“He sent messengers to Bilam son of Beor, to Petor” – it was his city. Some say he was a moneychanger [shulḥani],14Petora means table [shulḥan] in Aramaic. as the kings of the gentiles would consult with him like a moneychanger to whom everyone brings his money.15So, too, people would bring their money to Bilam, for his counsel. Some say he was initially an interpreter of dreams, but then he reverted to being a sorcerer and reverted to [prophesy by] the Divine Spirit.
“In the land of the members of his people” – as Balak was from there, and he [Bilam] had told him that he would ultimately reign. “To summon him” – as he wrote to him: ‘Do not think that it is only my mission that you are performing and that I, alone, will honor you. If you uproot them, you will be honored by all the nations, and Canaan and the Amalekites will prostrate themselves to you.’ “Behold, a people emerged from Egypt” – he [Bilam] said to him: ‘Of what concern is it to you?’
He said to him: ‘“Behold, it has covered the face of the earth [ein haaretz]” – they shut the eyes [einayim] upon which the land relies, Siḥon and Og, they destroyed them and covered their eyes. What can I do?’ “And it sits across from me [mimuli]” – mimuli is written without a vav,16The word "mimuli" can be written mem, mem, vav, lamed, yod. In the verse here, the vav was left out which makes it possible to connect it to the word amilam. just as it says: “In the name of the Lord, for I will cut them down [amilam]” (Psalms 118: 10).
“And now, please go curse this people for me, as they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to smite them, and I will drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6). “And now, please go curse [ara] [this people] for me” –“what is “ara for me”? I can overcome them a bit, like a person who picks [oreh] figs.17A few at a time, since they do not all ripen at the same time.
“As they are too mighty for me” – not that they are powerful, and their armies are numerous, but rather that they are victorious with their mouths. This is something that I am unable to do. “Perhaps I will be able to smite them” – what did this one see, that led him to provoke [them]; did the Holy One blessed be He not say to them [Israel] that they may not take their land? It is, rather, that they18The Moavites. were sorcerers and diviners greater than Bilam, as it is stated: “Balak saw”; however, they were unable to understand the matters accurately.
Likewise, it says: “You are wearied in the abundance of your devising; let now the astrologers, the stargazers…save you [from what will come upon you]” (Isaiah 47:13). He [Balak] saw in his astrology that Israel would fall into his hands. That is why he made his daughter available to wantonness, and twenty-four thousand of them fell. That is why he provoked [them].
But he did not know how. That is why, “perhaps I will be able to smite [nakeh] them” – like one who deducts [shemenakeh] one twenty-fourth per se’a.19The assumption is that this is the percentage of waste found in the grain (Bava Batra 93b). Likewise, for each twenty-four thousand of Israel, one thousand was missing.20Twenty-four thousand people died due to the sin relating to the wantonness of the daughters of Moav and the consequent worship of the idle of Baal Peor.
If multiplied by twenty-four the number is 576,000 which is close to the number of men older than twenty. “I will drive them from the land” – he was seeking to prevent them only from entering the Land. “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed” – how did he know? It is because at the time that Siḥon sought to wage war against Moav, he feared that they were mighty, and hired Bilam and his father to curse Moav, as it is stated: “Therefore the allegorists will say” (Numbers 21:27), and it is written: “A fire emerged from Ḥeshbon” (Numbers 21:28), and it is written: “Woe to you, Moav” (Numbers 21:29). That is why he said: “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed.”