Heshbon and the Poets Who Reckon the World's Accounting

"And we shot at them; Heshbon is perished" (Numbers 21:30). Israel said: We judged them through Sihon, and therefore Heshbon perished. They said: Heshbon, their city, and we laid waste the land "even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba." Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say: Come ye to Heshbon" (Numbers 21:27). And who are these "rulers" (moshlim)? This is Balaam and also his father; and therefore Scripture called them moshlim, after the manner of "and he took up his parable (mashal)" (Numbers 23:7). For Heshbon was a heavy and strong and lofty city, and even had it been guarded by gnats Sihon would not have been able to conquer it, until he hired Balaam and his father; and Balaam cursed them, and no man of valor found his hands to guard it. And concerning this matter Balak sent to Balaam to curse Israel, and concerning this Balak said, "for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed" (Numbers 22:6). He blessed Sihon and cursed Moab, and they said to Sihon, "Come ye to Heshbon." Moses began to set forth how Balaam cursed Heshbon and also Moab, and blessed Sihon. Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say." These are the rulers over their evil inclination: "Come to Heshbon" — come and let us reckon the accounting of the world, the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss; "let the city be built and established" — for the life of the World to Come, together with the righteous who recount the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "ye that walk by the way, tell of it (sichu)" (Judges 5:10). "For a fire is gone out of Heshbon" — a fire shall go forth from those who reckon the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss. "A flame from the city of Sihon" — just as the righteous recount the Torah, so it shall consume those who deal treacherously with the Lord to do all their wickedness. "The lords of the high places of the Arnon" — these are the haughty who do the deeds of the proud. Another interpretation: "the lords of the high places of the Arnon" — this is he who casts off from himself the yoke of Heaven, and they place upon him the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the world. "Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh" — every people that serves idolatry, its end is to be destroyed; this is what is written, "But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I declare unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish" (Deuteronomy 30:17-18). "To Sihon king of the Amorites" — for he is like a shoot (siach) in the wilderness; this is what is written, "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far" (Deuteronomy 28:49). "And we shot at them" — woe to the wicked, and woe to his neighbor. "Heshbon is perished" — they lost the accounting of the world, and said, "there is no judgment and there is no Judge," because they said of some of them: their end is to come unto Dibon — that we shall judge their soul then; "and we have laid waste even unto Nophah" — and afterward their soul shall come to the end, that it be burned and come unto Gehinnom, which is a fire that needs no blowing (nippuach). "Which reacheth unto Medeba" — its end is to be judged in Gehinnom, and the Holy One, blessed be He, shall do with them what He wishes; this is what is written, "until He have executed, and till He have performed the purposes of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it" (Jeremiah 23:20).