| 13When Balaam arose in the morning, he said to Balak’s nobles, “Return to your country, for God has refused to let me go with you.” |
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יג וַיָּ֤קָם בִּלְעָם֙ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־שָׂרֵ֣י בָלָ֔ק לְכ֖וּ אֶל־אַרְצְכֶ֑ם כִּ֚י מֵאֵ֣ן יְהֹוָ֔ה לְתִתִּ֖י לַֽהֲלֹ֥ךְ עִמָּכֶֽם: |
| לַֽהֲלֹךְ עִמָּכֶֽם - To go with you - but only with nobles greater than you. From here, we learn that he was conceited, for he did not want to reveal that he needed the approval of the Omnipresent, instead taking an arrogant tone. For this reason, “Balak continued to send dignitaries….” |
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לַֽהֲלֹךְ עִמָּכֶֽם.
אֶלָּא עִם שָׂרִים גְּדוֹלִים מִכֶּם, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁרוּחוֹ גְבוֹהָה, וְלֹא רָצָה לְגַלּוֹת שֶׁהוּא בִרְשׁוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם, אֶלָּא בִלְשׁוֹן גַּסּוּת, לְפִיכָךְ ויסף עוד בלק:
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| 14Moab’s nobles arose and came to Balak and said, “Balaam refuses to come with us.” |
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ידוַיָּק֨וּמוּ֙ שָׂרֵ֣י מוֹאָ֔ב וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵאֵ֥ן בִּלְעָ֖ם הֲלֹ֥ךְ עִמָּֽנוּ: |
| 15So Balak continued to send dignitaries, more numerous and higher in rank than these. |
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טווַיֹּ֥סֶף ע֖וֹד בָּלָ֑ק שְׁלֹ֣חַ שָׂרִ֔ים רַבִּ֥ים וְנִכְבָּדִ֖ים מֵאֵֽלֶּה: |
| 16They came to Balaam and said to him, “So said Balak son of Tzipor, ‘Please do not hesitate to come to me. |
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טזוַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְרוּ ל֗וֹ כֹּ֤ה אָמַר֙ בָּלָ֣ק בֶּן־צִפּ֔וֹר אַל־נָ֥א תִמָּנַ֖ע מֵֽהֲלֹ֥ךְ אֵלָֽי: |
| 17For I will honor you greatly and do whatever you tell me to do. So please come and curse this people for me.’” |
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יזכִּֽי־כַבֵּ֤ד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ֙ מְאֹ֔ד וְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאמַ֥ר אֵלַ֖י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֑ה וּלְכָה־נָּא֙ קָֽבָה־לִּ֔י אֵ֖ת הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּֽה: |
| כִּֽי־כַבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ מְאֹד - For I will honor you greatly - i.e., I will give you more than whatever you have received in the past. |
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כִּֽי־כַבֵּד אֲכַבֶּדְךָ מְאֹד.
יוֹתֵר מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיִיתָ נוֹטֵל לְשֶׁעָבַר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לְךָ (שם):
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| 18Balaam answered and said to Balak’s servants, “Even if Balak would give me enough silver and gold to fill his house, I can do nothing, neither small nor great, that would transgress the word of God, my God. |
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יחוַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֗ם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־עַבְדֵ֣י בָלָ֔ק אִם־יִתֶּן־לִ֥י בָלָ֛ק מְלֹ֥א בֵית֖וֹ כֶּ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֑ב לֹ֣א אוּכַ֗ל לַֽעֲבֹר֙ אֶת־פִּ֨י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֔י לַֽעֲשׂ֥וֹת קְטַנָּ֖ה א֥וֹ גְדוֹלָֽה: |
| מְלֹא בֵיתוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב - Enough silver and gold to fill his house. From here we learn that Balaam was greedy and desired others’ possessions. He said: “Balak really ought to give me all his silver and gold, for otherwise he would have to hire many armies to fight the Israelites, and even then, maybe he would succeed in defeating them and maybe not, whereas I will certainly succeed.” |
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מְלֹא בֵיתוֹ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב.
לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ רְחָבָה וּמְחַמֵּד מָמוֹן אֲחֵרִים, אָמַר רָאוּי לוֹ לִתֵּן לִי כָּל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי צָרִיךְ לִשְׂכֹּר חַיָּלוֹת רַבּוֹת, סָפֵק נוֹצֵחַ סָפֵק אֵינוֹ נוֹצֵחַ, וַאֲנִי וַדַּאי נוֹצֵחַ (שם):
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| לֹא אוּכַל לַֽעֲבֹר - (lit.) I cannot transgress. He was forced to reveal that he was dependent on others, and unwittingly prophesied here that he would be unable to nullify the blessings with which the patriarchs had been blessed by the Divine Presence. |
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לֹא אוּכַל לַֽעֲבֹר.
עַל כָּרְחוֹ גִלָּה שֶׁהוּא בִרְשׁוּת אַחֵרִים, וְנִתְנַבֵּא כָאן שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְבַטֵּל הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁנִּתְבָּרְכוּ הָאָבוֹת מִפִּי הַשְּׁכִינָה (שם):
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| 19Now, you too, please remain here overnight, and I will know what more God will speak to me.” |
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יטוְעַתָּ֗ה שְׁב֨וּ נָ֥א בָזֶ֛ה גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם הַלָּ֑יְלָה וְאֵ֣דְעָ֔ה מַה־יֹּסֵ֥ף יְהֹוָ֖ה דַּבֵּ֥ר עִמִּֽי: |
| גַּם־אַתֶּם - You too. This was a prophetic slip of the tongue: You, too, will ultimately go off disappointed like the previous delegates. |
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גַּם־אַתֶּם.
פִּיו הִכְשִׁילוֹ — גַּם אַתֶּם סוֹפְכֶם לֵילֵךְ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ כָּרִאשׁוֹנִים:
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| מַה־יֹּסֵף - What more [God will speak]. He will not change His words from blessing to curse, but hopefully He will not add more to their blessing. He unwittingly prophesied here that God would later give them additional blessings through him. |
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מַה־יֹּסֵף.
לֹא יְשַׁנֶּה דְבָרָיו מִבְּרָכָה לִקְלָלָה, הַלְוַאי שֶׁלֹּא יוֹסִיף לְבָרֵךְ; כָּאן נִתְנַבֵּא שֶׁעָתִיד לְהוֹסִיף לָהֶם בְּרָכוֹת עַל יָדוֹ (שם):
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| 20God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If these men have come to call for you, arise and go with them, but whatever I tell you, you must do.” |
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כוַיָּבֹ֨א אֱלֹהִ֥ים | אֶל־בִּלְעָם֘ לַ֒יְלָה֒ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ אִם־לִקְרֹ֤א לְךָ֙ בָּ֣אוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים ק֖וּם לֵ֣ךְ אִתָּ֑ם וְאַ֗ךְ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֛ר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּ֥ר אֵלֶ֖יךָ אֹת֥וֹ תַֽעֲשֶֽׂה: |
| אִם־לִקְרֹא לְךָ - If [the men have come] to call for you - i.e., if the calling is for your benefit and you anticipate receiving payment for it, then: “arise and go with them.” |
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אִם־לִקְרֹא לְךָ.
אִם הַקְּרִיאָה שֶׁלְּךָ וְסָבוּר אַתָּה לִטֹּל עָלֶיהָ שָׂכָר, קום לך אתם:
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| וְאַךְ - (lit.) But only - even against your will – “whatever I tell you, you must do.” Despite this, Balaam went, saying, “Maybe I will persuade Him to do my bidding, and He will agree to let me curse them.” |
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וְאַךְ.
עַל כָּרְחֲךָ את הדבר אשר אדבר אליך אתו תעשה; וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן וַיֵּלֶךְ בִּלְעָם, אָמַר שֶׁמָּא אֲפַתֶּנּוּ וְיִתְרַצֶּה:
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