פרשת בלק תש"ו - חטאו של בלעם

And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him: ‘If the men are come to call thee, rise up, go with them; but only the word which I speak unto thee, that shalt thou do.’

And God’s anger was kindled because he went; and the angel of the LORD placed himself in the way for an adversary against him.—Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.—

כי הולך הוא, willingly; he was desirous of cursing the Jewish people even though he knew that this was not what G’d wanted.

If the men have come to call you. It seems correct to explain the matter as follows: At the beginning Hashem prevented Bil'am so that he should not curse the Jewish People for they are blessed. Why, then, should he go with them since he will not curse them and they did not need him for any other purpose? This is what Hashem said to him (v. 12), Do not go with them! You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Bil'am certainly informed them of Hashem's response. Afterwards, Balak sent emissaries to him a second time because he did not believe the response. Rather, he honored Bil'am even more with dignitaries who were greater in number and of higher rank, and he promised to increase his honor and reward. Bil'am responded that the matter does not depend on money or on his willingness. Rather, everything is in Hashem's hands. Bil'am then asked Hashem again what He shall command him, which was acceptable of him to do so. For what did Bil'am know of Hashem's intentions? It is always good to seek counsel from Hashem, as He guides [even] sinners along the [proper] path. Hashem could certainly inform him what to respond to the emissaries, or He could tell Bil'am a prediction for the future. And behold, Hashem said to Bil'am, I have already make known to you that you shall not be able to curse the people, for they are blessed. But now that they have returned to you, if the men have come only to call you. In other words, if they desire that you go with them on condition that you do not curse the people, as I informed you from the beginning, arise and go with them. However, whatever I will say to you, you will do — even if I shall command you to bless the people, you will do so with no fear of Balak. This is the meaning of, if the men have come to call you. This was Hashem's intention from the beginning, that Bil'am should go with the emissaries after he informed them that he will not curse the people and that he will conduct himself only as Hashem commands him, for Hashem's desire is that Israel should receive a blessing from the prophet of the Nations. It was incumbent upon Bil'am to relate this to Balak's dignitaries and say to them, Behold, Hashem has permitted me only to answer your call — but on condition that I shall not curse the people, and also on condition that if Hashem shall command me to bless them that I shall do so. If you are not satisfied with this, then leave me. For Balak had said a second time, if you would just please come and curse this people for me” (v. 17). He did not want Bil'am to predict the future or any purpose except to curse the people. Bil'am, due to his great desire to go with them, did not inform them of this; he said nothing to them. Instead, Bil’am arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moavite dignitaries (v. 21). Therefore, Hashem showed anger because he went (v. 22). If Bil'am would have informed them, he would not have gone. Furthermore, Bil'am besmirched the name of Hashem by going with them because, in going with them under the impression that Hashem had given approval, the emissaries thought that Hashem had granted permission to curse the people and that He retracted what He said at first, You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” (v. 12), as Bil'am had said to them. When the emissaries saw yet again that Bil'am would not curse them, they thought that afterwards Hashem would change His mind again, or that He was teasing them as a person might do, and Heaven forbid to think that Hashem acts in such a way; Hashem is eternally the God of Israel.

If the men have come to call you. It seems correct to explain the matter as follows: At the beginning Hashem prevented Bil'am so that he should not curse the Jewish People for they are blessed. Why, then, should he go with them since he will not curse them and they did not need him for any other purpose? This is what Hashem said to him (v. 12), Do not go with them! You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed.” Bil'am certainly informed them of Hashem's response. Afterwards, Balak sent emissaries to him a second time because he did not believe the response. Rather, he honored Bil'am even more with dignitaries who were greater in number and of higher rank, and he promised to increase his honor and reward. Bil'am responded that the matter does not depend on money or on his willingness. Rather, everything is in Hashem's hands. Bil'am then asked Hashem again what He shall command him, which was acceptable of him to do so. For what did Bil'am know of Hashem's intentions? It is always good to seek counsel from Hashem, as He guides [even] sinners along the [proper] path. Hashem could certainly inform him what to respond to the emissaries, or He could tell Bil'am a prediction for the future. And behold, Hashem said to Bil'am, I have already make known to you that you shall not be able to curse the people, for they are blessed. But now that they have returned to you, if the men have come only to call you. In other words, if they desire that you go with them on condition that you do not curse the people, as I informed you from the beginning, arise and go with them. However, whatever I will say to you, you will do — even if I shall command you to bless the people, you will do so with no fear of Balak. This is the meaning of, if the men have come to call you. This was Hashem's intention from the beginning, that Bil'am should go with the emissaries after he informed them that he will not curse the people and that he will conduct himself only as Hashem commands him, for Hashem's desire is that Israel should receive a blessing from the prophet of the Nations. It was incumbent upon Bil'am to relate this to Balak's dignitaries and say to them, Behold, Hashem has permitted me only to answer your call — but on condition that I shall not curse the people, and also on condition that if Hashem shall command me to bless them that I shall do so. If you are not satisfied with this, then leave me. For Balak had said a second time, if you would just please come and curse this people for me” (v. 17). He did not want Bil'am to predict the future or any purpose except to curse the people. Bil'am, due to his great desire to go with them, did not inform them of this; he said nothing to them. Instead, Bil’am arose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the Moavite dignitaries (v. 21). Therefore, Hashem showed anger because he went (v. 22). If Bil'am would have informed them, he would not have gone. Furthermore, Bil'am besmirched the name of Hashem by going with them because, in going with them under the impression that Hashem had given approval, the emissaries thought that Hashem had granted permission to curse the people and that He retracted what He said at first, You shall not curse the people, for they are blessed” (v. 12), as Bil'am had said to them. When the emissaries saw yet again that Bil'am would not curse them, they thought that afterwards Hashem would change His mind again, or that He was teasing them as a person might do, and Heaven forbid to think that Hashem acts in such a way; Hashem is eternally the God of Israel.

אם לקרוא לך באו האנשים, if they only came in order to get your advice, as in Numbers 1,16 where such people who give advice are described as קרואי העדה, or in Samuel I 28,15 where a similar expression is used for advisors;

go ahead and accompany them in order to prevent them from sinning.

כי הולך הוא, that his purpose in accompanying them was not to lead others as in Kings II 4,30 where Gechazi followed the dead boy’s mother to be shown the way, etc. Bileam, on the other hand, went as if he had his own agenda, attempting to foil the will of the Lord. The delegates had not come to ask for his advice at all.

לשטן לו, to obstruct him. The subject matter known as שטנה, always involves an activity contrary to someone else’s activity. We find an example of this expression in this sense in Genesis 26,21 where the Philistines foiled the attempt of Yitzchak’s servants to use the water from the well they had dug. In this instance the angel had come to oppose Bileam seeing his journey contravened G’d’s will. He was afraid that Bileam would do his usual and not be content to await a propitious moment, so that he would become guilty of death. G’d wanted to spare him such a sin. [if I understand the author correctly, he feels that Bileam’s function as a “prophet”, i.e. pronouncing curses, when exploited at times when doom threatened his potential victims anyway, would not be construed as sinful by G’d. Ed.]