פרשת בלק תש"ה - שליחותו של בלעם

And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was overcome with dread because of the children of Israel.

And Moav became terrified because of the people [of Israel] because the people of Israel were numerous whereas Moav was a smaller nation. Moav was not among the original [seventy] nations such as the Canaanites, Emorites, and others that were from Noach's sons. Moav became very terrified of the people [of Israel] because they were far more numerous — they multiplied and grew, and were mightier than Moav. And so, Moav detested the Bnei Yisroel because they heard about the great miracles that were performed for them and their forefathers. Moav knew, however, that Bnei Yisroel would not overtake their land because they sent a message to Moav just as they had sent to Sichon (Devorim 2:29): Until I will have crossed the Yardein into the land that Adonoy, our God, is giving us. Alternatively, Moav knew this because they heard Hashem's restriction to Bnei Yisroel not to afflict Moav (v. 9). Therefore, Moav said to the elders of Midian: Even if they do not overtake our land, since they are so numerous they will lick up everything around us, just as the ox laps up the herbs of the field. They will overtake everything around us just as they did to the two Emorite kings, and they will force us to be slave labor.

And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many; and Moab was overcome with dread because of the children of Israel.

וירא בלק ... את כל אשר עשה ישראל לאמרי AND BALAK … SAW ALL THAT ISRAEL HAD DONE TO THE AMORITES — He said to his people: Those two kings (Sihon and Og) on whom we relied (see Rashi on Numbers 21:23) could not resist them; how much less can we do so; on this account (because he said this to his people) ויגר מואב MOAB (the whole people) WAS SORE AFRAID (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 2).

לקרא לו TO CALL HIM — the call was for him, for his benefit; for he (Balak) fixed for him (agreed to pay him) a large sum.

And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying: ‘Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying: ‘Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

בלק בן צפור וגו׳ BALAK THE SON OF ZIPPOR [KING OF MOAB, HAS SENT TO ME] — Although I am of no importance in Your eyes, I am of importance in the eyes of kings (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 5).

וקסמים בידם AND DIVINATIONS WERE IN THEIR HANDS — all kinds of divination, in order that he should not say, “I have not got my tools with me”. — Another explanation is: this omen (קסם) the elders of Midyan took with them: — they said, “If he comes with us this time, there is something substantial in him, but if he puts us off there is no use of him”. — Consequently when he told them, “Stay here tonight”, they said, There is no hope in him”; they left him and went away, as it is said, (v. 8) And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam”, but the princes of Midyan went away (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 5).

וקסמים בידם AND DIVINATIONS WERE IN THEIR HANDS — all kinds of divination, in order that he should not say, “I have not got my tools with me”. — Another explanation is: this omen (קסם) the elders of Midyan took with them: — they said, “If he comes with us this time, there is something substantial in him, but if he puts us off there is no use of him”. — Consequently when he told them, “Stay here tonight”, they said, There is no hope in him”; they left him and went away, as it is said, (v. 8) And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam”, but the princes of Midyan went away (Midrash Tanchuma, Balak 5).

וקסמים בידו, they brought along charms of their own to forestall Bileam saying that he did not have any of these charms handy. We read in Ezekiel 21, 27-28: “in his right hand the קסם, sorcery, indicated Jerusalem, to appoint commanders to urge on to murder. But it was for them as a vain divination, קסם שוא, etc.”

וקסמים בידם, the instruments by means of which to perform sorcery.. Bileam’s specific expertise in such sorcery was to calculate precisely when certain constellations would be favourable to what he planned to achieve. He is described as a sorcerer when his death his reported in Joshua 13,22.

And God said unto Balaam: ‘Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people; for they are blessed.’

And Balaam rose up in the morning, and said unto the princes of Balak: ‘Get you into your land; for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you.’