Why the Angel Killed Balaam's Donkey and Spared Balaam

Midrash Aggadah, Numbers 22:33

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"For now I would also have killed you, [and let her live]" (Numbers 22:33). It does not say "I would have left her," but "I would have kept her alive" — from here we learn that the angel killed her, because she came before the angel together with Balaam for judgment, and the angel killed her. And if regarding the honor of the wicked He was concerned — so that people should not say, "This is the one who rebuked Balaam the prophet and silenced him" — how much more so does the Holy One, blessed be He, concern Himself with the honor of the righteous. This is what is written: "and you shall kill the animal" (Leviticus 20:15).

Themes

AngelsJudgment

Biblical References

Continue Reading

3 EnochGod's SwordThis one’s half fire, half ice. Quite the contrast. According to 3 Enoch 32:1, when God opens this extraordinary book, something incredible happens. Avenging an3 EnochThe Keeper Of The Book Of Records3 Enoch turns to The Keeper Of The Book Of Records. So, what exactly does the Keeper of the Book of Records do? He’s the one who fetches the case, the container1 EnochGod's PrisonIt speaks of a place far, far removed from the familiar landscapes of heaven and earth. A sort of cosmic timeout corner. You’re at the very edge of everything, Life of Adam and EveGod Descends Into The GardenThe bite taken. The realization dawning. But what happened next? The familiar reading skips ahead to the consequences, the exile, the shame. In Penitence of AdaThe Book of Maccabees IJudas Maccabeus Among the Heavenly HostHe's got a whole Syrian army backing him up. Contrast that with Judas. He’s not exactly bringing a battalion to this battle. He's in Adasa with just three thousBook of JasherThree Angels Visit Abraham Before Sodom's DoomBook of Jasher turns to Three Angels Visit Abraham Before Sodom's Doom. The tradition turns to the Book of Jasher. Now, this isn't part of the canonical Hebrew