Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Numbers 23:16/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ג:ט״ז
אוַיִּקָּר ה' אֶל בִּלְעָם – עַתָּה לִכְבוֹד יִשְׂרָאֵל עָלָה הָאִישׁ הַזֶּה לְהִתְנַבֵּא בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים בַּשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר נִגְלָה לְמֹשֶׁה, כִּי עַד עַתָּה נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ ״וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים״ (במדבר כ״ג:ד׳), ״וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים״ (במדבר כ״ב:ט׳). וְעַתָּה יָדַע כִּי לֹא יוּכַל לְקַלְּלָם בְּשׁוּם עִנְיָן, בַּעֲבוּר כִּי בְּמִדַּת רַחֲמִים יְחוֹנֵן עֲלֵיהֶם. כִּי עַד עַתָּה כְּשֶׁהָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין, הָיָה חוֹשֵׁב לִמְצֹא לָהֶם עִלָּה בֶּעָוֹן אֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ, כְּעִנְיַן ״וַיֵּהָפֵךְ לָהֶם לְאוֹיֵב הוּא נִלְחַם בָּם״ (ישעיהו סג י), אוֹ שֶׁתָּבֹא עֲלֵיהֶם רָעָה מֵאֵת ה' לֹא יִנָּצְלוּ מִמֶּנָּה בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין. וְזֶה טַעַם ״וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה' לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (במדבר כ״ד:א׳), כִּי גַּם ה' יִתֵּן הַטּוֹב בַּבְּרָכָה. וְהַמַּשְׂכִּיל יָבִין:
1AND THE ETERNAL HAPPENED TO MEET BALAAM. Now, in honor of Israel, this man ascended to [the level of] prophesying through the Divine attribute of mercy, by the Great Name [i.e., the Tetragrammaton — here translated as “the Eternal”] that had been revealed to Moses,143 for until now it says about Balaam: and G-d ‘happened to meet’ Balaam,144 and G-d ‘came’ unto Balaam.145, 22:9. But now he knew that he would not be able to curse them under any circumstances, seeing that He [wanted] to deal graciously with them through the attribute of mercy. For until now, since he [Balaam] heard [the words of G-d] through the attribute of justice, [the Divine Name of Elokim, symbolizing the attribute of justice, is used in all the previous verses], he thought that he might find some pretext [to curse] them because of some sin that they had committed — so that G-d would consent to the curse falling upon them], as we find in [the verse saying]: Therefore He was to be their enemy, Himself fought against them;146 or [he hoped] that some evil would befall them from G-d, from which they would not be able to save themselves because of the attribute of justice [but now when G-d spoke to him through the attribute of mercy, he knew that he would not succeed in cursing the people under any circumstances]. This is the meaning of [the verse], And Balaam saw that it pleased the Eternal to bless Israel,147 for Yea, the Eternal will give that which is good148 in the blessing. The student learned [in the mysteries of the Cabala] will understand.