(1) The Israelites then marched on and encamped in the steppes of Moab, across the Jordan from Jericho. (2) Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites. (3) Moab was alarmed because that people was so numerous. Moab dreaded the Israelites, (4) and Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now this horde will lick clean all that is about us as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” Balak son of Zippor, who was king of Moab at that time, (5) sent messengers to Balaam son of Beor in Pethor, which is by the Euphrates, in the land of his kinsfolk, to invite him, saying, “There is a people that came out of Egypt; it hides the earth from view, and it is settled next to me. (6) Come then, put a curse upon this people for me, since they are too numerous for me; perhaps I can thus defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed indeed, and he whom you curse is cursed.” (7) The elders of Moab and the elders of Midian, versed in divination, set out. They came to Balaam and gave him Balak’s message. (8) He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as the LORD may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam. (9) God came to Balaam and said, “What do these people want of you?” (10) Balaam said to God, “Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent me this message: (11) Here is a people that came out from Egypt and hides the earth from view. Come now and curse them for me; perhaps I can engage them in battle and drive them off.” (12) But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.” (13) Balaam arose in the morning and said to Balak’s dignitaries, “Go back to your own country, for the LORD will not let me go with you.” (14) The Moabite dignitaries left, and they came to Balak and said, “Balaam refused to come with us.” (15) Then Balak sent other dignitaries, more numerous and distinguished than the first. (16) They came to Balaam and said to him, “Thus says Balak son of Zippor: Please do not refuse to come to me. (17) I will reward you richly and I will do anything you ask of me. Only come and damn this people for me.” (18) Balaam replied to Balak’s officials, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not do anything, big or little, contrary to the command of the LORD my God. (19) So you, too, stay here overnight, and let me find out what else the LORD may say to me.” (20) That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If these men have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do.” (21) When he arose in the morning, Balaam saddled his ass and departed with the Moabite dignitaries. (22) But God was incensed at his going; so an angel of the LORD placed himself in his way as an adversary. He was riding on his she-ass, with his two servants alongside, (23) when the ass caught sight of the angel of the LORD standing in the way, with his drawn sword in his hand. The ass swerved from the road and went into the fields; and Balaam beat the ass to turn her back onto the road. (24) The angel of the LORD then stationed himself in a lane between the vineyards, with a fence on either side. (25) The ass, seeing the angel of the LORD, pressed herself against the wall and squeezed Balaam’s foot against the wall; so he beat her again. (26) Once more the angel of the LORD moved forward and stationed himself on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left. (27) When the ass now saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam; and Balaam was furious and beat the ass with his stick. (28) Then the LORD opened the ass’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?” (29) Balaam said to the ass, “You have made a mockery of me! If I had a sword with me, I’d kill you.” (30) The ass said to Balaam, “Look, I am the ass that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.” (31) Then the LORD uncovered Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way, his drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground. (32) The angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you beaten your ass these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious to me. (33) And when the ass saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.” (34) Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, “I erred because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.” (35) But the angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Balaam went on with Balak’s dignitaries. (36) When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, which is on the Arnon border, at its farthest point. (37) Balak said to Balaam, “When I first sent to invite you, why didn’t you come to me? Am I really unable to reward you?” (38) But Balaam said to Balak, “And now that I have come to you, have I the power to speak freely? I can utter only the word that God puts into my mouth.” (39) Balaam went with Balak and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. (40) Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and had them served to Balaam and the dignitaries with him. (41) In the morning Balak took Balaam up to Bamoth-baal. From there he could see a portion of the people.
(ד) השכים אברהם בבקר ולקח את ישמעאל ואת אליעזר ואת יצחק בנו עמו, וחבש את החמור, הוא שרכב עליו אברהם, הוא החמור בן האתון שנבראת בין השמשות, שנ' וישכם אברהם בבקר, הוא החמור שרכב עליו משה בבאו למצרים, שנ' ויקח משה את אשתו ואת בניו וירכיבם על החמור, הוא החמור שעתיד בן דוד לרכוב עליו, שנאמר (זכריה ט, ט) עָנִי וְרֹכֵב עַל חֲמוֹר.
(4) Abraham rose up early in the morning, and he took with him Ishmael, and Eliezer, and Isaac his son, and he saddled the ass. Upon this ass did Abraham ride. This was the ass, the offspring of that ass which was created during the twilight, as it is said, "And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass" (Gen. 22:8). The same ass was also ridden upon by Moses when he came to Egypt, as it is said, "And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon the ass" (Ex. 4:20). This || same ass will be ridden upon in the future by the Son of David, as it is said, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and saved; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt, the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9).
(א) ויפתח ה' את פי האתון. מיום שנבראת הקב"ה פתח את פיה שהיה מסור בפיה, אבל לא היתה רשאה לדבר, כי נסתם פיה עד אותה שעה, שלא נאמר וישם ה' דבר בפיה אלא ויפתח ה', מכאן שהיה הדבר מושם בפיה, ולא היתה חסרה אלא מפתח:
The Holy One opened her mouth from the day when she was created, since [the power of speech] had been given to her mouth [from that time], but she did not have permission to speak. For her mouth had been sealed until this moment, since the text does not say, "The Lord put speech in her mouth," rather, "The Lord opened her mouth." From this we know that speech had been placed in her mouth [from creation], and the only thing lacking was the act of "opening."
But our Rabbis have said98Bamidbar Rabbah 20:12. that the princes of Moab were astonished, because they saw a miracle the like of which had never occurred in the world. And they [also] said98Bamidbar Rabbah 20:12. that as soon as the ass had finished speaking; she died, in order that the nations should not say [about her]: “This is [the ass] that spoke,” and should not make her [an object of] idol-worship. Moreover, the Holy One, blessed be He, was concerned [even] about the honor of the wicked, [and therefore killed the ass so that] people should not say: “This is [the ass] that caused Balaam’s downfall.” All this is possible, [but is] in accordance with a tradition, for Scripture [itself] does not speak about her dying at all, as I have explained.