Еврейская мысль к Мелахим А 2:8

(1+2+3) Since Balak had been aware of how Israel had tricked the Canaanites into confrontation after having appeared to sidestep Edom and Moab, his people were divided in their view of the Israelites. Some were afraid that Israel's tactics were designed to destroy Moab eventually. Of them the Torah says "vayagar, it was afraid. The other group was concerned about the encirclement that was taking place and that would eventually change the neighbouring countries. Balak "saw" the division amongst his subjects. Since Midian as one of Moab's neighbours would be the first country vitally affected by the Israelites' presence in that region, they were invited as allies. The message to Bileam telling him of the facts, especially the miracle that Israel had managed to escape from Egypt, made the request particularly urgent. Describing the apparent hopelessness of defeating Israel by warfare alone, Balak depicts the huge masses of people, suggesting by the use of the words "I" and "we" in the same sentence that possibly, through combined efforts of Bileam's curses and warriors led by Balak, Israel could be defeated. The reference to Bileam's ability to confer blessings, indicated that Balak was desirous of obtaining those blessings for his own people at the same time. Alternately, perhaps he committed a Freudian slip having reference to the blessings which Bileam would in fact bestow on the Jewish people, instead of curses. The reason that Balak's messengers took the magicians' instruments with them was to test the sincerity of Bileam. Our sages teach that the difference between the real prophet and the charlatan, the pretender lies in the former's ability to communicate the word of G'd at any time, whereas the pretender must wait for certain horoscopic constellations to appear in the correct correlation to each other. The ability of Bileam to respond immediately, would indicate that his response was genuine, was the word of G'd. As soon as Bileam asked the messengers to stay overnight till he could consult G'd, they realised that the undertaking did not meet with G'ds approval. This is why the elders of Midian, who were familiar with Bileam's mode of operation, did not even bother to wait. Only the Moabite elders stayed overnight, kessem, the magician's tool was the infallible instrument then, by means of which one could gauge G'ds real attitude as revealed by Bileam. That is why the elders needed the instrument, not Bileam. (4) Of all the improper enquiries that can be addressed to G'd, there is hardly one that could be more offensive than the request to commit an obviously criminal act and expect Divine blessing for such an act. If one were to ask a Rabbi's approval for commission of an act of adultery, surely this would be an insult to the Rabbi. If the questioner himself is known to be well versed in Jewish law, the insult would be even greater. Surely the first sin of Bileam consisted in asking G'd to curse a people so obviously His favourites. The very notion that G'd would undo all that He had done for that nation in order to enable Bileam to earn a fat fee from Balak is culpable. Therefore G'ds first reply was "what kind of people have come to you?" When Bileam uses Balak's terminology of describing the Jewish people, he adds insult to injury. Even though in the mouth of Balak, the descripition of the Jewish people is far from flattering, and Moab, owing its very existence to the patriarch of the Jewish people should have had every reason to refer to them with respect, Balak, who thought he had reason to fear them, looked at them from a distorted point of view. Bileam however, had no such excuse. In referring to G'ds chosen people in such derogatory terms, he made himself even more culpable than by his audacity in approaching G'd on the subject altogether. In keeping with his supposed stature, he should have categorically refused to involve his prophetic powers in such an undertaking. When the Talmud Shabbat 104, teaches that whoever wants to heap impurity upon himself is given an opportunity to do so, the question "who are the people that have come to you?" illustrates that dictum. Surely G'd had been aware who the people were, but Bileam deserved to enmesh himself more deeply in his sinful quest. The Jewish people to whom the term Adam applies, (chapter 3 essay 8) certainly deserves better of Bileam. Bileam seems at pains to deny the Jewish people's claim to four characteristics. 1) He refers to the Jewish people as nameless, describes them merely as " the people who came out of Egypt"; he makes it appear as if this people did not even qualify for a name of its own. 2) In referring to the Jewish people's departure from Egypt, Bileam seems intent to deny that G'd had played any role in that exodus. This is why he is made to emphasize later who it was that took Israel out of Egypt. "The Lord who took them out of Egypt." (Numbers 23,22-3. 3) He refers to Israel as "covering the earth," indicating that Israel lacks orderliness, and is comparable to a horde of wild beasts. Therefore, he is made to pay tribute to the civil and moral manner in which Israel has set up camp. ("How beautiful are thy tents" Numbers 24, 5) 4) In wishing to curse the Jewish nation, he denies them the basic distinction of having been made "in the image of G'd," an attribute that applies to all human beings and is rooted in the dominion G'd has granted man over the animal kingdom. To atone for this insult, he is forced later to prophesy that this very nation will produce the Messiah who will exercise dominion over all of mankind. Haman had also begun to denigrate the Jewish people by referring to them as being nameless. (Esther 3,8) Bileam has to atone for this subsequently, by referring to Israel by both its names, i.e. Israel and Jacob. Notwithstanding any of the above, G'ds reply to Bileam in this instance was very civil. "Do not go with them, do not curse this nation which is blessed." G'd is trying to tell Bileam that to accompany these people is improper, regardless of the purpose of the mission. In his wickedness, Bileam relates only part of G'ds reply, namely the part about not being allowed to go. The part about the futility of the undertaking he withheld. Understandably, this led the elders of Moab to believe that Bileam's refusal was motivated by considerations other than Divine opposition. (5+6) When, upon arrival of a more distinguished set of emissaries, they reproach him by saying "do not hold back in coming to me," Bileam has the audacity to ask G'd about the same undertaking a second time. G'd in His anger, answers him in such a manner that he will be embarassed publicly when he does go with them. The ambiguous nature of G'ds reply was designed to encourage him to go, in order that he humiliate himself in front of the princes from whom he was seeking honour and glory. When G'd in His reply said "if these men came to call you, go with them, only the word I speak to you you may do," (instead of "you may say") this gave Bileam leeway to think that he still possessed freedom of expression. When Bileam tried to use this apparent loophole in G'ds instructions, G'd became angry and sent His angel to intercept him. The three stoppages and beatings administered to Bileam's she-ass demonstrated clearly the nature of Bileam's sin and his subsequent chastisement. The first time the angel positions himself in such a manner that he could be bypassed without great exertion. Bileam should have refused the request by Balak's messengers. Instead, he chose to circumvent the will of G'd. The ass does likewise, arousing Bileam's anger. He strikes her, but not too severely. Balak too, when he hears Bileam bless Israel the first time instead of cursing it, admonishes Bileam when he says "I have called you to curse my enemies and you have seen fit to bless them." The second time the angel positions himself in a narrow passage, leaving the she-ass no way to pass him without hurting the rider in the process. This arouses more anger in Bileam, he strikes her again, presumably harder than the first time. This corresponds to Bileam's second sin, when he encouraged the elders of Moab to think G'd might change His mind in favour of the planned mission. Balak gives Bileam a tongue lashing by saying "if you cannot curse, at least do not bless." Bileam is forced to admit that he is quite powerless in the matter, and has to do what G'd says to him. The final confrontation between the angel and the she-ass is such that the latter cannot proceed against the angel without incurring death. Therefore, she lies down, the greatest protest imaginable against her master. Bileam reacts violently, striking her with a rod this time. In the ensuing dialogue between the she-ass and her master, Bileam is made to acknowledge that his longstanding and intimate knowledge of the she-ass's behaviour should have alerted him to the fact that only an unusual set of circumstances could have accounted for such a radical change in the behaviour of an animal whose primary function it was to serve as transportation for her master. Similarly, Bileam had reached the stage where he had to refuse Balak's request without even double checking with G'd whether it still pleased Him to bless Israel. When Balak became aware of this outright refusal of Bileam even to try to carry out the task he had been hired for, Balak sends him home in disgust. Bileam's humiliation is thus complete and corresponds to the manner in which he who had been privileged to enjoy visions other mortals had not been granted to see, had nevertheless rebelled against G'd. (6) The angel too had remonstrated with Bileam about his having struck the she-ass three times. Bileam who had accused the she-ass of having humiliated him, had himself been guilty of trying to manipulate G'd three times, and thus to humiliate Him. His punishment therefore fits his crime. When the angel finally becomes visible to Bileam, the latter admitting his sin, he volunteers to go home. Now, however, he has to carry on, in order to suffer public humiliation not only in the presence of the elders of Moab. Those elders, seeing that Bileam could not even control his she-ass, surely had developed their own opinion of the effectiveness of a man like this against the Jewish nation. The thrust of the she-ass's argument was that Bileam of all people should not have condemned her conduct without examination of the circumstances. He had known her long enough. Similarly, Bileam's longstanding familiarity with the ways of G'd, should have prevented him from accepting an assignment so obviously at variance with the friendship for Israel G'd had revealed in His relationship with that nation. If indeed, Bileam refers to himself as the shetum ha-ayin, the one who sees on one eye, he may well be referring to his lack of vision in a belated recognition of his own humble stature and lack of insight. His eyes were opened only after he had displayed blindness. This is the meaning of the words nofel u-gluy eynayim, "after he had fallen, his eyes were opened." (Numbers 24,4) Bileam, in acknowledging that he had sinned because he had been unaware of the angel's presence, acknowledges that ignorance itself can be sinful. If someone strikes his parents because he is unaware of a statute fordidding such an act, he cannot plead innocence, since it was up to him to realise that such conduct is intolerable in the eyes of the law. Similarly, a man of the intellectual stature of Bileam could not plead ignorance as an excuse, and should have been alerted by the animal's strange behaviour. The reason the animal itself did not disclose the presence of the angel, has been discussed in chapter ten. In chapter twenty one we have discussed why Bileam had chosen to ride a she-ass. (8) Now that Bileam had received an inkling of what was likely to be in store for him,- private as well as public humiliation-, he tries to back out and offers to go home to save himself further disgrace. But at this point the angel orders him to proceed and to travel with the messengers until he will have played the part that G'd had assigned to him. (Perhaps the use of the word im, describes the relationship with the messengers, underlining that he is now captive for the purpose of this mission) (9) The phrasing of the instruction "only what I tell you, you can say" (Numbers 22,35) robs Bileam even of the freedom of speech which he had previously thought he still possessed, when G'd had restricted him only with the words "it you must do." When he arrived in Moab, Bileam felt obligated to acquaint Balak with his impotence, and he downgrades the value of anything he may say beforehand, by explaining that he is acting under Heavenly compulsion. It appears that Balak had not wanted him to come to him, but rather to proceed towards Israel and curse that nation. Balak's request, (22,17) "do not hold back walking elay, means "on my behalf" rather than "towards me." Balak had meant to convey that he would compensate Bileam handsomely even if the latter never came to Moab, but would merely curse Israel from a suitable vantage point. Balak tries to forestall Bileam coming to the capital of Moab. Bileam stresses that even though he had "arrived" i.e. come, he did not "go." He is trying to tell Balak that his appearance is due only to coercion from on high. Whereas previously Bileam had been willing to "go" without "doing" anything of substance, now he was not even in a position to "say" something of his own free will. ("I am not even able to speak" 22,38) Whereas G'd had only forbidden action, the angel even forbade speech. Thus the angel is not merely repeating G'ds previous instructions. In spite of all this, resourceful Bileam proceeds to emulate Israel's sacrificial rites, when he builds seven altars and offers only pure animals, hoping that if this does not advance his cause, at least it will not hinder it. When he expresses the hope that "perhaps the Lord will meet with me,” (23,3) he admits that he can never be sure of establishing communication with G'd He is quite unlike Moses of whom the expression "he called" is always used. The one and only time G'd had in fact communicated with Bileam directly, is carefully described as vayikor, as a kind of "happening." Even this happening never seems to have occurred again. Bileam now had to employ his prophetic insights to compensate for his derogatory references to Israel previously. Instead of allowing Israel to remain nameless, he now uses both the term "Israel" and "Jacob" to describe it. (10) He confesses that Balak had dragged him down from what once had been a position of lofty grandeur. (23,7) He accords Balak his full title "king of Moab," not as previously. When Bileam says "how can I curse when G'd has not cursed?" he acknowledges that he had not had any business asking G'd about such a mission. Conversely, when David suffered curses at the hands of Shimi ben Geyrah, (Samuel II 16,8) the former could not believe that Shimi could have done so except if he had been so instructed by G'd. Once David became aware that he had been giving Shimi too much credit for having acted morally, he told his son Solomon how to deal with Shimi when the time would be ripe. Bileam now proceeds to extol Israel's virtues. "I view as towering higher than rocks;" (23,9) "they are in a world apart from others, a nation that dwells in isolated splendour."