ויקר אלהים אל בלעם. מקשים העולם מדוע בא הקב"ה לקראת בלעם ולא בא לקראת משה רע"ה אלא קורהו כדכתיב ויקרא אל משה. י"ל שזה משל למלך שיושב בפלטרין שלו בא מצורע אחד וקורא בשער שרוצה לדבר עם המלך באו והגידו למלך אמר המלך אל תניחוהו ליכנס פן יטנף הפלטרין שלי אך אלך לדבר עמו חוץ וכשאוהבו רוצה לדבר עמו אינו זז ממקומו ומניחו לבוא תוך חדריו ומדבר עמו: ויקר אלהים אל בלעם, “G–d met with Bileam.” [This verb does not occur in connection with any other prophet, proving that he was not really a prophet. Ed.] All the scholars wonder why apparently G–d came towards Bileam, when He had never done so to Moses? He called to the latter to come towards Him, as we read repeatedly: ויקרא אל משה, “He called out to Moses!” Some commentators understand the description of the relationship between G–d and Bileam as comparable to a King who sits in his palace and is suddenly visited by a person displaying symptoms of the dreaded disease tzoraat. He calls out at the gate that he desires an interview with the King. When his servants tell the king about this, the king tells them not to admit him to the palace lest he infects the palace with his disease. However, the king declared himself willing to grant the stricken person an audience outside the palace. Although the person concerned wants to speak with him, he does not move from the spot, so that the king relents and admits him to his palace after all.