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Chewing The Cud: Balak 7/14

Chumash with Rashi

Parshat Balak 

In Israel: Pinchas

Sunday, 11 Tammuz 5779 / July 14, 2019

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Numbers Chapter 22

2Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.   בוַיַּ֥רְא בָּלָ֖ק בֶּן־צִפּ֑וֹר אֵ֛ת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לָֽאֱמֹרִֽי:
Balak… saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites: He said, “These two kings whom we relied on could not resist them; we certainly cannot.” Consequently, “Moab became terrified.” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 2, Num. Rabbah 20:2]   וירא בלק בן צפור את כל אשר עשה ישראל לאמורי: ××ž×¨ אלו שני מלכים שהיינו בטוחים עליהם לא עמדו בפניהם, אנו על אחת כמה וכמה. לפיכך ויגר מואב:
3Moab became terrified of the people, for they were numerous, and Moab became disgusted because of the children of Israel.   גוַיָּ֨גָר מוֹאָ֜ב מִפְּנֵ֥י הָעָ֛ם מְאֹ֖ד ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö£×™ רַב־ה֑וּא וַיָּ֣קָץ מוֹאָ֔ב מִפְּנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
[Moab] became terrified: [Heb. וַיָּגָר is] a term denoting dread, as in,“Fear (גּוּרוּ) for yourselves” (Job 19:29). - [Machbereth Menachem p. 59, third def.]   ויגר: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ מורא, כמו (איוב יט, כט) גורו לכם:
Moab became disgusted: They became disgusted with their own lives, as in“I am disgusted (קַצְתִּי) with my life” (Gen. 27:46). This is an abbreviated verse.   ויקץ מואב: ×§×¦×• בחייהם:
4Moab said to the elders of Midian, "Now this assembly will eat up everything around us, as the ox eats up the greens of the field. Balak the son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time.   דוַיֹּ֨אמֶר מוֹאָ֜ב אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֗ן עַתָּ֞ה יְלַֽחֲכ֤וּ הַקָּהָל֙ אֶת־כָּל־סְבִ֣יבֹתֵ֔ינוּ כִּלְחֹ֣ךְ הַשּׁ֔וֹר אֵ֖ת יֶ֣רֶק הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה וּבָלָ֧ק בֶּן־צִפּ֛וֹר מֶ֥לֶךְ לְמוֹאָ֖ב בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִֽוא:
to the elders of Midian: But did they not always hate each other, as it says, “who defeated Midian in the field of Moab” (Gen. 36:35), when Midian came against Moab in battle? However, because of their mutual fear of Israel they made peace with each other. And what did Moab see to take counsel with Midian? Since they saw that Israel was supernaturally victorious [in their battles], they said, “The leader of these [people] was raised in Midian. Let us ask them what his character is.” They told them, “His strength is solely in his mouth.” They said,“We too will come against them with a man whose strength is in his mouth.” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 3, Num. Rabbah 20:4]   אל זקני מדין: ×•×”לא מעולם היו שונאים ×–×” את ×–×”, שנאמר (בראשית לו, לה) המכה את מדין בשדה מואב, שבאו מדין על מואב למלחמה. אלא מיראתן של ישראל עשו שלום ביניהם. ומה ראה מואב ליטול עצה ממדין, כיון שראו את ישראל נוצחים שלא כמנהג העולם, אמרו מנהיגם של אלו במדין נתגדל, נשאל מהם מה מדתו. אמרו לו אין כחו אלא בפיו. אמרו אף אנו נבא עליהם באדם שכחו בפיו:
as the ox eats up: Whatever the ox has eaten up no longer contains blessing [because the ox uproots the plants it eats (Da’ath Zekenim)]. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 3, Num. Rabbah 20:4]   כלחוך השור: ×›×œ מה שהשור מלחך אין בו ברכה:
at that time: He was not entitled to the monarchy. He was one of the Midianite nobles [according to some: of the nobles of Sihon (Josh. 13:21)], and when Sihon died, they appointed him over them on a temporary basis. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:4]   בעת ההוא: ×œ× ×”×™×” ראוי למלכות. מנסיכי מדין ×”×™×”, וכיון שמת סיחון מנוהו עליהם לצורך שעה:
5He sent messengers to Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of his people, to call for him, saying, "A people has come out of Egypt, and behold, they have covered the "eye" of the land, and they are stationed opposite me.   הוַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח מַלְאָכִ֜ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֣ם בֶּן־בְּע֗וֹר פְּת֠וֹרָה אֲשֶׁ֧ר עַל־הַנָּהָ֛ר אֶ֥רֶץ בְּנֵֽי־עַמּ֖וֹ לִקְרֹא־ל֑וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר ×”Ö´Ö × ÖµÖ¼Ö ×” עַ֣ם יָצָ֤א מִמִּצְרַ֨יִם֙ הִנֵּ֤ה כִסָּה֙ אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֔רֶץ וְה֥וּא ישֵׁ֖ב מִמֻּלִֽי:
to Pethor: Heb. פְּתוֹרָה, like this money changer, to whom everyone rushes coins, so did all the kings rush their letters to him [asking him for advice]. [In Aramaic, פְּתוֹרָא means table, denoting the counter over which currency transactions take place. This is synonymous with the Hebrew שֻׁלְחָן, table.Thus, a money changer is שֻלְחָנִי]. According to the simple meaning of the verse, it [Pethor] is a place-name. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   פתורה: ×›×©×•×œ×—× ×™ ×”×–×” שהכל מריצין לו מעות, כך כל המלכים מריצין לו אגרותיהם. ולפי פשוטו של מקרא כך שם המקום:
the land of his people: [I.e.,] Balak’s [people]. He came from there. This one [Balaam] prophesied, telling him, “You are destined to rule.” If you ask, “Why did God bestow His Shechinah on a wicked gentile?” [The answer is] so the nations should not have an excuse to say, “Had we had prophets we would have repented.” So He assigned them prophets, but they breached the [morally] accepted barrier, for at first they had refrained from immorality, but he [Balaam] advised them to offer themselves freely for prostitution. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 1, Num. Rabbah 20:1]   ארץ בני עמו: ×©×œ בלק. משם ×”×™×”, וזה ×”×™×” מתנבא ואומר לו עתיד אתה למלוך. ואם תאמר מפני מה השרה הקב"×” שכינתו על גוי רשע, כדי שלא יהא פתחון פה לאומות לומר אלו היו לנו נביאים חזרנו למוטב, העמיד להם נביאים והם פרצו גדר העולם, שבתחלה היו גדורים בעריות וזה נתן להם עצה להפקיר עצמן לזנות:
to call for him: This invitation was for him, [i.e.,] for his benefit, for he promised him a large sum of money. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   לקרא לו: ×”קריאה שלו היתה ולהנאתו, שהיה פוסק לו ממון הרבה:
A people has come out of Egypt: And should you ask,“How does it harm you?”   עם יצא ממצרים: ×•×× תאמר מה מזיקך:
“behold, they have covered the ‘eye’ of the land”: Sihon and Og, who were our guardians-they attacked them and killed them. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   ×”× ×” כסה את עין הארץ: ×¡×™×—ון ועוג שהיו שומרים אותנו עמדו עליהם והרגום:
and they are stationed opposite me: Heb. מִמֻּלִי. It [the word מִמֻּלִי] is spelled defectively [lacking a 'vav’]; they are close by, ready to cut me down, as in“for I will cut them down (אֲמִילֵם)” (Ps. 118:10). - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   והוא יושב ממלי: ×—סר כתיב, קרובים הם להכריתני, כמו (תהלים קיח, ×™) ×›×™ אמילם:
6So now, please come and curse this people for me, for they are too powerful for me. Perhaps I will be able to wage war against them and drive them out of the land, for I know that whomever you bless is blessed and whomever you curse is cursed."   ווְעַתָּה֩ לְכָה־נָּ֨א אָֽרָה־לִּ֜י אֶת־הָעָ֣ם ×”Ö·×–Ö¶Ö¼Ö—×” כִּֽי־עָצ֥וּם הוּא֙ מִמֶּ֔נִּי אוּלַ֤י אוּכַל֙ נַכֶּה־בּ֔וֹ וַֽאֲגָֽרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö£×™ יָדַ֗עְתִּי אֵ֤ת אֲשֶׁר־תְּבָרֵךְ֙ מְבֹרָ֔ךְ וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּאֹ֖ר יוּאָֽר:
Perhaps I will be able to wage war against them: Heb. × Ö·×›Ö¶Ö¼×”. I with my nation will wage war against them [hence the first person plural form of × Ö·×›Ö¶Ö¼×”]. Another interpretation: It × Ö·×›Ö¶Ö¼×” is a mishnaic term, as in,“he deducts (מְנַכֶּה) from the price for him” (B.M. 105b) [so the meaning here is,] to diminish them somewhat. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   × ×›×” בו: ×× ×™ ועמי × ×›×” בהם. דבר אחר לשון משנה היא (ב"מ קה ב) מנכה לו מן הדמים, לחסר מהם מעט:
for I know: through the war of Sihon [against Moab] you helped him defeat Moab. - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 4, Num. Rabbah 20:7]   ×›×™ ידעתי וגו': ×¢"×™ מלחמת סיחון שעזרתו להכות את מואב:
7So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went, with magic charms in their hands, and they came to Balaam and conveyed Balak's message to him.   זוַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ זִקְנֵ֤י מוֹאָב֙ וְזִקְנֵ֣י מִדְיָ֔ן וּקְסָמִ֖ים בְּיָדָ֑ם וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו דִּבְרֵ֥י בָלָֽק:
with magic charms in their hands: All types of charms, so he could not say,“I don’t have my tools with me.” Another interpretation: The elders of Midian took this omen (קֶסֶם) with them, saying, “If he comes with us this time, there is something to him, but if he pushes us off, he is useless.” Thus, when he said to them, “Lodge here for the night” (verse 8), they said, “He is hopeless” ; so they left him and went away, as it says, “The Moabite nobles stayed with Balaam” (ibid.), but the Midianite elders left. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:8]   וקסמים בידם: ×›×œ מיני קסמים, שלא יאמר אין כלי תשמישי עמי. דבר אחר קסם ×–×” נטלו בידם זקני מדין, אמרו אם יבא עמנו בפעם הזאת יש בו ממש, ואם ידחנו אין בו תועלת, לפיכך כשאמר להם לינו פה הלילה, אמרו אין בו תקוה, הניחוהו והלכו להם, שנאמר וישבו שרי מואב עם בלעם, אבל זקני מדין הלכו להם:
8He said to them, "Lodge here for the night, and I will give you an answer when the Lord speaks to me." So the Moabite nobles stayed with Balaam.   חוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם לִ֤ינוּ פֹה֙ הַלַּ֔יְלָה וַֽהֲשִֽׁבֹתִ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ דָּבָ֔ר כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֛ר יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י וַיֵּֽשְׁב֥וּ שָׂרֵֽי־מוֹאָ֖ב עִם־בִּלְעָֽם:
Lodge here for the night: The Divine Spirit rested on him only at night, and the same applied to all gentile prophets. So it was with Laban, [God came to him] in a dream at night, as it says,“God came to Laban the Aramite in a dream at night” (Gen. 31:24), like a man going to his concubine in secret. — [Mid. Lev. Rabbah 1:13]   לינו פה הלילה: ××™×Ÿ רוח הקודש שורה עליו אלא בלילה, וכן לכל נביאי אומות העולם, וכן לבן בחלום הלילה, שנאמר (בראשית לא, כד) ויבא א-להים אל לבן הארמי בחלום הלילה. כאדם ההולך אצל פלגשו בהחבא:
when the Lord speaks to me: If He advises me to go with people like you, I will go with you. But perhaps it is beneath His dignity to allow me to go with anyone but higher ranking nobles than you.   כאשר ידבר ×”' אלי: ×× ימליכני ללכת עם בני אדם כמותכם אלך עמכם, שמא אין כבודו לתתי להלוך אלא עם שרים גדולים מכם:
stayed: Heb. וַיֵּשְׁבוּ, a term denoting remaining. - [Onkelos]   וישבו: ×œ×©×•×Ÿ עכבה:
9God came to Balaam and said, "Who are these men with you?"   טוַיָּבֹ֥א אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר מִ֛י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה עִמָּֽךְ:
Who are these men with you: It came to delude him. [Rashi means: “the ways of the Lord are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them, and the rebellious shall stumble on them” (Hosea 14:10). By asking, “Who are these men with you,” God meant to enter into a conversation with him, as Rashi states in the section Bereishith (3:9) on the word, “Where are you?” But it came to Balaam to delude him, for he erred.] He [Balaam] said,“Sometimes, not everything is revealed before Him, for He is not always omniscient. I will find a time when I am able to curse, and He will not realize it.”- [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9]   מי האנשים האלה עמך: ×œ×”טעותו בא. אמר פעמים שאין הכל גלוי לפניו, אין דעתו שוה עליו, אף אני אראה עת שאוכל לקלל ולא יבין:
10Balaam said to God, "Balak the son of Zippor the king of Moab has sent [them] to me, [saying]:   יוַיֹּ֥אמֶר בִּלְעָ֖ם אֶל־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים בָּלָ֧ק בֶּן־צִפֹּ֛ר מֶ֥לֶךְ מוֹאָ֖ב שָׁלַ֥ח אֵלָֽי:
Balak the son of Zippor: Although I am not important in Your eyes, I am considered important in the eyes of the kings. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9]   בלק בן צפור וגו': ××£ על פי שאיני חשוב בעיניך, חשוב אני בעיני המלכים:
11"Behold the people coming out of Egypt, a nation, has covered the 'eye' of the earth. Come and curse them for me, perhaps I will be able to fight against them and drive them out."   יאהִנֵּ֤ה הָעָם֙ הַיֹּצֵ֣א מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וַיְכַ֖ס אֶת־עֵ֣ין הָאָ֑רֶץ עַתָּ֗ה לְכָ֤ה קָֽבָה־לִּי֙ אֹת֔וֹ אוּלַ֥י אוּכַ֛ל לְהִלָּ֥חֶם בּ֖וֹ וְגֵֽרַשְׁתִּֽיו:
curse it: Heb. קָבָהלּי. [This expression used by Balaam] is stronger than אָרָהלּי [used by Balak in verse 6], for it specifies and details [the curse]- [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9]   קבה לי: ×–ו קשה מארה לי, שהוא נוקב ומפרש:
and drive it out: of the world. Balak said only, “and I will drive him out of the land” (verse 6). [His intention was:] I want only to get them away from me, but Balaam hated them more than did Balak. — [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 5, Num. Rabbah 20:9]   וגרשתיו: ×ž×Ÿ העולם. ובלק לא אמר אלא ואגרשנו מן הארץ, איני מבקש אלא להסיעם מעלי, ובלעם ×”×™×” שונאם יותר מבלק:
12God said to Balaam, "You shall not go with them! You shall not curse the people because they are blessed."   יבוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם לֹ֥א תֵלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּהֶ֑ם לֹ֤א תָאֹר֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם ×›Ö´Ö¼Ö¥×™ בָר֖וּךְ הֽוּא:
You shall not go with them: He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them in my place.” He replied to him, “You shall not curse the people.” He said, “If so, I will bless them.” He replied, “They do not need your blessing, ‘for they are blessed.’ ” As the saying goes, “We say to the wasp (Other editions: the bee), ‘Neither your honey, nor your sting.’ ” - [Mid. Tanchuma Balak 6, Num. Rabbah 20:10]   לא תלך עמהם: ××ž×¨ לו אם כן אקללם במקומי. אמר לו לא תאור את העם. אמר לו אם כן אברכם. אמר לו אינם צריכין לברכתך, ×›×™ ברוך הוא. משל אומרים לצרעה לא מדובשיך ולא מעוקציך: