“It was in the morning, and Balak took Bilam and brought him up to the heights of Baal, and he saw from there the edge of the people” (Numbers 22:41). “It was in the morning, and Balak took Bilam and brought him up to the heights of Baal” – Balak was a sorcerer and a diviner greater than Bilam, who was following him like a blind man. To what is the matter comparable? It is to one who has a knife but is unfamiliar with the joints, and his counterpart is familiar with the joints but does not have a knife.

The two of them were similar.46Bilam and Balak were such a pair. Balak would see the places at which Israel would fall, and he took him to the heights of Baal Peor, as he saw that Israel would fall there. “Bilam said to Balak: Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams” (Numbers 23:1). “Bilam said to Balak: Build for me here seven altars” – why seven altars?

They are corresponding to the seven altars that seven righteous men built, from Adam to Moses, and they were accepted: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. He was saying: ‘Why did You accept all these? Was it not because of the worship that they worshipped before You that You accepted them? Is it not fitting for You that you will be worshipped by seventy nations, and not by one nation?’

The Divine Spirit answered him: ‘“Dry [ḥareva] bread is better” (Proverbs 17:1), a meal offering that is mixed with oil47A voluntary meal offering. or dry.48The meal offering of a sinner. “Than a house full of offerings of strife” (Proverbs 17:1), as you seek to introduce strife between Me and Israel.’ “Balak did as Bilam had spoken, and Balak and Bilam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar” (Numbers 23:2).

“Bilam said to Balak: Stand with your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will happen upon me and He will show me some matter, and I will tell you. He went alone” (Numbers 23:3). “Balak did as…and…offered up…. He went alone [shefi].”

His intention was to curse, as until that moment, he was calm [shafui], but from that moment, he was troubled.49He was no longer able to act according to his intent. “God happened upon Bilam, and he said to Him: The seven altars I have prepared, and I offered up a bull and a ram on each altar” (Numbers 23:4). “God happened upon50The phrase “happened upon” indicates that the revelation was not part of a planned relationship, as opposed to Moses, for example, who was called before he was spoken to.

Bilam” – He said to him: 'Wicked one, what are you doing?' He said: “The seven altars I have prepared.” This is analogous to a moneychanger who is deceiving regarding weights. The market supervisor came and sensed this in his regard.

He said to him: 'You are deceiving regarding weights.' He said to him: 'I have already sent a gift to your house.' So it is with Bilam. The Divine Presence said to him: 'Wicked one, what are you doing?'

He said to Him: “The seven altars I have prepared.” He said to him: “A meal of greens, [and love there], is better [than a fattened ox, and hatred with it]” (Proverbs 15:17). The feast that Israel prepared in Egypt and ate with unleavened bread and bitter herbs is better than the bulls that you sacrifice in your hatred. “The Lord placed speech in Bilam's mouth, and He said: Return to Balak, and so shall you speak” (Numbers 23:5).

“The Lord placed speech in Bilam's mouth” – He contorted his mouth and restrained it, like a person affixing a nail into a board. Rabbi Elazar says: An angel was speaking:51God sent an angel to bless Israel, and the voice of the angel came out of the mouth of Bilam (Matnot Kehuna). “He said: Return to Balak, and so shall you speak.” “He returned to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moav” (Numbers 23:6).

“He returned to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moav”– they were standing and awaiting when he would come.