10), “beast of (חיתו) the forest”; (Genesis 1:24) “beast of (חיתו) the earth”; (Psalms 114:8), “to a spring of (מעינו) water”.

Alternatively, the reason was because G'd had told Bileam to return to Balak. Bileam interpreted this to mean that Balak had to personally hear all that G'd would have Bileam say the next time. If Bileam had said to Balak simply: "get up, listen, etc," this would have sounded as if the reason Balak was to get up was to enable him to hear what Bileam would say while he was standing. It would not have implied that Balak had to listen. All he would have to do was to be standing. The formulation chosen by Bileam made certain tha Balak understood that he had been commanded to remain standing and to keep listening.

One could also understand the exclamation "get up" as a compliment, i.e. it was an elevation for Balak to listen to what G'd had to say (through the mouth of Bileam). Bileam also wanted to make sure that Balak's ears would be properly attuned to what G'd had to say. Balak being granted the privilege of listening to the words of the living G'd, raised him above his previous status of divining the future by means of the צפור, the bird. This is why Bileam added: בנו צפור, "the bird is his son." Up to that time, Balak hade been the "son" of the bird, i.e. the bird had been the senior, Balak the junior. These roles would now be reversed with Balak becoming senior to the צפור.

There is yet another way of explaining our verse. We had described two evils Bileam had in mind. 1) He wanted to curse the people of Israel and would have done so had G'd not placed a bar in his mouth preventing him from saying what he wanted to say. 2) Even while he pronounced blessings he endeavoured to phrase them in such a way that they were potential curses. It required the Holy Spirit to translate these "so-called blessings" into the real thing. Bileam was aware that Balak suspected him of blessing the Israelites willingly; he wanted to demonstrate to him that this was not the case. This is why he invited Balak to listen closely so that he could detect in the very blessings Bileam pronounced details which were not beneficial at all. In this manner Bileam hoped to prove to Balak that he was acting under compulsion by a higher force. The letter ו before the word ושמע invited Balak to listen carefully to the double entendre in Bileam's blessings. He added the word האזינה in order for Balak to become aware every time the angel twisted the bar in his mouth to prevent him from cursing Israel outright.

לא איש וגו׳ [GOD IS] NOT A MAN [THAT HE SHOULD LIE] — He has already sworn to them that He will bring them thither and give them as a possession the land of the seven peoples, and you think to slay them in the wilderness?! (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 13)

לא איש א־ל ויכזב, "G'd is not like man who deceives, etc." Bileam described two attributes of man on two levels comparing them with parallel attributes of G'd. 1) Man makes promises to people concerning certain matters; 2) man tries to avoid becoming dependent on others in his dealings. Concerning the former, Bileam says that the essential difference between G'd and man is that G'd keeps His promises whereas man often deceives, disappoints the people who have been promised by him. Concerning the second attribute, Bileam says that whereas man may change his mind concerning matters he had planned which did not involve undertakings to his fellow man, he nonetheless is apt to have remorse, to change his mind before executing his plan. Not so G'd. When G'd decides on a course of action He will not change His mind even if such a change of mind does not involve a third party. The examples that Bileam had in mind were twofold. 1) G'd had said (to the patriarchs) that He would establish the Kingdom of Israel and deal favourably with that nation. 2) He had planned to give His Torah to His people, the people He considers holy. This latter plan was something G'd had not revealed as a promise to anyone beforehand. Bileam said that G'd does not renege on either of these two plans of His, i.e. the promises made to the patriarchs, nor to His plan to give the holy Torah to the Jewish people and to guide them to perform the commandments. If Bileam would be allowed to curse the Jewish people, G'd would have to renege on both of these two plans of His! How could He allow this to happen? [the important part of this approach is the transitive use of the word ויכזב, and the intransitive use of the word ויתנחם. Ed.]

לא איש א-ל, G’d is not like man that He could renege so quickly on a blessing just bestowed, seeing that these people have not committed any sin since receiving this blessing.

לא איש אל ויכזב, “G’d is not a man that He should deceive.” Bileam meant: “with words.” Seeing G’d had told him not to curse the people, the idea that Balak would instruct Bileam to curse the Jewish people from a certain lookout point and that G’d would agree was quite absurd.

The word denotes a question. As if to say, “Would Hashem say and not do [it], or speak and not fulfill it?

V. 19. לא איש וגו׳, Gott hat mir sofort deinem ersten Ansinnen gegenüber von diesem Volke gesagt, כי ברוך הוא, dass es gesegnet sei. Gott spricht nicht in zweideutiger Orakelrede. Wenn Gott von etwas aussagt: es ist gesegnet, dann ist es gesegnet, dann hat es keine Seite, die dem Unsegen zugänglich wäre. Und wenn Gott einmal gesagt hat לא תאור את העם, so ändert er hintennach nicht seinen Sinn und gibt Erlaubnis zum Gegenteil. ויתנחם (siehe Bereschit zu Kap. 6, 6). ההוא אמר וגו׳. Schon indem er gesprochen ברוך הוא, hat er dem Volke Segen zugesagt, und was er zugesagt, sollte Er nicht vollbringen? ודבר ist Fortsetzung der Frage: und wenn Er etwas ausgesprochen, wenn auch darin keine Zusage an einen andern läge, wenn es auch nur ein absoluter Ausspruch wäre, sollte Er es nicht aufrecht halten? Ein solcher Ausspruch ist sein: לא תאור, mit welchem er mein Fluchen verboten oder verneint hat.

לא איש אל ויכזב, “G-d is not man who is apt to deceive;” Bileam tells Balak that G-d will not revoke a blessing once He had bestowed it, seeing that the blessings Bileam had bestowed on the Jewish people in His name had been bestowed on a people free from sin.

ההוא אמר וגו׳ — Read this in the form of a question: HATH HE SAID, [AND SHALL HE NOT DO IT]? — The rendering of ויתנחם in the Targum, ותיבין ומחמלכין, means, “[and not as the doings of mortals who decide to do things] and again reconsider” — to withdraw from them.

ויכזב, how could G’d he renege without cause?

They retract then reconsider whether to change their minds. Meaning that the Targum translates ויתנחם ["He should change His mind"] as תייבין ומתמלכין, which according to Rashi’s explanation means, “Who retract and then reconsider whether to change their minds.” However, according to Targum’s translation this does not denote a question; [rather] it is a statement that people are accustomed to do so, but not Hashem.

Why are the two words ויכזב and ויתנחם both preceded by the conjunctive letter ו? Bileam means that G'd is unlike איש and unlike אדם. It is inconceivable to suspect G'd of acting in a fashion which is despicable even if a mere human being acts in such a fashion. When man deceives or reneges this is considered a serious flaw in his character. How could Balak expect G'd to become guilty of such a character flaw by asking him to curse these people? He would have to descend to the level of human beings to even become capable of acting in such a fashion! The reason Bileam once uses the word איש and once the word אדם, is because when one makes promises to others one is perceived as important, i.e. איש; whereas when one merely plans something which does not involve making undertakings to outsiders, the term אדם is more appropriate.

ובן אדם ויתנחם, “nor is He a human being liable to repent what He had said.” There are three different kinds of “repents.” 1) One does not keep one’s word.” 2) One cannot keep it for reasons beyond one’s control. 3) One fails to keep a promise because the intended recipient had committed a sin against the party who made the promise. Concerning the latter two, Bileam says: “nor a human being who repents.”

ויתנחם, how could He change His mind?

ההוא אמר ולא יעשה, "when He said something, is He not going to do it?" According to the plain meaning of the verse the subject is man. It is, however, possible to understand the verse with the subject being G'd. The meaning would be that in contrast to man, G'd merely has to utter a word and such instructions are turned into deeds all by themselves; man, on the other hand, needs to implement instructions physically in order to accomplish plans he has articulated. When we treat G'd as the subject in our verse the word ההוא refers to the G'd who was mentioned earlier in our verse. Just as G'd created the universe by merely giving verbal directives such as "let there be light," so Bileam refers to G'd's ability to say something which will automatically be done. According to Avot 5,1 the whole universe was created by 10 verbal directives from G'd. ודבר, ולא יקימנו, "and once He has spoken, (given a directive) the resultant action will surely endure." In this part of the verse Bileam differentiates between two different kinds of utterances by G'd each of which is automatically translated into a deed. If the utterance of G'd is אמירה, the action resulting from it may not endure; if it was דבור, however, it will most certainly endure, i.e. יקימנה. Compare Job 26,11 "the pillars of the heavens are trembling, astounded at His blast." [When G'd created the universe in 10 directives the Torah employed the word אמירה, i.e. ויאמר to describe these directives. This is why they were not yet of an enduring nature. Ed.] Chagigah 12 explains that the "blast" mentioned in the verse we quoted from Job means that G'd "blasted" the heavens in order to make them durable. When Bileam uses the term דבר here he refers to G'd making sure that what He brings about by such an utterance will endure on its own.

?ולא יעשה and not do what He had said?

הנה ברך לקחתי BEHOLD, I HAVE RECEIVED COMMANDMENT TO BLESS — You ask me derisively, (v. 17) “What hath the Lord spoken”? I will tell you: I have received an order from Him to bless them.

וברך, Israel is blessed already.

הנה ברו לקחתי, "Behold, I am bidden to bless, etc." According to our explanation of 23,5 that the word דבר there meant "a thing," i.e. that G'd inserted something inside Bileam's mouth which would insulate the Holy Spirit from Bileam's unworthy mouth, he referred to this when he said לקחתי. This "thing" must have been spiritual in the sense that it was abstract. This may be what the Yalkut Shimoni had in mind when the author called it a מלאך, an agent of G'd. The author of the Yalkut however, does not give the same reason that we gave but says that this מלאך was inserted in Bileam's mouth to prevent him from uttering a curse. Basically, what the Yalkut says and what we have said amounts to the same idea. When Bileam referred to this alien presence in his mouth as הנה, "a presence of some kind," he described this presence as the source of the blessings he was forced to utter. The repeat of the word ברך means that not only did G'd put the potential blessing in his mouth but He made him utter it. The whole verse is Bileam's attempt to show Balak that he acts under compulsion. He adds: ולא אשיבנו, "I cannot even retract it."

הנה ברך לקחתי, I have taken it upon myself to bless (them) this day and I am certainly not going to reverse this blessing. וברך, this word is in the past tense, as is the word חרף in Proverbs 17,5. [same vowel pattern of two successive tzeyreh sounds. Ed.]

הנה ברך לקחתי, “here I have received instructions to bless.” This is an introductory comment similar to Genesis 27,39: “here from the fat parts of the earth, etc.” Bileam meant to say that he received the blessings from above, seeing G’d had put the words in his mouth.
וברך לא אשיבנה, “whom He has blessed I will not contradict. it.” Seeing that the power of speech is G’d’s monopoly (as we know from Exodus 3,11).

I have received instructions from Him to bless them. With this Rashi informs us that “to bless” is not a continuation of “or speak and not fulfill it” which comes before (v. 19). Rather, it is associated with the statement “what did Hashem say” (v. 17). Rashi says קבלתי ["I have received"] instead of לקחתי [lit. "I have taken"], for he had not taken [anything] from him in the normal sense. Since the word ברך is a verb root Rashi adds a lamed because a verb root normally takes one of the letters beis, kaf, lamed or mem. In order to indicate from whom he received the [the instructions to] bless Rashi adds the word “from Him” and to indicate whom he should bless, he added the word “them”.

V. 20. לקחתי ,הנה וגו׳ ich habe die Aufgabe, die Fähigkeit erhalten. So heißt ja לקח die Lehre von Seiten des aufnehmenden Schülers. Und siehe, auch jetzt ist mir Segen als Aufgabe geworden, וברך und er hat überhaupt, und mit dem mir erteilten Auftrag im besondern, das Volk bereits gesegnet. Mein Mund bringt nur zum Ausdruck das, was er bereits vollzogen hat. Ich kann daran nichts ändern.

הנה ברך לקחתי, ”behold, I have been bidden to bless, etc.” I have received a blessing from the Lord to be an instrument of blessing Israel.”

וברך ולא אשיבנה, “and when He has blessed, I am unable to reverse this.” The reason is explained in the verse following, i.e. that he had not seen any iniquity amongst the Israelites.

וברך ולא אשיבנה AND HE HAS BLESSED AND I CANNOT REVERSE IT — “He” has blessed them, and “I” cannot reverse this blessing.

And I will not reverse… With this Rashi informs us that the word ברך ["bless"] is a verb, meaning that He had blessed them, not a noun meaning that He [had a blessing and] was ready to bless them. The words ולא אשיבנה ["I cannot reverse it"] are only appropriate when referring to a noun, implying that He had not yet blessed them and I will reverse His intention to bless them. However they are not appropriate for a verb. Thus, since He had already blessed them Rashi has to say “I will not reverse His blessing” as if the Torah had stated “He has blessed them with a blessing, and I cannot reverse it.”

וברך ולא אשיבנה, “and I am unable to reverse the blessing.” He continues justifying the Lord Who instructed him to bless Israel, as this Lord has not found fault with Israel, i.e. לא הביט און ביעקב, and therefore ותרועת מלך בו, “and their King’s acclaim is in their midst.” The expression תרועה, reveals fondness and companionship for the subject to whom it is applied. He Who took this people out of Egypt is powerful indeed, as the prophet Ezekiel has stated also in Ezekiel 17,13: אילי הארץ לקח, “He took away the nobles of the land.”

וברך — This is equivalent to וּבִרֵּךְ. This is the rule of the letter ר, as in (Psalms 74:18): “the enemy blasphemeth”, חֵרֵף like חִרֵּף; and similarly (Psalms 10:3): [ובצע בֵּרֵךְ [נאץ ה׳ (where בֵּרֵךְ is for בִּרֵּךְ), which means, He who praises and blesses the robber (בצע) and says, ‘Do not be afraid, for you will not be punished; peace will be unto you’, he angers (נאץ) God thereby (but see Rashi on this verse where another translation is given). — One cannot say that ברך is a noun, for if it were, it would be voweled in both syllables with Short Patach (our Segol), and its accent would be on the first syllable (בֶּרָךְ) because it is a verb in the Piel conjugation, it is voweled with Short Kametz (our Tzéré) on both syllables, and its accent is on the last syllable.

לא הביט און ביעקב וגו׳ HE HATH NOT BEHELD INIQUITY IN JACOB, etc. — Understand this as the Targum has it (“I have seen that there are no worshippers of idols in the house of Jacob”). Another explanation: According to its plain sense it can receive a beautiful exposition:

HE HATH NOT BEHELD ‘AVEN’ (INIQUITY) IN JACOB. It [the pronoun “he”] refers to “G-d” mentioned [in Verse 19. G-d is not a man, that He should lie, and not to Balaam, who is referred to in Verse 20: Behold, I am bidden to bless], the verse stating that G-d has not beheld iniquity and falsehood in Jacob, nor has He seen in them anything perverse or any provocation that they have committed before Him, and therefore He is with them, and the shout of His Kingdom is among them, for He will cry, yea, He will shout aloud, He will prove Himself mighty against their enemies.¹⁴⁹Isaiah 42:13. This is the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra, and it is correct.
It is also possible to explain that the usage of the word aven here is like [that in the verse], I see the tents of Cushan under ‘aven’ (falsehood).¹⁵⁰Habakkuk 3:7. So also the word amal [in the verse before us: neither hath He seen ‘amal’ in Israel — denotes “deception”]. Similarly, under his tongue is ‘amal v’aven’¹⁵¹Psalms 10:7. — meaning “deception and falsehood,” for a thing which will not happen and will not come to pass because it is false, is called aven v’amal [meaning: “trouble and toil”], because a person will only derive from it toil. Balaam is thus stating: “Behold, I am bidden to bless; and when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back,¹⁵²Verse 20. for no man hath beheld in Jacob nor hath anyone seen in Israel any deceit or falsehood. Their Trust is not false. And their hope of Him is not in vain¹⁵³See Job 41:1. for all their blessings and their confidence will exist forever.” [The usage of the word hibit in the verse before us: lo ‘hibit’ aven b’Ya’akov] is similar in expression to: behold, such is ‘mabateinu’ (our expectation);¹⁵⁴Isaiah 20:6. and they shall be dismayed and ashamed, because of Ethiopia ‘mabatam’ (their expectation)¹⁵⁵Ibid., Verse 5. — [thus making the meaning of the verse here to be: “the trust and expectation of Jacob will not end in trouble and sorrow”]. So also ‘v’lo hibatetem’ (but ye looked not) unto Him that hath done this, neither had ye respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago,¹⁵⁶Ibid., 22:11. [where the word hibatetem is] an expression of trust and hope [thus the verse is saying: “you trusted not in Him, nor did you hope in Him”].
Balaam states the reason for this, saying: because the Eternal his G-d is with him, Who does not lie nor repent, and the shout of a mighty King is among them, Who will never be vanquished. For by bringing them forth out of Egypt He has [shown] His great might, like the lofty horns of the wild-ox¹⁵⁷Verse 22. which are above all animals. And so it is not possible that all their blessings should not be fulfilled, seeing that there is no enchantment or divination in Israel!¹⁵⁸Verse 23.

ותרועת מלך בו, whenever the whole camp begins to journey or to make camp they blow the trumpets to express the joy of having their King with them.

לא הביט און ביעקב, "He has not seen iniquity in Jacob, etc." We must try and understand this by reference to a part of the Zohar called Raaye Mehemenuta volume 3 page 265 where we are told that when man sins, the sin leaves a physical impression on the part of his body with which he committed the sin. Our sages consider such parts of the body as being blemished. The meaning of the word און is the name of the physical blemish which results from the commission of a sin. Proverbs 30,20 describes the adulterous woman as saying לא פעלתי און, "I have not done any wrong." We find the same expression in Psalms 125,5: "The Lord makes them go the way of evil-doers." Bileam says that he could not detect any physical blemishes on the body of the people called Jacob which would bear testimomy to their having committed evil. We have already explained that Bileam described the "average" Israelite as יעקב, whereas he described the spiritual elite as ישראל. He meant that though, intellectually speaking, the Israelites had erred on occasion, the result never was serious enough as to leave a blemish on their bodies. Bileam took his cue from the description of the Jewish people in Song of Songs 4,7: כלך יפה רעיתי ומום אין בך. "You are completely fair My beloved, you are totally free from any blemish." The sins the Israelites had been guilty of from time to time did not leave a permanent blemish, nothing that could not be cleansed by a thorough washing. Shir Hashirim Rabbah on Song of Songs 1,5 "I am black and yet beautiful" echoes this sentiment. ולא ראה עמל בישראל "neither has He seen perverseness in Israel." The word עמל usually means toil. Bileam means that G'd did not even find amongst the elite of Israel the kind of temporary blemish which can be scrubbed away only laboriously.

לא הביט און ביעקב, He does not want to punish them even when they commit sins (in error). His is what is meant in Job 11,11: “when He sees iniquity He does not discern it.”

לא הביט און ביעקב, “He observed no iniquity in Yaakov.” Bileam explains why he had said that he could not countermand any blessing, i.e. why Hashem would not retract blessings bestowed on Israel. They had not given Him any cause to do so. Not a single person among the Israelites had become guilty of dealing deceitfully. The meaning of the word און in our verse is iniquity based on lies, deceit. Lies are referred to as און as well as עמל seeing that as a result of lies man is apt to reap only עמל, fruitless endeavour. Bileam is explaining that seeing he had been commanded to bless the people they would not be burdened with fruitless endeavours, their expectations would not be disappointed, prove deceptive, i.e. כזב. The reason why this is so is that they do not place their trust in powerless idols but in the Lord, the Creator, the supreme power that is able to make good on His promises. He had displayed that power when taking this people out of Egypt where their condition had seemed totally hopeless. The awesome display of G’d’s power at that time was comparable to the lofty horns of the wild ox. Seeing that there is no liar or cheat among them, how could their blessings be revoked?

The wickedness. באוניות ["wickedness"] is derived from the word און ["sin"].

V. 21. לא הביט וגו׳ gibt die Motive an, warum Gott dieses Volk gesegnet hat. אָוֶן ist Missbrauch vonאוֹן , von Kraft und Vermögen (siehe Bereschit 35, 18). Ehe Gott ein Volk segnet, prüft Gott, ob das Volk auch das ihm zu verleihende אוֺן missbrauchen werde. Ehe Gott Jakob אוֹן zugesagt, um es damit zu ישראל zu erheben, hat Gott geprüft, ob er dieses אוֹן zu אָוֶן missbrauchen werde; לא הביט און ביעקב Gott hat in Jakob keinen Missbrauch der ihm zu verleihenden Größe vorausgeschaut, darum hat er kein Unglück in Israel gesehen, d. h. darum sah er keine Notwendigkeit, keine Veranlassung zu עמל, zu Mühseligkeit, zur Herabstimmung des Übermutes durch Mühen, durch schweren und oft vergeblichen Ankampf gegen Hindernisse des Gedeihens, denn das ist עמל (siehe Bereschit 41, 51). Er hat kein Unglück in Israel gesehen (das er durch meinen Mund hätte verkünden lassen sollen).

ותרועת מלך בו, “and their King’s acclaim is in their midst.” A reference to the camp of Israel; Bileam refers to what we have read in Numbers 10,9 about the efficacy of the trumpets.

לא הביט HE DOTH NOT SEE — i. e., the Holy One, blessed be He, doth not see און THE INIQUITY which is IN JACOB: when they transgress His Words He does not deal so strictly with them as to pay regard to their iniquitous doings and their transgression by which they infringe His law (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14).

ותרועת מלך בו, from the word ריע, companion, as in Proverbs 18,24 איש רעים להתרועע, “there are friends to keep one company.”

Alternatively, the word און refers to sins of an intellectual nature, similar to Psalms 66,18: "Had I had an evil thought in my mind, etc." Bileam says that G'd does not consider the Israelites culpable for evil thoughts, only for evil deeds. Evil thoughts do not leave behind them the kind of permanent damage that evil deeds do. To make this distinction clear, Bileam uses the expression הבטה in connection with such intellectual sins as opposed to the expression ראיה. The former is a far more intensive kind of look than the latter. What may appear a serious sin at first glance, i.e. ראה, turns out to be less so on doser examination, הביט. The reason Bileam used the word און in connection with Jacob was to tell us that even the sins "Jacob," i.e. the average Israelites had been guilty of at one time or another, did not leave a permanent mark so that we can call Jacob blemished. As far as the elite, the צדיקים amongst the Israelites are concerned, לא ראה עמל, He did not even see that they had sinned by in intent, certainly not by deed. By referring to עמל, toil or burden, Bileam also wanted to convey that although the righteous Israelites perform a host of commandments they do not consider fulfilment of all these commandments burdensome. Contrast this with Psalms 73,16 where Assaph describes the attempt to understand why the wicked appear to prosper as a burdensome task, עמל. Bileam may imply what Solomon spelled out in Proverbs 8,14 that the righteous consider preoccupation with G'd's Torah as acts of courage and the fruit of insight.

ד׳ ,ד׳ אלקיו עמו: der unsichtbare Eine, den auch wir aus unserer Heimat als den Urquell alles Seins und Werdens und als den Gebieter über Himmel und Erde kennen, der ist אלקיו, ist der besondere Eigner, Lenker und Leiter dieses Volkes in Geschick und Tat, dieser ist als sein Gott mit ihm, steht ihm bei und geleitet es auf seiner Wanderung durch die Zeiten — תרועה .ותרועת מלך בו, der erschütternde Klangton, ist auch die erschütterte, in tiefer bebender Scheu erregte Gemütsstimmung, welcher jener Klangton zum Ausdruck und Wecker dient. So וירא פניו בתרועה (Job 33, 26) ואזבחה באהלו זבחי תרועה (Ps. 27, 6). Es bezeichnet Gott gegenüber die von dem überwältigenden Gedanken seiner Größe erzeugte, sich ihm völlig unterordnende Huldigung des Gemütes. Hier heißt es nun: Gott ist mit ihm, und in ihm ist nichts als Königshuldigung, d. h. es huldigt ihm als König und diese Huldigung erfüllt sein ganzes Innere. Es kann auch Kausalverbindung sein: Gott ist mit ihm, weil seine Königshuldigung in ihm ist.

And He has seen no transgression in Yisroel. It appeared to Balak and Bil'am that Yisroel are able to change the course of nature and, if so, it is futile to take hold of the forces of nature, so to speak, [to fight against them]. In truth, however, they are not able to change the course of nature, as will be explained.

עמל denotes transgression, as in (Psalms 7:15): “He conceiveth transgression (עמל)"; (Psalms 10:14) “For thou beholdest transgression (עמל) and vexation” — and it denotes this because transgression is a vexation (עמל) before the Omnipresent.

Bileam may have something even more far-reaching in mind here. He perceived that because the Jewish people, both the average ones and the elite, perform Torah and the commandments, this "compensates" G'd in a manner of speaking for all the other nations who have not as yet embraced monotheism and acknowledged the kingdom of G'd on earth. Were it not for the מצוה-performance by the Israelites G'd would have destroyed the other nations long ago and would not have displayed so much patience vis-a-vis them. According to this we translate the words לא הביט און, "G'd did not closely scrutinise the sins of the Gentile nations on account of Jacob." Similarly, "He did not even glance at the sins of the Gentile nations superficially, לא רה עמל, on account of Israel, the righteous ones amongst the Jewish people." Our sages have pointed out more than once that as long as the Jewish people observe the Torah G'd lavished His goodness and abundance on the whole of mankind. All the Gentile nations enjoy prosperity and well being thanks to the conduct of Israel. As a result of this, the mere idea of destroying Israel by means of a curse is tantamount to suicide; by whose merit would the Gentile nations continue to exist then? Yet another meaning of Bileam saying: "and He saw no perversity in Israel," may refer to the way G'd receives all the "twittering" of the righteous Israelites who are constantly "bothering" G'd about something or other. G'd does not find this tiresome; it is not burden-some, עמל for Him. Compare Maleachi 2,17: "You have wearied the Lord with your talk."

Adonoy, his God, is with him. This is describing Yaakov: Although he transgresses, Adonoy, his God, is with him. He does not deny the fundamental existence of Hashem, but rather he is unable to overcome his desire at that moment. In describing Yisroel, it says and he has the King’s friendship. In truth, the righteous person does not regularly perform miracles. What Bil'am and Balak had seen was only that the righteous person can have an effect with his prayers in a time of suffering, which is not actually miraculous. Rather, it is the how the Heavenly King conducts Himself — that prayer always helps. ותרועת המלך. This expression is related to the phrase (v. 10:9), and you shall blow teruahs with the trumpets, which also implies prayer.

ה' אלקיו עמו THE LORD HIS GOD IS WITH HIM — Even when they provoke Him to anger and act rebelliously before Him He does not depart from their midst,

ה׳ אלוקיו עמו ותרועת מלך בו "the Lord his G'd with him and the shouting of the king is among him." These two statements are parallel to the two statements with which the verse began. The Lord in His capacity as "King" is with the category of Israelites whom Bileam had described previously as Jacob; The average Israelite who performs the commandments out of a sense of duty and fear, and relates to his G'd as מלך, whereas the righteous who perform the commandments out of feelings of love for G'd relate to Him as י־ה־ו־ה אלוקיו. The reason that Bileam added the suffix יו to the name אלוקים was to indicate that if G'd were to subject these people to afflictions they would not use this as an excuse to turn away from Him. The expression תרועת מלך is meant to describe the awe in which the "Jacob" category of Israelites relates to Him.

ותרועת מלך בו BUT THE תרועה OF A KING IS STILL WITH THEM — תרועה is an expression for love and fellowship, as (II Samuel 15:37) “the רעה of David’ — the friend of David; (Judges 15:6) “And he gave her to his friend (מרעהו)." (The translation is therefore: and the fellowship of their king is still with them). In this sense, too, does Onkelos translate it: and the Shechina of their King is among them.

ותרועת מלך בו, “and their King’s acclaim is in their midst.” This is a reference to the “strong hand” we mentioned earlier. To make sure we understand this Bileam added immediately: ”the G’d who took them out of Egypt.” This is also why Onkelos renders this as “the Presence of their King is among them.” The word תרועה is related to רעיא, the כלה described in Song of Songs [chapter 4,8 where the Targum understands the word as the “Jewish people, the companion of G’d.”]

The entire verse is also a compliment to the Israelites who are the only nation G'd has chosen for His presence to dwell amongst. Not only that, but G'd has given this people a supernatural power enabling them to destroy everything they have a mind to, much like a king. The words תרועת מלך are a reminder that they do not have to invoke G'd's help but are able to do all this by themselves. The Talmud is full of examples where the righteous killed with merely a glance when the situation demanded it.

We could also find an allusion to an earthly king in the words ותרועת מלך בו. The Talmud Berachot 61 describes the Romans torturing Rabbi Akiva by flaying his flesh with iron combs while he tried to end his life with the words ה׳ אחד, signifying the Unity of G'd on his lips. The meaning of the words then would be that even when Jews are being tortured by earthly kings merely for being Jews, such Jews remain loyal to their G'd to their last breath.

אל מוציאם ממצרים GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT FROM EGYPT — You said, (Numbers 22:5) “Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt” — it did not come out of its own account, but God brought it out (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14).

כתועפות ראם לו like the horns of a wild ox for him, seeing that it does not act like a lion, a predator. It only pushes with its horns like a wild ox, i.e. while it wants to expel the nations living in the land of Canaan. It is not bent on killing the inhabitants unless they resist occupation. We find a matching verse in Psalms 80,9 תגרש גויים ותטעה, “You (G’d) expelled nations and planted it. (Israel in their place)” All of this because G’d is not interest in the death of people. This is also the meaning of what our sages said in the Jerusalem Talmud Sheviit 6,1 “Joshua sent three letters to each of the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan; offering them a number of choices: 1) anyone wishing to emigrate can do so and will not be molested. 2) anyone wishing to make peace with us, i.e. to surrender, is welcome to do so. 3) anyone wishing to resist us by fighting us is welcome to do so.” The people of Canaan were obstinate attacking the incoming Israelites so that the latter were forced to kill them. It is clear therefore that the Jewish nation did not behave at all in the manner a lion behaves when he looks for prey. Instead, they acted in the manner of a wild ox when it feels forced to resist opposition.

א־ל מוציאם ממצרים, "G'd who has brought them out of Egypt, etc." Although the Talmud Berachot 38 understands the word מוציא as if it were in the past tense [in connection with the benediction we pronounce before eating bread, Ed.], the fact is that Bileam used the present tense rather than the past tense about G'd orchestrating the Exodus. Why did he do this? Perhaps we can best explain this in light of the statement in Pessachim 116 that every Jew throughout the ages must bring himself to feel that he himself took part in the Exodus of our forefathers from Egypt. In fact, basing themselves on this statement in the Talmud, the Kabbalists are sure that each and every year on the anniversary i.e. the night of the 14th of Nissan to the 15th, people have a chance to get rid of spiritually negative influences, the forces of the קליפה which they absorbed during the year, and emerge with all the sanctity of their souls intact. Bileam therefore alluded to the annual renewal of the spiritual part of the Exodus experience that the Jewish people experience. He even provided a reason for this when he said כתועפות ראם לו, "they are for him like the lofty horns of the wild-ox." This is an allusion to G'd continuously elevating the Jewish people spiritually to ever higher levels. This process will continue until every vestige of spiritual impurity has been purged from the Israelites. כי לא נחש ביעקב ולא קסם בישראל "for there is no enchantment in Jacob nor is there any divination in Israel." Bileam employs a double entendre; on the one hand he uses the word נחש in the sense it is used by sorcerers, on the other he alludes to the original serpent, the original temptress, seducer. Bileam claims that on both counts the Israelites are in the clear. They do not have anything to fear from either as they do not indulge in the practice of any kind of magic. Eventually, Jacob will become totally free of the evil urge, the angel of death, etc. Compare Zachariah 13,2 "I will remove the spirit of impurity from earth." ולא קסם, this refers to an impurity of a lesser degree. Bileam says that the Israelites will not even be afflicted by this and will be on a higher spiritual level than the angels. We know this from our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 20,20 who told us that the words יאמר ליעקב מה פעל א־ל are an allusion to the angels asking and consulting Israel about the works of G'd.

אל מוציאם ממצרים, “the G’d who takes them out of Egypt.” Bileam counters Balak’s statement that the people of Israel had left Egypt under their own power, without Divine assistance (compare 22,5). He explains that G’d performed outstanding miracles overcoming horoscopic forces according to which the Israelites should have remained in Egypt much longer. Seeing he had already referred to תרועת מלך (in the sense of their being the King’s companion) he now describes that their companionship is the result of His taking them out of Egypt.

Like the power [of his] loftiness. Rashi means that the word ראם is in the sense of רום ["loftiness"] not ראם ["ram"] which is an animal, for it is not proper to compare the power of Hashem to an animal. Thus the Torah is saying as follows: Just as when a builder constructs a high and mighty building, you recognize him and know that he is mighty. So too Hashem built His world and founded it upon His might. He brought them out with might, “like the power of His loftiness and elevation” meaning like the might of His world. Thus Rashi means that כתועפות ["like the power"] here and וכסף תועפות ["and silver [shall be] your strength"] both denote strength.

V. 22. אל מוציאם וגו׳. In Mizrajim waren sie noch eine zusammenhanglos niedergehaltene "Vielheit", und in dieser zu jeder Selbsthülfe machtlosen Vielheit hat Gott sie aus Mizrajim geführt und zu einem Volke "geeint". Der Gott, der so ohne ihr Zutun ihre Befreiung bewirkt hat, das ist auch der Gott, der auch ohne ihr Zutun sie weiter zur ganzen Höhe der Macht und Selbständigkeit führt, das verleihet diesem Volke einen so furchtbaren, Re'em gleichen Machtaufschwung. Es hat diese Macht nicht zu suchen, hat dazu nicht aus sich physische und geistige Hebel anzusetzen, sie wird ihm von Gott bereitet entgegengebracht. Gott will sie mächtig und groß und fordert von ihnen nur תרועת מלך: Königshuldigung, die sich in Sichfernhalten von jedem אָוֶן, von Missbrauch des von Gott Gewährten betätigt.

כתועפות ראם לו, “He is for them like the horns of the wild ox.” The word תועפות is equivalent to “double, twice as much.” G–d’s protection for His people has been demonstrated to be at least twice as strong as the strength of the wild ox. The word: וכפלת in Exodus 26,9, is rendered by the Targum as ותעוף. We find that expression also used in Job 11,17: תעופה כבוקר תהיה, “you will shine you will be like morning,” (when the light is especially bright.) Bileam likens G–d to the wild ox in His listening to human beings, just as on other occasions the prophet Hoseah 11,10 likens G–d’s roaring to that of the lion, and the prophet Amos 3,8 also compared Him to a lion, as inspiring fear and dread.

כתועפות, like the lofty horns;” the construction of this word implies that there is more than one of these horns. Our author cites Zecharyah 5,2 as a parallel, מגלה עפה, “a flying scroll.” The horns of the Reem, are twice as strong as ordinary horns. Although there is no known animal nowadays that is called Reem, the Torah uses the mythical animal as an example of this creature possessing strong horns. People in Moses’ time were still familiar with that species.

כתועפת ראם לו means [GOD BROUGHT THEM OUT OF EGYPT] IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STRENGTH BEFITTING HIS SUBLIMITY (רום) and loftiness. Similar is (Job 22:25) “and silver of strength (‎תועפות‎)"‏ — they (the word תועפות here and in the verse quoted) are both expressions signifying strength. — And I say that really it has the same meaning as the verb in (Genesis 1:20) ועוף יעופף which signifies: a bird that raises itself into the heights and lofty spheres — and this is evidence of great strength. Accordingly ותועפות ראם really signifies “a flight in the heights”. — Another explanation of תועפות ראם is: “the strength of Reemim” and our Rabbis said that this refers to “the demons’” (their strength is subject to Him) (cf. Gittin 68b).

This is a great application of power. Meaning that Rashi wishes to give a reason as to why the power is referred to with the term תועפות. He answers that it is from the same derivation as עוף יעופף ["let birds fly"], because the fact that a bird flies is a great application of power. For it is the manner of anything that is made up of the four elements [of matter] that when one throws it in the air, it falls to the ground. Yet a bird flies in the air, which is [apparently] the opposite of its nature, thus it is certain that it has a great strength.

תועפות, von יעף identisch mit עיף und עוף (siehe Bereschit 1, 20 und 7, 14), bezeichnet ein stetiges Hinanstreben zur Höhe. Daher תועפות הרים das Hinanstreben der Berge, im Gegensatze zu מחקרי ארץ, den Tiefen der Erde (Ps. 95, 4).

This refers to the demons and evil spirits. Meaning: Like the power of the demons which fly quickly from one end of the world to the other. According to the first reason there is the difficulty as to why the Torah had written ראם [according to that interpretation meaning ‘loftiness’] therefore Rashi brought the other interpretation because demons and evil spirits are called ראמים. However, according to the other interpretation there is the difficulty that the verse should have written ראמים, therefore he also brought the first reason. (Kitzur Mizrochi) One must explain why Rashi here mentions demons and evil spirits rather than angels. Gur Aryeh discusses this at length. But it is possible to say that it was because Bil’am’s principle acts were through demons and evil spirits, for originally he was a sorcerer. Thus since Balak was also a great sorcerer, as explained further on (Rashi to v. 28), he therefore scared Balak according to his understanding.

כי לא נחש ביעקב FOR THERE IS NO ENCHANTMENT IN JACOB — For they are worthy of blessing since there are no enchanters or diviners amongst them.

FOR THERE IS NO ENCHANTMENT IN JACOB. “They do not need an enchanter or a diviner to tell Jacob and Israel what hath G-d wrought and what are His decrees on high. They practice neither enchantment nor divination [in order to know such matters], because they are told through the word of the prophets the decree of G-d, or the Urim and Thummim¹⁵⁹See Vol. II, pp. 480-484. declare it to them.” This is Rashi’s language.
The correct interpretation appears to me to be that since Balaam [himself] was a diviner, and Balak sent to him saying, for I know that he whom thou blessest through thy means of divination is blessed, and he whom thou cursest through them is cursed,¹⁶⁰Above, 22:6. and he sent him the tools of divination,¹⁶¹Ibid., Verse 7: And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed ‘u’ksamim’ (and the implements of magic) in their hand. therefore Balaam said to Balak: “There is no enchantment in Jacob which can do them evil or good, neither is there any divination in Israel to harm them or to benefit them, for at all times it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel: ‘What hath G-d wrought for them?’” For out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth to them evil and good,¹⁶²Lamentations 3:38. It should be noted that the verse is actually stated in the negative: “proceedeth not.” But it is actually a rhetorical question — (see J.P.S. translation), and Ramban therefore quotes it in paraphrase, in a positive form. meaning to say that the portion of the Eternal is His people,¹⁶³Deuteronomy 32:9. and they are not under the rule of the [celestial] princes and the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof,¹⁶⁴Isaiah 13:10. so that one should be able to harm them by means of divination and enchantment, as [one can harm] other nations. This is similar to that which Moses said: [… all the host of heaven …] which the Eternal thy G-d hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven. But you hath the Eternal taken and brought forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance,¹⁶⁵Deuteronomy 4:19-20. as I have explained in Seder Acharei Moth.¹⁶⁶Leviticus 18:25. See Vol. III, pp. 268-270.

כי לא נחש ביעקב, the reason why G’d took the Jewish people out of Egypt and expels other nations in their wake by providing them with the horns of a wild ox is that they are a generation of people looking for G’d and His proximity instead of relying on all kinds of demonically inspired methods of divining the future. Moses spelled out this stark contrast between the Jewish people and their gentile neighbours in Deuteronomy 18,14 when he said: “for these nations that you are about to dispossess do indeed resort to soothsayers and augurs; to you however, the Lord your G’d has not assigned the like.”

Why does G’d make His residence among them and is fond of them? כי לא נחש ביעקב, there are no sorcerers and other magicians among these people, they do not rely on necromancers, etc., to tell them about future events. Rather,

כי לא נחש ביעקב, “for there is no recourse to divination amongst the descendants of Yaakov.” Nachmanides writes, seeing that Bileam himself resorted to divinations as a tool of his trade, and Balak, who had been well aware of this had even sent him charms with which to ply his trade, charms to employ in his quest to curse Israel, Bileam felt compelled to explain now why such charms would be completely useless if used against Israel. Israel, i.e. Yaakov, have access to G’d all the time, and never have to rely on divinations to get a glimpse of what the future holds in store for them. Their fate is not determined by intermediaries of G’d, such as astrological constellations, but G’d, personally, involves Himself in supervising their fate. They are an integral part of G’d, חלק ה' עמו], compare Deut. Ed.] Concerning Israel there is already a prophecy describing that nation as rousing itself like a lion in its prime, as a result of which it will attain ascendancy among the nations of the world as does a fully grown lion among the beasts. It will not come to rest in its own land until it has first devoured the previous inhabitants, much as a lion does not rest until it has devoured its prey. It will drink the blood of its enemies, (Onkelos‘ allegorical description of Bileams’ parable.) In effect, Bileam’s message to Balak was that the Israelites would eventually conquer the land of Canaan. Balak was aware that they had no designs on his country. Nonetheless, he wanted Bileam to curse them and he hoped that at least Bileam might be able to weaken that people, inflict some kind of defeat on them; this is why he persisted in taking Bileam to yet another vantage point from where he could see part of that nation. By saying (verse 26) קבותו לי משם, “curse it for me from there,” meant that he had given up on the blessings being revoked, but merely hoped that by adding a curse he, Balak, might achieve some partial victory, as had been achieved by the Amalekites and the Canaanites in the south of the land of Canaan who had put their army to flight. (21,3) Alternately, Balak hoped that by means of Bileam’s curse, all the lands of the Moabites that had been conquered by Sichon would be restored to him now.

To be another time such as this. [Rashi knows this] because the [letter] kaf of comparison indicates that he is comparing another time to this time.

V. 23. כי לא נחש וגו׳. Denn der צופים-Weisheit, die du in diesem Volke suchst und nach deren Vorhandensein du Erfolg oder Richterfolg seiner künftigen Machtstellung ermessen zu können wähnst, jener Weisheit, die mit "Ahnungen" aus Dunklem ins Dunkle tappt und mit Menschenmacht überragender "Zauberprätension" die Gänge des Geschickes zu beliebiger Gunst zu bannen vorgibt, — dieser, von der Ratlosigkeit menschlicher Ohnmacht getragenen Künste bedarf Jakob-Israel nicht. Nicht auf "Ahnungen" lauscht Jakob in seiner Not, nicht einer "Zauberkunst" verdankt Israel seine Größe — in diesem Augenblick, wo wir hier zusammen reden und der völligen Ohnmacht unseres Beginnens gegen dieses Gottesvolk vor Gott inne werden, wird diesem Volke bereits offenbart, was hier bei uns Gott gewirkt und ihm mitgeteilt, auf dass es als Jaakob es begreife und als Israel nie vergesse.

כי לא נחש ביעקב, the word נחש here is to be understood as in Genesis 30,27: נחשתי ויברכני, “I have through testing found out that G–d has blessed me economically by your presence.” Bileam explains why it would be totally useless to even try and manipulate G–d [to Whom he refers to by the ineffable name. Bileam is seen by the sages as reincarnate of Lavan, and both, refer to the G–d of Israel by the ineffable name, a name that Pharaoh refused to admit he had ever heard when Moses used it. Ed.] He adds that in case Balak thought that granted that he could not curse the Jews in the name of G–d, why did he not invoke other deities or means of divinations to do so, he makes plain that no such קסם, sorcery, would be effective.

כי לא נחש ביעקב, “for there is none in Yaakov who relies on enchantments.” Compare use of that term in Genesis 30,27, where Lavan credits his financial success during Yaakov’s stay with him to such enchantments. We find it again when Joseph’s servant upon searching for the missing goblet credits his master with using it as such an instrument (Genesis 44,15). Here it is used by Bileam to tell Balak about the futility of engaging in such enchantments when dealing with the Jewish people. No sorcery will succeed in bringing a curse on Israel.

כעת יאמר ליעקב וגו׳ IN DUE TIME IT SHALL BE SAID TO JACOB etc. — Once again will there be a time as this time (כעת) when the love which God bears them will be made manifest in the sight of all, because they sit before Him and learn the Torah at His mouth, and the place assigned to them will be inward of that of the ministering angels and these will enquire of them, מה פעל אל WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT. This is the meaning of what is said, (Isaiah 30:20) “And thine eyes shall see thy Teacher” (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14). — Another explanation is that יאמר ליעקב does not express what is to happen in the future but expresses what takes place in the present: They require no enchanter nor diviner, for at every time (כעת) when it is necessary that there should be told to Jacob and to Israel what the Holy One, blessed be He, hath wrought and what are His decrees on High, they do not do enchantment nor divination, but it is told to them (יאמר ליעקב) by the mouth of their prophets what is the decree of the Omnipresent (מה פעל אל), or the Urim and Thummim declare it to them. — Onkelos, however, did not translate it thus.

כעת, at any time they wish to know what the future holds.

כעת יאמר ליעקב וישראל מה פעל א-ל, seeing that G’d’s benevolent Presence resides among them and they have access to divine sources through their prophets they have no need for such unreliable assists as snake charmers, necromancers, astrologers and the like. כעת יאמר, what will occur tomorrow or in the distant future is revealed to them by means of their prophets. When Monauach and his wife had been foretold that the son that was going to be born to them would be a Saviour for his people who were severely harassed by the Philistines, Monauach’s wife was sure they would not die as a result of such a revelation as there would be no point in G’d taking the trouble to reveal this part of their future to them if He were about to let them die. (Judges 13,22) Not only that, but why would G’d have accepted their offering at that time if they were about to die?
The expression כעת usually refers to the following year. Seeing that the angel had used that expression, Mrs Monauach felt certain that she would not die during the next year, otherwise how could the angel’s prophecy come true? A similar incident occurred in Kings II 4,16 where the promise of a baby being born to a woman during the following year was equivalent to telling her that she would not die before then.

For they will be seated before Him… Given that above it is written (v. 21), “He has the King’s friendship,” which refers to endearment and friendship, [here] he is saying that there is destined to be another time such as this, when they will be seated before him in an endearing manner.

Statt des armseligen נחש und קסם-Behelfes unserer dunkeln צופים-Weisheit, erhält Jakob-Israel ungesucht das helle klare Gotteswort.

כעת יאמר ליעקב, “at a time when it will be said of Yaakov and Israel all that G–d had has wrought;” we find this construction also in Genesis 18,10: כעת חיה ולשרה בן, at this time next year Sarah will have a son.” G–d will continue to perform miracles for Israel until all the nations will have to acknowledge this. This is an alternative of such expressions as מה רבו מעשיך ה', “How great are Your manifestations o Lord,” (Psalms 104,24)

כעת יאמר ליעקב, “now it will be said of Yaakov;” Bileam refers to the year following after the Israelites have crossed the river Jordan. At that time many of the miracles that G-d has performed on behalf of the Jewish nation will be recited in public. The expression is similar to: 'מה רבו מעשיך ה, “how great and manifold are Your works o Lord.” (Psalms 104,24) We know the expression

'יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל ה, they will be told by means of a prophetic message or through some other divine revelation what G’d has decreed. They will not be told what the various constellations of the stars appear to portend. The reason is that their fates are subject to direct supervision by G’d, not to the intermediaries He has appointed for that purpose for the gentile nations.

Rather they are told through their prophets. Meaning that כעת יאמר ["in due time it will be said"] is connected with כי לא נחש ביעקב ["for there no sorcery in Yaakov"]. According to the other interpretation the meaning of the kaf, which indicates a comparison, is as follows: “כעת” ["In due time"] as if to say if times arrive at which they need to speak in matters of sorcery or the occult, then “יאמר” ["He will say"] to them [what to do] through prophecy, and they will not need sorcery or the occult. Accordingly it is also understandable why Rashi brought two reasons.

נחש (siehe Bereschit 44, 5). — קסם (daselbst 11, 6). — כעת wie וכעת לא השמיענו כזאת (Richter 13, 23).

כעת, as referring to the same time in the following year when the angel announces to Avraham that his wife will have son at the same time a year hence. (Genesis18,14)

ליעקב ולישראל, concerning Yaakov and Israel;” but not concerning Avraham and Yitzchok, as only Yaakov/Israel had managed to raise all his children in the Avrahamitic tradition.

הן עם כלביא יקום וגו׳ BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE RISES AS A LIONESS, etc. — When they rise from their sleep in the morning they show themselves strong as a lioness and as a lion to “snatch at” the Divine precepts (to perform them immediately) — to clothe themselves with the Tallith, to read the Shema and to lay Tephillin (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14).

Balaam prophesied also about them [Israel] that he will rise up ‘k’lavi,’ which is the lion’s whelp, and afterwards he will lift himself up like a [fully-grown] lion, and he will not rest in his Land until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the kings of Canaan,¹⁶⁷Verse 24. as Onkelos explained it.
Thus Balaam added now in this second prophecy [to the words of his first prophecy], telling Balak that they [the Israelites] would conquer the Land and kill mighty kings. Now Balak knew that the Israelites would not receive his land as an inheritance,¹⁶⁸As explained by Ramban above, 22:3. and therefore although Balaam told them now that the Israelites would ultimately conquer the kings of Canaan, Balak still wanted [Balaam] to curse them so that [Balak] would be victorious [over them], and that he would be able to overcome them, and possibly he could fight against them and inflict losses on them. Therefore he still said, [Come now], I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please G-d that thou mayest curse me them from thence.¹⁶⁹Verse 27. Balak did not [ask Balaam] to withdraw the blessing [which he had previously given Israel], since he had already informed him, G-d is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent,¹⁷⁰Verse 19. but he thought: “Indeed the Israelites are destined to conquer the land of Canaan, which is their inheritance, and to kill their kings; but it is still possible that I will prevail over them and inflict losses on them, as did the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelt in that hill-country, who smote them even unto Hormah.”¹⁷¹Above, 14:45. Balak intended to do this because of his fear of them, as he mentioned to the elders of Midian,¹⁷²Ibid., 22:3-4. or it may be that his purpose was that he should be able to reconquer all [that land] which the Israelites had captured from the possession of Sihon which originally belonged to Moab, as is stated explicitly in the words of Jephthah.¹⁷³Judges 11:13. I have already mentioned this.¹⁷⁴Above, 21:29; 22:4.

כלביא יקום, in order to go to battle against those who have not attacked them at all.

הן עם כלביא יקום "Behold, it is a nation that arises like a lion etc." The word הן suggests that the speaker concurs with something another person has said. An example would be what we learned in Shabbat 119 that on Friday night when the Jew returns from the synagogue to a house in which the table is set for the Sabbath meal, also the "evil angel" who accompanies him has to answer Amen to the wish expressed by the "good angel" that this Jew should do likewise in the week to follow. [The concept is preserved in the song יום שבת קדש הוא sung on Friday night, i.e. ומלאך רע יענה אמן. Ed.] In our situation Bileam expressed the wish that the Israelites continue their virtuous ways. Bileam mentions two categories of lion in this verse. לביא refers to a lion that arises for the first time. Soldiers who are inexperienced in battle do not usually distinguish themselves for bravery the first time they go to war. Not so the lion. He displays bravery already the first time he faces an adversary. Bileam applies this quality to the Jewish people. The Jewish people proved valiant though they had a history of hundreds of years of slavery behind them. Nonetheless they overcame such mighty kings as Sichon and Og. Bileam continues וכארי יתנשא, saying that unlike other nations who gradually lose their strength, becoming exhausted by the many wars they fight, the Israelites will lift themselves up like a mature lion time and again without showing signs of age.

Until he consumes and destroys… אוכל ["consumes"] is also an expression of destruction.

V. 24. הן עם וגו׳, Jakob-Israel bedarf unserer צופים-Wissenschaft nicht. Es bedarf der נחשים nicht, es ist seiner Zukunft sicher. Es bedarf der קסמים nicht, es wird auf andere Weise zum Herrn seines Geschickes. Es hat nicht als גוי den גוים, nicht als nationale Macht nach außen nationalen Mächten gegenüber seine Stellung zu erkämpfen und sicher zu stellen, הן עם, durch die Erfüllung seiner sozialen Aufgabe im Innern, indem es still seinem Gotte dienend nur sich selber lebt, durch das, was es als עם erfüllt, wird es zugleich leopardenkühn und löwenmächtig nach außen, und mit seinen sozialen Tugenden überwindet es die Welt, — לא ישכב עד יאכל טרף וגו׳ ist eine weitere Ausführung der Löwenmacht, die eben Jakob-Israel auf dem Wege friedlicher, sittlich sozialer Energien erreicht. Subjekt zu ישכב ist ארי.

הן עם כלביא יקום, “they are a people that rises like a lioness;” Bileam tells Balak that far from being humiliated, this nation will rise to greater heights, as do lions.”

ודם חללים ישתה, “and he shall drink the blood of the slain.” This refers to the statement about the lion drinking the blood of the prey he has slain. He eats the flesh and drinks the blood.

לא ישכב HE LIES NOT DOWN at night on his bed until he consumes (עד יאכל) and destroys every noxious thing which comes to prey upon him (טרף). How so? He reads the Shema at his bedside and commends his spirit into the hands of the Omnipresent (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14). If a camp or troop comes to injure them, the Holy One, blessed be He, protects them and fights their battles and causes them (the enemies) to fall slain (חללים).— Another explanation of הן עם כלביא יקום is as the Targum has it (“Behold the people shall dwell as a lioness and as a lion shall he raise himself; he will not dwell in his land until he hath slaughtered and he will inherit the wealth of the peoples”).

עד יאכל טרף, they will consume and destroy those nations who from now on will be like prey in their teeth.

And strikes them dead. Referring to “and drinks the blood of its kill.”

Bileam may also have alluded to the fact that in addition to the strength granted them by G'd, this people enjoyed a reputation that made other people shudder at the mere mention of their name, (compare Joshua 2,24 "all the inhabitants of the country have melted before us"). The words כלביא יקום describe Israel's actual valour; the words וכארי יתנשא describe its image amongst the nations.

ודם חללים ישתה AND HE SHALL DRINK THE BLOOD OF THE SLAIN — He unwittingly foretold the future — that Moses would not die until he will have made the kings of Midean fall slain (חללים) and he (Balaam) will have been slain with them, — as it is said, (Joshua 13:22) “And Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among the rest of their slain (חלליהם)" (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14).

Until he would strike the Midianite kings. According to the first interpretation, none of the verse is understood according to its plain meaning. However, according to other interpretation there is the difficulty that it explains לא ישכב ["he will not like down", i.e., die] as referring to Moshe, while simply speaking it refers to the people. Therefore Rashi also brings the first reason. Though there is no hint from here that Bil’am would be killed with them, nonetheless it is logical that heaven showed him his death as they showed him the deaths of the Midianites.

לא ישכב עד יאכל טרף "it will not lie down until it has consumed its prey." Other nations interrupt warfare at nightfall, giving the losers a respite; not so Israel. Once it is at war it will continue without interruption until successful. Compare Joshua 10,12-13 where Joshua is described as commanding time to stand still in order to complete the pursuit of his enemies. Israel is not ready to lie down until it consumes part of its prey.

ודם חללים ישתה, "and it will drink the blood of the slain (enemies)." It is human nature that the more the casualties in war mount, the more important the value of the survivors. This is so when one thinks of the enemy in terms of life or death. Not so when the Jewish people go to war. Seeing they relate to the blood of the fallen as a drink to slake their thirst with, the number of fallen does not act as a brake on their desire to kill more of their enemies.

Bileam was specific in describing the blood of the fallen as something the Israelites would drink, i.e. absorb into their bodies, thereby confirming what we have already mentioned that the spark of sanctity which was trapped inside the fallen soldier may have been released now and may yearn to attach itself to the sanctity of the Jewish soldier who liberated it. It may thus be absorbed by the Jewish soldier drinking it. [The whole verse is hyperbole, of course, as the consumption of blood is forbidden to Jews on pain of karet, premature death of the sinner, Ed.] I refer the reader to what we have written on Numbers 14,9 "for they are our bread." From this verse our sages in Chulin 35 derive that blood is considered a drink rather than a food in Jewish law.

גם קב לא תקבנו NEITHER (גם) CURSE THEM AT ALL [NOR (גם) BLESS THEM AT ALL] — The first גם adds something to the second גם and the second גם something to the first גם, similar to (1 King 3:26): “Neither mine (גם לי) nor thine (גם לך) shall it be”; and similarly (Deuteronomy 32:25): “also youths (גם בכור) also maidens (גם בתולה)” (i.e. both youths and maidens).

גם קב לא חקבנו, "neither curse them, etc." Both the word גם, "also," and the repetition of the verb קב present a difficulty in this verse. Inasmuch as Bileam had told Balak to get up and listen carefully (23,18), Balak interpreted this as a hint that Bileam actually wanted to curse the Israelites but that G'd had thwarted him, as we explained. In view of what had just occurred he said גם to express his dismay that not only had Bileam not cursed the people but had even blessed them. He referred to two possibilities of cursing when he repeated the word. Alas, Bileam had not only not named Israel as the object of a curse but had not even uttered a curse without specifically naming the victim. We may infer from Balak's words that Bileam had been looking for a way of uttering a curse without at the same time incurring punishment at the hands of G'd. He wanted to utter a curse indiscriminately, naming the victim only in his heart. This is the reason that G'd had to prevent him from even uttering a curse without naming anybody.

The first “also” is added to the second “also.” As if it had said, “Do not bless them and also do not curse them; do not curse them and also do not bless them.” You might ask: What is the reason that Balak said this to him? The answer is that Balak thought Bil’am might assume when he said, “Also do not curse them…” that if he wished he could bless them first and afterwards curse them. Therefore, he said, “Also [do not] curse them…” meaning that the first “also” refers to the second, and the second “also” refers to the first.

גם ברך לא תברכנו, “at least do not bless it!” Bileam was concerned that Bileam’s blessings for the Jewish people were referring to the immediate future. He had no idea that Bileam spoke of what would occur in the distant future.

גם ברך, "also blessing, etc." In view of the fact that Bileam had explained to Balak that the blessings he had uttered were forced upon him, Balak now demurs saying that if he could not curse them at least he was not obligated to bless them. Balak was under the impression that G'd twisted Bileam's mouth so that a blessing came out only because Bileam had tried to utter a curse first. He repeated the verb i.e. לא תברכנו, do not bless them, to protest even a blessing which Bileam did not mean honestly.

ויען בלעם…לאמור Bileam replied…saying, etc. What is the meaning of the word לאמור, in this context? To whom was Balak supposed to relate Bileam's words? Bileam meant that what he had told Balak previously was to make plain to Balak that he, Bileam, had to curse or to bless at G'd's whim, that he was not free to even keep his mouth shut.

וקבתי לי — This is not a command as is וקבנו (v. 13), but it is a future tense: perhaps it will seem right in His eyes that thou shalt curse them for me from there; malderas in O. F.

אולי יישר בעיני האלוקים וקבותו לי משם, perhaps this section of the people will be more deserving of a curse.

לכה נא אקחך, "come on, please, I will take you, etc." The word נא in this context is merely a sort of reluctant acknowledgment of what had already happened. Balak wants to try again from another vantage point. The reason he had not yet given up hope was that he thought that the two locations from which he had shown Bileam the Israelites were opposite the righteous Israelites, the ones who had never provoked G'd's anger. He tried to find a location from where Bileam could see the whole people. He was convinced that amongst such a large number of Israelites there had to be some sinners whose presence would provide Bileam with an opening for applying his curses. Balak says "perhaps G'd will agree, etc." When he added: "and curse them for me," instead of saying "and curse them," he meant that G'd did not have to approve a curse against Israel as long as He did not prevent Bileam from speaking his mind.

This is not a command. Because how could he command him to curse them immediately, for perhaps it would not be proper in the eyes of Hashem. Therefore he said וקבותו לי ["and you will curse them for me"] in the future tense, as if to say that once it is proper in the eyes of Hashem, then you should curse them.

ראש הפעור THE TOP OF PEOR — Balak was a great soothsayer and he foresaw that they would once be punished on account of Peor, but he knew not by what. He said: Perhaps the curse will fall upon them from there (be effective against them if pronounced there). So, too, all astrologers: they see something that will once happen but they know not exactly what they see (cf. Sotah 12b).

It is similar with all the star gazers… (Nachalas Yaakov) Rashi here virtually repeats his comment above concerning the peak of the mountain (v. 14). However he adds that “it is similar with all [star] gazers…” Apparently it was understandable above that he saw there would be a breach at the peak of the mountain, since there indeed was one. For it states at the end of Parshas VeZos Habracha (Devarim 34:1), “Moshe went up… to the peak of the mountain… and Moshe died there…” However, there was no breach at the peak of Pe’or, so why did Balak take him there? And Rashi answers that nonetheless there was a breach through Pe’or. Rashi thus poses the difficulty that if so, Balak was not a sorcerer, for surely he erred. He answers, “It is similar with all [star] gazers…”

V. 28. Von במות הבעל und שדה צופים, vom Standpunkt des physisch Materiellen und vom Standpunkt des göttlich Geistigen war Israel Balak unangreifbar erschienen. Es kann aber eine Nation mit allen physischen und geistigen Gaben reich gesegnet sein und doch unrettbar ihrem Untergange zueilen; es kann sie das Geschick mit allen Gütern, die der Himmel zu verleihen hat, mit allen physischen und geistigen Reichtümern überschütten, und es nährt die Nation selbst einen Wurmfraß im Innern, der all den Segen in Unsegen verkehrt und sie zuletzt wie unwürdig so auch unfähig macht, Segen zu empfangen und zu erhalten und dieser Wurmfraß heißt: Sittenlosigkeit, heißt schamlose Hingebung an ausschweifende Sinnlichkeit.

Nachdem Balak daher von במות הבעל und שדה צופים vergebens nach einer schwachen Seite des ihm verhassten Volkes hatte ausblicken lassen, sprach er: לכה נא וגו׳ (vergl. V. 13 לך נא וגו׳) ich möchte doch noch einen Versuch machen, komme doch und lasse dich noch nach einem anderen Standpunkte hinführen, es kann doch noch immer sein, dass von dort aus es vielleicht Gott selbst gestatten dürfte, Verwünschung über es aussprechen zu lassen, — und er führte ihn zu der auf die Öde hinausschauenden Spitze "vergötterter Schamlosigkeit" das ist ja "Peor", ein Kult, der die tierischste Seite der menschlichen Leiblichkeit den Göttern zuwendet und zum Menschen spricht: was träumst du von Keuschheit und höherem sittlichen Beruf, dein eigner Leib sagt dir, du seiest nicht besser und seiest zu nichts Höherem berufen, als das Vieh — — und hast dich dessen vor den Göttern nicht zu schämen! und sprach damit die Frage aus: Wie steht das Volk zur Keuschheit und zur geschlechtlichen Sittenheiligkeit, in welcher zuletzt die nationale Kraft und Blüte aller Nationen wurzelt.

Nicht mit Unrecht spricht das Wort der Weisen in:מ׳׳ר בלק היה בעל קסמים ובעל נחש יותר מבלעם שהיה נמשך אחריו בסומא. למה הדבר דומה לאחד שיש בידו סכין ואינו מכיר את הפרקים וחבירו מכיר את הפרקים ואין בידו סכין כך היו שניהם דומין וכו׳. Balak war noch mehr als Bileam eingeweiht in die Zauber- und Ahnungskünste; dieser ließ sich von ihm wie ein Blinder zur rechten Stelle führen. Sie gleichen zweien, die eine Operation ausführen wollen, von denen der eine das Messer hat, aber der zu treffenden Gelenkstelle nicht kundig ist, der andere, der Kundige, aber das Messer nicht hat. So ließ sich Bileam von Balak die Stelle zeigen, wohin er die Schneide seines Wortes zu richten hatte.

ויאמר בלעם אל בלק בנה לי בזה, “Bileam said to Balak: ‘build for me in this spot, etc.’” On the previous occasion the Torah reports Balak personally as building the altar (verse 14). Perhaps the reason was that at that time Balak still entertained some hope that Bileam would get around to cursing the people. Now, after Bileam had blessed the Israelites twice, he considered the situation as beyond repair and he was in no hurry to build more altars but took his time before following Bileam’s instructions.