1)

Bearing in mind Chazal's tendency to Darshen names - as we find by the Meraglim - what are the implications of "Bil'am ben Be'or" and of ?Balak ben Tzipor??

1.

Sanhedrin, 105a: "Bil'am" is the acronym of 'Bala Am' spelt either with an 'Ayin' 1 - he wanted to swallow the nation of Yisrael), or with a 'Hey' - he wanted to wear out the nation of Yisrael; "ben Be'or" - implies that he had relations with his mule. 2

2.

Targum Yonasan: ?Bil?am?, ?Bala Amen Be?? ? he wanted to swallow the nation of Yisrael; ?ben Be?or? (without a ?Vav?? he was crazy because he had no pity on the descendents of his own daughters Rachel and Le?ah, Bilhah and Zilpah, whom he wanted to kill.

3.

Ba?al ha?Turim (in Pasuk #2): ?Balak? is the acronym of ?Ba Luk? ? ?he came to lap-up (the blood of Yisrael); ?ben Tzipor? ? ?He hovered over them like a bird to curse them?. 3


1

See Torah Temimah, note 1, who elaborates.

2

Because ?Be'or? means 'an animal'. See for example, Mishpatim Sh'mos, 22:43.

3

See Ba?al ha?Turim.

2)

Why here, does the Torah call Bil'am the son of Be'or, and in 24:3, Bil'am refers to Be'or as his son?

1.

Sanhedrin,105a: In reality, he was the son of Be'or and the Pasuk later is hinting at the fact that Be'or was inferior to him in prophecy. 1


1

See Torah Temimah, note 2.

3)

What is the meaning of "Pesorah"?

1.

Rashi #1: It is comparing Bil'am to a moneychanger, 1 to whom everyone brought their coins (to check or to exchange), so too, did everyone bring Bil'am their letters (to decipher).

2.

Rashi #2 and Targum Onkelos: It is simply the name of the place where Bil'am lived. 2

3.

Targum Yonasan: It is the name of the place where Bil'am, alias Lavan ha'Arami, 3 lived, 4 named after Bil'am who was a dream-interpreter. 5


1

A moneychanger used to sit in back of a table ('Pesorah' is also Arama'ic for 'a table'), on which all transactions were performed.

2

Targum Onkelos: Aram (Naharayim) on the River P'ras.

3

Targum Yonasan: Who was so wicked that he actually went to curse the descendants of his own grandchildren!

4

Refer to 22:5:1:1*.

5

"Pesorah" is from the Lashon 'Poser Chalomos'. See Ba'al ha'Turim.

4)

What are the connotations of "Eretz B'nei Amo"?

1.

Rashi (citing the Midrash Rabah) and Rashbam: It means that Bil'am hailed from the same town as Balak. 1

2.

Ramban: It means from the land where Bil'am was born and where his lineage lay. 2

3.

Targum Yonasan: It means that people from all over came and bowed down to him. 3


1

Rashi: Whom he predicted would become king. See also 23:7.

2

Ramban: To teach us that he was a sorcerer, and that he came from a land where they were all sorcerers - See Yeshayah, 2:6.

3

See Peirush Yonasan and Na?ar Yonasan

5)

Why did Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu grant prophecy to a wicked Nochri?

1.

Rashi: So that the Nochrim would not be able to claim that, had Hashem given them prophets, they would have followed the right path. So He gave them a prophet, and what did he do? He broke down the barrier - inasmuch as previously, the people guarded themselves against adultery, and he came along and advised them to engage in Z'nus.

2.

Oznayim la'Torah: Hashem appointed Bil'am as the universal prophet, because, in his prevous capacity as a universally respected and popular dream-interpreter, he had the potential to convince the world to keep the seven Mitzvos B'nei No'ach - and perhaps even to accept the Torah when it was offered to them at Matan Torah, 1 only he chose to go for the money and the Kavod.


1

See Oznayim la'Torah, DH 'Pesorah', who elaborates.

6)

What are the implications of "Likro lo"?

1.

Rashi: It implies that Balak offered Bil'am a lot of money to come and curse Yisrael. 1


1

As the word "Lo" generally means 'for his benefit' - Refer to Bereishis, 12:1:3:1.

7)

Why did Balak add "Hinei Chisah es Ein ha'Aretz"?

1.

Rashi: He meant metaphorically that Yisrael had defeated Sichon, who guarded them, and that they therefore constituted a threat to Mo'av.

8)

Why throughout the current narrative, do neither Balak nor Bil'am even once refer to Yisrael by name - always as "Am"?

1.

Oznayim la'Torah: It seems that they were afraid to mention it because it is the name by which which they are particularly beloved by Hashem, 1 and mentioning it would arouse the Mal'achim to come to their defence. 2

2.

Perhaps it was simply a sign of hatred, since both of them are described as haters of Yisrael.


1

As opposed to 'Am', which always denotes the lower level of Yisrael.

2

Oznayim la'Torah: Interestingly, we find the same regarding Haman and Achashverosh, who referred to Yisrael as "Am Echad" and "ha'Am", respectively

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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