Musar untuk Bilangan 24:20

The mystical dimension of all this is described in Deut. 33,2: וזרח משעיר למו … כל קדושיו בידך והם תכו ברגלך. When food descends in a beneficial manner and is sacred in nature it is described as: "G–d You open Your hand" (Psalms 145,16). Nowadays we are under the dominion of Edom; Jews residing in countries belonging to the Moslems are also considered as in the exile of Edom, as explained by Nachmanides on Numbers 24,20. Nachmanides questions whence the Edomites have acquired sufficient sanctity to enable them to lord it over Israel. He explains that this stems from the time described in Deut. 33,2, when "G–d shone forth from Se'ir," (the land of Edom). Esau, or rather the שר של עשו, its celestial representative, at that time hosted the שכינה for a very brief time. The Zohar explains this at length in connection with the above verse. The sanctity of Israel is personified by the ten fingers of its hands [symbolizing the ten emanations. Ed.] as anyone who has studied some Kabbalistic texts is aware of. When Deut. 33,3 speaks about אף חובב עמים … הם תכו לרגלך, this is an allusion to the pig stretching out its cleft hooves as explained. Although it is true that only a minute amount of sanctity can be found in ordinary foods (non-sacrifices) of the emanation מלכות, (our physical world), yet G–d recognizes the great distinction in this regard between the Jewish people and the Gentile nations.

The proof that Esau comprises all the קליפות is evident from the fact that our present exile is called the exile of אדום, one of Esau's names. This is in spite of there being in existence other great kingdoms such as the kingdom of the Arabs [Ottomans at the time of the author], the descendants of Ishmael and still others. All of these kingdoms are subsumed under the heading "EDOM." Nachmanides comments on these matters at length in his commentary on Parshat Balak. This explains the need for the Midrash saying that אברם נקרא אברהם.

It is well known that Amaleik, who is the “first of nations” (Bamidbar 24:20), is a descendant of the wicked Eisav. He has a share in the concept of an “other god,” because the value of Amaleik [עמלק] is 240, which is equal to the words אל אחר — “other god.” The corresponding principle on the side of holiness is רוח יהו"ה — “the spirit of Hashem” (Shoftim 11:29), which also has a value of 240. Corresponding to the husks of the ox and donkey on the side of holiness are the two Moshiachs. Moshiach son of David overcomes the husk of the donkey, as it is stated, “A humble man riding on a donkey” (Zecharyah 9:9), while Moshiach son of Yosef is called an “ox,” as in the verse, “He has the majesty of a firstborn ox” (Devarim 33:17). It is related in the Zohar (3:124b; Zohar Chadash Ruth, 101b) that from the joining of the two husks of the ox and donkey came another husk known as the “viper” [tzefa], as in the verse, “From the root of the serpent comes a viper” (Yeshayahu 14:29). The value of צפע equals that of “Amaleik” — 240. Therefore the ink with which a Torah scroll is written must contain mei afatz — “gallnut water” (Gittin 19a), because the word עפץ is the reverse of צפע. Thus, by writing the Torah scroll with gallnut water, we subjugate the husk of the viper.