Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 22:13/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ב:י״ג
אאֶל שָׂרֵי בָלָק – עַל דַּעַת רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ״ב:ז׳) כִּי זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן הָלְכוּ לָהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לָהֶם ״לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה״. וְיִתָּכֵן זֶה, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר הִזְכִּיר לָהֶם ״כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר ה' אֵלָי״ (במדבר כ״ב:ח׳), לֹא רָצוּ לְהַמְתִּין לוֹ, כִּי אָמְרוּ: ״הַשֵּׁם הַזֶּה בְּעֶזְרָתָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא מֵעוֹלָם, הוּא אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעָשָׂה לָהֶם אוֹתוֹת וּמוֹפְתִים״. כִּי זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן חֲכָמִים הָיוּ וְיָדְעוּ כָּל דִּבְרֵי מֹשֶׁה עִם יִתְרוֹ גְּדוֹל אַרְצָם, אֲבָל הַכָּתוּב לֹא הִזְכִּיר זֶה. וְר״א אָמַר (אבן עזרא על במדבר כ״ב:י״ג) כִּי לֹא הִזְכִּירָם בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בָּלָק הוּא הָעִקָּר וְהוּא בַּעַל הַשְּׁלִיחוּת, וְכֵן ״וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב״ (שם), כִּי עִקַּר הַשְּׁלִיחוּת מֵאֲדוֹנֵיהֶם הָיָה. וְהַנָּכוֹן כִּי זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן, וְאוּלַי הֵם הַמְּלָכִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, בָּאוּ מֵאַרְצָם אֶל בָּלָק לְהִתְיָעֵץ בְּעִנְיַן יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָקְחוּ כֻּלָּם עֵצָה לִשְׁלֹחַ לְבִלְעָם. וְהִנֵּה שָׁלַח בָּלָק הַשָּׂרִים שֶׁלּוֹ, שׁוֹפְטָיו וַחֲכָמָיו, וְהָלְכוּ עִם זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן לְאֶרֶץ מִדְיָן, כִּי מִשָּׁם הָיָה דַּרְכָּם אֶל עִיר בִּלְעָם, וְנִשְׁאֲרוּ זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן בְּעִירָם, וְהָלְכוּ שָׂרֵי בָּלָק שֶׁהֵם הַשְּׁלוּחִים לְבַדָּם עַד אֲרָם. וְזֶה טַעַם ״וַיֵּלְכוּ זִקְנֵי מוֹאָב וְזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן״, כִּי הָלְכוּ מִלִּפְנֵי בָּלָק כֻּלָּם עַד מִדְיָן, ״וּקְסָמִים בְּיָדָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל בִּלְעָם״ - שָׁב לְזִקְנֵי מוֹאָב, שֶׁבָּהֶם אָמַר ״וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים״ (במדבר כ״ב:ה׳), לֹא לְזִקְנֵי מִדְיָן:
1[AND BALAAM ROSE UP IN THE MORNING, AND SAID] UNTO THE PRINCES OF BALAK. According to the opinion of Rashi32 the elders of Midian had left [Balaam] when he told them, Lodge here this night33 [and therefore Scripture here only mentions the princes of Balak — i.e., the elders of Moab]. This is [indeed] possible, because when Balaam mentioned to them [and I will bring you back word,] as the Eternal may speak unto me,33 they did not want to wait for Balaam’s [message], for they said: “This G-d has always come to the help of Israel. It is He Who brought them out of Egypt and did signs and wonders for them.” For the elders of Midian were wise men, and they knew about all the words of Moses with Jethro,34 the most distinguished of their country, although Scripture does not mention this [that Jethro informed the elders of his land what Moses had told him]. And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that “[the reason why Scripture here] did not mention them [the elders of Midian] is because Balak was the principal party [in this matter], and it was he who sent the mission.” Similarly, [the verse stating] and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam33 [omits “the elders of Midian”] because the main [impetus of the] mission came from their lord [the king of Moab].The correct explanation is that the elders of Midian — who were perhaps the first kings thereof — came from their country to Balak to take counsel about the problem of Israel, and they all decided to send [a mission] to Balaam. Therefore Balak sent his princes, his judges and wise men, and they went together with the elders of Midian to the land of Midian, because from there their way led to Balaam’s city; and the elders of Midian remained in their city, while the princes of Balak, who were the delegates, went on their own to Aram [Balaam’s native land].35. This is the meaning of [the expression], and the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed,32 meaning that they all left Balak and went as far as Midian, with the rewards of divination in their hand.32 And ‘they’ came unto Balaam, [and spoke unto him the words of Balak]32 — this refers to the elders of Moab, about whom Scripture states, and he sent messengers,36 not to the elders of Midian.
בלְתִתִּי לַהֲלֹךְ עִמָּכֶם – אֶלָּא עִם שָׂרִים גְּדוֹלִים. לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁרוּחוֹ גַּסָּה, וְלֹא רָצָה לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, אֶלָּא בִּלְשׁוֹן גַּסּוּת. וּלְפִיכָךְ ״וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד בָּלָק שְׁלֹחַ שָׂרִים״, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ״ב:י״ג). וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן, כִּי כָל כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁיִּתְפָּאֵר וְיִתְגַּדֵּל בִּדְבַר הַשֵּׁם. וְעוֹד, שֶׁהוּא לֹא הָיָה חוֹשֵׁב שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ רְשׁוּת לָלֶכֶת עִם שָׂרִים אֲחֵרִים נִכְבָּדִים. אֲבָל טַעְמוֹ שֶׁאֵין הַשֵּׁם חָפֵץ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ כְּלָל. וְהִנֵּה בָּלָק חָשַׁד אוֹתוֹ כִּי לְהַרְבּוֹת שְׂכָרוֹ אָמַר כֵּן, וּלְכָךְ אָמַר לוֹ: ״לָמָּה לֹא הָלַכְתָּ אֵלָי, הַאֻמְנָם לֹא אוּכַל כַּבְּדֶךָ״ (במדבר כ״ב:ל״ז). וְעַל כֵּן הוֹסִיף שְׁלוֹחַ שָׂרִים רַבִּים וְנִכְבָּדִים לְהַרְאוֹת לוֹ כִּי הוּא חָפֵץ בּוֹ מְאֹד, וְנָדַר לָתֵת לוֹ הוֹן וָעֹשֶׁר כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר יְצַוֶּה וְיִגְזֹר עָלָיו. וּבִלְעָם הֵשִׁיב לָהֶם: ״אִם יִתֶּן לִי בָּלָק וְגוֹ', לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת פִּי ה'״ (במדבר כ״ב:י״ח) - כִּי הוּא אֱלֹהַי וְלֹא אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת קְטַנָּה אוֹ גְדוֹלָה אִם אֶעֱבֹר אֶת פִּיו, כִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה. אוֹ יֹאמַר: לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲבֹר אֶת פִּיו בְּדָבָר קָטָן אוֹ גָּדוֹל, כִּי הוּא אֱלֹהַי וַאֲנִי עַבְדּוֹ:
2[FOR THE ETERNAL REFUSETH] TO GIVE ME LEAVE TO GO WITH YOU — “but only with great princes. This teaches us that he was of a haughty spirit, and did not want to tell [them] that he was under the control of G-d. Therefore [he spoke] in arrogant language. It was because of this that Balak sent yet again princes.”37 This is Rashi’s language. But it is not correct, for Balaam’s whole honor consisted of boasting and glorifying himself in [the fact that he received] the word of G-d [and so he would not have been ashamed to tell the princes of Moab that he was awaiting G-d’s word, as Rashi wrote, but on the contrary would have boasted of it]! Moreover, he did not [in fact] know that G-d would give him permission to go with other, greater, princes! Rather, the meaning [of Balaam’s words] is that G-d did not want him to go at all. But Balak suspected that he was [only] saying so in order to get a greater reward; therefore he said to him, Why camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?38 And for this reason too, Balak sent yet again princes, more in number, and more honorable37 in order to show him that he wanted him very much [to come], and he promised to give him as much wealth and riches as he would demand from, and fix upon him. But Balaam answered him that even for all his money “I cannot go beyond the word of the Eternal, for He is my G-d, and I cannot do any thing, small or great39 if I transgress His command, for [whatever I do] I do in His Name.” Or [it may be that Balaam] is saying, “I cannot go beyond the word of the Eternal39 whether [I transgress His word] in a small matter or a great matter, for He is my G-d, and I am His servant.”