Kabbalah Library

276. King David said, “For behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string.” Although we explained that this verse was said about Shevna and Yoach, Hezekiah’s ministers, that verse was also said about Sam and his company, whose deeds and counsels are all about Israel.

Balak and Balaam held that very thing of Sam and his company, and did bad collecting. They said, “Amalek has the letters Am Lak, an Am [nation] afflicted by the snake that strikes with its tail. They said, “But we are more than it,” since Balak has the letters Ba Lak, that those whom he afflicts as he wishes come, and Balaam has the letters of Bal Am, no Am [nation], and no shepherd. Our name causes to annihilate and uproot them from the world.

277. The Creator calculated their names in a different way, since in Balak there is Bal [without] and in Balaam there is Bal. When connected, they are Bilbel [confused]. What are the letters that remain when the letters of Bilbel are taken from them? They are Emek [valley], Em from Balaam and K from Balak. That combination will cause the confusion of the depth of their thought, so they do not control the world and do not remain in the world.

278. Damned in Hell be the spirit of Balak, and may the bones and spirit of Balaam be pulverized there. So it is, they took a bad advice on Israel’s protector, on that Yod-Hey, on the Shechina, called Yod-Hey, and contemplated uprooting that Yod-Hey and contemplated raising the evil side by speaking with the mouth and by actions.

279. That wicked one said, “The first ones tried but couldn’t; the generation of Babylon tried but couldn’t, since they did a deed but the mouth was missing in them, for their language was confused and they couldn’t. But you, Balaam, your mouth is witty, and your language is established in these two sides: ‘He whom you bless is blessed,’ on the one hand, ‘and he whom you curse is cursed,’ on the other hand. That side that you want to raise ascends through your mouth and language, and that side which you want to curse, curse by the power of your mouth. It all depends on you, since the act has already been established by Me, but everything depends on the speech. Hence, by the deed of the serpent, I will establish, and you will complete everything with your mouth. That side which you bless is blessed, and that side which you curse will be cursed.”

280. He did not know that the Creator “deprives the trusted ones of speech, and takes away the discernment of the elders,” and everything stands in His authority. “He deprives the trusted ones of speech” refers to the generation of Babylon, whose language He confused so they would have no control over speech at all, as it is written, “so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” “And takes away the discernment of the elders” refers to Balaam and Balak, who were both of one counsel, as it is written, “and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar.”

281. That wicked one, Balaam, all his actions were to harm, with arrogance. Both of them raised offerings, as it is written, “and Balak and Balaam offered,” and Balak would conduct all the offering, and that wicked one, Balaam, would praise himself and say, “I conducted the seven offerings and raised a bull and a ram on the altar, but he did not share it with Balak. The Creator said, “Oh Wicked one, I know everything. However, return to Balak, and you do not need to speak. Rather, this is what you shall say—that the Shechina, who is called Yod-Hey, she will speak.” This is the meaning of the words “and takes away the discernment of the elders.”

282. “And takes away the discernment of the elders” is as it is written, “And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with divination in their hand.” He took the discernment of those elders who could not control their spells at all, and they spoke to him the words of Balak. They spoke openly, and not in a whisper, since he was hard at hearing. He was flawed in the ear and flawed in the eye, and flawed in the foot; he was flawed and maimed in three places, since he was established for the Sitra Achra, and so he needed the Sitra Achra, who is a place where there is a blemish. Each kind goes to its kind.