ויפתח ה'. אחז"ל שי' דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות ולפי דעתי שהטעם שגזר השם לחדש באותות האלה שהם חוץ לתולדות ויאמר הגאון כי לא דברה האתון ורב שמואל בן חפני תפסו ורב שמואל הספרדי בעל השירים חשב להציל הנתפס ודע כי אנשי שקול הדעת הוצרכו להוציא הדברים ממשמעם כי אמדו שהשם לא יחדש אות בעולם לשנות המנהג שברא רק להצדיק נביאו ולא אמרו אמת כי הנה חנניה מישאל ועזריה נעשה להם אות ולא היו נביאים ויש מהם אומרים כי בלעם נביא היה והאמת כי נבואתו היתה בעבור כבוד ישראל כי קוסם היה וכן קראו הכתוב ויש אומרים כי היה יודע דעת עליונים לקבל כחם למטה בצורות וזה טעם ואשר תאור יואר והנכון בעיני כי היה יודע מזלות ובעת ראותו במזל של שום אדם שהגיע עת רעתו היה מקלל אותו ובבא הרעה אל המקולל יחשבו הרואים והשומעים הנמצאים כי בעבור קללתו באה הרעה והעד שדבר במרמה עם שרי בלק וזה טעם לא אוכל לעבור את פי ה' אלהי כי אין יכולת בנוצר לשנות מעשה היוצר או גזרתו והסוד כי החלק לא ישנה החלק רק גזירות הכל תשנה גזירת החלק ולא אוכל לגלות זה הסוד כי עמוק הוא והישר כי האתון דברה ואם תבין סוד מלאכי אברהם גם יעקב אז תבין האמת: AND THE LORD OPENED THE MOUTH OF THE ASS. The rabbis, of blessed memory, said that ten things were created on Sabbath eve at twilight.72Among them the mouth of Balaam’s ass. See Abot 5:6. I believe that this means that God specifically decreed the creation of these miraculous phenomena,73Mentioned in Abot 5:6. for they are beyond the laws of nature.74In other words, these miraculous phenomena, one of which was the mouth of Balaam’s ass, were not actually created on Sabbath eve at twilight. God decreed that they come into being at their proper time. Maimonides makes a similar point in his commentary on Abot 5:6. The Gaon75Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. says that the ass did not speak. Rabbi Samuel the son of Hofni attacked the Gaon.76For saying this. However, Rabbi Samuel the Spanish poet tried to save the one who was attacked.77Rabbi Samuel the Spanish tried to defend Rabbi Saadiah Gaon. Note, the rationalists had a need for a non-literal interpretation of our text, for they said that God would not create signs in the world to change the laws which he created.78The rationalists argue that God would not change the laws of nature. He would do so only to justify his prophet.79The rationalists argue that God would only change the laws of nature to prove that what a prophet said was true. This was not the case with Balaam’s ass. However, they did not speak the truth, for, look, a miracle was done for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were not prophets.80They were saved from a fiery furnace. See Dan. 2. Some of them81The rationalists. say that Balaam was a prophet.82Hence God suspended the laws of nature for him. However, the truth is that his prophecy83God’s appearance to Balaam. was because of Israel’s glory, for Balaam was a diviner. Indeed, this is how Scripture refers to him.84Balaam…the soothsayer (Josh. 13:22). Some say that Balaam knew the mind of the heavenly beings and was able to channel them by images that he made.85Balaam made images which had the power to manipulate the heavenly powers. This is the meaning of and he whom thou cursest is cursed (v. 6). However, it appears to me that Balaam was an astrologer. When Balaam saw in the star of a given person that an evil time had befallen him, he would curse him. When evil befell the one whom he cursed, then those who witnessed and heard the imprecation thought that the evil came because of Balaam’s curse. The fact that Balaam spoke with guile to the lords of Balak is proof of this.86First he told them that he couldn’t curse Israel. Then he hinted that he could. The meaning of I can not go beyond the word of the Lord my God (v. 18) is, it is not in the hand of any created being to change a deed or a decree of God. The secret is, the part87A human being. A human being is part of creation. can not change a part.88Any of the laws of nature. It is only the decree of the All89God. which can change the decree of the part.90Of nature. I cannot reveal this secret for it is very deep. The correct interpretation is, the ass spoke. If you understand the secret of the angels of Abraham91The angels that appeared to Abraham at Elon Moreh took the form of people. See Gen. 18:1,2. and of Jacob,92The angel that appeared to Jacob at Jabok had the form of a human. See Gen. 32:2; Gen. 32:25-31 then you will understand the truth.93The angel that appeared to Balaam took the form of a man.
וטעם במקל. כי בתחלה ובשנית הכה אותה בעץ או בעור: [WITH HIS STAFF.] Scripture states this because Balaam first hit her with a small piece of wood or with a strap.
רגלים. פירשתיו: TIMES. I have already explained the meaning of the term regalim (times).94It means times. See I.E.’s short commentary on Ex. 23:14. The word regel means a foot. Hence I.E.’s comment.