민수기 22:30의 주석

ההסכן הסכנתי — Understand this as the Targum does — HAVE I EVER LEARNT? Similar is, (Job 22:2) “Does a man learn (יסכן) for God’s benefit” (see Rashi on this verse). And our Rabbis have explained this verse in the Talmud: They said to him, “What is the reason you are not riding on a horse?” He replied to them: “I have left it in the meadow grass” (i.e., I have put it out to graze). Whereupon the ass exclaimed: Am I not your ass upon whom thou hast ridden from my very youth unto this day?!” (so you see, you have never possessed a horse) — as it is related in Treatise Avodah Zarah 4b.

?ההסכן הסכנתי, you should have reflected on the meaning of my behaviour knowing that it is so totally out of character for me to act in this manner unless there was an urgent reason. You should have realised that all this only happened to you in order to teach you that your plan will not succeed, for even though you did not have an overt sign there have been hints.

I sent it out to pasture. [ברטיבא שדאי] means, “They are grazing in the dirt” as if to say the horses are grazing in the field, but she said to him “I am your donkey.” He said, “Yes for [carrying a] burden but not for riding.” But she said to him, “That you have been riding on me.” He said, “Sometimes, on a temporary basis.” But she said to him, “All of your life until this very day, and not just this but you have also lain with me” as it says, "ההסכן הסכנתי ["was it ever my habit"]?" For concerning Avishag the Shunamite it is written (Melachim I 1:4) “to be a סוכנת ["covering"] for the king” which means to warm him [by lying with him].

V. 30. הלא אנכי וגו׳. In מ׳׳ר wird hieran die Bemerkung geknüpft, dass wir uns in Bileam keinen bejahrten Mann vorzustellen haben. Sein Tier war älter als er. Dieses jüngere Alter passt ganz zu der Leidenschaftlichkeit, die seine Handlungsweise verrät. — ההסכן וגו׳. Wir haben schon zu Bereschit 19, 4 bemerkt, wie הסכן auf etwas dauernd seine Achtsamkeit richten bedeutet. Es liegt in diesem Begriff ganz dieselbe Anschauung wie in unserem deutschen Worte "pflegen", dass auch die einem Gegenstande zugewandte dauernde Fürsorge, z. B. Krankenpflege und zugleich auch die der Ausübung einer Tätigkeit dauernd zugewandte Gedanken- und Willensrichtung, die Gewohnheit bedeutet.

אשר רכבת עלי, “the one upon which you have ridden.” There are several interruptions in the cantillation signs in this verse, indicating that the ass did not immediately add the words: “all your life.”

מעודך עד היום הזה, “from the time you have learned how to ride.” These words complement the ass’ question if it had ever been in the habit of acting so strangely. You should have asked yourself what could possibly be the reason for my having acted so strangely and out of character. Surely I must have had a valid reason for acting as I did.