What did Bil'am mean when he said "Lo Ish Keil Viyechazev"?
Rashi: He was telling Balak that Hashem swore to bring Yisrael to the land of the seven Cana'ani nations and to inherit it, and Balak think to kill them in the desert!
Rashbam: He was telling Balak that Hashem is not a person to retract so soon from the B'rachah that He conferred upon Yisrael earlier in the day, 1 and Yisrael had not sinned in the interim.
Oznayim la'Torah: Refer to 23:19:3:5
Yerushalmi Ta'anis, 2:1: Bil'am is telling Balak that, even if he were to curse Yisrael, it lies within the power of Tzadikim to negate the curse, like Moshe, who said to Hashem following the sin of the Golden Calf, ?Lamah Hashem Yechereh Apcha be?Amecha? causing Hashem to change His mind ? as the Torah states ?Vayinachen Hashem al ha?Ra?ah ? ?. 2
What did Bil'am mean when he said "u'Ven Adam Veyisnecham"?
Refer to Sh'mos 32:14:151:1.
Rashbam: He meant to point out that Hashem is not a human-being who regrets his actions.
Oznayim la'Torah: Refer to 23:19:3:5.
To whom does "ha'Hu Amar ve'Lo Ya'aseh ... " pertain?
Rashi #1: With reference to Hashem (the subject of the Pasuk), Bil'am was asking whether He would say and not do, speak and not carry out.
Rashi #2 (citing Targum Onkelos) and Targum Yonasan: With reference to 'Ish' (mentioned together with the subject) - Bil'am was pointing out that,whereas he says and does not do, promises and does not carry out, Hashem says and does, promises and carries out. 1
Da'as Zekenim (citing the Bechor Shor): It applies to Hashem, for matters that depend on man's actions. He does say [to punish] and not do, if man repented, 2 or say to reward [and not do] if man sours, like it says in Yirmeyah 18:7-10. Everyone knows that from the beginning, Hashem said with the intention of retracting if they change their deeds. 3
Oznayim la'Torah: The three descriptions of Hashem correspond to the three reasons that a human-being retracts from what he promised: 1. Because, to begin with, he did not mean what he promised - "Lo Ish Keil vi'Yechazev": 2. Because he changed his mind - "u'Ven Adam ve'Yisnecham": 3. Because he subsequently realized that he is unable to keep his word - "ha'Hu Amar ve'Lo Ya'aseh ... ". 4
Targum Yonasan: And so He will do in connection with Yisrael, whom the Master of the World promised to multiply like the stars of the heaven and to make them inherit the land of the Cana'anim.
Chomas Anach (in Yirmiyah 18): Perhaps Teshuvah is not only for Yisrael, but even for Nochrim, it helps to delay punishment, like in Ninveh, Or, part of the Gezeirah is canceled
Alshich (Yirmeyah 18): We have a tradition that Hashem never retracts from a promise for good! That is if they listen to Hashem, just stumble in Aveiros. If they do not even want to listen however, He does retract. The Radak says that the Navi means that Hashem did good, and later reversed it, This is incorrect.
See Oznayim la'Torah.
How will we reconcile the the current Pasuk -"Lo Ish Keil vi'Yechazev u'Ven Adam ve'Yisnecham", with the Pesukim in Bereishis 6:6 & 7 - "Nichamti Ki Asisi ha'Adam" and "ki Nichamti ki Aisim", in Sh'mos 32:14 - "va'Yinachem Hashem", , and in Shmuel 1:15:10 - "Nichamti ki Himlachti es Sha'ul",
Refer to Sh'mos 32:14:151:1 and note. 1
Moshav Zekenim: It was Nechamah (consolation) for Hashem that He made man from earth, to which he will return, and not from fire. It was Nechamah that He anointed Sha'ul, a Tzadik, with whom Hashem is exacting (to kill him for a small matter, and David's reign can begin now), and not a Rasha, for whom Hashem waits until his measure is full. 2
Da'as Zekenim (citing Bechor Shor): "Nichamti ki Asisi" ? I will appear to regret (but from the beginning, He intended to destroy them if they will continue to sin).
Basically, He only retracts when man sins, in which case it is man who retracted, so to speak, and not Hashem. This is also how Rashi explains the Pesukim in Bereishis. Refer to Bereishis, 6:6:1:2
Moshav Zekenim did not ask from "va'Yinachem Hashem" (Sh'mos 32:14), He did suggest that Hashem retracts for good, but not for evil. (PF)
