בלק, שישי

וקבתו לי. אֵין זֶה לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי כְּמוֹ וְקָבְנוֹ, אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן עָתִיד — אוּלַי יִישַׁר בְּעֵינָיו וְתִקָּבֶנּוּ לִי מִשָּׁם, מלדי"רש בְּלַעַז:

And you will curse them for me. This is not a command, like “curse them,” but the future tense. “Perhaps it will be proper in His eyes, and you will curse them for me, from there.” “Malduras lui” (you will curse them), in Old French.

ראש הפעור. קוֹסֵם גָּדוֹל הָיָה בָלָק וְרָאָה שֶׁהֵן עֲתִידִין לִלְקוֹת עַל יְדֵי פְעוֹר, וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ בַּמֶּה, אָמַר שֶׁמָּא הַקְּלָלָה תָחוּל עֲלֵיהֶם מִשָּׁם וְכֵן כָּל הַחוֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים רוֹאִים וְאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מָה רוֹאִים (סוטה י"ב):

To the peak of Pe’or. Balak was a great sorcerer, and he saw that they were destined to be smitten through Pe’or, but he didn’t know in what way. He said, “Perhaps the curse will descend on them from there.” It is similar with all the star gazers — they see, but do not know what they see.

וירא בלעם כי טוב וגו'. אָמַר אֵינִי צָרִיךְ לִבְדֹּק עוֹד בְּהַקָּבָּ"ה, כִּי לֹא יַחְפֹּץ לְקַלְּלָם:

Bil’am saw that it was favorable, etc. He said, “it is no longer necessary for me to test the Holy One, Blessed is He, for He will never want to curse them.

לא הלך כפעם בפעם. כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים:

He did not approach, as at each time. As he had done twice.

לקראת נחשים. לְנַחֵשׁ אוּלַי יִקָּרֶה ה' לִקְרָתוֹ כִּרְצוֹנוֹ, אָמַר רוֹצֶה וְלֹא רוֹצֶה לְקַלְּלָם, אַזְכִּיר עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם, וְהַקְּלָלָה עַל הַזְכָּרַת עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם תָּחוּל:

Towards sorcery. To divine whether God would perhaps chance to appear to him as he wished. He said, “Whether or not He wants to curse them, I will mention their sins, so that the curse will descend with the mention of their sins.”

וישת אל המדבר פניו. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:

He set his face toward the wilderness. As Targum [Onkelos] renders.

וישא בלעם את עיניו. בִּקֵּשׁ לְהַכְנִיס בָּהֶם עַיִן רָעָה, וַהֲרֵי יֵשׁ לְךָ שָׁלֹשׁ מִדּוֹתָיו — עַיִן רָעָה וְרוּחַ גְּבוֹהָה וְנֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה הָאֲמוּרִים לְמַעְלָה:

Bil’am raised his eyes. He strove to induce the evil eye in them. Here you have his three characteristics, the evil eye, false vanity, and greed, as stated above.

שכן לשבטיו. רָאָה כָל שֵׁבֶט וְשֵׁבֶט שׁוֹכֵן לְעַצְמוֹ וְאֵינָן מְעֹרָבִין, רָאָה שֶׁאֵין פִּתְחֵיהֶם מְכֻוָּנִין זֶה כְנֶגֶד זֶה, שֶׁלֹּא יָצִיץ לְתוֹךְ אֹהֶל חֲבֵרוֹ:

Encamped according to its tribes. He saw each tribe dwelling by itself, without mingling. He saw that their entrances did not face each other, so that one should not look into his neighbor’s tent.

ותהי עליו רוח אלהים. עָלָה בְלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יְקַלְּלֵם:

And the spirit of God rested upon him. It occurred to him not to curse them.

בנו בער. כְּמוֹ "לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם" (תהלים קי"ד); וּמִ"אַ שְׁנֵיהֶם הָיוּ גְדוֹלִים מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, בָּלָק בְּנוֹ צִפּוֹר — אָבִיו בְּנוֹ הוּא בְמַלְכוּת, וּבִלְעָם גָּדוֹל מֵאָבִיו בִּנְבִיאוּת — מָנֶה בֶן פְּרָס הָיָה (סנהדרין ק"ה; תנחומא):

The son of (lit. his son was) Be’or. Like לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם, “into a spring of water.” According to Midrash Aggadah: Both were greater than their forefathers; “Balak, his son Tzipor” — his father was his son in royalty, and Bil’am was greater than his father in prophecy, he was a coin, the son of half a coin.

שתם העין. עֵינוֹ נְקוּרָה וּמוּצֵאת לַחוּץ וְחֹר שֶׁלָּהּ נִרְאֶה פָתוּחַ, וּלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה הוּא, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִשְׁתֹּם וְיִסְתֹּם וְיִגֹּב (עבודה זרה ס"ט); וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ, לְפִי שֶׁאָמַר וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל — שֶׁהַקָּבָּ"ה יוֹשֵׁב וּמוֹנֶה רְבִיעוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָתַי תָּבֹא טִפָּה שֶׁנּוֹלַד הַצַּדִּיק מִמֶּנּוּ, אָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ, מִי שֶׁהוּא קָדוֹשׁ וּמְשָׁרְתָיו קְדוֹשִׁים יִסְתַּכֵּל בִּדְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ? וְעַל דָּבָר זֶה נִסְמַת עֵינוֹ שֶׁל בִּלְעָם (נדה ל"א); וְיֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים שתם העין — פְּתוּחַ הָעַיִן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס, וְעַל שֶׁאָמַר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן וְלֹא אָמַר שְׁתוּם הָעֵינַיִם, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁסּוּמָא בְאַחַת מֵעֵינָיו הָיָה (סנהדרין ק"ה):

Of the open-socketed eye. His eye had been put out and removed, and its socket appeared open. The word [שְׁתֻם] is in the Mishnah; ”enough for it to have been opened, sealed, and dried.” The Rabbis remark, because he said, “He counts the seed of Yisroel” — that the Holy One, Blessed is He, sits and counts the seed of the Israelites, awaiting the drop from which a saint will be born, he thought, “the One who is Holy, and whose ministering angels are holy, looks at these things”? For this, Bil’am’s eye was blinded. However, some interpret שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן as “of the open eye,” as Targum [Onkelos] renders. And since he said “of the open eye,” but did not say “of the open eyes,” we learn that he was blind in one of his eyes.

נפל וגלוי עינים. פְּשׁוּטוֹ כְתַרְגּוּמוֹ — שֶׁאֵין נִרְאֶה עָלָיו אֶלָּא בַּלַּיְלָה כְּשֶׁהוּא שׁוֹכֵב; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ: כְּשֶׁהָיָה נִגְלֶה עָלָיו לֹא הָיָה בוֹ כֹּחַ לַעֲמֹד עַל רַגְלָיו וְנוֹפֵל עַל פָּנָיו, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה עָרֵל, וּמָאוּס לִהְיוֹת נִגְלֶה עָלָיו בְּקוֹמָה זְקוּפָה לְפָנָיו:

Fallen, with opened eyes. The plain interpretation is like Targum [Onkelos], that He (God) did not reveal Himself to him except at night, when he was lying down. According to Midrash, when He revealed Himself to him, he did not have the strength to stand on his feet, but fell to his face, because he was uncircumcised, and it was disgusting to be revealed to him when he stood upright before Him.

מה טבו אהליך. עַל שֶׁרָאָה פִתְחֵיהֶם שֶׁאֵינָן מְכֻוָּנִין זֶה מוּל זֶה:

How goodly are your tents. Because he saw that their entrances were not facing each other.

משכנתיך. חֲנִיּוֹתֶיךָ, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ; דָּבָר אַחֵר, מה טבו אהליך — מַה טֹּבוּ אֹהֶל שִׁילֹה וּבֵית עוֹלָמִים בְּיִשּׁוּבָן, שֶׁמַּקְרִיבִין בָּהֶן קָרְבָּנוֹת לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:

Your dwelling places. Your camps, as Targum [Onkelos] renders. Another interpretation of how goodly are your tents: How goodly is the tent of Shiloh and the Eternal Temple when they are inhabited, for sacrifices are offered in them to bring you forgiveness.

משכנתיך. אַף כְּשֶׁהֵן חֲרֵבִין, לְפִי שֶׁהֵן מַשְׁכּוֹן עֲלֵיכֶם, וְחֻרְבָּנָן כַּפָּרָה עַל הַנְּפָשׁוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "כִּלָּה ה' אֶת חֲמָתוֹ" (איכה ד'), וּבַמֶּה כִלָּה? (שם) "וַיַּצֶּת אֵשׁ בְּצִיּוֹן" (תנחומא משפטים):

Your dwelling places. Even when they are desolate, since they are held as security for you, and their desolation brings atonement for your souls, as it is said, “Adonoy expended his fury” — and how did He expend it? “He ignited a fire in Tziyon.”

כנחלים נטיו. שֶׁנֶּאֶרְכוּ וְנִמְשְׁכוּ לִנְטוֹת לְמֵרָחוֹק; אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִבִּרְכוֹתָיו שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע אָנוּ לְמֵדִים מֶה הָיָה בְלִבּוֹ לְקַלְּלָם כְּשֶׁאָמַר לְהָשִׁית אֶל הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו, וּכְשֶׁהָפַךְ הַמָּקוֹם אֶת פִּיו, בֵּרְכָם מֵעֵין אוֹתָם קְלָלוֹת שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לוֹמַר כו', כִּדְאִיתָא בְחֵלֶק (סנהדרין ק"ה ב):

They stretch forth like streams. Which extend and flow, stretching across the distance. The Rabbis remark, ‘from that wicked one’s blessings, we learn how he intended to curse them, when he decided to set his face towards the wilderness. When the Omnipresent overturned [the words of] his mouth, his blessings corresponded with his intended curses, etc.,’ as stated in “Chelek.”

כאהלים. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, לְשׁוֹן "מֹר וַאֲהָלוֹת" (תהלים מ"ה):

Like the aloe trees. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, meaning the same as “myrrh and aloes.”

נטע ה'. בְּגַן עֵדֶן; לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר כאהלים נטע ה' — כַּשָּׁמַיִם הַמְּתוּחִין כְּאֹהֶל:

That Adonoy has planted. In the garden of Eden. Another interpretation of כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע ה', like the heavens stretched taut like a tent [as it is said, “He stretched them taut like a tent to be dwelt in”].

נטע ה'. לְשׁוֹן נְטִיעָה מָצִינוּ בְאֹהָלִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְיִטַּע אָהֳלֵי אַפַּדְנוֹ" (דניאל י"א):

That Adonoy has planted, The expression נְטִיעָה is found with relation to tents, as it is said, “he stretched taut his palatial tents.”

מדליו. מִבְּאֵרוֹתָיו, וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:

From his buckets. From his wells. The explanation is as Targum [Onkelos] interprets.

וזרעו במים רבים. לְשׁוֹן הַצְלָחָה הוּא זֶה — כְּזֶרַע הַזָּרוּעַ עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם:

And his seed will have an abundant flow. This denotes success, like a seed planted near water.

וירם מאגג מלכו. מֶלֶךְ רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁלָּהֶם יִכְבֹּשׁ אֶת אֲגַג מֶלֶךְ עֲמָלֵק:

His king will be greater than Agag. Their first king shall conquer Agag, king of Amalek.

ותנשא מלכתו. שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר, שֶׁיָּבֹא אַחֲרָיו דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה:

And his monarchy shall be uplifted. Yaakov’s [monarchy] more and more, as he (Shaul) shall be followed by Dovid and Shlomo.

אל מוציאו ממצרים. מִי גוֹרֵם לָהֶם הַגְּדֻלָּה הַזֹּאת? אֵל הַמּוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּתֹקֶף וְרוּם שֶׁלּוֹ, יֹאכַל אֶת הַגּוֹיִם שֶׁהֵם צָרָיו:

God Who has brought him out of Egypt. Who gave them this eminence? God, who delivered them from Egypt with his power and exaltedness, shall consume the nations who oppress him.

ועצמתיהם. שֶׁל צָרִים:

Their bones. Of the oppressors.

יגרם. מְנַחֵם פָּתַר בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן שְׁבִירָה, וְכֵן "לֹא גָרְמוּ לַבֹּקֶר" (צפניה ג'), וְכֵן "וְאֶת חֲרָשֶׂיהָ תְּגָרֵמִי" (יחזקאל כ"ג), וַאֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹן עֶצֶם הוּא, שֶׁמְּגָרֵר הַבָּשָׂר בְּשִׁנָּיו מִסָּבִיב, וְהַמֹּחַ שֶׁבִּפְנִים, וּמַעֲמִיד הָעֶצֶם עַל עַרְמִימוּתוֹ:

He shall crush. Menachem interprets this as denoting breaking. Similarly, “[wolves in the evening] who did not break any bones in the morning.” Similarly, “you shall crush its earthen vessels.” I say that the meaning is “bone.” He strips the surrounding flesh with his teeth, and the marrow from inside, leaving the bone exposed.

וחציו ימחץ. אֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם חֶצְיוֹ שֶׁל צָרִים — חֲלֻקָּה שֶׁלָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ (בראשית מ"ט) "בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" — מָרֵי פַּלְגּוּתָא, וְכֵן יִמְחָץ לְשׁוֹן "וּמָחֲצָה וְחָלְפָה רַקָּתוֹ" (שופטים ה') — שֶׁיֶחֱצוּ אֶת אַרְצָם. וְיֵשׁ לִפְתֹּר לְשׁוֹן חִצִּים מַמָּשׁ — חִצָּיו שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה יִמְחַץ בְּדָמָם שֶׁל צָרִים, יִטְבֹּל וְיִצְטַבַּע בְּדָמָם, כְּמוֹ "לְמַעַן תִּמְחַץ רַגְלְךָ בְּדָם" (תהלים ס"ח), וְאֵינוֹ זָז מִלָּשׁוֹן מַכָּה, כְּמוֹ "מָחַצְתִּי" (דברים ל"ב), שֶׁהַצָּבוּעַ בְּדָם נִרְאֶה כְּאִלּוּ מָחוּץ וְנָגוּעַ:

And dip His arrows [in their blood]. Onkelos interprets “the oppressors’ half,” their portion, like בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים, [translated as] מָרֵי פַלְגּוּתָא (meaning portion, or half), יִמְחָץ is similar, meaning the same as “she split [his skull], passing through his forehead” — they shall apportion their land. Also, this may be interpreted as actually denoting arrows. The arrows of the Holy One, Blessed is He, will יִמְחַץ in the blood of the oppressors, He shall dip and stain with their blood, as in, “that your foot may wade through blood” This is not a departure from the connotation of “wound,” as in “I have wounded,” since someone stained with blood appears to have been injured and wounded.

כרע שכב כארי. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ — יִתְיַשְּׁבוּ בְאַרְצָם בְּכֹחַ וּגְבוּרָה:

He crouches and lies like a lion. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, they will settle in their land with strength and power.

ויספק. הִכָּה זוֹ עַל זוֹ:

[He] clapped his hands. He struck one against the other.

לעבר את פי ה'. כָּאן לֹא נֶאֱמַר "אֱלֹהַי" כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה (כ"ב י"ח), לְפִי שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁנִּבְאַשׁ בְּהַקָּבָּ"ה וְנִטְרַד:

Transgress the word of Adonoy. Here “my” God is not stated, as it was originally, for he knew that he was loathed by the Holy One, Blessed is He, and that he had been repudiated.