Why Balaam Knew the Hour of God's Wrath Each Day

"And knows the knowledge of the Most High" (Numbers 24:16). But did he not know the mind of his own beast, yet know the mind of the Holy One, blessed be He? Rather, he was able to determine that hour in which the Holy One, blessed be He, grows angry each day, as it is said, "and a God who is wrathful every day" (Psalms 7:12). And when does He grow angry? In the first three hours, at the hour when He sees the kings sleeping until three hours, and at the hour when they rise from their beds and place their crowns upon their heads and bow down to the sun — immediately He grows angry. Another interpretation: "And knows the knowledge of the Most High." Our Sages of blessed memory said, "And there arose not a prophet again in Israel like Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:10) — in Israel none arose, but among the nations of the world one did arise, and who was he? Balaam. And in three matters Balaam was greater than Moses, they said. For Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, did not know when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to speak with him, but Balaam knew when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to speak with him, as it is said, "and knows the knowledge of the Most High." Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, did not gaze upon the Divine Presence, but Balaam gazed, as it is said, "and beholds the vision of Shaddai." With Moses the Divine Presence did not speak whenever he wished, but Balaam knew when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to speak with him, as it is said, "fallen, yet with eyes uncovered" — for he would compose himself before the Divine Presence, and immediately his eyes were uncovered, and he would speak with the Divine Presence. And why all this? So that the nations of the world should not say, "Had we a prophet like Moses, we would have heeded him." Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke with Balaam. But neither they nor their prophets availed, for there was no remedy for them nor for their prophets.