Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Numbers 24:10/אור החיים על במדבר כ״ד:י׳
אוַיִּחַר אַף וְגוֹ׳ וַיִּסְפֹּק וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרוּשׁ: חָרָה אַפּוֹ וְשִׁכֵּךְ רָגְזוֹ בִּסְפִיקַת כַּפָּיו.
1 ויתר אף בלק..ויספק את כפיו, "Balak became angry… and clapped his hands, etc." He expressed his anger by clapping his hands together.
בבֵּרַכְתָּ בָרֵךְ. פֵּרוּשׁ, בֵּרַכְתָּ בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ קְלָלָה, וְהָרְאָיָה שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ ״מְבָרְכֶיךָ בָרוּךְ וְאֹרְרֶיךָ אָרוּר״, וּלְפִי מַה שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי שֶׁכַּוָּנָתוֹ לְהָרַע, לֹא הִרְגִּישׁ בָּלָק בְּכַוָּנָה זוֹ.
2ברכת ברך, "you have surely blessed." Balak meant that the blessing he heard Bileam pronounce was not the kind that was a curse in disguise. He proved this because Bileam had said that anyone who blesses Israel (in this fashion) was to be blessed himself, etc. Clearly, Balak had not understood the nuances of Bileams's words we have explained as reflecting his evil intent even here.