“God came to Bilam, and said: Who are these men with you?” (Numbers 22:9). “God came to Bilam, and said: Who are these men?” This is what the verse said: “He who misleads the upright on an evil path will fall into his own pit” (Proverbs 28:10) –this is Bilam. Initially the people would conduct themselves with uprightness, but through his words, they would conduct themselves with wantonness.
Regarding the early generations: “Rachel came with the flock” (Genesis 29:9); “the priest of Midyan had seven daughters” (Exodus 2:16).21The fathers were able to send their daughters with the flocks without concern that the male shepherds would engage with them in wanton behavior. Bilam stood and misled the people with regards to wanton behavior. Just as he misled, he was misled. With the counsel that he provided, he fell, and the Holy One blessed be He misled him, as it is written: “He exalts the nations and He eliminates them” (Job 12:23).
When He said to him: “Who are these men with you?” that wicked one said: ‘I do not know about them.’22Bilam understood that God was telling him that He did not know who those people were. [Bilam thought:] There is a moment when He does not know, and I will wreak upon His children anything that I want. This is why He said it;23“Who are these men with you?” in order to mislead him. “Bilam said to God: Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav, sent to me” (Numbers 22:10).
Another matter, “who are these men with you…Bilam said to God: Balak son of Tzipor.” He began boasting and said: ‘Even though You do not honor me and do not cause my renown to spread throughout the world, the kings ask for me.’ “Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt, it has covered the face of the earth; now, come curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to wage war against them, and drive them away” (Numbers 22:11).
“Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt…now, come curse [kava] them for me” – it is to inform that he hated more than Balak, as Balak did not say kava, but rather, ara; but this one said kava explicitly.24In Numbers 22:6, Balak uses the word ‘ara’ in his message to Bilam, but here, when Bilam is supposedly repeating Balak’s request, he uses the word ‘kava’ instead. Ara is a milder form of curse than kava.
He [Balak] said: “I will drive them from the land”; but he [Bilam] said: “drive them away” – from this world and from the World to Come. 10 “God said to Bilam: You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, as it is blessed” (Numbers 22:12). “God said to Bilam: You shall not go with them” – he said to Him: ‘If so, I will curse them where I am.’ He said to him: “You shall not curse the people.”
He said to Him: 'If so, I will bless them.' He said to him: 'They do not need your blessing,' “as it is blessed.” They say to the hornet: Neither from your honey nor from your sting.’ “Bilam arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak: Go to your land, as the Lord refused to allow me to go with you” (Numbers 22:13).
“Bilam arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak” – Bilam did not say to them: ‘He did not give me permission to go and to curse,’ but rather, “to allow me to go with you.” Rather, [Bilam said:] ‘He said to me: It is not in keeping with your standing to go with these, but rather, with those greater than they are, because He desires my honor.’ That is why: “Balak continued sending additional princes, more numerous and more prestigious [than those]” (Numbers 22:15).