Balak 5724.
Alef.
1.
Reasons for differences:
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במדבר פרק כב
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במדבר פרק כב
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Balak speaks about Israel in general terms; Bila’am speaks about Israel in specific terms, “the nation that left” which of course You, HaShem, Know about since You were Responsible for this.
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(יא) הִנֵּה הָעָם הַיֹּצֵא מִמִּצְרַיִם
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(ה) ...הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם
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Balak
speaks in present tense, i.e., the process is ongoing. Bila’am speaks
in past terms, i.e., they have already completed the act of covering the
land.
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וַיְכַס אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ
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הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ
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While
Balak lives in the area under threat, Bila’am had to be imported in
order to attempt to thwart Israel’s progress, therefore they were not
always immediately in front of the prophet.
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--
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וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב מִמֻּלִי:
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While
Balak expresses that he lacks the confidence that he can defeat Israel
militarily, Bila’am requests Divine Assistance to carry out the mission
that Balak has given him, so that he will be sure to succeed.
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עַתָּה לְכָה קָבָה לִּי אֹתוֹ
“…now, come Curse me them…”
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(ו) וְעַתָּה לְכָה נָּא אָרָה לִּי אֶת הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי עָצוּם הוּא מִמֶּנִּי
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Bila’am
uses stronger language (not just “strike” but “wage war”) revealing
that he believes that the prophet believes himself to be a more potent threat than Balak thinks that Moav’s forces are.
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אוּלַי אוּכַל לְהִלָּחֶם בּוֹ וְגֵרַשְׁתִּיו:
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אוּלַי אוּכַל נַכֶּה בּוֹ וַאֲגָרְשֶׁנּוּ מִן הָאָרֶץ
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While Balak feels confident about Bila’am success, Bila’am is not so sanguine, particularly in light of what HaShem has told him in 22:12, 20.[1]
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--
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כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֵת אֲשֶׁר תְּבָרֵךְ מְבֹרָךְ
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--
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וַאֲשֶׁר תָּאֹר יוּאָר:
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2.
Reasons for differences:
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במדבר כג
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במדבר כב
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Balak’s messengers referred to Israel as a generic people without a
specific history or status. Bila’am himself recognizes that Israel has
special standing with HaShem, and therefore specifically identifies the
people. (The
fact that even the Jews who decided to leave, nevertheless were not
perfect, and continued not to be perfect as they proceeded through the
desert, could be the angle that Bila’am was trying to invoke. When this
fails by virtue of HaShem Turning Bila’am’s curses into blessings,
according to Rabbinic sources, Bila’am resorts to trying to get the Jews
to engage in idolatry.)[2]
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(ז) ...לְכָה אָרָה לִּי יַעֲקֹב וּלְכָה זֹעֲמָה יִשְׂרָאֵל:
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(ה) ... הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ...
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Perhaps Bila’am’s strategy is to relate to Israel as a group of individuals rather than as a collective
entity. Individuals can be associated with their specific shortcomings,
which might be deemphasized when these individuals are part of the
whole.
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(י) מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל...
Who hath counted the dust of Jacob, or numbered the stock of Israel?
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(ו) וְעַתָּה לְכָה נָּא אָרָה לִּי אֶת הָעָם...
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Bila’am
realizes that it is not up to him alone to curse the Jews, as is
implied by Balak. Bila’am will require HaShem’s Acquiescence.
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--
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(יז) ...וּלְכָה נָּא קָבָה לִּי אֵת הָעָם הַזֶּה:
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3.
HaShem Tells Bila’am that he should not curse the Jews since they are Blessed, suggesting that he shouldn’t even consider doing so. Bila’am in turn tells the messengers that while he might be prepared to curse the Jews, it is HaShem Who is Preventing him from doing so.
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במדבר פרק כב
(יג)...לְכוּ אֶל אַרְצְכֶם כִּי מֵאֵן יְקֹוָק לְתִתִּי לַהֲלֹךְ עִמָּכֶם:
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במדבר פרק כב
(יב)... לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם לֹא תָאֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא:
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Beit.
1. I think that the Midrash and Rosenzweig
are addressing the same question, i.e., once HaShem Categorically
Rejects Bila’am request to curse Israel, why does he continue asking,
and why does HaShem at least Appear to modify His Answer?
2.
I believe that the same idea is being presented, just from different
points of view. The Midrash takes the perspective of HaShem. Why does
God Appear to Agree to Bila’am’s request? Since Bila’am seems to be
determined to place himself in a compromised position which will lead to
his punishment, God Gives him “enough rope to hang himself.”
Rosenzweig
looks at it from Bila’am and Balak’s point of view. Why did Balak and
Bila’am think that by asking continually they will eventually get a
different answer? Because they did not believe that God’s Views are
immutable and therefore if one continues to ask, eventually he will get
his way.
3. BaMidbar 22:19
Now
therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know
what the LORD will speak unto me more.' The fact that Bila’am was
willing to make the same request of God, after having already been given
an unqualified answer, suggests that he is hoping that a different
answer will be forthcoming since he wanted to fulfill Balak’s mission.
4.
Perhaps even after the second dream, Bila’am did not realize the danger
that he was in. But once he sees the frightening sight of the angel
that at first only his donkey was able to see, he realized that he is
placing himself in jeopardy.
Gimel.
במדבר פרק כד
(ט) כָּרַע שָׁכַב כַּאֲרִי וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ מְבָרֲכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר:
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? Blessed be every one that blesseth thee, and cursed be every one that curseth thee.
Exodus within Bila’am’s “blessings/curses”:
במדבר פרק כג
(כב ) קל מוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרָיִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לוֹ:
God Who Brought them forth out of Egypt is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox.
Exodus in the context of weights and measures:
ויקרא פרק יט
(לה) לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט בַּמִּדָּה בַּמִּשְׁקָל וּבַמְּשׂוּרָה:
(לו) מֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק אַבְנֵי צֶדֶק אֵיפַת צֶדֶק וְהִין צֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָכֶם אֲנִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:
Exodus in the context of taking interest:
ויקרא פרק כה
(לו) אַל תִּקַּח מֵאִתּוֹ נֶשֶׁךְ וְתַרְבִּית וְיָרֵאתָ מֵאֱלֹקיךָ וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ:
(לז) אֶת כַּסְפְּךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ בְּנֶשֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּית לֹא תִתֵּן אָכְלֶךָ:
(לח) אֲנִי יְקֹוָק אֱלֹקיכֶם אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם לָתֵת לָכֶם אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹקים:
1. RaShI
interprets the Gemora in Berachot as connecting our recitation of Shema
when we lie down and when we arise, with HaShem’s Protection of us when
we lie down and arise. The implication is that the invocation of the
acceptance of Ohl Malchut Shamayim precipitates Divine Protection.
Sephorno
understands the verse as reflecting the intrinsic power of the Jewish
people themselves in the sense of their not being vulnerable to attack
or fearful whenever they are in a recumbent position, i.e., when they
are lying down, they will not be susceptible le to being killed, and
when they are supine no one can intimidate them to move out of the way.
A
further distinction between the two commentaries is whereas RaShI
understands that the verse deals with a single time period. Sephorno
understands two differenct epochs, i.e., the present and the future.
2. In
my opinion, the Tvir under the word “KaAri” effectively cuts the first
phrase off from the second. RaShI’s interpretation would seem to tend
towards joining the two concepts together in the sense that they are the
various times—lying down and getting up—when HaShem’s Hashgacha will
protect the Jewish people. Sephorno’s view that these are differing
qualities of the Jewish people themselves would lend itself more
naturally to the separating quality of the cantillation of the verse.
ט כָּרַ֨ע שָׁכַ֧ב כַּֽאֲרִ֛י וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֣י יְקִימֶ֑נּוּ מְבָֽרְכֶ֣יךָ בָר֔וּךְ וְאֹֽרְרֶ֖יךָ אָרֽוּר׃
4
(יב) וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם לֹא תָאֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא:
(כ) וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹקים אֶל בִּלְעָם לַיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם לִקְרֹא לְךָ בָּאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים קוּם לֵךְ אִתָּם וְאַךְ אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אֹתוֹ תַעֲשֶׂה:
[2] Menachem Leibtag, in a Shiur on Parshat Balak (http://www.tanach.org/
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