When Balak saw that Balaam, instead of cursing, praised and exalted
Israel, he led him to the top of Pisgah, hoping that he might there
succeed in cursing Israel. By means of his sorcery, Balak had
discovered that Pisgah was to be a place of misfortune for Israel,
hence he thought the Balaam would there utter his curse against Israel.
He was, however, mistaken; the disaster that there awaited Israel was
the death of their leader Moses, who died there, and God refused to
grant Balaam's wish on this spot also.
God indeed appeared to Balaam, but what He said to him was: "Go again
unto Balak, and bless Israel." Balaam now did not wish to return to
Balak at all, to disappoint him a second time, but God compelled him to
return to Balak and communicate to him the blessings of Israel. Balaam
now turned back to Balak, whom he found standing by his burnt offering.
But whereas on the first occasion the king had awaited Balaam,
surrounded by all his princes, Balaam now saw only a few notables
surrounding Balak. Most of the princes had deserted their king without
awaiting Balaam, for they expected nothing further from him after the
first disappointment he had caused them. Balak as well did not now
receive him as kindly, but mockingly asked, "What hath the Lord
spoken?" hinting in this way that Balaam was unable to say what he
wished, but only what God willed.
Balaam replied to these scornful words of Balak: "Rise up, Balak. Thou
mayest not be seated when God's words are spoken. God is not like a man
of flesh and blood, that makes friends and disowns them, as soon as he
finds such as are better than they. God is not so, for He doth not
cancel the vow He had made to the Patriarchs, for He promised to bestow
Canaan upon their descendants, and He fulfilleth His promise. He always
fulfils what He hath promised to Israel, but allows the evil with which
He threatens them to be unfulfilled as soon as they repent them of
their sins. God sees not their sins, but He seeth their good deeds.
Thou, Balak, sayest to me, 'Come, curse Jacob for me,' but a thief can
enter a vineyard that hath a keeper only if the keeper sleeps, but 'He
that keepeth Israel neither sleepeth nor slumbereth,' and how then can
I enter their vineyard? If, however, thou dost think that I cannot harm
Israel on account of Moses, who is their keeper, know then that his
successor will be as invincible as he, for through the sound of
trumpets he will overthrow the walls of Jericho.
"Thou, Balak, furthermore sayest, 'A people hath gone forth out of
Egypt,' but they have not only gone forth, 'God brought them forth out
of Egypt,' [772] who combines in Himself the powers of the angels and
of the invisible demons. [773] Swift as the flight of a bird doth
fortune as well as misfortune come upon Israel; if they sin, God
suddenly plunges them down, but if they act well in the sight of the
Lord, God exalts them as quickly as a cloud. Thou, Balak, hast
repeatedly tried to discover in what spot thou shouldst be able to work
them woe, but they will have nothing to do with sorceries, they baffle
and put to naught the sorceries and prophecies of other nations by
their pious deeds. When they set forth into battle, they practice no
magic, but the high priest, clad in the Urim and Tummin, consults God
about the outcome of the battle. There will even be a time when Israel
will sit before the Lord like a pupil before his master, and will
receive the revelation of the secrets of the Torah from him, so that
even the angels will consult Israel concerning the secrets revealed to
them by God, for the angels are not permitted to approach God as
closely as the Israelites in the Messianic time.
"There is not indeed upon the earth a nation like Israel. The last
thing they do before going to sleep is to devote themselves to the
study of the Torah and the fulfillment of its laws, and this also is
their first occupation upon awakening. As soon as they arise, they
recite the Shema' and adore God, and not until after they have done
this, do they go about their business. If evil spirits come to attack
them, or if disaster threatens them, they worship their God, and as
soon as they utter the words, 'The Lord our God is one Lord,' the
harmful spirits become powerless against them and whisper after them
the words, 'Praised be the Name of the Glory of His Kingdom, for ever
and ever.' When at night they retire, they against recite the Shema',
whereupon the angels of the day pass on the trust of guarding them to
the angels of night, and when, upon awakening they again worship their
Lord, the angels of the night again pass them on to be guarded by the
angels of day." [774]
When Balak for the second time saw that Balaam, instead of cursing,
blessed Israel, he brought him to the top of Peor, thinking that
peradventure it would please God to have him curse them from thence.
For by his sorcery Balak had discovered that a great disaster was to
fall upon Israel on the top of Peor, and thought that this disaster
might be their curse from Balaam. He was, however, mistaken in this
supposition, for the disaster in that spot was none other than Israel's
sin with the daughters of Moab, and God's punishment for this. [775]