Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Numbers 23:5/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ג:ה׳

אוְטַעַם וַיָּשֶׂם ה' דָּבָר בְּפִי בִלְעָם – יֵשׁ מְפָרְשִׁים כִּי לֹא יָדַע בִּלְעָם בַּדְּבָרִים, אַךְ הַשֵּׁם מִלֵּא אוֹתוֹ דְּבָרִים וְאָמַר לוֹ: ״שׁוּב אֶל בָּלָק וְכֹה תְדַבֵּר״, כִּי יֵצְאוּ הַדְּבָרִים מִפִּיךָ. וְאוּלַי כֵּן דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (תנחומא בלק י״ב): עִקֵּם אֶת פִּיו וּפִקְּמוֹ כְּאָדָם שֶׁקּוֹבֵעַ מַסְמֵר בְּלוּחַ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: מַלְאָךְ הָיָה מְדַבֵּר, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר וְכוּ'. וְאֵינוֹ נָכוֹן בְּעֵינַי בַּעֲבוּר אָמְרוֹ: ״שׁוֹמֵעַ אִמְרֵי אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה״ (במדבר כ״ד:ד׳). אֲבָל טַעַם וַיָּשֶׂם – הַלִּמּוּד שֶׁלִּמְּדוֹ הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁיִּגְרֹס אוֹתָם בְּפִיו וְלֹא יִשְׁכַּח וְלֹא יַפִּיל מֵהֶם דָּבָר, כְּטַעַם ״וְלַמְּדָהּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׂימָה בְּפִיהֶם״ (דברים ל״א י״ט), וְכֵן ״כִּי עַל פִּי אַבְשָׁלוֹם הָיְתָה שׂוּמָה״ (שמואל ב' י״ג ל״ב):

1AND THE ETERNAL PUT A WORD IN BALAAM’S MOUTH. Some commentators¹²³ explain that Balaam did not understand the words [he said], but G-d filled him with words and said to him: “Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak,¹²² for the words will come forth [automatically] from your mouth.” Perhaps this is also the opinion of our Rabbis, who have said:¹²⁴ 12; Bamidbar Rabbah 20:16. “He shaped his mouth and formed it [so that he would speak as He desired], like a person who fixes a nail onto a board. Rabbi Eleazar says: It was an angel that spoke: Rabbi Yehoshua says: etc.”¹²⁵). But it does not appear to me to be correct [that Balaam did not know what he was saying], because he said [that he] heareth the words of G-d; seeth the vision of the Almighty.⁹⁷ But the meaning of [the word] ‘vayasem’ (and He put) is “instruction,” signifying He taught him the words so that he should recite them with his mouth, and he should not forget or omit any part of it, similar to [the expression], teach thou it the children of Israel; ‘simah’ (put it) in their mouths.¹²⁶ Similarly, for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been ‘sumah’ (‘put; determined’).¹²⁷