Why did Balak consult the elders of Midyan and not the king?
Ramban #1 (citing the Ibn Ezra): The five elders of Midyan were in fact, the kings. 1
Ramban #2: For the advice they were seeking, 2 they needed to ask the elders, who would have known best 3 who Moshe was, and not the kings.
Ramban #3: Initially, Midyan had kings, only Sichon fought with them and subjugated them, removing their sovereignty, turning Midyan into a vassal state and relegating them to the status of judges. 4
See Ramban.
And they would have ben the ones to remember him from over forty years earlier. Oznayim la'Torah.
Ramban: And they are the five leaders of Midyan to whom the Pasuk refers, sometimes as kings (See Matos Bamidbar, 31:5) and sometimes, as elders (here) or princes (See Yehoshu'a, 13:21) - See Ramban.
Seeing as Midyan and Mo'av were enemies, as the Torah intimates in Vayishlach Bereishis, 36:35, why did Balak consult the elders of Midyan?
Rashi: Because out of a common fear of Yisrael, 1 they made peace and joined forces. 2 And the reason that Balak consulted them was because Moshe had grown up in Midyan and that they would therefore know how to handle him.
Targum Yonasan: Because Mo'av and Midyan were one nation with one king up to that time.
What are the connotations of ?Yelach?chu ha?Kahal es Kol Sevivoseinu??
Targum Onkelos and Targum Yonasan: It means that they are destroying all our surroundings.
Ramban: It means that Yisrael were on the verge of capturing all the surrounding area 1 - and would then force them to engage in slave-labor.
Rashbam: It means that they were devouring all the produce and various kinds of food that was growing in the areas surrounding Mo'av.
Ramban: Just as they captured the two kings of the Emori.
What is the significance of Balak's comparison of Yisrael to an ox licking the grass?
Rashi: Yisrael was destroying their surroundings, 1 just like an ox destroys the area where it feeds 2 by tearing out the grass with its roots. 3
Ramban: He was afraid that, like an ox that destroys large areas of grassland, so too, due to their large numbers Yisrael would capture all the surrounding area, 4 and force them to engage in slave-labor.
Sifsei Chachamim: See Bamidbar 21:35.
Rashi: There is no sign of B'rachah in wherever an ox has eaten.
Da'as Zekenim, Hadar Zekenim and Moshav Zekenim: An ox cannot cut grass, since it has no upper teeth. Consequently, its immense strength enables it to tear it out together with its roots.
Ramban: Just as they captured the two kings of the Emori.
Why did Balak think that Midyan would be interested in assisting Mo'av?
Targum Yonasan: Because until that time, they had been one state with one king. 1
Oznayim la'Torah: Because, when he said to the elders of Midyan "ki'Lechoch ha'Shor es Sevivoseinu", it included Midyan, whom the threat affected more than themselves. 2
Refer to 22:7:
Seeing as there was no prohibition on Ysrael against attacking and destroying Midyan as there was with regard to Mo'av. Refer to Devarim, 2:9:1:1 and note.
Why does the Torah insert the (otherwise superfluous) words "ba'Eis ha'Hi"?
Rashi: Because Balak was not in line to be a king. He was a noble of Midyan, and Mo'av appointed him at that time out of necessity. 1
Ramban #1: Refer to 22:2:1:2.
Ramban #2: Based on their fear of Yisrael, Mo'av did two things: Acting on the advice of the elders of Midyan, they appointed Balak king, and, following the command of their new king, they sent to Bil'am to come and curse Yisrael. 2
Seforno: Despite the fact that the great warrior Balak was king of Mo'av at that time, he did not dare to attack Yisrael. 3
Targum Yonasan: With reference to 22:4:3.1:1, it refers to the agreement between Midyan and Mo'av to take turns to sit on the throne - and now it was the turn of Mo'av.
Seeing as Balak did not fight with Yisrael ? as the Navi bears out in Shoftim, 11:25, why does the Navi write in Yehoshua, 24:9, ?Vayakam Balam ben Tzipor Melech Mo?av Vayilachem be?Yisrael??
Seforno: The Navi is referring to when Balak hired Bil?am to curse Israel ? which he refers to as waging war ? as he wrote there specifically ?Vayishlach Vayikra le?Bil?am?.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that Balak was initially a noble of Midyan. His son's son (Eglon) was the father of Rus' father (Nazir 23b). If so, she was a Midyanis. Why does Yevamos 77b say that she was permitted because [the Torah forbade] "Mo'avi", and not a Mo'avis?
Moshav Zekenim (citing the Ri): Balak was a Mo'avi from birth. He went to Midyan and they crowned him, and later he returned to Mo'av, and they made him king at the time.
Moshav Zekenim: Rus was not literally his grandson's granddaughter 1 . There were more generations in between, and she descended from a female descendant of Balak who married a Mo'avi.
Rashi writes that amidst a common fear of Yisrael, Mo'av and Midyan made peace. What is the source that Midyan was afraid of Yisrael?
Divrei David: If they did not, Mo'av would not have asked them for counsel from their enemy, for fear that they give bad advice which would cause their demise. 1
Perhaps Midyan would give good advice because they hated Yisrael more than they hated Mo'av, even if they were not afraid! Mo'av was not forced to accept their counsel. They can decide whether or not it is good! Below, Rashi says that Midyan entered the feud without any reason (refer to 31:2:2:1)! (PF)
