Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 23

13Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from where you will see them; however, you will see only a part of them, not all of them. You will curse them for me from there.”   יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו בָּלָ֗ק לְךָ־נָּ֨א אִתִּ֜י אֶל־מָק֤וֹם אַחֵר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אֶ֚פֶס קָצֵ֣הוּ תִרְאֶ֔ה וְכֻלּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה וְקָבְנוֹ־לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם:
וְקָבְנוֹ־לִי - This is an imperative: “curse them for me.”   וְקָבְנוֹ־לִי.  לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, קַלְּלֵהוּ לִי:
14He took him to the field of the lookouts, to the peak. He built seven altars and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar.   ידוַיִּקָּחֵ֨הוּ֙ שְׂדֵ֣ה צֹפִ֔ים אֶל־רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וַיִּ֨בֶן֙ שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֔ת וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ:
שְׂדֵה צֹפִים - Field of the lookouts. This was a high point where a lookout would stand to watch for any army that might be approaching the city.   שְׂדֵה צֹפִים.  מָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ הָיָה שֶׁשָּׁם הַצּוֹפֶה עוֹמֵד לִשְׁמֹר אִם יָבֹא חַיִל עַל הָעִיר:
רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה - To the peak. Balaam was not as expert a diviner as Balak. Balak foresaw that some misfortune would befall Israel there, for there Moses would die. He thought that the curse would take effect on them from there, “and this is the misfortune that I foresee.”   רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה.  בִּלְעָם לֹא הָיָה קוֹסֵם כְּבָלָק, רָאָה בָלָק שֶׁעֲתִידָה פִרְצָה לְהִפָּרֵץ בְּיִשָׂרָאֵל מִשָּׁם, שֶׁשָּׁם מֵת מֹשֶׁה, כְּסָבוּר שֶׁשָּׁם תָּחוּל עֲלֵיהֶם הַקְּלָלָה וְזוֹ הִיא הַפִּרְצָה שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה (תנחומא):
15He said to Balak, “Remain here next to your ascent-offering, and I will be reluctantly communicated with here.”   טווַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב כֹּ֖ה עַל־עֹֽלָתֶ֑ךָ וְאָֽנֹכִ֖י אִקָּ֥רֶה כֹּֽה:
אִקָּרֶה כֹּה - (lit.) I will be chanced upon here - by the Holy One, blessed be He.   אִקָּרֶה כֹּה.  מֵאֵת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא,:
16God communicated reluctantly with Balaam and placed a message into his mouth. He said, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”   טזוַיִּקָּ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיָּ֥שֶׂם דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֑יו וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר:
וַיָּשֶׂם דָּבָר בְּפִיו - And placed a message into his mouth. What was the nature of this placing, and what is lacking in the verse when it says: “Return to Balak and speak thus” that it needs to be preceded by this phrase? It is only stated in order to tell us that when Balaam realized that he was not being given permission to curse, he said: “Why should I go back to Balak to disappoint him?” But the Holy One, blessed be He, placed a bit and a hook in his mouth like a person pricking an animal’s mouth with a hook to direct it to the place he wishes, and said to him: “Against your will, you must return to Balak.”   וַיָּשֶׂם דָּבָר בְּפִיו.  וּמַה הִיא הַשִּׂימָה הַזֹּאת? וּמֶה חָסֵר הַמִּקְרָא בְּאָמְרוֹ "שׁוּב אֶל בָּלָק וְכֹה תְדַבֵּר"? אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁהָיָה שׁוֹמֵעַ שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִרְשֶׁה לְקַלֵּל אָמַר מָה אֲנִי חוֹזֵר אֵצֶל בָּלָק לְצַעֲרוֹ? וְנָתַן לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רֶסֶן וְחַכָּה בְּפִיו, כְּאָדָם הַפּוֹקֵס בְּהֵמָה בְּחַכָּה לְהוֹלִיכָהּ אֶל אֲשֶׁר יִרְצֶה, אָמַר לוֹ עַל כָּרְחֲךָ תָּשׁוּב אֶל בָּלָק (שם):
17When he came to him, he was still standing next to his ascent-offering, and the Moabite dignitaries were with him. Balak said to him, “What did God say?”   יזוַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהֹוָֽה:
וְשָׂרֵי מוֹאָב אִתּוֹ - And the Moabite dignitaries were with him. Whereas earlier it says: וְכָל שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב “with all the Moabite dignitaries,” 1 now, when they saw that there was no hope for them from him, some of them went away, and only a portion of them remained.   וְשָׂרֵי מוֹאָב אִתּוֹ.  וּלְמַעְלָה הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְכָל שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב", כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאוּ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ תִקְוָה הָלְכוּ לָהֶם מִקְצָתָם וְלֹא נִשְׁאֲרוּ אֶלָּא מִקְצָתָם:
מַה־דִּבֶּר ה' - What did God say?. This was spoken mockingly, intimating: “You are not in control of yourself.”   מַה־דִּבֶּר ה'.  לְשׁוֹן צְחוֹק הוּא זֶה, כְּלוֹמַר אֵינְךָ בִרְשׁוּתְךָ (שם):
18He began to recite his parable and said, “Arise, Balak, and hear! Listen closely to me, son of Tzipor.   יחוַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַֽאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר:
קוּם בָּלָק - Arise, Balak. Since he saw that Balak was mocking him, he attempted to vex him by saying: “Stand up on your feet! You have no right to sit when I am being sent to you with a message from the Omnipresent.”   קוּם בָּלָק.  כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָהוּ מְצַחֵק בּוֹ, נִתְכַּוֵּן לְצַעֲרוֹ — "עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ, אֵינְךָ רַשַּׁאי לֵישֵׁב, וַאֲנִי שָׁלוּחַ אֵלֶיךָ בִשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם" (שם):
בְּנוֹ צִפֹּֽר - Son of Tzipor. This addition of a ו suffix to a noun in construct state is occasional Scriptural usage, as in: חַיְתוֹ יָעַר “beasts of the forest,” 2 וְחַיְתוֹ אֶרֶץ “and wildlife of the earth,” 3 לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם “to a spring of water.” 4   בְּנוֹ צִפֹּֽר.  לְשׁוֹן מִקְרָא הוּא זֶה, כְּמוֹ "חַיְתוֹ יָעַר" (תהלים נ') "וְחַיְתוֹ אֶרֶץ" (בראשית א'), "לְמַעְיְנוֹ מָיִם" (תהילים קי"ד):
19God is not a man that He should lie, nor is He a mortal that He should reconsider. Would He say something and not do it? Would He speak and not fulfill what He said?   יטלֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה:
לֹא אִישׁ וגו' - God is not a man…. i.e., He has already sworn to them to bring them to the land of the seven Canaanite nations and to give it to them to possess, and you think it is possible to nullify His word in order to kill them in the desert?   לֹא אִישׁ וגו'.  כְּבָר נִשְׁבַּע לָהֶם לַהֲבִיאָם וּלְהוֹרִישָׁם אֶרֶץ שִׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת וְאַתָּה סָבוּר לַהֲמִיתָם בַּמִּדְבָּר?:
הַהוּא אָמַר וגו' - Would He say… This is a rhetorical question. Onkelos translates וְיִתְנֶחָם as: וְתָיְבִין וּמִתְמַלְכִין “nor like the acts of human beings that they resolve to carry out but go back and reconsider,” i.e., they reassess their plan, deciding to retract it.   הַהוּא אָמַר וגו'.  בִּלְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְתָיְבִין וּמִתְמַלְּכִין — חוֹזְרִים וְנִמְלָכִין לַחֲזֹר בָּהֶם:
20I have received an instruction to bless them; He has blessed, and I cannot retract it.   כהִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה:
הִנֵּה בָרֵךְ לָקָחְתִּי - (lit.) Behold, I have taken to bless. You ask me: “What did God say?” I respond: “I received an instruction from Him to bless them.” is equivalent to לְבָרֵךְ “to bless.”   הִנֵּה בָרֵךְ לָקָחְתִּי.  אַתָּה שׁוֹאֲלֵנִי "מַה דִּבֶּר ה'?", קִבַּלְתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ לְבָרֵךְ אוֹתָם:
וּבֵרֵךְ וְלֹא אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה - means: He has blessed them, and I will not retract His blessing.   וּבֵרֵךְ וְלֹא אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה.  הוּא בֵּרֵךְ אוֹתָם וַאֲנִי לֹא אָשִׁיב אֶת בִּרְכָתוֹ:
וּבֵרֵךְ - is equivalent to וּבִרֵךְ. This is the form used when ר is a middle root-letter, as in: אוֹיֵב חֵרֵף “the enemy who blasphemed,” 5 which is equivalent to חִרֵף; and similarly: וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ, 6 which means: one who praises and blesses a thief, saying, “Do not fear, for you will not be punished and you will have peace,” angers the Holy One, blessed be He. You cannot say that בֵּרֵךְ is a noun (“blessing”), for if so, it should be vocalized with a patach katan (segol) on both syllables and accented on the first syllable (בֶּֽרֶךְ), but since it is a verbal form, it is vocalized with a kamatz katan (tzeireh), with its accent on the last syllable (בֵּרֵךְ).   וּבֵרֵךְ.  כְּמוֹ וּבִרֵּךְ, וְכֵן הִיא גִזְרַת רֵי"ש, כְּמוֹ (תהלים ע"ד) "אוֹיֵב חֵרֵף" כְּמוֹ חִרֵּף, וְכֵן (שם מ') "וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ" — הַמְהַלֵּל וּמְבָרֵךְ אֶת הַגּוֹזֵל וְאוֹמֵר אַל תִּירָא כִּי לֹא תֵעָנֵשׁ, שָׁלוֹם יִהְיֶה לְךָ, מַרְגִּיז הוּא לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא; וְאֵין לוֹמַר ברך שֵׁם דָּבָר, שֶׁאִם כֵּן הָיָה נָקוּד בְּפַתָּ"ח קָטָן וְטַעְמוֹ לְמַעְלָה, אֲבָל לְפִי שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן פִּעֵל, הוּא נָקוּד קָמָץ קָטָן וְטַעְמוֹ לְמַטָּה:
21I have looked and not found any idolaters in Jacob, nor any dishonest workers in Israel. God, their God, is with them, and they retain the King’s friendship.   כאלֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֨וֶן֙ בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹֽא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ:
לֹֽא־הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַֽעֲקֹב וגו' - (lit.) He has not seen any iniquity in Jacob. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: “I have looked [and found that] there are no idolaters in Jacob.” Another explanation: According to its contextual meaning, it can be expounded with a fitting Midrash: The Holy One, blessed be He, does not look at any sin that Jacob possesses. When they transgress His words, He is not particular with them by paying attention to their iniquity and their perversity in contravening His law.   לֹֽא־הִבִּיט אָוֶן בְּיַֽעֲקֹב וגו'.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ; דָּבָר אַחֵר אַחֲרֵי פְשׁוּטוֹ הוּא נִדְרָשׁ מִדְרָשׁ נָאֶה לֹֽא־הִבִּיט הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא און שֶׁבְּיַעֲקֹב — כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹבְרִין עַל דְּבָרָיו אֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק אַחֲרֵיהֶם לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בְּאוֹנִיּוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם וַעֲמָלָן שֶׁהֵן עוֹבְרִין עַל דָּתוֹ —
עָמָל - this word, usually meaning “toil” or “trouble,” here denotes transgression, as in: “he conceives transgression (עָמָל),” 7 and “for You see transgression (עָמָל) and vexation,” 8 for transgression is troublesome to the Omnipresent.   עָמָל.  לְשׁוֹן עֲבֵרָה, כְּמוֹ "וְהָרָה עָמָל" (תהלים ז'), "כִּי אַתָּה עָמָל וָכַעַס תַּבִּיט" (שם י'), לְפִי שֶׁהָעֲבֵרָה הִיא עָמָל לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם:
ה' אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ - God, their God, is with them - i.e., even when they provoke Him and disobey Him, He does not move from their midst.   ה' אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ.  אֲפִלּוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּמַמְרִים לְפָנָיו, אֵינוֹ זָז מִתּוֹכָן:
וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּֽוֹ - תְּרוּעָה here denotes endearment and friendship, as in: רֵעֶה דָוִד, 9 meaning “a friend of David,” and וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ “and he gave her to his friend”; 10 and similarly Onkelos translates it: וּשְׁכִינַת מַלְכְּהוֹן בֵּינֵיהוֹן “and the Presence of their King is among them.”   וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּֽוֹ.  לְשׁוֹן חִבָּה וְרֵעוּת, כְּמוֹ (שמואל ב ט"ו) "רֵעֶה דָּוִד" — אוֹהֵב דָּוִד, (שופטים ט"ו) "וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְמֵרֵעֵהוּ", וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס "וּשְׁכִינַת מַלְכְּהוֹן בֵּינֵהוֹן":
22God took them out of Egypt with the strength of His loftiness,   כבאֵ֖ל מֽוֹצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֽוֹ:
אֵל מֽוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרָיִם - God took them out of Egypt. You said: “A people has come out of Egypt,” 11 but they did not come out on their own; rather, God took them out.   אֵל מֽוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרָיִם.  אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ "הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם", לֹא יָצָא מֵעַצְמוֹ, אֶלָּא הָאֱלֹהִים הוֹצִיאָם:
כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לֽוֹ - means: “in accordance with the strength of His loftiness (רוּם) and height.” Similarly, we find: וְכֶסֶף תּוֹעָפוֹת “and powerful silver.” 12 Both usages of תוֹעֲפֹת denote power. I am of the opinion that תוֹעֲפֹת is related to וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף “and let fowl fly,” 13 in this case meaning: God who flies high above, indicating great power; תוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם thus means “flying high.” Another explanation: תּוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם means: “the might of re’emim,” and our rabbis 14 said that this refers to demons.   כְּתֽוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם לֽוֹ.  כְּתֹקֶף רוּם וְגֹבַהּ שֶׁלּוֹ, וְכֵן "וְכֶסֶף תּוֹעָפוֹת" (איוב כ"ב) לְשׁוֹן מָעוֹז הֵמָּה, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן "וְעוֹף יְעוֹפֵף" (בראשית א') — הַמְעוֹפֵף בְּרוּם וְגֹבַהּ, תֹקֶף רַב הוּא זֶה, וְתוֹעֲפֹת רְאֵם — עֲפִיפַת גֹּבַהּ; דָּבָר אַחֵר, תּוֹעֲפוֹת רְאֵם — תֹּקֶף רְאֵמִים, וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ אֵלּוּ הַשֵּׁדִים (עי' גיטין ס"ח):
23because there are no diviners in Jacob and no stick-diviners in Israel. Just like then, it will be said to Jacob and Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’   כגכִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֨חַשׁ֙ בְּיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵֽאָמֵ֤ר לְיַֽעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּעַ֖ל אֵֽל:
כִּי לֹא־נַחַשׁ בְּיַֽעֲקֹב - Because there are no diviners in Jacob - i.e., they are worthy of blessing because there are no diviners of auspicious omens or soothsayers among them.   כִּי לֹא־נַחַשׁ בְּיַֽעֲקֹב.  כִּי רְאוּיִים הֵם לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם מְנַחֲשִׁים וְקוֹסְמִים:
כָּעֵת יֵֽאָמֵר לְיַֽעֲקֹב וגו' - Just like then, it will be said to Jacob…. i.e., in the future, there will again be a time when God’s affection for them will be manifest to all, just like it is at this time of the Giving of the Torah, for throughout the messianic age they will be seated before Him studying the Torah directly from Him, located closer to Him than His own ministering angels, and the angels will ask them: “What has God wrought?” About this it says: “and your eyes will see your Teacher.” 15 Another explanation: יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב is not in the future tense but in the present continuous: They have no need for diviners or soothsayers, for whenever Jacob and Israel must be told what the Holy One, blessed be He, has wrought and what He has decreed on High, they need not consult diviners or soothsayers; rather, what the Omnipresent has decreed is communicated to them directly by their prophets, or the urim and tumim inform them. Onkelos, however, did not translate it like this.   כָּעֵת יֵֽאָמֵר לְיַֽעֲקֹב וגו'.  עוֹד עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת עֵת כָּעֵת הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר תִּגָּלֶה חִבָּתָן לְעֵין כֹּל, שֶׁהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין לְפָנָיו וּלְמֵדִים תּוֹרָה מִפִּיו וּמְחִצָּתָן לִפְנִים מִמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת וְהֵם יִשְׁאֲלוּ לָהֶם מה פעל אל? וְזֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו ל') "וְהָיוּ עֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת אֶת מוֹרֶיךָ". דָּבָר אַחֵר — יאמר ליעקב אֵינוֹ לְשׁוֹן עָתִיד אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן הֹוֶה, אֵינָן צְרִיכִין לִמְנַחֵשׁ וְקוֹסֵם, כִּי בְכָל עֵת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמַה גְּזֵרוֹתָיו בַּמָּרוֹם, אֵינָן מְנַחֲשִׁים וְקוֹסְמִים אֶלָּא נֶאֱמַר לָהֶם עַל פִּי נְבִיאֵיהֶם מַה הִיא גְזֵרַת הַמָּקוֹם, אוֹ אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים מַגִּידִים לָהֶם (תנחומא); וְאֻנְקְלוֹס לֹא תִרְגֵּם כֵּן:
24Behold a people that rises like a fearsome lion, raising itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it consumes prey, and drinks the blood of its slain enemies.”   כדהֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַֽאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה:
הֶן־עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וגו' - Behold a people that rises like a fearsome lion…. i.e., when they arise from sleep in the morning, they overcome obstacles like a fearsome lion and like a lion, grabbing the opportunity to perform the commandments: to wear a ritually-tasseled garment, to recite the Shema, and to put on tefilin.   הֶן־עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וגו'.  כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹמְדִין מִשְּׁנָתָם שַׁחֲרִית, הֵן מִתְגַּבְּרִין כְּלָבִיא וְכַאֲרִי לַחֲטֹף אֶת הַמִּצְוֹת — לִלְבֹּשׁ טַלִּית, לִקְרֹא אֶת שְׁמַע וּלְהָנִיחַ תְּפִלִּין:
לֹא יִשְׁכַּב - It does not lie down - at night on its bed until it consumes and destroys any harmful force that may seek to prey upon them. How so? They recite the Shema at bedtime and entrust their souls into the hand of the Omnipresent. If a camp or army attempts to harm them, the Holy One, blessed be He, protects them and fights their wars, making the enemies fall slain. Another explanation: הֶן עָם כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם וגו׳ means as Onkelos translates it: “This people dwells like a fearsome lion…it will not settle in its land until it has slain its prey and taken possession of the property of the nations.”   לֹא יִשְׁכַּב.  בַּלַּיְלָה עַל מִטָּתוֹ עַד שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל וּמְחַבֵּל כָּל מַזִּיק הַבָּא לְטָרְפוֹ, כֵּיצַד? קוֹרֵא אֶת שְׁמַע עַל מִטָּתוֹ וּמַפְקִיד רוּחוֹ בְּיַד הַמָּקוֹם, בָּא מַחֲנֶה וְגַיִס לְהַזִּיקָם, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שׁוֹמְרָם וְנִלְחָם מִלְחֲמוֹתָם וּמַפִּילָם חֲלָלִים (שם); דָּבָר אַחֵר — הן עם כלביא יקום וגו', כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
וְדַם־חֲלָלִים יִשְׁתֶּֽה - And drinks the blood of its slain enemies. He hereby prophesied that Moses would not die until he had slain the kings of Midian, and that he, Balaam, would be killed along with them, as it says: “the Israelites killed the soothsayer Balaam son of Be’or by the sword, upon their other slain.” 16   וְדַם־חֲלָלִים יִשְׁתֶּֽה.  נִתְנַבֵּא שֶׁאֵין מֹשֶׁה מֵת עַד שֶׁיַּפִּיל מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן חֲלָלִים וְיֵהָרֵג הוּא עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ג) "וְאֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם הָרְגוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב אֶל חַלְלֵיהֶם" (עי' תנחומא):
25Balak said to Balaam, “You must neither curse them nor bless them!”   כהוַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם גַּם־קֹ֖ב לֹ֣א תִקֳּבֶ֑נּוּ גַּם־בָּרֵ֖ךְ לֹ֥א תְבָֽרֲכֶֽנּוּ:
גַּם־קֹב לֹא תִקֳּבֶנּוּ - You must neither curse them - The first גַּם adds to the second גַּם, and the second גַּם to the first גַּם. A similar case is: גַּם לִי גַם לָךְ לֹא יִהְיֶה “let him be neither mine nor yours,” 17 and also: גַּם בָּחוּר גַּם בְּתוּלָה “the young man and the young girl.” 18   גַּם־קֹב לֹא תִקֳּבֶנּוּ.  גַם רִאשׁוֹן מוֹסִיף עַל גַּם הַשֵּׁנִי וְגַם הַשֵּׁנִי עַל גַּם רִאשׁוֹן, וְכֵן "גַּם לִי גַם לָךְ לֹא יִהְיֶה" (מלכים א ג'), וְכֵן "גַּם בָּחוּר גַּם בְּתוּלָה" (דברים ל"ב):
26Balaam answered and said to Balak, “Have I not spoken to you, saying, ‘Everything God says is what I must do’?”   כווַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה: