| 1Balaam said to Balak, “Build me seven altars here, and prepare for me seven bulls and seven rams.” |
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אוַיֹּ֤אמֶר בִּלְעָם֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק בְּנֵה־לִ֥י בָזֶ֖ה שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֑ת וְהָכֵ֥ן לִי֙ בָּזֶ֔ה שִׁבְעָ֥ה פָרִ֖ים וְשִׁבְעָ֥ה אֵילִֽים: |
| 2Balak did as Balaam had requested, and Balak and Balaam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar. |
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בוַיַּ֣עַשׂ בָּלָ֔ק כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר דִּבֶּ֣ר בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיַּ֨עַל בָּלָ֧ק וּבִלְעָ֛ם פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ: |
| 3Balaam said to Balak, “Remain next to your ascent-offering, and I will go. Perhaps God will communicate with me reluctantly, and He will show me something that I can relate to you.” So he went alone. |
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גוַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֘ עַל־עֹֽלָתֶ֒ךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֶ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי: |
| אוּלַי יִקָּרֶה ה' לִקְרָאתִי - Perhaps God will (lit.) happen to meet me - for He does not usually speak with me during the day. |
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אוּלַי יִקָּרֶה ה' לִקְרָאתִי.
אֵינוֹ רָגִיל לְדַבֵּר עִמִּי בַּיּוֹם:
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| וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: He went alone. This term denotes calm (שֹׁפִי) and quiet, that there was nothing with him but silence. |
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וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ יְחִידִי, לְשׁוֹן שֹׁפִי וְשֶׁקֶט, שֶׁאֵין עִמּוֹ אֶלָּא שְׁתִיקָה:
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| 4God communicated reluctantly with Balaam, who said to Him, “I have set up the seven altars, and I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.” |
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דוַיִּקָּ֥ר אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלָ֗יו אֶת־שִׁבְעַ֤ת הַמִּזְבְּחֹת֙ עָרַ֔כְתִּי וָאַ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ: |
| וַיִּקָּר - (lit.) Chanced - is a term denoting transience, a derogatory term related to seminal impurity (קֶרִי), i.e., with reluctance and contempt. God would not have appeared to him by day if not to demonstrate how dear Israel is to Him. |
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וַיִּקָּר.
לְשׁוֹן עֲרַאי, לְשׁוֹן גְּנַאי, לְשׁוֹן טֻמְאַת קֶרִי, כְּלוֹמַר בְּקֹשִׁי וּבְבִזָּיוֹן, וְלֹא הָיָה נִגְלֶה אֵלָיו בַּיּוֹם אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַרְאוֹת חִבָּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל (בראשית רבה נ"ב):
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| אֶת־שִׁבְעַת הַמִּזְבְּחֹת - The seven altars. It is not written here: “I have set up seven altars,” but rather “the seven altars.” Balaam said to God: “The forefathers of this people built before You seven altars, but I have prepared as many as all of them together.” Abraham built four, as stated: “He built an altar there to God who appeared to him”; “From there he moved on to the mountains…he built an altar there to God”; “Abram set up tents…he built an altar there to God”; and one on Mount Moriah. Isaac built one: “He built an altar there…,” and Jacob built two: one at Shechem and one at Bethel. |
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אֶת־שִׁבְעַת הַמִּזְבְּחֹת.
שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחֹת עָרַכְתִּי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא אֶת שִׁבְעַת הַמִּזְבְּחֹת, אָמַר לְפָנָיו אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ בָּנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחוֹת וַאֲנִי עָרַכְתִּי כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּן, אַבְרָהָם בָּנָה אַרְבָּעָה — "וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לַה' הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלָיו" (בראשית י"ב), "וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם הָהָרָה" וְגוֹ' (שם), "וַיֶּאֱהַל אַבְרָהָם" וְגוֹ' (שם י"ג), וְאֶחָד בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה; וְיִצְחָק בָּנָה אֶחָד — "וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ" וְגוֹ' (שם כ"ו), וְיַעֲקֹב בָּנָה שְׁתַּיִם, אֶחָד בִּשְׁכֶם וְאֶחָד בְּבֵית אֵל:
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| וָאַעַל פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ - And I have offered up a bull and a ram on each altar - whereas Abraham offered only one ram. |
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וָאַעַל פָּר וָאַיִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ.
וְאַבְרָהָם לֹא הֶעֱלָה אֶלָּא אַיִל אֶחָד (תנחומא צו):
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| 5God placed His message into Balaam’s mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.” |
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הוַיָּ֧שֶׂם יְהֹוָ֛ה דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֣י בִלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר: |
| 6When he returned, he was standing next to his ascent-offering, together with all the Moabite dignitaries. |
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ווַיָּ֣שָׁב אֵלָ֔יו וְהִנֵּ֥ה נִצָּ֖ב עַל־עֹֽלָת֑וֹ ה֖וּא וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָֽב: |
| 7He began to recite his parable, and said, “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, from the mountains of the east, saying, ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, invoke God’s wrath against Israel!’ |
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זוַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר מִן־אֲ֠רָ֠ם יַנְחֵ֨נִי בָלָ֤ק מֶֽלֶךְ־מוֹאָב֙ מֵֽהַֽרְרֵי־קֶ֔דֶם לְכָה֙ אָֽרָה־לִּ֣י יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּלְכָ֖ה זֹֽעֲמָ֥ה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל: |
| אָֽרָה־לִּי יַֽעֲקֹב וּלְכָה זֹֽעֲמָה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל - Curse Jacob for me, and come, invoke [God’s] wrath against Israel. He had told him to curse them referring to both their names, in case one of them is not distinct enough. |
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אָֽרָה־לִּי יַֽעֲקֹב וּלְכָה זֹֽעֲמָה יִשְׂרָאֵֽל.
בִּשְׁנֵי שְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם אָמַר לוֹ לְקַלְּלָם שֶׁמָּא אֶחָד מֵהֶם אֵינוֹ מֻבְהָק:
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| 8How can I curse whom God has not cursed? How can I invoke God’s wrath? God has not been angered! |
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חמָ֣ה אֶקֹּ֔ב לֹ֥א קַבֹּ֖ה אֵ֑ל וּמָ֣ה אֶזְעֹ֔ם לֹ֥א זָעַ֖ם יְהֹוָֽה: |
| מָה אֶקֹּב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל - How can I curse whom God has not cursed - i.e., even when Israel ought to have been cursed, they were not cursed: When their father mentioned Simeon and Levi’s sin – “for in their anger they killed a man” –he cursed only their anger, as it says: “Cursed be their rage.” When their father Jacob came with cunning to his father, he deserved to be cursed, yet what does it say there? “He will indeed be blessed.” In the instructions for blessing them, it says: אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת הָעָם “the following tribes will stand for the Levites to bless the people,” yet in the instructions for cursing it does not say: וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְקַלֵּל אֶת הָעָם “and the following will stand…to curse the people,” but עַל הַקְּלָלָה “for the curse,” for He does not wish to describe the act of cursing as being directed at them. |
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מָה אֶקֹּב לֹא קַבֹּה אֵל.
כְּשֶׁהָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְהִתְקַלֵּל לֹא נִתְקַלְּלוּ — כְּשֶׁהִזְכִּיר אֲבִיהֶם אֶת עֲוֹנָם "כִּי בְאַפָּם הָרְגוּ אִישׁ", לֹא קִלֵּל אֶלָּא אַפָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אָרוּר אַפָּם" (בראשית מ"ט); כְּשֶׁנִּכְנַס אֲבִיהֶם בְּמִרְמָה אֵצֶל אָבִיו הָיָה רָאוּי לְהִתְקַלֵּל, מַה נֶּאֱמַר שָׁם? "גַּם בָּרוּךְ יִהְיֶה" (שם כ"ז), בַּמְבָרְכִים נֶאֱמַר "אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת הָעָם", בַּמְקַלְּלִים לֹא נֶאֱמַר וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְקַלֵּל אֶת הָעָם אֶלָּא "וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ עַל הַקְּלָלָה" (דברים כ"ז) — לֹא רָצָה לְהַזְכִּיר עֲלֵיהֶם שֵׁם קְלָלָה (תנחומא):
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| לֹא זָעַם ה' - God has not been angered. My power is only that I can precisely determine the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry, but He has not been angry during all these days since I came to you. And this is the meaning of what it says: “My people, remember now what King Balak of Moab planned and what Balaam answered him…so that you may recognize the righteous deeds of God.” |
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לֹא זָעַם ה'.
אֲנִי אֵין כֹּחִי אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ לְכַוֵּן הַשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כוֹעֵס בָּהּ, וְהוּא לֹא כָעַס כָּל הַיָּמִים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁבָּאתִי אֵלֶיךָ, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מיכה ו') "עַמִּי זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ" וְגוֹ' "וּמֶה עָנָה אֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם" וְגוֹ' "לְמַעַן דַּעַת צִדְקוֹת ה'" (סנהדרין ק"ה):
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| 9For from their beginning, I see them as mountain peaks, and I behold them as hills. See a nation that will dwell alone. It will not be reckoned among the nations. |
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טכִּֽי־מֵרֹ֤אשׁ צֻרִים֙ אֶרְאֶ֔נּוּ וּמִגְּבָע֖וֹת אֲשׁוּרֶ֑נּוּ הֶן־עָם֙ לְבָדָ֣ד יִשְׁכֹּ֔ן וּבַגּוֹיִ֖ם לֹ֥א יִתְחַשָּֽׁב: |
| כִּֽי־מֵרֹאשׁ צֻרִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ - (lit.) For I see them from the summit of rocks - means: I look at their beginnings (רֵאשִׁיתָם) and at the origin of their roots, and I see that they are as sturdy and strong as those rocks and hills, through the merit of the patriarchs and matriarchs. |
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כִּֽי־מֵרֹאשׁ צֻרִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ.
אֲנִי מִסְתַּכֵּל בְּרֵאשִׁיתָם וּבִתְחִלַּת שָׁרְשֵׁיהֶם וַאֲנִי רוֹאֶה אוֹתָם מְיֻסָּדִים וַחֲזָקִים כְּצוּרִים וּגְבָעוֹת הַלָּלוּ עַל יְדֵי אָבוֹת וְאִמָּהוֹת (תנחומא):
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| הֶן־עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן - See a nation that will dwell alone. This is what their ancestors gained for them, that they will dwell alone, which is understood as Onkelos translates it: הָא עַמָּא בִּלְחוֹדֵיהוֹן עֲתִידִין דְּיַחְסְנוּן עָלְמָא “this people alone are destined to inherit the world.” |
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הֶן־עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן.
הוּא אֲשֶׁר זָכוּ לוֹ אֲבוֹתָיו — לִשְׁכֹּן בָּדָד, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
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| וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּֽׁב - It will not be reckoned among the nations. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וּבְעַמְמַיָּא לָא יִתְּדָנוּן גְּמֵירָא “they will not be annihilated together with the other nations,” as it says: “I will make an end of all the nations…but of you I will not make an end”; they are not counted with the rest. Another explanation: When they rejoice in their ultimate reward, no other nation will rejoice with them, as it says: ה׳ בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ (lit.) “God will lead them alone,” yet when the nations prosper, Israel will enjoy each one’s blessing, yet it is not deducted from their reckoning; and this is the meaning of וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב: “that which they benefit along with the other nations will not be reckoned.” |
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וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּֽׁב.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, לֹא יִהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂין כָּלָה עִם שְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיהו ל') "כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם" וְגוֹ', אֵינָן נִמְנִין עִם הַשְּׁאָר. דָּבָר אַחֵר — כְּשֶׁהֵן שְׂמֵחִין אֵין אֻמָּה שְׂמֵחָה עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "ה' בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ" (דברים ל"ב), וּכְשֶׁהָאֻמּוֹת בְּטוֹבָה הֵן אוֹכְלִין עִם כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד וְאֵין עוֹלֶה לָהֶם מִן הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן, וְזֶהוּ ובגוים לא יתחשב (תנחומא):
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| 10Has anyone counted the young children of Jacob, and the number of one of the four of Israel? May my soul die the death of the upright, and let my end be like theirs!” |
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ימִ֤י מָנָה֙ עֲפַ֣ר יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וּמִסְפָּ֖ר אֶת־רֹ֣בַע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י אַֽחֲרִיתִ֖י כָּמֹֽהוּ: |
| מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַֽעֲקֹב וגו' - (lit.) Who can count the dust of Jacob… “Dust” here means as Onkelos translates it: דַּעְדְקַיָּא דְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וכו׳ “Who can count the infants of the house of Jacob, about whom it is said: ‘They will be as numerous as the dust of the earth’?” His translation of רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל is חֲדָא מֵאַרְבַּע מַשִּׁרְיָתָא – one of the four divisions of the Israelite camp. Another explanation of “the dust of Jacob”: One cannot calculate the commandments that they fulfill with dirt of the earth: “You must not plow with both a work-bull and a donkey,” “you must not sow your field with a mixture of species,” the ashes of the red cow, the dust used in the trial of the suspected adulteress, and other commandments similar to them. |
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מִי מָנָה עֲפַר יַֽעֲקֹב וגו'.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "דַּעְדְּקַיָּא דְבֵית יַעֲקֹב", מֵאַרְבַּע מַשִּׁרְיָתָא — מֵאַרְבָּעָה דְּגָלִים; דָּבָר אַחֵר, עֲפַר יַעֲקֹב, אֵין חֶשְׁבּוֹן בַּמִּצְוֹת שֶׁהֵם מְקַיְּמִין בְּעָפָר, "לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וּבַחֲמֹר" (דברים כ"ב), "לֹא תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם" (ויקרא י"ט), אֵפֶר פָּרָה וַעֲפַר סוֹטָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָהֶם (תנחומא):
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| וּמִסְפָּר אֶת־רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל - And the number (lit.) of a quarter of Israel - means: their copulations (רְבִיעוֹתֵיהֶן), i.e., the offspring produced by their marital relations. |
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וּמִסְפָּר אֶת־רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל.
רְבִיעוֹתֵיהֶן, זֶרַע הַיּוֹצֵא מִן הַתַּשְׁמִישׁ שֶׁלָּהֶם (עי' נדה ל"א):
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| תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים - May my soul die the death of the upright - among them. |
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תָּמֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים.
שֶׁבָּהֶם:
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| 11Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I hired you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed, yes, blessed them!” |
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יאוַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם מֶ֥ה עָשִׂ֖יתָ לִ֑י לָקֹ֤ב אֹֽיְבַי֙ לְקַחְתִּ֔יךָ וְהִנֵּ֖ה בֵּרַ֥כְתָּ בָרֵֽךְ: |
| 12He answered, saying, “Is not what God puts into my mouth what I must take care to say?” |
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יבוַיַּ֖עַן וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הֲלֹ֗א אֵת֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יָשִׂ֤ים יְהֹוָה֙ בְּפִ֔י אֹת֥וֹ אֶשְׁמֹ֖ר לְדַבֵּֽר: |
