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Ramban on Numbers 25:1/רמב"ן על במדבר כ״ה:א׳
אלִזְנוֹת אֶל בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב – עַל יְדֵי עֲצַת בִּלְעָם, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּחֵלֶק (סנהדרין קו), לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ״י (רש״י על במדבר כ״ה:א׳). וּבֶאֱמֶת שֶׁהַזְּנוּת לֹא הָיְתָה מְזִמַּת הַנָּשִׁים, כִּי בַּעֲצַת אַנְשֵׁיהֶן וּגְדוֹלֵיהֶם נַעֲשָׂה, וּמִזִּקְנֵי מִדְיָן הָיָה לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּמִּדְיָנִים: ״כִּי צוֹרְרִים הֵם לָכֶם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר נִכְּלוּ לָכֶם עַל דְּבַר פְּעוֹר״ (במדבר כ״ה:י״ח), כִּי נִכְּלוּ לָהֶם בְּזִמָּה לְהַדִּיחָם אַחַר בַּעַל פְּעוֹר. וְלָכֵן יִתָּכֵן שֶׁהָיָה בִּלְעָם בָּעֵצָה, שֶׁהוּא גְּדוֹל עֲצָתָם, וְדַעְתּוֹ לְהָרַע לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעָשָׂה בָּזֶה כָּל יְכָלְתּוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְלֹא אָבָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם״ (דברים כג ו), וְעַל כֵּן הֲרָגוּהוּ בֶּחָרֶב. אֲבָל עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, לֹא הִזְכִּיר הַכָּתוּב הָעֵצָה בְּכָאן, רַק בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַר אַחֲרֵי כֵן: ״הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם״ (במדבר ל״א:ט״ז), כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא הִזְכִּיר עֲצַת זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן רַק בְּמַה שֶׁאָמַר ״כִּי צוֹרְרִים הֵם לָכֶם״. אַחֲרֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה בְּעֵת הַנְּקָמָה יַזְכִּיר מֵאַיִן יָצְאָה לָהֶם הָרָעָה, וְיֹאמַר כִּי לֹא הָיָה הַמַּעֲשֶׂה בְּיֵצֶר הַזִּמָּה אֲשֶׁר הוּא בָּאֲנָשִׁים וּבַנָּשִׁים מִנְּעוּרֵיהֶם בְּטִבְעָם, רַק עֵצָה רָעָה לְהַדִּיחָם. וּלְפִיכָךְ רָאוּי לִנְקָמָה גְּדוֹלָה. כִּי פֵּרוּשׁ "לְכָה אִיעָצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה הָעָם הַזֶּה לְעַמְּךָ בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים" הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת כַּאֲשֶׁר פֵּרַשְׁתִּי (רמב״ן על במדבר כ״ד:י״ד). וְיִתָּכֵן עוֹד עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט, כִּי בָּלָק בַּתְּחִלָּה הָיָה חָפֵץ לְקַלְּלָם וּלְהִלָּחֵם בָּהֶם, וְלֹא יִתֵּן אוֹתָם לָבֹא בִּגְבוּלוֹ כְּלָל. וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ בִּלְעָם כִּי לֹא יוּכַל לָהֶם, וְהוֹדִיעוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲרִיבוּ אַרְצוֹ וְעַמּוֹ רַק בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, אָז הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיַיִן בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב וּפִתָּה אוֹתָם כְּאוֹהֵב לָהֶם. וְזֶהוּ "בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם", כִּי בַּעֲבוּר דְּבָרָיו עָשׂוּ כֵן. אֲבָל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה חֶפְצוֹ לְקַלְּלָם וְנִשְׂכַּר לְבָלָק בְּכָךְ, לוּלֵי צִדְקוֹת ה' אֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ אֶת הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה, עַל כֵּן הֲרָגוּהוּ בֶּחָרֶב. כִּי הַשּׂוֹכֵר וְהַשָּׂכִיר שְׁנֵיהֶם נֶעֶנְשׁוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר: ״וַאֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר" וְגוֹ' (דברים כג ה):
1AND ISRAEL ABODE IN SHITTIM, AND THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO COMMIT HARLOTRY WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MOAB — “because of the advice of Balaam, as is related in [the Chapter of] Cheilek.”228, meaning: “I will counsel thee how to lead the people astray, and I will tell you what this people shall do …” Ramban explains the phrase “I will counsel thee” differently. This is Rashi’s language. And indeed this [seduction to] immorality was not instigated as a plan of the [Moabite] women, but was done upon the advice of their men and their leaders. [The idea] came to them from the elders of Midian, as it says of the Midianites, for they harass you, by their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor,305 for they beguiled them by means of immorality in order to draw them astray [to worship] Baal-peor. Therefore it is [indeed] possible that Balaam was behind this counsel, since he was considered by them [the Moabites] great in counsel,306 and his intention was to bring evil upon Israel, and therefore he did everything in his power to this end, as it is said, And the Eternal thy G-d would not hearken unto Balaam,307 and therefore they slew him with the sword.308But according to the simple meaning of Scripture, it is not alluding here to the counsel of Balaam, but only [alludes to it] when it says afterwards, Behold, these [women] caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam etc.,309, Verse 16. just as it does not mention here the counsel of the elders of Midian, and only [mentions it] when it says, for they harass you.305 Thus [it is only] after the event [had happened], at the time of [describing] their punishment, that He mentions what was the source of the evil that befell them. He is [thus] saying that what happened [to them] as a result of the desire for sexual pleasure which exists naturally in men and women from [the time of] their youth, was only [the result] of an evil plan [whose purpose was] to lead them astray [into worshipping Baal-peor]; therefore [the instigators of this plan] deserve a severe punishment. The interpretation of the verse, Come and I will counsel thee what this people shall do to thy people in the end of days310 is thus indeed as I have explained [there].It is also possible according to the simple meaning of Scripture that Balak at first wanted to curse them [the Israelites] and to wage war against them, and he did not want to give them permission to enter his borders at all. But when Balaam told him311 that he would not prevail over them, and informed him that they would only destroy his land and his people in the end of days,310 then he [Balak] brought forth bread and wine312 in the plains of Moab [i.e., in Shittim], and enticed them [with the daughters of Moab] as if he were their friend. This is [the meaning of the phrase] ‘bidvar’ (through ‘the word’ of) Balaam,309, Verse 16. for it was because of his words [i.e., his prophecy that the Israelites would not conquer their land now, that the Moabites] did so [i.e., that they did not fight them, but tried to seduce them and lead them astray through their women]. But because it was Balaam’s desire to curse them, and he allowed Balak to hire him [and would indeed have cursed them] were it not for the righteous acts of the Eternal313 Who turned the curse into a blessing,307 therefore they slew him with the sword,308 for both the hirer [Moab] and the hired one [Balaam] were punished, just as He said, and because he hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor etc.314