Commento su Numeri 24:17

אראנו I SEE HIM — I see the preeminence of Jacob and his greatness, but it is not now (ולא עתה), but will be after some time.

THERE SHALL STEP FORTH A STAR OUT OF JACOB. Because the Messiah will gather together the dispersed of Israel from all the corners of the earth, Balaam compares him [metaphorically] to a star that passes through the firmament from the ends of heaven, just as it is said about [the Messiah]: and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man etc.²⁴⁶Daniel 7:13. Balaam thus said that he saw that at a distant time a star would pass from the ends of heaven, and there would rise out of it the sceptre of a ruler, and he shall smite through the corners of Moab, and break down all the sons of Seth, the son of Adam,²⁴⁷Genesis 5:3. who was the father of all the nations.²⁴⁸See Ramban ibid., Vol. I, p. 98. He mentioned the corners of Moab in order to inform Balak that his people would not fall into the hand of Israel now, but in the end of days²³⁹Verse 14. Moab will not be saved from the hand of the ruling king [in Israel]. And the meaning of ‘the corners’ of Moab is that this ruler [in Israel] will break down all the sons of Seth, and they [Moab] will not be saved, even though they are cut off on ‘the corner,’²⁴⁹Jeremiah 9:25. This is an epithet for certain Arabian tribes, who had the corners of their hair clipped. Ramban here uses this term metaphorically, in its literal sense of “cut off in the corner”, to refer to a people who live in the remotest corners of the world. and have no name among the nations, and will not fight against Israel.

אראנו, I can clearly see it but it is not due now.

אראנו, I can see it now but it will not happen until some time in the future. ולא עתה; none of these prophecies are meant to become reality in the immediate future.

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “A star has come forth from Yaakov;” The reason why the Messiah is compared to a star is that he will gather in the Israelites who at that time are dispersed all over the globe, and a star shines in the sky and is visible all over the world. He envisions a man who will come forth from the edges of the horizon and wield a staff of authority.

אראנו ולא עתה, "I can see it, but it will not occur now, etc." Bileam again repeats the same message using different words each time. He also repeats the message about the Messiah but describes him differently each time, i.e. "star" and "sceptre." Bileam also varies the expressions with which he describes the exploits of this Messiah, i.e. מחץ, "smites," and קרקר, "destroys." The entire prophecy concerns the Messiah and is best understood in light of Sanhedrin 98 where the Talmud discusses the meaning of the apparently contradictory prophecy בעתה אחישנה, "at its appointed time I will hasten it" (Isaiah 60,22). The Talmud explains that the timing of the arrival of the Messiah depends on the conduct of the Jewish people. If they merit it, G'd will accelerate His timetable; if not, the Messiah will arrive at the time appointed for this event originally, a time far into the future. The fact that we are already into the sixth millenium shows you that up until now G'd did not accelerate His timetable. Bileam speaks of two possible messianic scenarios. When Bileam speaks of אראנו, "I can see it," he refers to the scenario of אחישנה, "I will hasten it." While it does not occur now, it may occur relatively soon. After all, our sages said in Devarim Rabbah 2,23 that if the Israelites were to become truly penitent they will be redeemed immediately even if they had spent only a single day in exile. They base this on the verse: "G'd will answer you on the DAY you are in trouble" (Psalms 20,2). Concerning the possibility that the redemption will only occur at the predetermined time, Bileam said אשורנו ולא קרוב, "I behold it though it is not soon." He commences the substance of his prophecy with the words דרך כוכב, "a star will step forth."

V. 17. אראנו וגו׳: ich sehe es so klar, als ob es gegenwärtig wäre, obgleich es nicht jetzt vorgeht, vielmehr schaue ich in ferne Zeiten, von deren Ereignissen noch nichts nahe ist. Damit beschwichtigt er Balaks Befürchtung, als ob Israels wachsende Größe ihn und seinem Volke in nächster Gegenwart gefährlich werden könnte. Es schließt sich dies unmittelbar seiner letzten Äußerung Vers 14 an: אשר יעשה העם הזה לעמך באחרית הימים.

אראנו ולא עתה, אשורנו ולא קרוב, “what I see for them will not be yet, what I behold will not occur soon.” This is in contrast to prophecies by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,35: כי קרוב יום אידם וחש עתידות למו, “for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.” The subject can be better understood by a parable. A king took a stroll accompanied by both one of his friends and by someone whom he knew to be hostile to him. When the king mentioned that he had become thirsty, the hostile man said that they were a long distance from the nearest source of water, in order to make the king feel even more uncomfortable. His friend, on the other hand, encouraged him to ride on, assuring him that there was a source of water nearby. (He wanted to encourage the king even though he was not certain that what he said was true) Bileam, the enemy of the Israelites portrayed the salvation of that people as being a long way off, whereas Moses, the people’s friend, encouraged the people to observe the law of the Torah as a result of which their salvation would prove to be quite near (chronologically).

אראנו ולא עתה, “I see him but not now;” this is a reference to King David, who would not rule over Israel for another 400 years. (Ibn Ezra)

דרך כוכב A STAR COMETH OUT [OF JACOB] — Understand this as the Targum does (“a king will arise from Jacob”). The word דרך has the same meaning as in (Lamentations 2:4): “He has bent (דרך lit., trodden) his bow; this expression is used because the star shoots across [the heavens] as an arrow does when the bow is trodden. In O. F. destent. It is as much as to say, “Prosperity (a good fortune) will rise”.

דרך כוכב, both physical and enduring. We find the word כוכב used in this sense in Daniel 12,3 as ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבם לעולם, “and those who lead many to righteousness will be like the stars forever and ever.”

כל בני שת, according to the plain meaning a reference to the Messiah, i.e. the words דרך כוכב מיעקב. (compare Ibn Ezra and Nachmanides in order to understand this. Ed.]

ומחץ פאתי מואב וקרקר כל בני שת, “he shall smash the nobles of Moav and the foundations of all of mankind.” The Messiah will not just be a King of the Jews but will be accepted as head of all the nations. The reason that Bileam singles out the nobles of Moav in that context, is to set Balak’s mind at rest that the ultimate destiny of the Moabites is not to fall victim to an Israelite King in his guise as an Israelite, but in his capacity as mankind’s saviour. The Moabites will not escape this man’s grasp although they are insignificant among the nations, and had not fought against the Israelites in the war preceding the coming of the Messiah..

The fact that Bileam repeats both the description of the substance of the prophecy and the message itself in different words can also be understood by Sanhedrin 98. The sages draw a picture of the process of redemption due to Israel's merits as being quite different from what it would be like if it had to occur only in order to honour G'd's timetable. In the former event the whole process would be orchestrated by Heaven, one miracle would follow another. The Zohar volume 1 page 119 as well as volume 3 page 212 describes these miracles in detail. If the redemption occurs only as a result of G'd's timetable decreeing that it cannot be delayed any further, it will be quite different, such as the prophet Zachariah 9,9 describes in a vision of the redeemer as being a poor man, riding on the lowly donkey. When Bileam spoke of the arrival of the Messiah as a result of Israel's merits, he described his arrival as similar to that of a star, i.e. a celestial figure making a prominent appearance in the sky. When Bileam spoke of "there arises a sceptre in Jacob," he referred to the other alternative, i.e. the Messiah arriving at the end of time. The redemption will then appear as almost a natural event, devoid of the kind of miracles G'd performed when the Israelites came out of Egypt. Daniel had a similar vision (Daniel 4,14) "and the lowliest of men He will raise up over it." A poor man riding on a donkey will be elevated to become the Messiah.

דרך כוכב וגו׳. Sterne gehen in angewiesenen Bahnen, הככבים ממסלתם (Richter 5, 20) ומצדיקי .Sterne sind Wegweiser aus der Höhe für die Menschen auf Erden. ומצדיקי הרבים כככבים (Daniel 12, 3). Ein solcher der Menschheit ihren Weg weisender Stern wird aus dem bis dahin seiner Schwäche willen gering geachteten Jakob seine gottgewiesene Bahn antreten, וקם שבט מישראל und dieser "Stern" wird zugleich ein "Zepter", er wird mit dem gebietenden Einfluss bekleidet sein. Aus Israel, dem die "Gottesherrschaft bekundenden und verbreitenden" Volke, wird es zugleich als Zepter hervorgehen. Eben indem aus שבט ,יעקב hervorgeht, wird es ja ישראל. Bileam steht aber im Geiste in der Gegenwart des Vollzugs dieses Ereignisses, daher: דרך, nicht: ידרוך. —

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “there shall step forth a star from Yaakov, etc.” The verb דרך here is used as similar to the prophetess Devorah using it in Judges 5,21: תדרכי נפשי עוז, “march on my soul with courage!” [In both instances it is used poetically as walking in a reinforced manner, with determination and purpose. Ed.] (Compare Isaiah 56,1,כי קרובה ישועתי לבא וצדקתי להגלות, “for soon My salvation shall come and My deliverance will be revealed.”)

אשורנו ולא קרוב, “I behold him but not in the near future;” this is part of a poetic formula, the poet repeating himself with different words meaning the same.

וקם שבט AND A שבט RISES [OUT OF ISRAEL] — a king, who chastises with the rod (שבט) and has sovereign power.

ומחץ פאתי מואב, even though all the nations will be wiped out by G’d the nations Edom and Moav will be decisively defeated by the Jewish people themselves as an act of vengeance for their longstanding enmity to the Jewish people.

Although, at first glance we would have expected Bileam to associate the early redemption with Israel and the delayed redemption with Jacob instead of vice versa, Bileam is true to form in his vision. If even the average Israelite, i.e. "Jacob" is deserving then the redemption will occur ahead of the original timetable set for it. If, however, G'd has to fall back on the elite, i.e. "Israel" in order to bring the redemption, it will only occur at the pre-arranged time.

ומחץ פאתי וגו׳ וקדקר וגו׳. Die Bedeutung von פאתי ist zweifelhaft. Der Form nach kann es nicht stat. constr. plur. von פאה sein. Man müsste sich denn einen dual. פאתים denken, von welchemפאתי der stat. constr. wäre. Allein die Bedeutung dieser Dualform bliebe unklar. Wir haben geglaubt, es als gleichbedeutend mit פות, wie ראם von רום, das ja auch in וראמה (Secharja 14, 5) und in ראמות (Job 28, 18) das quieszierende ו in א übergehen lässt, somit wie הפותות לדלתות (Kön. I. 7, 50) Türangel, als Repräsentant für Türe, verstehen zu dürfen. Es stände dieses dann in einem Begriffskreise mit dem folgenden קרקר .וקרקר וגו׳ erscheint nämlich als Verdoppelungspi'elform von קיר, Mauer, und heißt: entmauern. So מקרקר קיר (Jes.22, 2). בני שת sind die Nachkommen Sets. Es umfasst diese Bezeichnung die ganze nachflutliche Welt, als Nachkommen Noas, des letzten setischen Sprösslings. Der Sinn wäre: dieser von Jakob-Israel ausgehende, Zepter führende Stern wird Moabs Tore schlagen und alle Völker entmauern, d. h. vor der Macht seiner den Völkern den einzigen Weg zum Heile weisenden Lehre wird Moab keine Angeln mehr haben für Abschließungstore: es wird sein Isolierungshochmut aufhören und werden alle Menschen "mauerlos" werden: materieller Machtaufbau wird keinen Schutz mehr gewähren und wird nicht mehr als das Schützende verehrt werden.

וקם שבט מישראל, “and a scepter shall arise out of Israel;” our author understands the word שבט here as meaning a rod used to discipline someone. This rod will be applied to Moav in the distant future. The word פאתי in our verse, commonly translated as “corners of,” is understood by our author as meaning the same or almost the same as in Psalms 118,22: היתה לראש פנה, “had become the chief cornerstone.” This prophecy was fulfilled in the time of David (Samuel II 8,2) ויך את מואב וימדדם בחבל וגו', “He smote Moav and made them lie down on the ground, and measured them with a cord.”

And a scepter (shevet) shall rise out of Israel: This is also an expression [that means] star, such that it goes and is dragged in its path towards the place of the constellation. And similar to it is (Berakhot 58b), " a shooting (shavit) star"...

דרך כוכב מיעקב, “a star shall step forth emanating from Yaakov;” the word is used describing walking, just as Deuteronomy 1,36: אשר דרך בה, “who walked on it.” Bileam describes the Israelites as having reached a level that includes walking among the stars, whom they enlisted in their support.

ומחץ פאתי מואב AND PIERCETH THE CORNERS OF MOAB — This is a reference to David of whom it is stated, (II Samuel 8:2) “[And he smote Moab] … making them to lie down on the ground and he measured two lines to put to death etc.”.

Moreover, when Bileam describes the Messiah as a star emerging from Jacob, he refers to the Messiah who is the descendant of David, whereas when he speaks of the Messiah in terms of his being a sceptre rising out of Israel, this is a reference to the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim. Here again, Bileam suggests that there would not be a need for the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim [a concept of an interim Messiah who will actually be killed. Ed.] if the Israelites would merit redemption on the basis of their moral achievements rather than G'd's timetable. We are told in Sukkah 52 that the Messiah from the tribe of Ephrayim (if he has to come) would be killed by Romilus. Bileam here informed us that if the redemption will occur as a result of Israel's merits, then וקם שבט מישראל, then even the man destined to become the redeemer from the tribe of Ephrayim, וקם, "will remain alive, and will not be killed by Romilus." The sages who have formulated our prayers (compare Shaar Ha-amidah) have included the prayer לישועתך קוינו השם "we trust in YOUR salvation o G'd," as a means of asking G'd's mercy so that the redeemer from the tribe of Ephrayim should not be killed in battle.

וקרקר כל בני שת, “and break down all the sons of Sheth.” According to Rashi, the reference to Sheth, the third son of Adam of whom all mankind is descended after the deluge, the word is a metaphor for the gentile nations. It does not include the people of Israel here, seeing that at the beginning of the verse Bileam had made the Jewish people the subject in his prophecy.

וקם, “and there will arise, etc.;” both scepter and royalty,

וקרקר AND UNDERMINETH — This is an expression denoting “digging”, as in (2 Kings 19:24): “I have dug (קרתי)”; (Isaiah 51:1): “The hole of the pit from which you were dug out (נקרתם); (Proverbs 30:17) “The ravens of the valley shall dig it out (יקרהו)". In O. F. forer.

We can understand what Bileam meant when he described the Messiah as "smiting the corners of Moav" by reference to Bereshit Rabbah 44,23 where we are told that the extra three nations whose lands the Israelites would inherit in addition to that of the seven Canaanite nations, are Ammon, Moav and Edom. This is so although in the parlance of the covenant between the pieces in Genesis 15,18 G'd referred to them as Keyni, Kenizi and Kadmoni respectively. Bileam describes the Messiah as not only smiting Moav but as not even leaving a vestige, a corner of it. This is why he chose the word פאה to describe what would happen to Moav.

The Children of Seth (Shet): [This is] like the sons of Adam (all people), since [Seth] was the main [son of Adam], as Noah was from his descendants (such that everyone who lived afterwards was of the Children of Seth). And the Yitzchaki1 said that its understanding is [that it refers to] the Children of Ammon and also [the Children of] Moab, and its meaning is [hence] twofold. He also said that its usage [is like its usage in], "those with revealed shet" (Isaiah 11:3), which is a reference to the daughters of Lot (the mothers of Ammon and Moab). But that is distant [from the correct understanding] in my eyes; as shet is the posterior, which is like a foundation, as in (Psalms 11:3), "When the shatot are destroyed." And many understood, "all the children of shet" as the same usage as "When the shatot." And the explanation is that when he destroys the countries (which are like foundations). And this is not distant.

ומחץ פאתי מואב, “and shall smite even the corners of Moav.” Bileam prophesies that in the future Israel will also capture the territories of Edom, Moav and Ammon. A practical example of this is found in Judges 5,20 during the war between the armies of Barak and Sisera, the Field Marshal of Ammon. During that period even the stars were perceived by the Canaanites and Ammonites as engaging in war against them on behalf of Israel (song of victory by the prophetess Deborah) G-d, in His initial promise to Avraham had included these lands in the ones promised to Avraham’’s descendants. (Genesis chapter 15,1921).

כל בני שת ALL THE CHILDREN OF SETH — i.e., all nations, because all of them issued from Seth, the son of Adam, the first man (cf. Onkelos).

Alternatively, Bileam may have alluded to the fact that King David would precede the Messiah by smiting the Moabites and reducing them in power so that all the Messiah would have to do would be a mop-up operation, removing the last vestiges, פאה, of them. Bileam added וקרקר כל בני שת, referring to the liquidation of the kingdom of Ammon. The reason he equated the Ammonites with the descendants of Sheth is because the very name of the Ammonites was a reminder of the shame, בשת, maybe read ב־שת, a reminder of the incest to which they owed their existence. Inasmuch as this will be the final destruction of that shameful experience, Bileam uses a stronger term for their destruction i.e. קרקר.

It is also possible that Bileam refers to mankind as a whole, all of whom are descended from Sheth. Ammon is merely part of that group. The reason Bileam singled out only Moav by name amongst all the other nations whom the Messiah would destroy [maybe as nations, not individually, Ed.] was because they had sent for him and he was speaking to them and about them specifically.

וקרקר כל בני שת, “and break down all the sons of Sheth.” Some commentators understand this prophecy as referring to the Moabites as the latter were the descendants of an incestuous relationship between the daughters of Lot with their father. (Genesis Compare Isaiah 20,5, for use of the word שת in this sense.)

You may ask that G'd allocated to the Israelites only the lands of 10 nations, so why did Bileam speak about "all the descendants of Sheth?" Bileam provided the answer to this question when he continued והיה אדם ירשה, "that Edom shall be a possession." Inasmuch as the Edomites had established their rule over all of mankind, defeating Edom is equivalent to defeating all the descendants of Sheth. Bileam spoke of the collective term "descendants of Sheth," which does not mean that the concept of nations continuing to exist in the post-messianic era is excluded. Had Bileam said that the Messiah would מחץ, smite, "all the descendants of Sheth," we could have mistakenly concluded that all of mankind except for the Jews would be wiped out. Concerning all of mankind, Isaiah 65,20 says that they will all live to a ripe old age. [The prophet had previously described the new world order as including Gentiles. Ed.]