Tafsiran yang Mengutip untuk Bilangan 23:7

on shushan eduth, a michtam of David, to teach (Addendum: Michtam is an expression of (Song 5: 11), “as finest gold (כתם פז),” a coveted thing. Our Sages, however, expounded this as referring to David, who behaved as a humble (מך) and innocent man, even when he occupied the throne. Another Aggadah explains that his wound (מכתו) was perfect (תמה), i.e., he was born circumcised (Sotah 10b). Michtam of David concerning the testimony of the Sanhedrin, who were compared to a rose (שושן), as it is stated (Song 7:3): “Your navel is like a round basin, etc., fenced in with roses,” when he required that they teach him what to do. When he fought with Aram Naharaim and sent Joab against them, they said to Joab, “Aren’t you of the sons of Jacob? Where is the oath that he swore to Laban, ‘this pile is a witness’” (Gen. 31:52)? And he did not know what to answer. He came to David and said to David, “This is what the Arameans said to me.” They went and asked the Sanhedrin, [who] replied to them, “Did they not transgress the oath first, as it is stated (Num. 23:7): ‘From Aram has Balak king of Moab brought me’? Moreover, Cushan-Rishathaim was an Aramean.”

and that man was Although that is a future expression, that is the style of the Hebrew language, and the proper expression for it is “Now that man was greater than all the children of the land of the East”; the children of the land of the East, for Aram is in the east of the world, as it is stated (Num. 23:7): “From Aram has Balak, king of Moab, brought me, from the mountains of the East.” Another explanation: Uz is Job. Buz is Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite. This is what Job said (31:34): “and the most contemptible of families shatters me.” This one (the Buzite) who shatters my words is of my family. This is what people say: “From the very forest, the ax handle is formed.” Another explanation: in the land of Uz In the land whence they take evil counsels against the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is stated (Gen. 10:11): “Out of that land Asshur went forth.” Now what counsel did they take? “He has no right to take the upper worlds and to give us the lower world.” Instead, come to the land of Shinar, where there are many gods, concerning which it is stated: “for it is a land of graven images” (Jer. 50:38): “And let us make a tower whose top shall reach to the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves” (Gen. 11:4). The word “name” stated here refers only to idolatry, as it is stated (Exod. 23:13): “You shall not make mention of the name of other gods.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He sat in judgment over them and stood up witnesses against them, as it is stated (Gen. 11:5): “And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower.” Now does the Omnipresent have to come down to see? Is it not written: “The eyes of the Lord are roving to and fro throughout the entire earth”? Rather, it is to teach a ruling to future generations, that judges may not pass judgment except with eyewitnesses, as it is stated (Lev.5:1): “Having seen or known.”

It appears to have been an established custom that when an individual addressed a community that the individual first rose in order to do so. When he concluded whatever he had to say, he would resume his seat. When Avraham referred to himself as a resident stranger (verse four), he did so while standing up. In verse five he apparently already resumed his seat. Had he not done so, why would verse 7 again mention that Avraham rose, etc.? Whenever Avraham wanted to say something in front of the people assembled at “the gate of the city,” he rose from his seat first.

He who blesses his friend Someone blesses his friend daily, and the blessing is converted into a curse, for people say about him that he is generous with his money and wealthy, and everyone comes and borrows from him, and the government provokes him to collect his money. In this manner, it is interpreted in tractate Arachin (16a). Besides this, it appears in the midrash of Rabbi Tanhuma (Balak 15) as regards Balaam, who blessed Israel with a loud voice, as it is stated (Num. 23:7): “And he took up his discourse, etc.,” an expression of raising the voice, and he later counseled to cause them to sin.