Commento su Numeri 22:40

בקר וצאן THE HERD AND FLOCK — a small matter (one ox and one sheep, nothing in comparison with what he had promised him) (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 11).

וישלח לבלעם, as a gift offering in addition to his regular meal, in order to satisfy Bileam’s quest for honour.

ויזבח בלק, Balak slaughtered, etc. The Torah reveals another aspect of the low esteem Balak held Bileam in that he did not even serve him a meal before proceeding with the task for which he had been commissioned. It is possible that the Torah writes ולשרים אשר אתו, to indicate that Balak did not even send enough meat for Bileam's lads, only for the ministers of his entourage. All of this shows how little respect Balak displayed vis-a-vis Bileam. The reason for this apparent display of being a miser may have been either that Balak was afraid that Bileam would take everything for himself without sharing with the ministers as Bileam enjoyed a reputation of being avaricious. This is why Balak gave specific instructions that what he sent over was not to be Bileam's alone but was also intended for the ministers who accompanied him. This may be the reason why our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 20,16 claim that when Bileam saw how little meat Balak had allocated to him he threatened to send a curse against Balak's possessions on the morrow. As a reaction to this display of being cheap on the part of Balak, Bileam demanded on the morrow that Balak build an altar on which he would have to slaughter seven bulls and seven rams (23,1).

A small amount — only one of the cattle and one of the sheep. [Rashi derives this] because it is written, “For I will honor you greatly” (v. 17). [This leads one to ask] why it was necessary to write “cattle and sheep”? He would certainly have honored him as promised. Furthermore, it is the general custom to send food and drink to dignitaries who come to visit, and all the more so for Bil’am and the dignitaries who were with him who came at his behest. Rather, it is written “cattle and sheep” to teach you that he did not honor him as he had promised, but rather [only] with a small amount, and he only sent him one of the cattle and one of the sheep. This teaches the wickedness of Balak, that he said much but did little.

V. 40. ויזבח וגו׳ וישלח וגו׳, nicht ויעש משתה, er lud sie nicht zur Tafel, auch schon die פיעל-Form וישלח drückt nicht gerade eine ehrenvolle Sendung aus; Balak scheint nicht gerade sehr erbaut gewesen zu sein von Bileams Äußerung.