Kabbalah Library

400. It is written, “And God came to Balaam at night.” God is the one appointed over them, and he was coming against him. Likewise, “And God came to Laban the Aramaic.” God is their appointee, since God is a common name even to people.

401. Since that appointee was coming, Balaam came on his donkey and did his deeds and spoke words, and then the mare would notify him. He showed the doing of a deed so that that spirit would be on him. What did he show? He knew that the donkeys were wandering and present in the beginning of the night, so he showed an act and placed his mare in a fixed placed opposite from the donkeys, and did his deeds and arranged his words. Then, whoever came, came and notified him what was needed through his mare.

402. Since at night, one told him, “You will not go with them,” what is the reason he returned to this one a second time? However, they stood by permission from above, and in the way that a man wanted to go, they would lead him.

In the beginning, it is written, “You will not go with them.” Since the Creator saw that his will was to go, He told him, “Arise, go with them, but do only the thing that I will speak to you.” Throughout that night, Balaam was reflecting and saying, “Where then is my honor if I have connected in one connection above, by permission from above?” He looked at his spells all night and did not find a side that was in his own authority, but from the side of his mare, meaning that he would disconnect from the authority of above and come to his own authority through the force of his mare.

403. In which lower Sefirot are there right and left? From the right side, they are the donkeys, males. From the left side, they are the mares, females. Ten to the right and ten to the left, corresponding to the ten Sefirot of holiness, since God has made them one opposite the other.

When Joseph parted from his father, he knew by the wisdom of above in the upper, holy Sefirot. When he was in Egypt, he also learned in their wisdom, in those lower Sefirot of the Sitra Achra, how they clung, those of the right and those on the left, ten of the right and ten of the left, which are the donkeys and the mares. For this reason, he insinuated to his father what he had learned there, as it is written, “And to his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys.”

404. Those ten of the right are all incorporated in one, who is called “donkey.” This is that donkey of which it is written, “You will not plow with an ox and a donkey together.” This is the donkey that the Messiah King is destined to control, as it is written, “A poor man riding a donkey.” Those ten of the left are all incorporated in one, called “mare,” since from her side emerges a foal that slanders against the children, a foal, son of mares, as it is written, “a poor man riding a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey. Mares is written with a missing letter because the ten are incorporated in one mare.

405. It is written, “Binding his foal to the vine and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine.” “Binding his foal to the vine,” for Israel, who are called “vine,” as it is written, “You brought a vine out of Egypt.” The Creator is destined to tie his foal, their slanderer. And because Israel are called “choice vine,” as it is written, “Yet I planted you a choice vine,” it is written, “and his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,” the one who emerges from the side of that mare, will tie her and subdue her.

406. These ten from the right and ten from the left are incorporated in those two, donkey and mare; they are all in the magic. Then there are ten others of the right, and ten of the left, which are in the serpent. This is why it is written, “For there is no serpent [also divination] in Jacob, and no spell in Israel,” since “the Lord his God is with him.” From the side of the serpent, an ox comes out; from the side of the spell, a donkey comes out, and this is an ox and a donkey.

For this reason, because Balaam knew that he was tied in a different authority above, for he told him, “And only the thing I will say to you, this you will do,” it was bad for him and he said, “Where is my honor?” Promptly, he looked in his spells and found nothing that would return him to his own authority, except for that mare.

407. Promptly, “And Balaam arose in the morning and saddled his mare,” to do his will in it, and the will of Balak. Hence, “And God’s anger was kindled because he went.” He, precisely, since he removed himself from His authority with the help of his mare, from what He said to him, “And only the thing I will say to you, this you will do.”

In the beginning, He gave him permission and said, “Arise, go with them.” Now that he was going, why was God’s wrath kindled? It was because he went. He, in his own authority, to remove himself from the one who said to him, “And only the thing I will say to you.”

408. The Creator said to him, “Wicked, you correct and hasten your vessels in order to exit My authority; be sure, you and your mare will be in My authority.” Promptly, “and the angel of the Lord took his stand in the way as his adversary.” It came out, and stood at a different craft than his craft, since that angel was of mercy, and not of judgment, like Balaam. Rabbi Shimon said “The wicked turn mercy into judgment.” This is why it is written, “as his adversary,” and not other’s, since it was not his craft, for it was in the quality of mercy.

409. The angel did not change and did not exit its craft. But because that angel was from the side of mercy and stood against him, it contradicted his wisdom and spoiled his will, as it is written, “as his adversary.” It was an adversary to him and an adversary was present, but to another, it was not an adversary.

410. Balaam was very wise with his spells on all the people of the world, since when he searched to find a way to emerge from the authority of the Creator, he looked in his spells but found nothing but that mare, by which he emerged from the authority of the Creator, as it is written, “And he saddled his mare,” loading on her all the spells and all the charms he knew, and instilled in her and incorporated her with all of them in order to curse Israel. Promptly, “And God’s wrath was kindled because he went.” “He” indicates that he removed himself from His authority. What did the Creator do? He placed before him the angel of mercy to stand against him and revoke his spells and charms.

411. Until now, it is not written HaVaYaH, since He was not seen in his spells and charms. Now since he fixed his mare and rushed her with the corrections of his spells, from the side of judgment, to curse Israel, the Creator placed before him the angel of mercy, and in the name of mercy, to revoke his wisdom and deflect his mare from that road, as it is written, “and the mare strayed from the road,” the way of his spells. This is why it is not written, “And the angel of God presented itself, and the angel of God stood, but rather the angel of HaVaYaH [the Lord], who is mercy.

412. The Creator said, “Wicked one, you loaded your spells on your mare with several sides of judgment against My children, I will remove your load and will revert from this path.” Promptly, the angel of mercy stood before him as his adversary, his, and not another’s.