Parshas Balak-Pinchas

(1) In the beginning God created heaven and earth.

“One silver basin [mizrak]” (Numbers 7:19), corresponding to the Torah, that is likened to wine, as it is stated: “Drink of the wine that I mixed” (Proverbs 9:5). Because wine is typically drunk from a bowl [mizrak], just as it says: “Who drink from wine bowls [mizrekei]” (Amos 6:6), that is why he brought a basin. “Seventy shekels, in the sacred shekel” (Numbers 7:19), why? Just as the numerical value of wine [yayin] is seventy,59Yod – 10 + yod – 10 + nun – 50 = 70. thus there are seventy aspects to the Torah.

As Rav Ḥisda said: The letters mem and samekh that were in the tablets were standing miraculously. Each letter was chiseled all the way through the tablets. In that case, the segment of the tablets at the center of the samekh and final mem, letters that are completely closed, should have fallen. Miraculously, they remained in place.

As it was taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “To love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 11:13). Which is the service of God that is performed in the heart? You must say that this is referring to prayer.

(10) Inasmuch as they have misled My people, saying, “It is well,” when nothing is well, daubing the flimsy wall with plaster (- a strong connecting substance)

(20) “And when Moses came into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him” – it is taught: “There has not arisen another prophet in Israel like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10) – in Israel one has not arisen, but among the nations of the world he has arisen, so that there will not be recourse for the nations of the world to say: Had we had a prophet like Moses, we would have worshipped the Holy One blessed be He. What prophet did they have like Moses? This was Bilam son of Beor. However, there is a disparity between Moses’ prophecy and Bilam’s prophecy. There were three qualities that existed in Moses that did not exist in Bilam. Moses would speak with Him standing, as it is stated: “But you, stand here with Me and I will speak to you…” (Deuteronomy 5:28). With Bilam, He would speak to him only when he was fallen, as it is stated: “Fallen with open eyes” (Numbers 24:4). Moses, He would speak to him mouth to mouth, as it is stated: “Mouth to mouth I will speak to him” (Numbers 12:8), but regarding Bilam, “the utterance of one who hears the sayings of God” (Numbers 24:4), as he would not speak to him mouth to mouth. Moses, He would speak to him face-to-face, as it is stated: “The Lord would speak to Moses face-to-face” (Exodus 33:11), but with Bilam, he would speak in parables, just as it says: “He proclaimed his parable and said…” (Numbers 23:7).

There were three qualities that existed in Bilam that did not exist in Moses. Moses would not know who was speaking with him; Bilam would know who was speaking with him, as it is stated: “The utterance of one who hears the sayings of God, the vision of the Almighty he will see” (Numbers 24:4). Moses did not know when the Holy One blessed be He would speak with him, but Bilam would know when the Holy One blessed be He would speak with him, as it is stated: “He knows the knowledge of the Most High” (Numbers 24:16). They stated a parable: It is analogous to the king’s slaughterer, who knew what the king would offer on his table and knew how many expenditures the king would outlay for his table. So, Bilam would know what the Holy One blessed be He was destined to speak with him. Bilam, He would speak with him whenever he wished, as it is stated: “Fallen with open eyes” (Numbers 24:4). He would fall on his face and immediately, he was open eyed regarding what he asked. But Moses, He would not speak with him whenever he wished. Rabbi Shimon says: To Moses, too, He would speak whenever he wished, as it is stated: “And when Moses came into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him,” immediately, “he heard the Voice speaking with him.”

(14) Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, Crouching among the sheepfolds.

(1) יששכר חמר גרם means ISSACHAR IS A BONY ASS — he bears the yoke of the Torah (i.e. obligations) like a strong donkey upon which may be placed a heavy load (Genesis Rabbah 99:9).

(16) Thus said GOD:
Restrain your voice from weeping, Your eyes from shedding tears; or there is a reward for your labor —declares GOD: They shall return from the enemy’s land.

(30) The donkey said to Balaam, “Look, I am the ass that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing thus to you?” And he answered, “No.”

The Gemara clarifies: What is meant by the claim that Balaam did not know the mind of his animal? When the princes of Moab saw that Balaam was riding on his donkey, they said to him: What is the reason that you do not ride upon a horse, which is more fitting for you? Balaam said to them: I am riding on a donkey because I left my horse in a meadow to graze.

Immediately: “And the donkey said to Balaam: Am not I your donkey?” (Numbers 22:30), i.e., the donkey you always use. Balaam said to it: For carrying burdens only, not for riding. The donkey further said to Balaam: “Upon which you have ridden.” Balaam said to it: Merely at irregular occurrences. The donkey said to him: “All your life long unto this day” (Numbers 22:30). The donkey added: And moreover, I perform for you riding during the day, and marriage, i.e., intercourse, during the night. The Gemara explains: This is derived from the following comparison: It is written here that Balaam’s donkey said: “Was I ever wont [hahasken hiskanti] to do so to you” (Numbers 22:30), and it is written there, with regard to Abishag the Shunammite and King David: “And be a companion [sokhenet] unto him; and let her lie in your bosom” (I Kings 1:2). This teaches that the term hiskanti alludes to sexual intercourse.

The twenty two letters of the Torah

(1) While Israel was staying at Shittim, the menfolk profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, (2) who invited the menfolk to the sacrifices for their god. The menfolk partook of them and worshiped that god. (3) Thus, Israel attached itself to Baal-Peor, and יהוה was incensed with Israel. (4) יהוה said to Moses, “Take all the ringleaders and have them publicly impaled before יהוה, so that יהוה’s wrath may turn away from Israel.”