Kabbalah Library

287. “And God came to Balaam and said, ‘Who are these men with you?’” His degree, which was from the left side, had to ask, for it did not know. Although the friends awakened about it in a different manner, saying that the Creator tested him with his words, for they were three whom God tried: one was Hezekiah, one was Ezekiel, and one was Balaam.

Two did not endure the text properly, and one did, which is Ezekiel, as it is written that the Creator asked him, “Would these bones live?” And he replied and said, “Lord God, You know.” Hezekiah said, “They came to me from a faraway land, from Babylon.” Balaam said, “Balak, son of Tzipor king of Moab, sent for me,” to show that he was important among kings and rulers. But the Creator asked him in order to mislead him, as it is written, “He makes nations exalted and then destroys them.”

288. One Cuthite asked Rabbi Elazar. He said to him, “I see great power in Balaam, more than in Moses, for it is written of Moses, ‘And He called unto Moses,’ that He called him to come to Him, and it is written of Balaam, ‘And God met Balaam,’ and it is written, ‘And God came to Balaam,’ that God came to him.”

289. He told him, “It is like a king sitting in his hall on the throne. A leper calls at the door. The king said, ‘Who is it knocking on the door?’ They said, ‘Some leper.’ He said, ‘Let him not come in here and make the hall filthy. I know that if I tell him through a messenger, he will not fear me and will go to my son and approach him, and he will be defiled. Thus, I myself will go and threaten him to steer clear of my son’s place of residence, and not defile him.’ The king hurried and came to him, and threatened him and told him, ‘Leper, leper, steer clear from the road where my son is present. If not, I am telling you that my maidservants’ children will tear you to pieces.’”

290. The one who loves the king is calling at the door. The king said, “Who is it?” They said, “So ‎and so who loves you.” He said, “My beloved whom my soul cherishes, no other voice shall ‎call him but I.” The king shouted and said, “So and so, come in, whom my soul cherishes, my ‎loved one.” They set up the halls to speak with him.

291. Balaam is the leper, who is far from people. He calls out at the king’s gate. The king hears and says, “The impure leper shall not come in and make my hall filthy. I must go and threaten him not to approach the gate of my son and defile it. Hence, ‘And God came to Balaam.’ He said, ‘Leper, leper, you shall not go with them; you shall not curse the nation, for it is blessed. You shall not approach my children, for better or for worse; you are impure in every sense.”

However, about Moses, it is written, “And the voice of the king called unto Moses,” and not through another messenger. From the tent of meeting, from the holy hall, from a corrected hall, from a distinguished hall that upper and lower crave, but cannot approach.

292. “And Balaam said to the God, ‘Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moab, has sent for me.’” He said “king of Moab” to show that an important king had sent for me. See the pride of that wicked one, who said “king of Moab” and did not say “a king for Moab,” which would mean that he is not worthy of kingship, but became the king of Moab for some reason.

It is written about the first king, “And he fought against the first king of Moab.” It is not written about him, “a king for Moab,” as it is written, “Balak, son of Tzipor, a king for Moab at that time,” since the first king was a king, son of a king, an important one, son of an important one. But of this one, it is written, “Balak, son of Tzipor, a king for moab.” The text testifies, “a king for Moab,” that he was not important.

And Balaam said to God, “Balak, son of Tzipor, king of Moab,” hence my comment that he aimed for the great pride in his heart, saying, “All the kings in the world send messengers to me.”