Why Balaam Demanded Seven Altars From Balak

Midrash Aggadah, Numbers 23:1

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"Build me here seven altars" (Numbers 23:1) — corresponding to those that the first fathers built, from Adam until Moses our teacher. And these are they: Adam the first man built an altar, as it is said, "And it shall please the LORD better than a bull, than an ox" (Psalms 69:32). And Noah also built an altar, as it is said, "And Noah built an altar to the LORD" (Genesis 8:20). And Abraham built an altar, and Isaac built an altar, and Jacob built an altar, [as it is written, "And he built there an altar,"] "and he called the place El-beth-el" (there, 35:7). Behold, seven altars that the first ones built. [Balaam reasoned:] Perhaps He will show me favor and let me be.

Themes

PatriarchsAdam EveSacrificeTempleHumor

Biblical References

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Legends of the JewsIsaac Blessed God for Reviving Him from the AltarThe story doesn’t just end there. There’s more to the tale, details that paint a richer, more complete picture of this pivotal moment in Jewish history. In LegeLegends of the JewsThe Altar on Moriah Where Adam Noah and Abraham All SacrificedIt's a city that resonates through millennia, a place where, according to legend, the very ground remembers the most important moments in our shared past. ThinkTargum JonathanThe Altar Of AbrahamOne such place, according to our stories, revolves around an altar.. a very special altar. The Torah tells us that Abraham arrived at the place God had shown hiThe Wars of GodWhen Does Serving Another Cross Into IdolatryThe Wars of God turns to When Does Serving Another Cross Into Idolatry. The Talmud, in Sanhedrin (the supreme rabbinic court), tackles this very question. It diMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelBut this is refuted by (the theft of) a blemished beastThe Mekhilta raises an objection to the theory that the four-and-five payment applies only to animals that are sacrificed on the altar. If that were the rule, tPirkei DeRabbi EliezerStory of TempleIt feels like the Bible just breezes through it: animals, done! But, of course, there's so much more to the story when you start digging. The scene. According t