BALAK 5782 Beth Sholom Torah Study

(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 whomever you bless is blessed indeed, and whomever 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 ה׳ may instruct me.” So the Moabite dignitaries stayed with Balaam.

(9) God came to Balaam and said, “What do these men 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 ה׳ 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 my God ה׳.(19) So you, too, stay here overnight, and let me find out what else ה׳ may say to me.”(20) That night God came to Balaam and said to him, “If the agents have come to invite you, you may go with them. But whatever I command you, that you shall do.”

(35) But the messenger of ה׳ 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.

(1) Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here and have seven bulls and seven rams ready here for me.”(2) Balak did as Balaam directed; and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.(3) Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings while I am gone. Perhaps ה׳ will grant me a manifestation, and whatever is revealed to me I will tell you.” And he went off alone.

(4) God became manifest to Balaam, who stated, “I have set up the seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.”(5) And ה׳ put a word in Balaam’s mouth and said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”(6) So he returned to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and all the Moabite dignitaries with him.

(11) Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? Here I brought you to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them!”(12) He replied, “I can only repeat faithfully what ה׳ puts in my mouth.”

(13) Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you can see them—you will see only a portion of them; you will not see all of them—and damn them for me from there.”(14) With that, he took him to Sedehzophim, on the summit of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.

(15) And [Balaam] said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings, while I seek a manifestation yonder.”(16) ה׳ became manifest to Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”(17) He went to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and the Moabite dignitaries with him. Balak asked him, “What did ה׳ say?”

(25) Thereupon Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”(26) In reply, Balaam said to Balak, “But I told you: Whatever ה׳ says, that I must do.”

(27) Then Balak said to Balaam, “Come now, I will take you to another place. Perhaps God will deem it right that you damn them for me there.”(28) Balak took Balaam to the peak of Peor, which overlooks the wasteland. (29) Balaam said to Balak, “Build me here seven altars, and have seven bulls and seven rams ready for me here.”(30) Balak did as Balaam said: he offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.

(1) Now Balaam, seeing that it pleased ה׳ to bless Israel, did not, as on previous occasions, go in search of omens, but turned his face toward the wilderness.(2) As Balaam looked up and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the spirit of God came upon him.

(3) Taking up his theme, he said:
Word of Balaam son of Beor,
Word of the man whose eye is true, (4) Word of one who hears God’s speech,
Who beholds visions from the Almighty,
Prostrate, but with eyes unveiled:(5) How fair are your tents, O Jacob,
Your dwellings, O Israel!

(10) Enraged at Balaam, Balak struck his hands together. “I called you,” Balak said to Balaam, “to damn my enemies, and instead you have blessed them these three times!(11) Back with you at once to your own place! I was going to reward you richly, but ה׳ has denied you the reward.”

(12) Balaam replied to Balak, “But I even told the messengers you sent to me,(13) ‘Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not of my own accord do anything good or bad contrary to ה׳’s command. What ה׳ says, that I must say.’

(14) And now, as I go back to my people, let me inform you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”(15) He took up his theme, and said:
Word of Balaam son of Beor,
Word of the man whose eye is true,

(25) Then Balaam set out on his journey back home; and Balak also went his way.

(4) No Ammonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of ה׳; no descendants of such, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of ה׳,(5) because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-naharaim, to curse you.—(6) But your God ה׳ refused to heed Balaam; instead, your God ה׳ turned the curse into a blessing for you, for your God ה׳ loves you.—(7) You shall never concern yourself with their welfare or benefit as long as you live.(8) You shall not abhor an Edomite, for such is your kin. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in that land.

(9) Thereupon Balak son of Zippor, the king of Moab, made ready to attack Israel. He sent for Balaam son of Beor to curse you,(10) but I refused to listen to Balaam; he had to bless you, and thus I saved you from him.

(4) In fact,
I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
I redeemed you from the house of bondage,
And I sent before you
Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.(5) “My people,
Remember what Balak king of Moab
Plotted against you,
And how Balaam son of Beor
Responded to him.
[Recall your passage]
From Shittim to Gilgal—
And you will recognize
The gracious acts of the LORD.”

(1) At that time they read to the people from the Book of Moses, and it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever enter the congregation of God,(2) since they did not meet Israel with bread and water, and hired Balaam against them to curse them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

13:(19) Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit and a moderate appetite he is of the disciples of Abraham, our father. An evil eye, a haughty spirit and a limitless appetite he is of the disciples of Balaam, the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Abraham, our father, and the disciples of Balaam, the wicked? The disciples of Abraham, our father, enjoy this world, and inherit the world to come, as it is said: “I will endow those who love me with substance, I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8:21). But the disciples of Balaam, the wicked, inherit gehinnom, and descend into the nethermost pit, as it is said: “For you, O God, will bring them down to the nethermost pit those murderous and treacherous men; they shall not live out half their days; but I trust in You” (Psalms 55:24).

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: A person should always engage in Torah study and performance of a mitzva even if he does not do so for their own sake, as through engaging in them not for their own sake, he will ultimately come to engage in them for their own sake. Proof for this can be cited from the example of Balak, as in reward for the forty-two offerings that Balak sacrificed, even though he sacrificed them to facilitate the destruction of the Jewish people, he was privileged and Ruth descended from him. Rabbi Yosei bar Huna says: Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, son of the son of Balak, king of Moab.

§ With regard to the verse: “And the Lord placed a matter in Balaam’s mouth” (Numbers 23:5), Rabbi Elazar says: It was an angel that spoke from his mouth. Rabbi Yonatan says: It was a hook placed in his mouth to prevent him from saying anything else.

The baraita now considers the authors of the biblical books: And who wrote the books of the Bible? Moses wrote his own book, i.e., the Torah, and the portion of Balaam in the Torah, and the book of Job. Joshua wrote his own book and eight verses in the Torah, which describe the death of Moses. Samuel wrote his own book, the book of Judges, and the book of Ruth. David wrote the book of Psalms by means of ten elders of previous generations, assembling a collection that included compositions of others along with his own. He included psalms authored by Adam the first man, by Melchizedek king of Salem, and by Abraham, and by Moses, and by Heman, and by Jeduthun, and by Asaph,