Chasidut · Izhbitz
Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Numbers, Balak/מי השלוח·
אוַיַּרְא בָּלָק. הִנֵּה הָעִנְיָן שֶׁנִּכְתַּב פָּרָשָׁה הַזֹּאת בַּתּוֹרָה, מֵחֲמַת "כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם", כִּי בְּכָאן הֶרְאָה הַש"י לְמֹשֶׁה בִּנְבוּאָה מַה שֶּׁבָּלָק חוֹשֵׁב וְאֵיךְ הוּא יָרֵא מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וְכֵן גַּבֵּי רָחָב כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאוּ כִּי נָפַל פַּחְדָּם עַל הָאוּמּוֹת הֵבִינוּ כִּי הַש"י יַנְחִיל לָהֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ.
1“And Balak saw .…” (Bamidbar, 22:1)This Parsha is written in the Torah because “He showed His people the power of His actions to give them the inheritance of the nations” (Tehilim, 111:6). Here God showed Moshe in a prophetic message what Balak was thinking and how he feared Israel. Also concerning Rachav (Joshua, Ch. 2), when Israel saw that fear of them had spread over the nations, they then understood that God is giving them the land as an inheritance.
בוַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל הָאֱלֹקִים בָּלָק בֶּן צִפֹּר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שָׁלַח אֵלָי. לֶהֱיוֹת כִּי בִּלְעָם הָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּמִשְׁתּוֹקֵק שֶׁיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו מֵאֵיזֶה אוּמָּה, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִתְעוֹרֵר בְּלֵב בָּלָק לִשְׁלוֹחַ אֵלָיו, כִּי בִּלְעָם חָשַׁב מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּעוֹד שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגָלוּת מִצְרַיִם לַעֲקֹר אוֹתָם מִן הָעוֹלָם כִּדְאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (שמות רבה פרשה א׳,י"ב) שְׁלֹשָׁה הָיוּ בָּעֵצָה, אַךְ כְּשֶׁרָאָה שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם וְנַעֲשָׂה לָהֶם נִסִּים הָיָה מִתְיָרֵא בְּעַצְמוֹ לְקַלְּלָם וְהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּמְצַפֶּה שֶׁיִּשְׁלְחוּ אֵלָיו מֵאֵיזֶה אוּמָּה, וְאָז יִהְיֶה לוֹ פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לִשְׁאוֹל בַּה׳. וְגַם הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה הוּא פָּסוּק הַתְּשִׁיעִי מֵהַתְחָלַת הַסֵּדֶר וּבְכָל מָקוֹם נִמְצָא בַּפָּסוּק הַתְּשִׁיעִי כַּוָּונָה עֲמֻקָּה מִכְּפִי שֶׁנִּרְאֶה לְעֵין כֹּל עַל פִּי פְּשׁוּטוֹ.
2“And Bilaam said to God, Balak son of Tsippor sent to me.” (Bamidbar, 22:10)Since Bilaam was sitting and longing that some nation would send for him (to curse Israel), thus it arose in the heart of Balak to summon him. Bilaam had entertained desires to uproot Israel even when they were in exile in Egypt, as it is said in the Midrash (Shemot Rabba, Parsha 1:12), “three advised Pharaoh, Bilaam, Job, and Yitro … Bilaam advised him to destroy them.” Yet after he saw them go out of Egypt and God performing miracles for them he feared cursing them by himself, and waited expectantly for a nation to send for him, and that gave him an excuse to ask of God. Also, this is the ninth verse in the Parsha, and every time the ninth verse appears it contains an intention far deeper than it would seem at first glance according to its plain meaning.71, [the sefirah of] Yesod-foundation, and there is something hidden within it. This is as it says in the Holy Zohar [Bereshit, 3a], ‘[because nine is the Hebrew letter tet, the first letter in tov or good] letter tet, your good is closed within you and hidden within you. See below, in Parshat Devarim, “I alone cannot bear you,” in the notes, where the secret of one of the ninth verses is explained.
גכִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל. הִנֵּה עִנְיַן נַחַשׁ הוּא הִתְעַקְּשׁוּת בְּדָבָר מִבְּלִי לְהָסִיר דָּבָר זֶה מִדַּעְתּוֹ, וְקֶסֶם הוּא לְהֵיפֶךְ דְּהַיְנוּ אִם הוּא מְסֻפָּק בְּדָבָר אִם לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹ לֹא, רוֹאֶה אִם יֵלֵךְ לוֹ כַּשּׁוּרָה וְכַסֵּדֶר יַעֲשֶׂה וְאִם לָאו לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה, וְזֶהוּ קֶסֶם הַיְנוּ לִרְאוֹת כְּפִי שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג מֵעַצְמוֹ וּשְׁנֵיהֶם אֲסוּרִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּמְקוֹמָם הָרָאוּי לָהֶם, דְּהַיְנוּ בְּאִם יֵדַע הָאָדָם בְּבֵרוּר אֶת רְצוֹן הַש"י אָסוּר לוֹ לַחֲשׁוֹת בַּדָּבָר וְלַעֲזוֹב הַדָּבָר כְּפִי שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג מֵעַצְמוֹ, רַק צָרִיךְ לְהִתְגַּבֵּר כָּאֲרִי וְלַעֲשׂוֹת בְּתַקּוּפוּת, וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁהָאָדָם מְסֻפָּק בְּדָבָר אָסוּר לִהְיוֹת בְּתֹקֶף, רַק לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן כְּפִי שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג הַדָּבָר בְּעַצְמוֹ בְּלִי דַּעְתּוֹ כְּלָל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא (חולין צ"ה:) רַב בָּדַק בְּמַעְבְּרָא הַיְנוּ שֶׁהַסְּפִינָה בָּאָה לְנֶגְדּוֹ בְּלִי שׁוּם הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתוֹ, מִזֶּה הֵבִין כִּי מֵה' הוּא, וּבִלְתִּי הַסִּימָן הַזֶּה לֹא הָיָה נוֹסֵעַ. וְלָכֵן כְּתִיב בְּיַעֲקֹב נַחַשׁ, כִּי יַעֲקֹב נִקְרָא הָאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וְעוֹד אֵין לִבּוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ אַחַר רְצוֹן הַש"י וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהַנָּבִיא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר בְּקַטְנוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹרְאָם עַל שֵׁם יַעֲקֹב כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (עמוס ז',ב') "מִי יָקוּם יַעֲקֹב כִּי קָטֹן הוּא", וְלָכֵן אָמַר "כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב", בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַנֶּפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְסֻפָּק בְּדָבָר לֹא יֵלֵךְ בְּעַקְשׁוּת כְּלָל, רַק יְסַלֵּק כָּל נְגִיעָה מֵעָלָיו וְיִרְאֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג הַש"י כָּךְ יַעֲשֶׂה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, "וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל" הַיְנוּ מִי שֶׁלִּבּוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ אַחַר רְצוֹן הַש"י בִּשְׁלֵמוּת וּכְשֶׁיִּפּוֹל בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ שׁוּם דָּבָר הִיא רַק מֵרְצוֹן הַש"י שֶׁהִשְׁפִּיעַ לוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ בְּהִתְרַשְּׁלוּת רַק עוֹשֶׂה הַדָּבָר בְּתַקּוּפוּת כִּי בְּאִם לָאו, יַעֲבוֹר ח"ו עַל דַּעַת הַש"י, וּבָזֶה הָיָה בִּלְעָם מְשַׁבֵּחַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מַכִּיר אֶת עֶרְכּוֹ.
3“For there is no divination in Jacob and no magic in Israel, thus in time it will be said to Jacob, what has God wrought?” (Bamidbar, 23:23)Divination (nachash in Hebrew) is stubbornly holding on to something without letting that thing go out of one’s mind. Magic (qesem in Hebrew) is the opposite, that is, when one equivocates over something, whether to do it or not, waiting and seeing if it turns out well, then doing it, and if doesn’t, then not doing it. This is magic,72 as understood here is not related to conjuring or supernaturally manipulating nature. or waiting to see how something will act of its own accord. Both (qesem and nachash) are forbidden when not used in their proper place. This means that at a time when one knows God’s will with clarity, it is forbidden for him to remain silent and let things happen of their own accord, but must rather strengthen himself like a lion and act with strength. In a place where one is uncertain it is forbidden to act with force, but rather to consider how the action may come out of its own accord without his mental input. This is as we find in the Gemara, (Chullin, 95a), “Rav examined a ferryboat,” for when he reached a river the boat just came to him, without any effort of his own. From this he understood that it was from God, and without this sign he would not have traveled.Therefore divination (nachash) is written with Jacob, for Jacob is called a man who is not yet in a state of completeness and whose heart is not yet drawn after God’s will. We find that when the prophet is expressing the smallness of Israel he calls it in the name of Jacob, as in (Amos, 7:2), “how shall Jacob stand for he is small?” Therefore he said that there shall be no nachash in Jacob, for at a time when a soul in Israel is uncertain about something not to act stubbornly, but rather remove all negiot (personal motive, partiality), from himself, and see that however God acts, that is how he will act in the matter. And no qesem in Israel, meaning that for one whose heart is completely drawn after God, whatever thought that falls into his head is only from God’s will and has been (Divinely) bestowed upon him. (Acting upon this thought) would not be irresponsible but should rather be done with force, for if not, he would, God forbid, be acting against the understanding of God. With this Bilaam was praising Israel, for each one recognizes his level.
דכָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל. הַיְינוּ בְּכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע יוֹדֵעַ כָּל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מִקָּטוֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל מַה שֶּׁהַש"י חָפֵץ עַתָּה, וְיָבִינוּ עַל פִּי בִּינַת לְבָבָם שֶׁעַתָּה רְצוֹן הַש"י הוּא כָּךְ, וְלֹא עַל פִּי כְּלָלִים.
4“… thus in its time it will be said to Jacob and Israel, what has God wrought?”This means that at every moment each soul in Israel, from the small to the great, shall know what God wants in the present. Each one shall see God’s will according to his understanding, and not according to the principles (of the Torah).73, “and Israel traveled and camped at Ovot,” for more on this idea.
היִזַּל מַיִם מִדָּלְיָו וְזַרְעוֹ בְּמַיִם רַבִּים. כִּי בִּלְעָם בִּקֵּשׁ לְקַלֵּל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיּוּטְרַד דַּעְתָּם מִטִּרְדוֹת הָאֻמּוֹת וְהַשְׁפָּעוֹתָם עַד שֶׁיִּשָּׁכַח מֵאִתָּם דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּכְמַאֲמַר זוה״ק (במדבר רי"ב.) דְּלָא יִסְגֵּי וְלָא יִרְבֵּי רוּחַ קוֹדֶשׁ, כִּי מַיִם רַבִּים הֵם הָאֻמּוֹת כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שיר השירים ח',ז') "מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת".
5“Water shall drip from his buckets and his seed shall be in great waters .…” (Bamidbar, 24:7)Bilaam asked to curse Israel with a mind distressed from the antagonism of the nations, whose influence would eventually cause them to forget the Torah. As it is said in the Holy Zohar (Parshat Balak, 212a), “his seed in the great waters” means that Israel would be in a place where their prophetic spirit would neither grow nor increase.” “Great waters” means the nations, as it is written (Song of Songs, 8:7), “great waters cannot extinguish [love].”74
ואֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה. כִּי הוּא אָמַר שֶׁעַתָּה אֵין הַש"י מַשְׁגִּיחַ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל רַק לֶעָתִיד יַשְׁגִּיחַ, וְזֶה אֵינוֹ רַק לְפִי תְּפִיסָתוֹ שֶׁרוֹאֶה שֶׁמְּעִיקִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹתֵק. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצִּילֵנוּ מִיָּדָם וּמַשְׁגִּיחַ עָלֵינוּ בְּהַשְׁגָּחָה פְּרָטִיּוּת לְטוֹבָתֵינוּ.
6“I see it, but not now .…” (Bamidbar, 24:17)He said that now God is not watching over Israel, but will only watch over them in the future. Yet this is only according to his understanding, for he sees the oppression of Israel and God’s silence. But in truth (as we find written in the Passover Haggadah), in every generation He saves us from their hands, and watches over us with hashgacha pratit (individual providence), God’s personal involvement in each soul of Israel (ensuring our well-being).
זוְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת. הִנֵּה בִּלְעָם אָמַר שֶׁיְּקַרְקֵר כָּל מַה שֶּׁהָיָה בָּעוֹלָם מִיּוֹם בְּרִיאָתוֹ, כִּי בְּאִם לֹא הָיָה דַּעְתּוֹ רַק לְהַחַיִּים הָיָה דַּי לוֹ לֵאמֹר כָּל בְּנֵי נֹחַ, כִּי כָּל הַחַיִּים בָּעוֹלָם אֵינָם רַק בָּנָיו. אַךְ מַה שֶּׁאָמַר "שֵׁת" הָיָה דַּעְתּוֹ מֵהַתְחָלַת הַבְּרִיאָה אַף אוֹתָן שֶׁאֵינָם עַתָּה בַּחַיִּים, וּמַה שֶּׁאוֹמֵר "בְּנֵי שֵׁת" וְלֹא בְּנֵי אָדָם, כִּי עַל קַיִן וְהֶבֶל לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת, כִּי הֵם נוֹלְדוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַגַּן חוּץ לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבִלְעָם לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת רַק בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.
7“… and destroy all the descendants of Seth.” (Bamidbar, 24:17)Here Bilaam said to destroy everything that was in the world from the day of its creation. If his intention was only for those who were alive, it would have been enough to say “all the descendants of Noah,” for all the life in the world was only from Noah’s offspring. Yet he said “Seth” because his intention including everything from creation, even those who are not now alive. The reason he said “descendants of Seth” and not “descendants of Adam” was because he could not see Cain and Abel, who were born in the garden outside of this world, and Bilaam could only see in this world.
חוַיַּרְא אֶת הַקֵּינִי כוּ׳ וַיֹּאמַר אֵיתָן מוֹשָׁבֶךָ. הַיְינוּ כִּי נֶחְקַק פָּרָשָׁה בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה מֵאִתּוֹ וְדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה הֵם חַיִּים וְקַיָּימִים לָעַד.
8“And he looked on the Kenites, and he took up his parable and said, your dwelling place is strong, and you put your nest [ken] in a rock.” (Bamidbar, 24:21)Meaning that from him a Parsha was carved (as in a rock) in the words of Torah, and the words of Torah are living and enduring forever (“your dwelling place is strong”).
טוְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא וַיַּקְרֵב כוּ׳ הַמִּדְיָנִית כוּ׳. קוֹדֶם הָעֹנֶשׁ נִקְרָא "אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" אֲבָל אַחַר כָּךְ נִקְרָא "אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל", כִּי אָמַר בַּת יִתְרוֹ מִי הִתִּיר לְךָ וְעָשִׂיתָ זֹאת מֵחֲמַת שֶׁרָאִיתָ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, אַף אֲנִי גַּם כֵּן רוֹאֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְעַל זֶה אָמַר הַכָּתוּב "אַל תִּתְהַלֵּל בְּיוֹם מָחָר כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה יֵּלֶד יוֹם" (משלי כ"ז,א'), כִּי אַף שֶׁתִּרְאֶה כִּי לֶעָתִיד יִהְיֶה טוֹב עִם כָּל זֶה לֹא תֵּדַע בַּמֶּה יִנְהַג ה' בַּהוֹוֶה, אֲבָל לְמֹשֶׁה הֵאִיר הַש"י אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג בַּהוֹוֶה עַל כֵּן הָיְתָה מֻתֶּרֶת לוֹ, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד יְבָרֵר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁזֶּה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הָיָה שַׁיָּךְ לוֹ בְּשָׁרְשׁוֹ כִּדְאִיתָא בְּכִתְבֵי הָאֲרִ"י ז״ל [מאמר פסיעותיו של אברהם אבינו], עַל כֵּן יִקָּרֵא אַחַר כָּךְ "אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל".
9“And behold, a man of the children of Israel came and brought close to his brethren a woman of Midian before Moshe and before the whole community of Israel .…” (Bamidbar, 25:6)Before his punishment he was called “a man of the children of Israel” and afterwards he is called “a man of Israel [verse 14].” This man said to Moshe, “who said Yitro’s daughter is permitted to you? You must have seen that she has a portion in the world to come. I too see that the woman of Midian has a portion in the world to come.” On this it is written, “Do not praise tomorrow, for you do not know what the day will bring forth” (Mishlei, 27:1), for even if you see that the future will bring something good you still do not know how God will act at any present given moment. Yet since God shined into Moshe how to act in the present moment, therefore she was permitted to him. And in the future God will make it clear that the soul of this woman of Midian was connected to the root of his soul, as is explained in the writings of the Ari’zal; therefore he is afterwards called “a man of Israel.”75