מְבָ֘רֵ֤ךְ רֵעֵ֨הוּ ׀ בְּק֣וֹל גָּ֭דוֹל בַּבֹּ֣קֶר הַשְׁכֵּ֑ים קְ֝לָלָ֗ה תֵּחָ֥שֶׁב לֽוֹ׃
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Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
(Ib. b) R. Simon b. Menasia says: "If two come with a case before you, prior to the hearing of their claims, and even thereafter, but before you are aware which way the judgment will incline, you may say to them: 'Go and arbitrate between yourselves.' But after you have heard their case and are aware which way the judgment inclines, you must not [advise them to] go out and arbitrate, as it is said (Prov. 27, 14). As one letteth loose [a stream] of water, so is the beginning of strife; therefore, before it be enkindled, leave off the contest; i.e., before it be enkindled, you may [advise them to] leave off, but after the contest had been enkindled you must not [advise them to] leave off." Resh Lakish said: "If two persons came with a case before you, one being mighty [who can harm you] and the other lenient, before you heard their case, or even thereafter, but before you are aware which way the judgment inclines, you may say to them, 'I am not obligated to judge you,' because of fear that if the mighty loses he will pursue you. But after you had heard their cases, and are aware which way the judgment inclines, then you must not say, 'I am not obligated to judge you,' because it is said (Deut. 1, 17) Ye shall not be afraid of any man."
Midrash Tanchuma
(Numb. 24:3:) “So he took up his theme and said.”76These words also appear in Numb. 23:7, 18; 24:15, 20, 21, 23, but the context of this verse certainly fits the sense of the midrash. Let our master instruct us:77Yelammedenu rabbenu. When these words appear at the beginning of a section along with the response, “Thus have our masters taught…,” they commonly introduce a new parashah. In the case of one who eats without washing his hands, what penalty will he incur?78Numb. R. 20:21. Thus have our masters taught: Washing hands before the meal is an option; after the meal it is an obligation.79Hul. 105a, but not in the Mishnah. It once happened that there was an Israelite shopkeeper who would cook [and sell] both clean meat and pork, so that they would not notice that he was a Jew. Now his custom was this: Whenever anyone came into his shop and did not wash his hands, he knew that he was a foreigner and he would set pork before him; but whenever anyone washed his hands and recited the blessing, he knew that he was a Jew and would serve him clean meat. Once a certain Jew came in to eat there but did not wash his hands. Thinking that he was a foreigner, he set pork before him. He ate without saying the blessing. When he came to settle the account with him for the bread and for the meat, the pork was expensively priced. He said to him, “I have such and such against you over the meat which you have eaten, for the slice is worth ten manah.”80Gk.: mna. He said to him, “Yesterday I ate it for eight. Now today you want ten!” He said to him, “This which you ate is from a hog.” When he said this to him, his hair stood on end, for he became terrified and afraid. He said to him privately, “I am a Jew and you have given me pork!” He said to him, “A curse upon you! When I saw that you ate without washing your hands and without a blessing, I thought that you were a foreigner.” Hence the sages have said, “The [omission of the] first water (before the meal) caused him to serve him pork; [the neglect of] the latter water (after the meal) took a life.”81Yoma 83b; Hul. 106a. [The second part of the previous statement is due to] a story about a certain person who ate pulse without washing his hands. When he went down to the marketplace, his hands were filthy from the pulse. When an acquaintance of his saw him, he went and said to his wife, “Your husband has mentioned as a token82Siman. Gk.: semeion. to you [of my authenticity] that he has just now eaten pulse.83I.e., the fact that he knew what his friend had just eaten would be evidence of his having spoken with him. Send him that ring.” [So] she gave it to him. After a time her husband came. He said to her, “Where is the ring?” She said to him, “So and so came with your tokens, and I gave it to him.” Becoming filled with rage, he arose and killed her. Therefore the sages have said, “Whoever does not wash his hands after the meal is like one who takes a life.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, has warned Israel not to transgress even insignificant commandments, as stated (in Deut. 32:47), “For it (the Torah) is no empty thing for you, [in that it is your very life].” Even some commandment that you consider to be empty and insignificant has within it life and length of days, as stated (in Deut. 32:47, cont.), “and through this thing you will lengthen your days upon the land.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “If you keep My commandments, I will cast down your enemies before you,” as stated (in Ps. 81:14-15), “O that my people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways. Then I would virtually [subdue their enemies…].” When Balaam saw how Israel observed [even] the insignificant commandments, he said, “Who can curse these people, when they observe commandments and when His name is engraved upon them.” (Numb. 23:21:) “The Lord their God is with them.” Whoever curses them curses himself, because His name is joined with them.”84I.e., the name El (“God”) forms part of the name Israel. He began turning to oracles, as stated (in Numb. 24:3), “So he took up his theme” This text is related (to Prov. 27:14), “Whoever rises early in the morning to bless his neighbor in a loud voice shall have it reckoned to him as a curse.” When Balaam came to curse Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, diverted his tongue, so that he began to bless. It is so stated (in Deut. 23:6), “But the Lord your God did not want to heed Balaam; so the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, put power in his voice and his voice went from one end of the world to the other, so that the nations would hear that he was blessing [Israel]. Now it is stated concerning him (in Prov. 27:14), “Whoever [rises early in the morning to] bless his neighbor in a loud voice [shall have it reckoned to him as a curse].” [This is] as stated (in Numb. 24:14), “come, let me advise you.” Then he killed twenty-four thousand. There is no curse [as damaging] as this.
Bamidbar Rabbah
He took up his parable, and said: The saying of Bilam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened (Numbers 24:3).
“He took up his parable, and said” – halakha, one who eats but did not wash his hands, for what is he liable? Our Rabbis taught: Washing hands before food is optional, after food, is an obligation.74The gemara refers to washing hands before the meal as a mitzva, and after the meal as an obligation ( see Hullin 105a–b). There was an incident at the time of persecution involving a certain storekeeper of Israel, who would cook [both] kosher meat and pig meat and sell it, so they would not sense that he was Jewish. This was his custom; anyone who entered his store and did not wash his hands, he would know that he was an idolater, and would place pig meat before him. Anyone who washed his hands and recited a blessing, he would know that he was of Israel and would feed him kosher meat. On one occasion, a Jew entered to eat there and did not wash his hands. He [the storekeeper] was under the impression that he was an idolater. He placed pig meat before him, and he ate without reciting a blessing. He came to settle the bill with him for the bread and the meat. He said to him: 'You owe me such and such, from the meat that you ate, as a piece costs ten maneh.’75This is emended to say maa, as a maneh is worth one hundred dinar, an unreasonably exorbitant price. He said to him: 'Yesterday I ate it for eight and today, you seek to take ten from me?' He said to him: 'That which you ate was pig.' When he told him this, his hair stood on end, he was panicked and upset. He said to him discreetly: 'I am a Jew, and you gave me pig meat?' He responded 'May a plague come upon you, as when I saw that you ate without washing your hands and without reciting a blessing, I was under the impression that you were an idolater.' From here the Rabbis taught: First waters caused one to eat pig meat; final ones killed a person.
There was an incident involving a certain person who ate legumes, and did not wash his hands, and went to the market and his hands were filthy from the legumes. Another saw him. He went and said to the man’s wife: 'Your husband told me to tell you a sign that he ate legumes now. Send him that ring.' She gave it to him. Some time later, her husband came, he said to her: 'Where is the ring?' She said to him: 'So-and-so came with your signs and I gave it to him.' He became filled with rage against her and killed her. Therefore, if anyone does not wash his hands after food it is tantamount to killing a person. That is why the Holy One blessed be He cautioned Israel even regarding a minor mitzva, as it is stated: “For it is not an empty matter for you, it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:47) – even a matter of a mitzva that you deem empty and minor, in it is life and longevity.
The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you observe My mitzvot, I will topple your enemies before you,’ as it is stated: “If only My people would listen to Me…I would subdue their enemies in an instant” (Psalms 81:14–15). When Bilam saw how Israel were observing the minor mitzvot, he said: ‘Who can curse these, who observe His mitzvot and His name is associated with them, as it is stated: “The Lord his God is with him”? (Numbers 23:21). One who curses them, it is as though he curses the presence of the Divine Presence, as his name is associated with them.’ He began transforming them into parables: “He took up his parable and said:” (Numbers 23:7, 18) – this is what the verse said: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice [early in the morning, it will be considered a curse for him]” (Proverbs 27:14). When Bilam came to curse Israel, the Holy One blessed be He distorted his tongue and he began to bless, as it is stated: “But the Lord your God was unwilling to heed Bilam, and the Lord your God transformed [for you the curse into a blessing]” (Deuteronomy 23:6). The Holy One blessed be He invested his voice with power and his voice carried from one end of the world to the other end, so that the nations would hear that he was blessing them. From where is it derived? Rabbi Elazar HaKapar said: It is written elsewhere: “A great voice that did not cease [yasaf]” (Deuteronomy 5:19), as it would go from one end [misof] of the world to the other end, and here it is written: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice…[it will be considered a curse for him]” As he said to him: “Come and I will counsel you”76This verse refers to the advice that Bilam gave to Balak, to lure Israel to sin, which resulted in a plague which killed twenty-four thousand people from Israel. See Sanhedrin 106a. (Numbers 24:14), and killed twenty-four thousand of Israel. Is there a curse like this one?
“He took up his parable, and said” – halakha, one who eats but did not wash his hands, for what is he liable? Our Rabbis taught: Washing hands before food is optional, after food, is an obligation.74The gemara refers to washing hands before the meal as a mitzva, and after the meal as an obligation ( see Hullin 105a–b). There was an incident at the time of persecution involving a certain storekeeper of Israel, who would cook [both] kosher meat and pig meat and sell it, so they would not sense that he was Jewish. This was his custom; anyone who entered his store and did not wash his hands, he would know that he was an idolater, and would place pig meat before him. Anyone who washed his hands and recited a blessing, he would know that he was of Israel and would feed him kosher meat. On one occasion, a Jew entered to eat there and did not wash his hands. He [the storekeeper] was under the impression that he was an idolater. He placed pig meat before him, and he ate without reciting a blessing. He came to settle the bill with him for the bread and the meat. He said to him: 'You owe me such and such, from the meat that you ate, as a piece costs ten maneh.’75This is emended to say maa, as a maneh is worth one hundred dinar, an unreasonably exorbitant price. He said to him: 'Yesterday I ate it for eight and today, you seek to take ten from me?' He said to him: 'That which you ate was pig.' When he told him this, his hair stood on end, he was panicked and upset. He said to him discreetly: 'I am a Jew, and you gave me pig meat?' He responded 'May a plague come upon you, as when I saw that you ate without washing your hands and without reciting a blessing, I was under the impression that you were an idolater.' From here the Rabbis taught: First waters caused one to eat pig meat; final ones killed a person.
There was an incident involving a certain person who ate legumes, and did not wash his hands, and went to the market and his hands were filthy from the legumes. Another saw him. He went and said to the man’s wife: 'Your husband told me to tell you a sign that he ate legumes now. Send him that ring.' She gave it to him. Some time later, her husband came, he said to her: 'Where is the ring?' She said to him: 'So-and-so came with your signs and I gave it to him.' He became filled with rage against her and killed her. Therefore, if anyone does not wash his hands after food it is tantamount to killing a person. That is why the Holy One blessed be He cautioned Israel even regarding a minor mitzva, as it is stated: “For it is not an empty matter for you, it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:47) – even a matter of a mitzva that you deem empty and minor, in it is life and longevity.
The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you observe My mitzvot, I will topple your enemies before you,’ as it is stated: “If only My people would listen to Me…I would subdue their enemies in an instant” (Psalms 81:14–15). When Bilam saw how Israel were observing the minor mitzvot, he said: ‘Who can curse these, who observe His mitzvot and His name is associated with them, as it is stated: “The Lord his God is with him”? (Numbers 23:21). One who curses them, it is as though he curses the presence of the Divine Presence, as his name is associated with them.’ He began transforming them into parables: “He took up his parable and said:” (Numbers 23:7, 18) – this is what the verse said: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice [early in the morning, it will be considered a curse for him]” (Proverbs 27:14). When Bilam came to curse Israel, the Holy One blessed be He distorted his tongue and he began to bless, as it is stated: “But the Lord your God was unwilling to heed Bilam, and the Lord your God transformed [for you the curse into a blessing]” (Deuteronomy 23:6). The Holy One blessed be He invested his voice with power and his voice carried from one end of the world to the other end, so that the nations would hear that he was blessing them. From where is it derived? Rabbi Elazar HaKapar said: It is written elsewhere: “A great voice that did not cease [yasaf]” (Deuteronomy 5:19), as it would go from one end [misof] of the world to the other end, and here it is written: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice…[it will be considered a curse for him]” As he said to him: “Come and I will counsel you”76This verse refers to the advice that Bilam gave to Balak, to lure Israel to sin, which resulted in a plague which killed twenty-four thousand people from Israel. See Sanhedrin 106a. (Numbers 24:14), and killed twenty-four thousand of Israel. Is there a curse like this one?