Kabbalah Library

387. This matter of the Philistine does not settle, and should be examined. This Philistine, his lineage was close to that of David; he was the son of Orpa. This is why it is written, “‘The host of the Philistines,’ do not pronounce it as ‘host’ but as ‘the caves of the Philistines,’” which he made for his mother, like this cave. Since it is written, “And the Philistine cursed David by his god,” David looked at him with an evil eye, and wherever David looked with an evil eye, all kinds of leprosy were extended from David’s eyes. And so it was with Yoav: Since David looked at him with an evil eye, it is written, “and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous.”

388. Here, with this Philistine who cursed the Name, David looked at him with an evil eye and saw in his forehead that he has become a leper. Promptly, it is written, “The stone sank into his forehead,” since leprosy has infected his forehead. It was all because of the sinking of the evil eye of leprosy in his forehead that the stone truly sank in his forehead. Thus, it is certain that he was a leper.

389. Wicked and criminal Balaam, his eye was the opposite of David’s eye. David’s eye was an embroidery of all kinds of colors. There has never been in the world an eye as beautiful as David’s eye. All the colors in the world glittered in it, and it was all with love for those who feared sin, as it is written, “Those who fear You will see me and rejoice.” They were delighted when they saw him, and all those wicked ones feared him.

390. However, Balaam’s eye was evil in every way. Wherever he looked, it would obliterate it like a blaze, since there is no eye in the world as evil as the eye of that wicked one, which is the opposite of David’s eye.

391. How do we know that one is afflicted with leprosy for incest? It is written about incest, “The Lord will afflict the scalp of the daughters of Zion with scabs,” and it is written about leprosy, “for a swelling or an eruption or a spot.” As it is leprosy there, it is leprosy here.

How do we know that one is afflicted with leprosy for stealing? It is written, “I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by My name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.” What is the thing that consumes timber and stones? It is leprosy, as it is written, “and smashed the house, its stones and its timber.”

392. How do we know that one is infected with leprosy for slander? It is written, “And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.” It is also written, “Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was a leper.”

How do we know that one is infected with leprosy for false testimony? It is because Israel made a false testimony saying “These are your gods, Israel,” with a loud voice, as it is written, “the sound of war in the camp.” This is why it is written, “they sent out from the camp anyone who is leprous or has a discharge.”

393. How do we know that one is infected with leprosy for corrupting a judgment? It is written, “As fire devours the stubble … their root will be as rottenness, and their blossom will ascend like dust, for they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts.” Their “blossom” is leprosy, as it is written, “And if leprosy breaks out [Hebrew: blossoms] on the skin.”

How do we know that one is infected with leprosy for trespassing? From Uziahu, who entered the realm of priesthood, as it is written, “And leprosy shone in his forehead.”

And how do we know that one is infected with leprosy for inciting conflicts among brothers? It is written, “And the Lord afflicted Pharaoh,” since he incited quarrels between Abraham and Sarah.

And how do we know about the evil eye? Since David’s evil eye would strike with leprosy those who did not fear the Creator. Thus, evil eye inflicts leprosy. And it was all in that wicked one, Balaam.

394. It is written, “Ptorah, which is by the river in the land of his people.” “By the river,” for he cast an evil eye on that river that stands in Israel, which is Yesod of ZA, as it is written, “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river.” Balaam came in that Ptorah, Malchut of ZA, and was provoking them. He provoked Israel, who receive from the river, for he wanted to draw the abundance from the river to his Malchut, who is called Ptorah. Ptorah, which fights on the river, to draw it to her side.

395. Certainly, all those things were in Balaam. But how do we know that there was incest in Balaam? Because it is written, “Look, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Peor.” Thus, there is idol-worship here, of Peor, and incest of Kozbi, daughter of Tzor.

How do we know that there was perjury in Balaam? Because it is written, “Come, I will advise you,” which depends on the judgment whether Israel are rewarded or not. He gave a bad advice to harm Israel, and deviated from the judgment, to which he did not pay attention and gave them bad advice.

396. He entered a realm that was not his. How do we know that it was in Balaam? Because it is written, “I have offered on the altar a bull and a ram. It is also written, “I have set up the seven altars,” that making sacrifices belongs only to priests.

Causing conflicts among brothers was in him, since he invoked a quarrel between Israel and their father in heaven.

There was slander in him since there was no one in the world with slander like his, for all his strength was in his mouth.

There was the curse of the Creator in him, as it is written, “while I meet the Lord over there.” This means that he wanted to uproot Malchut, who is called Yod-Hey, from Israel.

Everyone was in him. The evil eye, as we learned, and it was all by that river of Israel, Yesod of ZA, he cast his eyes to provoke it, to deflect its abundance to the evil side. And it is written, “Ptorah, which is by the river in the land of his people.” Do I not know that it is the land of his people? However, it is a secret, that all his people were adhered to him.