Комментарий к Бамидбар 23:10

מי מנה עפר יעקב וגו׳ WHO HATH COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB [AND THE NUMBER OF THE FOURTH PART OF ISRAEL] — Understand this as the Targum does: [who has counted] the infants of the house of Jacob, who are compared to the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:16). The words מארבע משריתא in the Targum mean; [who can count … even one] of the four (רבע “a fourth”) banners (companies of the tribes). — Another explanation of עפר יעקב is: Countless are the commandments which they practise in connection with dust: (Deuteronomy 22:10) “Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass [together]”; (Leviticus 19:19): “Thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seeds”. There are also the ashes of the red cow (Numbers 19:9 ff.), and the dust used in the ordeal to which a woman suspected of infidelity is subjected (Numbers 5:17), and others similar to these (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 12).

WHO HATH COUNTED THE DUST OF JACOB? Balaam is saying: “I see them from the top of the rocks dwelling alone, and I cannot count them for they alone are like the dust of the earth, and no man can number the dust of the earth;¹³⁴See Genesis 13:16. nor can I count even rova Yisrael (one fourth of Israel) when they are encamped under four standards.” Thus he prophesied that they would increase in number and they shall not be diminished,¹³⁵Jeremiah 30:19. and the seed of Jacob will always be alone as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered.¹³⁶Hosea 2:1. This is Onkelos’ opinion [as to the meaning] of rova Yisrael [that it means “one fourth” of the total population of Israel, i.e., one standard of the four in which the people encamped].
It is also correct that the term rova be [interpreted as in the expression], Thou dost measure my going about ‘v’riv’i’ (and my lying down),¹³⁷Psalms 139:3. of [the same root as in]: Thou shalt not let thy cattle ‘tharbia’ (gender) with a diverse kind,¹³⁸Leviticus 19:19. and similar in expression to: and are come forth out of the fountain of Jacob.¹³⁹Isaiah 48:1.
Balaam said [in this verse]: Let me die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), and let mine end be like his, meaning that they are those who are inheritors of the Garden of Eden [i.e., they are assured of eternal life after death]. For since the end of man is death, therefore he wanted to die the death of ‘yesharim’ (the righteous), these being Israel, who are called Yeshurun,¹⁴⁰Deuteronomy 33:5: And there was a King in Jeshurun … because they spend their days in goodness.¹⁴¹Job 21:13. And let mine end be like his — like that of Israel whose portion is in [eternal] life,¹⁴²Psalms 17:14. and who do not go to Gehenna and destruction. Thus the general tenor of Balaam’s prophecy this time was that G-d does not want us to be cursed, and that we are a people [dwelling] alone, His portion and His people; we shall not mix with the [other] nations, nor be counted amongst them, and our end will be good, according to the way of the righteous.

תמות נפשי מות ישרים, if I were to die now I do not mind, provided that it would be the death of the righteous who will pass over into another life.