Comentários de Citação sobre Números 23:23

גביע is a tall goblet... Since it is written גביע twice, Rashi deduced that it means a tall cup. We need not ask: Why was Yoseif not concerned they would [later] claim the goblet was theirs? Because [the answer is:] It was for divination, so surely it was [not theirs but] Yoseif’s. For it says, “There is no divination amongst Yaakov” (Bamidbar 23:23). (author’s commentary)

והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים, "and sanctify yourselves so that you will be holy." G'd directs that we should strive to be holy; when people do this they are assured of attaining the spiritual level of angels who are called קדושים, "holy beings." We know this from Daniel 8,13 "ויאמר אחד קדוש," "one holy one said, etc." This is what is meant by והייתם קדושים. Our sages in Bamidbar Rabbah 20, comment on Numbers 23,23 כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל אל. "at a time when Jacob as well as Israel is told at once what G'd had worked." They describe an outer circle of angels and an inner circle of Israelites. The angels who are standing in the outer circle are forced to ask the Israelites (who are closer to the centre) what G'd has been doing. This teaches that when the Bible speaks of "His holy ones" in a context of angels, the reference is to the Jewish people. In verse 8 the Torah specifies the means by which the Israelites are to sanctify themselves by saying: ושמרתם את חוקותי ועשיתם אותם. The word ושמרתם refers to observance of negative commandments, whereas the word ועשיתם refers to the performance of positive commandments. Between them the commandments are the means by which G'd will sanctify us. The Torah associates G'd's four lettered name י־ה־ו־ה with the performance of the commandments. The Tikkuney Ha-Zohar chapter 70 explain how by the performance of each commandment the respective organ with which that commandment is performed merits that G'd's name comes to rest on it, a concept alluded to in the letters of the word מצוה.

יקימך ה׳ לו לעם קדוש, "G'd will establish you for Him as a holy nation, etc." Starting with this verse up to and including verse 11 the Torah describes the rewards accruing to the Jewish people for not violating the negative comandments which are all subsumed above under the heading of שמר. This is why our verse repeats: "if you observe, i.e. not violate, the commandments of the Lord your G'd." A person acquires the attribute "holy" if he has refrained from violating negative commandments. We know this from Leviticus 19,2 where the imperative to be holy follows immediately after the legislation forbidding all kinds of sexual unions. This in turn is followed by another string of negative commandments. It is appropriate therefore for the Torah to write that as a result of your observing these negative commandments G'd will establish you as a holy nation for Him. Our sages in Vayikra Rabbah 24,6 also agree that the term "holy" is applied to people who refrain from violating the laws governing our sexual mores. These laws are all of the kind to which the observance called תשמר applies, i.e. one must merely refrain from violating them. It is appropriate therefore for the Torah to speak of G'd establishing us as a holy nation for Him in return for our observing these laws. The word לו, "for Him," is a hint that the Israelites will replace the angels when they qualify for the description "holy nation." G'd had selected the angels who are described as holy to stand in front of him as we know from Daniel 8,13. Once the Israelites will qualify for this description the angels will be merely adjuncts to them. We find an allusion to that time in Numbers 23,23: כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל השם, "at a time when it will be said (revealed) to Jacob and to Israel what G'd has wrought" (compare Bamidbar Rabbah 20,20 on this verse).

מעביר בנו ובתו באש [THERE SHALL NOT BE FOUND AMONG YOU ANYONE] THAT MAKETH HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE — This was the way of worshipping Molech. They made two pyres, one on this side and one on the other (one opposite the other) and passed it (the child) between them (cf. Sanhedrin 64b).

קסם קסמים ONE THAT USETH DIVINATION — What is a diviner? One who takes his stick in hand and says, (as though he were consulting it), “Shall I go, or shall I not go?” So does it state, (Hoshea 4:12) “My people ask counsel of their stick, and their staff declareth unto them” (Sifrei Devarim 171:6).

מעונן — Rabbi Akiba said, Such are people who assign times (עונות plural of עונה “period”, “time”) — who say, “This time is auspicious to begin some work”; the Sages, however, say, It refers to those “who hold your eyes under control” (who delude by optical deception; they connect מעונן with עין “eye”) (Sifrei Devarim 171:9).

מנחש A SORCERER — [one who draws prognostications from the fact that] the bread fell from his mouth, or that a stag crossed his path, or that his stick fell from his hand (Sifrei Devarim 171:10; Sanhedrin 65b; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 19:26).