Бамидбар 23:24 Комментарий: Sefer HaMitzvot, Rashi, Ramban & Sforno

That which He commanded us to read Shema in the evening and morning and he said [in the torah] "and you shall speak of them". And the laws of this of this mitzvah were already explained in tractate Berakhot (page 21) and there it explains that reading the Shema is a biblical commandment. And in the Tosefta is states "just as when the torah was given the reading of the shema was established, so too the sages established times for prayer", this means to say that the times for prayer are not biblical, rather the obligation of prayer itself is biblical, as we explained, and the sages, may their memory be a blessing, organized times for them. And this is the concept that was stated (TB Berakhot 26b) "The prayers were established according to the Tamid offerings", which means to say that they established times [for prayer] according to the times for the sacrifices. And women are not obligated in this commandment. (Parshat Va'etchanan; Rambam Sefer Ahava, Hilchot Keriat Shema Chapter 1).

הן עם כלביא יקום וגו׳ BEHOLD, THE PEOPLE RISES AS A LIONESS, etc. — When they rise from their sleep in the morning they show themselves strong as a lioness and as a lion to “snatch at” the Divine precepts (to perform them immediately) — to clothe themselves with the Tallith, to read the Shema and to lay Tephillin (cf. Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 14).

Balaam prophesied also about them [Israel] that he will rise up ‘k’lavi,’ which is the lion’s whelp, and afterwards he will lift himself up like a [fully-grown] lion, and he will not rest in his Land until he eat of the prey, and drink the blood of the kings of Canaan,¹⁶⁷Verse 24. as Onkelos explained it.
Thus Balaam added now in this second prophecy [to the words of his first prophecy], telling Balak that they [the Israelites] would conquer the Land and kill mighty kings. Now Balak knew that the Israelites would not receive his land as an inheritance,¹⁶⁸As explained by Ramban above, 22:3. and therefore although Balaam told them now that the Israelites would ultimately conquer the kings of Canaan, Balak still wanted [Balaam] to curse them so that [Balak] would be victorious [over them], and that he would be able to overcome them, and possibly he could fight against them and inflict losses on them. Therefore he still said, [Come now], I will take thee unto another place; peradventure it will please G-d that thou mayest curse me them from thence.¹⁶⁹Verse 27. Balak did not [ask Balaam] to withdraw the blessing [which he had previously given Israel], since he had already informed him, G-d is not a man, that He should lie, neither the son of man, that He should repent,¹⁷⁰Verse 19. but he thought: “Indeed the Israelites are destined to conquer the land of Canaan, which is their inheritance, and to kill their kings; but it is still possible that I will prevail over them and inflict losses on them, as did the Amalekite and the Canaanite who dwelt in that hill-country, who smote them even unto Hormah.”¹⁷¹Above, 14:45. Balak intended to do this because of his fear of them, as he mentioned to the elders of Midian,¹⁷²Ibid., 22:3-4. or it may be that his purpose was that he should be able to reconquer all [that land] which the Israelites had captured from the possession of Sihon which originally belonged to Moab, as is stated explicitly in the words of Jephthah.¹⁷³Judges 11:13. I have already mentioned this.¹⁷⁴Above, 21:29; 22:4.