Why Balaam Hated Israel More Than Balak Did

(Numbers 22:9:) "And God came to Balaam and said, 'Who are these men with you?'" This is what Scripture says (Proverbs 28:10): "One who leads the upright astray on an evil path [will himself fall into his own pit]." For at first the creatures conducted themselves in purity, but through these words of his they broke loose into sexual immorality. For concerning the earlier ones [it is written] (Genesis 29:9): "And Rachel came with the flock," and (Exodus 2:16): "Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters." Balaam the Wicked arose and led the creatures astray into sexual immorality; and just as he led astray, so was he led astray — by the counsel he gave concerning it, he fell. [This is what is written] (Proverbs 28:10): "He will fall into his own pit." And the Holy One, blessed be He, led him astray, as it is said (Job 12:23): "He misleads nations and destroys them; He spreads out nations and leads them away." He asked him, "Who are these men with you?" That wicked one said: "I know nothing about them, only that Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, sent to me, 'Behold, the people that came out of Egypt, etc.'" — to make known that he hated Israel more than Balak did, for Balak did not say "curse" (qabbah), but rather "curse" (arah) (Numbers 22:6), while this one said "curse" (qabbah) explicitly; and he (Balak) said "and I will drive it out, etc." (ibid.), while this one said "and I will have driven it out" (ibid. v. 11) — from this world and from the world to come.