ויבא אלהים אל בלעם ויאמר מי האנשים האלה עמך (במדבר כב ט). זש"ה משגה ישרים בדרך רע [בשחותו הוא יפול] (משלי כח י), שבתחלה היו הבריות [נוהגות] בכשרות, ובדבריו אלו נפרצו בעריות, שבראשונים [כתיב] ורחל באה עם הצאן (בראשית כט ט), ולכהן מדין שבע בנות (שמות ב טז), עמד בלע הרשע והטעה את הבריות בעריות, וכמו שהטעה הוטעה, בעצה שנתן בה נפל, [היינו דכתיב] בשחותו הוא יפול (משלי שם), והטעהו הקב"ה, שנאמר משגיא לגוים ויאבדם שטח לגוים וינחם (איוב יב כג), שאל לו מי האנשים האלה עמך, אמר אותו רשע איני יודע בהם, אלא בלק בן צפור מלך מואב שלח אלי, הנה העם היוצא ממצרים וגו', להודיע שהוא שונא ישראל יותר מבלק, לפי שבלק לא אמר קבה, אלא ארה (במדבר שם ו), וזה אמר קבה בפירוש, והוא אמר ואגרשנו וגו' (שם), וזה אמר וגרשתיו (שם שם יא), מן העולם הזה ומן העולם הבא. (Numb. 22:9:) THEN GOD CAME UNTO BALAAM AND SAID: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WITH YOU? This text is related (to Prov. 28:10): ONE WHO LEADS THE UPRIGHT ASTRAY ON AN EVIL COURSE [WILL FALL INTO HIS OWN PIT]. Thus at first mortals [behaved] with propriety, but because of his (Balaam's) words, they became unbridled in sexual matters.21Tanh., Numb. 7:5, cont.; Numb. R. 20:9; also Sanh. 106a. Thus of former <generations> [it is written] (in Gen. 29:9): RACHEL CAME WITH THE SHEEP. (Exod. 2:16): NOW THE PRIEST OF MIDIAN HAD SEVEN DAUGHTERS.22I.e., although these seven daughters and Rachel were shepherdesses, they had no fear of being alone among males. Balaam the Wicked arose and led mortals astray into unchastity; but as he led <others> astray, he <himself> was led astray. By the <very> counsel he gave, he <himself> fell. [This is what is written] (in Prov. 28:10): <ONE WHO LEADS THE UPRIGHT ASTRAY ON AN EVIL COURSE> WILL FALL INTO HIS OWN PIT. So the Holy One led him astray, as stated (in Job 12:23): HE EXALTS THE NATIONS AND DESTROYS THEM. HE ENLARGES THE NATIONS AND LEADS THEM AWAY. <When the Holy One> asked him (in Numb. 22:9): WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WITH YOU? That Wicked one said: I know nothing about them, except that (according to vss. 10–11): KING BALAK BEN ZIPPOR OF MOAB SENT <THIS MESSAGE> UNTO ME: BEHOLD THE (sic) PEOPLE HAS COME OUT OF EGYPT …; <COME NOW, CURSE (qavah) THEM FOR ME. PERHAPS I SHALL BE ABLE TO FIGHT AGAINST THEM AND DRIVE THEM AWAY FROM THE LAND>. <This is> to make known that he (Balaam) hated Israel more then Balak, because (in Numb. 22:6) Balak did not say qavah (as Balaam claimed he had said in Numb. 22:11) but arah.23Both words mean “curse,” but the former is worse than the latter, because qavah involves the use of the Divine Name. This one (Balaam), however, explicitly said: CURSE (qavah) (in vs. 11). Moreover, while the former (Balak) said (in Numb. 22:6): AND DRIVE THEM AWAY <FROM THE LAND>, the latter (Balaam) said <simply> (in vs. 11): AND DRIVE THEM OUT <i.e.,> from this world and from the world to come.24While Balak had qualified the driving away of Israel with FROM THE LAND, Balaam did no such thing; therefore, one must assume that Balaam wanted to drive Israel, not only from the land, but even from the world to come.