민수기 22:7의 주석

וקסמים בידם AND DIVINATIONS WERE IN THEIR HANDS — all kinds of divination, in order that he should not say, “I have not got my tools with me”. — Another explanation is: this omen (קסם) the elders of Midyan took with them: — they said, “If he comes with us this time, there is something substantial in him, but if he puts us off there is no use of him”. — Consequently when he told them, “Stay here tonight”, they said, There is no hope in him”; they left him and went away, as it is said, (v. 8) And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam”, but the princes of Midyan went away (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 5).

וקסמים בידם, the instruments by means of which to perform sorcery.. Bileam’s specific expertise in such sorcery was to calculate precisely when certain constellations would be favourable to what he planned to achieve. He is described as a sorcerer when his death his reported in Joshua 13,22.

וקסמים בידו, they brought along charms of their own to forestall Bileam saying that he did not have any of these charms handy. We read in Ezekiel 21, 27-28: “in his right hand the קסם, sorcery, indicated Jerusalem, to appoint commanders to urge on to murder. But it was for them as a vain divination, קסם שוא, etc.”

וקסמים בידו, “with charms in their hands.” According to the interpretation of Rabbi Shmuel Hanagid, the delegation brought with them the money to defray the cost of these charms they expected Bileam to employ, [as they themselves could hardly tell Bileam which kind of charms to employ. Ed.]

וקסמים בידם, “with charms in their hands.” This proves that Bileam was a magician employing charms. The emissaries brought along charms so that Bileam would not be able to stall them by saying that he did not have any charms available at that time. An alternative explanation [seeing it is most unlikely that a man whose trade depends on charms should not have the tools of his trade available. Ed.]: They brought money to pay Bileam for using his own charms on their behalf. (Compare both Rashi, for the former view and Ibn Ezra quoting Rabbi Shmuel Hanaggid for the latter view).

All types of magic charms … another interpretation [the elders of Midian took up] this mystical omen. Meaning that they took up this sign. The other interpretation is necessary, because according to the first reason there was the difficulty as to why he would need any tools for this. Furthermore he was at home and the tools of his work were certainly with him. Therefore Rashi brought the other interpretation. However according to the other interpretation there is the difficulty that קסמים is in the plural form [and means "omens"]. Furthermore, it should have said they went with this “sign” or with this “matter” in their hands. Also the term “in their hands” is not appropriate [form of language] for a sign. Therefore the first reason is also necessary. (Gur Aryeh) You might ask: Why did they use this omen? What is the reasoning behind the omen that if he did not come with them on the first occasion then he was useless? It appears to me that they applied their wisdom and chose an opportune moment, according to the mystical omens and the stars, to come to Bil’am in order [to ask him] to come with them. For there is an [opportune] time when the requester can elicit his request from the person being asked. Therefore, they said, “If he does not come with us at this time, it is useless” for if our request does not help at a time which is better according to the omens, all the more so [that it will not work] at another time.

V. 7. זקני מואב וזקני מדין. Balak wählte zu seinen Gesandten nicht königliche, dem Volke fernstehende Diener vom höchsten Range, sondern, dem Zwecke seiner Sendung gemäß, solche Herren, die dem Volke nahe waren und dessen Vertrauen besaßen, die es als seine זקנים, als seine Ratgeber verehrte. Es musste ihm ja daran liegen, dass der ganze Vorgang die möglichste Publizität im Volke erlange. זקני מדין, mit denen das Volk sich bereits in Beratung gesetzt (V. 4.) schlossen sich der Gesandtschaft an.

וילכו זקני מואב, “The elders of Moav went forth, etc.” The Talmud in tractate Sanhedrin folio 105, tells us that there never had been peaceful relations between Moav and Midian before, but now that both felt threatened, they became like dogs when afraid of wolves that threaten them, and they acted in unison.

וקסמים בידם, “with tools of divination in their hands.” The “tools” were books of instruction on that subject, as explained by Rashi. This is also how the Jerusalem Targum understands this phrase. We find a parallel of this when even in our time, sorcerers utter curses by sticking needles into dolls symbolising the party to be cursed. An alternate interpretation: Balak’s emissaries took financial rewards with them to pay Bileam for the use of these instruments used in sorcery. Compare Targum Yonatan on Nachum 3,17, according to Rabbi Chavell.

But the elders of Midian departed. Because they knew that he was useless. This was why Rashi above mentioned that the elders of Midian took this mystical omen in their hands, for [we see that] the elders of Moav remained with Bil’am.

וקסמים בידם. Wir haben bereits Bereschit 11, 6 den wahrscheinlichen Zusammenhang von קסם und גזם bemerkt, wonach קסם eine über das Natürliche und Mögliche hinausgehende Einwirkung bedeutete. In dem Worte selbst läge dann zugleich das Vorgebliche. Es ist eben גוזמא. In bei weitem den meisten Stellen, in welchen קסם vorkommt, hat es nicht die Bewirkung eines Erfolges, sondern die Kunde des Zukünftigen, insbesondere die Entscheidung über das Unternehmen oder Nichtunternehmen eines Vorhabens zur Absicht. So zu Ezech. 21, 26 etc. Die קסמים hier sollen also noch nicht die Bewirkung des Fluches vermitteln. Ohnehin hätte sie dann Bileam nicht in Aram, sondern in Moab gebraucht. Sondern es wurde wohl vorausgesetzt, dass er ihrer bedurfte, um sich überhaupt für oder wider das Unternehmen zu entscheiden. Auffallend ist nur, dass die Boten die Zaubermittel mitnehmen. Sie gingen ja zu einem קוסם (Josua 13, 22) und durften ja voraussetzen, dass der das nötige Zeug zum Handwerk besitze. Vielleicht gehörte es mit zum Handwerk, dass derjenige, in dessen Interesse eine Orakelentscheidung erzielt werden sollte, etwas von dem Seinigen dazu herzugeben hatte.

וקסמים בידם, “and they had brought instruments .of divination with them.” They brought money with them to pay Bileam for employing divinations with which to curse the Israelites. This is the way the Jerusalem Talmud translated our verse. An alternate interpretation is that seeing that Balak himself was no novice in that art, he sent along samples of what he used when practicing divination.