Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Numbers 22:5/אור החיים על במדבר כ״ב:ה׳
אוַיִּשְׁלַח וְגוֹ׳ אֶל בִּלְעָם וְגוֹ׳. הֻצְרַךְ לְהַזְכִּיר שֵׁם אָבִיו בֶּן בְּעוֹר, גַּם לְהַזְכִּיר מְקוֹמוֹ פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר וְגוֹ׳ אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹ, לְהוֹדִיעֲךָ הַזְּרִיזוּת שֶׁעָשָׂה בָּלָק הָרָשָׁע בִּשְׁלִיחוּת זֶה כְּדֵי שֶׁיָּבֹא לִידֵי גְּמָר תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד. לָזֶה פֵּרַשׁ לַשְּׁלוּחִים וְאָמַר בֶּן בְּעוֹר לְבַל יִתְחַלֵּף בִּלְעָם בְּבִלְעָם, וּכְדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְעַכְּבוּ לַחְזֹר אַחֲרָיו צִיֵּן לָהֶם מְקוֹמוֹ וְאָמַר פְּתוֹרָה, וְלַחֲשַׁשׁ מָקוֹם אַחֵר שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ פְּתוֹרָה אָמַר עַל הַנָּהָר, וְהוֹדִיעָם עוֹד כִּי הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא הִיא אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹ וְכֻלָּם יָדְעוּ אוֹתוֹ גַּם יָדְעוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָלַךְ בּוֹ, כִּי לִפְעָמִים לֹא יִמָּצֵא הָאִישׁ בְּבֵיתוֹ וְהֵם יוֹדִיעוּם מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָאוּהוּ שָׁם.
1 וישלח מלאכים אל בלעם, He sent messengers to Bileam, etc. The Torah, or rather Balak, specified the name of Bileam's father and his place of residence in order to expedite the mission. He did not want to leave any doubt as to which Bileam he had in mind; similarly, he stated the location where Bileam was to be found so that his messengers would not lose valuable time tracking down the right person. In the event that there was another place called פתורה, he added that the one he had in mind was situated on a great river,אשר על הנהר. He added further that the land in question was his homeland, ארץ בני עמו, a place where everybody knew who Bileam was and that in the event he was not presently at home, surely the people could tell his messengers where Bileam could be found at this time.
בלִקְרֹא לוֹ. נִתְחַכֵּם בִּתְחִלַּת מַאֲמַר הַשְּׁלִיחוּת לוֹמַר, כִּי מַה שֶׁשּׁוֹלֵחַ אַחֲרָיו הוּא לַהֲנָאַת עַצְמוֹ שֶׁל בִּלְעָם, כִּי הוּא רוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמּוֹ טוֹבָה, וְהַכַּוָּנָה בָּזֶה לָרוּץ אַחַר הֲנָאָתוֹ בְּלֹא עִכּוּב.
2לקרא לו, to call him. Balak was astute enough to tell Bileam immediately that what he wanted was something that would be of benefit to Bileam, i.e. לו. He, Balak, wanted to give Bileam a chance to earn a fat fee. He assumed that this would be sufficient incentive to persuade Bileam to come at once.
גהִנֵּה עַם יָצָא וְגוֹ׳. צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת אָמְרוֹ הִנֵּה, גַּם אָמְרוֹ יָצָא, וְכִי לֹא יָדוּעַ הוּא לְכָל הָעוֹלָם שֶׁיָּצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמַה גַּם לְבִלְעָם שֶׁהֻצְרַךְ לְהוֹדִיעוֹ, גַּם אָמְרוֹ הִנֵּה כִסָּה שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר וַיְכַס וְגוֹ׳.
3הנה עם יצא ממצרים, Here there is a people who have come out of Egypt, etc. Why did Balak say הנה "here?" Why did he say that the people "left" Egypt? The whole world knew that the only people who had ever left Egypt were the Israelites. Bileam would certainly have been aware of this. Why did Balak say הנה כסה את עין הארץ, instead of the customary ויכס את עין הארץ?
דוְיִתְבָּאֵר הָעִנְיָן עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שמות רבה א,ט) שֶׁאָמְרוּ שְׁלֹשָׁה יוֹעֲצִים הָיוּ לְפַרְעֹה כְּשֶׁאָמַר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל ״הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ״, וְאֶחָד מֵהֶם הוּא בִּלְעָם, וְהוּא אֲשֶׁר יָעַץ עֲלֵיהֶם רָעָה, וּבִכְשָׁפָיו הֶעֱמִיד כִּשּׁוּף לְבַל יוּכַל עֶבֶד לִבְרֹחַ מִמִּצְרַיִם, וְהָיָה מֻבְטָח כִּי לְעוֹלָם לֹא יֵצֵא עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם. וְלָזֶה שָׁלַח לוֹמַר לוֹ הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, פֵּרוּשׁ הֵפֶךְ הַיָּדוּעַ, וּבִטֵּל כֹּחֵי הַכְּשָׁפִים. וְאֶפְשָׁר כִּי בִּלְעָם הָיָה מַבְטִיחַ אֶת בָּלָק שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִשָּׁם עוֹלָמִית, וְלָזֶה אָמַר לוֹ ״הִנֵּה יָצָא״. וְאָמְרוֹ הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ, נִתְכַּוֵּן גַּם כֵּן נֶגֶד מַה שֶׁיָּעַץ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמוֹעֲצוֹתָיו הָרָעִים לְמַעַן עַנּוֹתוֹ לְמַעֲטָם, גַּם לַהֲרֹג זְכוּרֵיהֶם וּלְשַׁחֵת הַבָּנִים. הִנֵּה הוּא הֵפֶךְ הַדְּבָרִים, שֶׁלֹּא בִּלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא נִתְמַעֵט אֶלָּא אַדְרַבָּא נִתְרַבָּה עַד לִמְאֹד, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ.
4We may understand this in light of Shemot Rabbah 1,9 that when the Pharaoh who enslaved the Israelites and who wanted to "outsmart" the Israelites was on the throne he had three advisors one of whom was Bileam. At that time Bileam had invoked a magic formula which was designed to permanently prevent slaves from escaping from Egypt. Balak now informed Bileam that his magic had been invalidated, that a whole nation of slaves had fled from Egypt. [this was forty years earlier and at least 126 years after Bileam had invoked this magic. Ed.] By saying הנה, Balak suggested that Bileam owed him something seeing it was Bileam's magic the Israelites had managed to invalidate. Perhaps Bileam had previously assured Balak that the Israelites would never leave Egypt. Balak continued with: הנה כסה את עין הארץ to challenge Bileam whose advice had been based on reducing the numbers of the Israelites. By contrast, Balak pointed out, "look at them now!" They cover as much land as the eye can see. Instead of their males having been killed, their fighting men now number so many one cannot even see all of them.
הוְהוּא יֹשֵׁב מִמֻּלִי. נִתְכַּוֵּן בָּזֶה לוֹמַר שֶׁנִּכָּר מִתּוֹךְ מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁמֵּשִׂים פָּנָיו לְמוּלִי לְהוֹרִישֵׁנִי. וְתִמְצָא שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַזַ״ל (במדבר רבה כ,ז) שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מַרְאִים עַצְמָן מְזוּיָּנִים בִּכְלֵי זַיִן נֶגֶד מוֹאָב מִטַּעַם חֲצִיפוּת הָרָשׁוּם בַּשֵּׁם כַּיָּדוּעַ, וּמִזֶּה הִרְגִּישׁ כִּי כַּוָּנָתָם לְהָרַע לָהֶם. וְטַעְמוֹ שֶׁל בָּלָק שֶׁשָּׁלַח דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ בִּשְׁלִיחוּת לְבִלְעָם, לְצַד שֶׁחָשׁ שֶׁיֹּאמַר בִּלְעָם לָמָּה לִי לָלֶכֶת שָׁמָּה וְיָכוֹל אֲנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת הַמַּעֲשִׂים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדִי לַעֲשׂוֹת בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁהָיָה בּוֹ. גַּם חָשַׁשׁ בָּלָק שֶׁיַּרְגִּישׁ בִּלְעָם בִּכְשָׁפָיו לָדַעַת כִּי לֹא יָרֵעוּ וְלֹא יַשְׁחִיתוּ בִּגְבוּל מוֹאָב וְלֹא יִרְצֶה לָבֹא, וּמִשָּׁם יִשְׁלַח לוֹמַר לָהֶם כִּי הָעָם לֹא יָצוּרוּ אוֹתָם וְלֹא יִתְגָּרוּ בָּם. לָזֶה הִקְדִּים בִּתְחִלַּת הַשְּׁלִיחוּת וְאָמַר הִנֵּה עַם וְגוֹ׳ הִנֵּה כִסָּה וְגוֹ׳ לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין לִסְמוֹךְ בְּעִנְיְנֵי עַם זֶה עַל אֲשֶׁר יַגִּידוּ עֲלֵיהֶם הַכְּשָׁפִים שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמַרְתָּ לֹא יֵצֵא וְיָצָא, וְעֵצָה עֲלֵיהֶם גַּם כֵּן לֹא תַּעֲמוֹד כְּמוֹ שֶׁלֹּא עָמְדָה עֲצָתְךָ לְהַמְעִיטָם, שֶׁהִנֵּה כִסָּה וְגוֹ׳, וְלוֹמַר לִי שֶׁלֹּא יִתְגָּרוּ מִלְחָמָה בְּמוֹאָב וְהִנְנִי רוֹאֶה שֶׁהוּא נֶגֶד זֶה, שֶׁהִנֵּה הוּא יוֹשֵׁב מִמּוּלִי, לָזֶה לֹא תִּסְמוֹךְ עַל מַה שֶׁתַּשְׂכִּיל בִּידִיעָתְךָ וּבֹא תָּבֹא.
5והוא ישב ממולי, "and it resides across from me." Balak meant that Israel's general behaviour indicated it meant to disinherit the Moabites. According to Bamidbar Rabbah 20,7 it was the posture of the Israelites which frightened Balak. They appeared to be vctorious as soon as the opened their mouths. Balak mentioned all this in order to counter Bileam's expected response that he could curse them from his residence without bothering himself to travel all the way to Moav. Balak was also afraid that Bileam would become aware by means of his sorcery that the Israelites actually had no intention to harm or destroy the territory of Moav and that as a result of such knowledge he would refuse to come to him but simply reassure him that this people would not harm him. This is why he prefaced his invitation by describing how the people were spread out all over the area around Moav and that one could not rely on what Bileam's magic would tell him about that nation's intentions. The fact is that according to Bileam's magic sources, this people should never have left Egypt, nor should they have increased in numbers. This was reason enough for Bileam to come personally and convince himself of the true state of affairs.