289. He replied to him, THAT IS COMPARABLE to a king that was sitting in his palace on the throne. Some leper called at the door. The king responded, Who is it that knocks on my door? They replied, Some unknown leper. He said, Let him not enter this area and let him not soil the palace with filth. I understand that if I inform him through a messenger, he will have no fear of me and if my son will approach him, he will be contaminated. Rather, I will go myself and threaten him to distance him from my son so that he won't be contaminated. The king came first and approached him and warned him, Leper, leper, keep your foot away from the road where my son lives. If not, I promise you that my handmaids' sons will cut you into pieces.
289. אָמַר לֵיהּ, לְמַלְכָּא דְּיָתִיב בְּהֵיכָלֵיהּ עַל כֻּרְסְיָיא, חַד סְגִיר קָרָא לְתַרְעָא. אָמַר, מַאן הוּא דְּבָטַשׁ לְתַרְעָא. אָמְרוּ, סְגִיר פְּלָן. אָמַר לָא יֵיעוּל הָכָא, וְלָא יְטַנֵּף הֵיכָלָא, יְדַעְנָא דְּאִי בִּשְׁלִיחָא אֵימָא לֵיהּ, לָא חָיִישׁ. וְיֵיזִיל בְּרִי וְיִסְתְּאַב וְיִקְרַב בַּהֲדֵיהּ. אֲבָל אֲנָא אֵיזִיל, וְאַגְזִים בֵּיהּ, דְּיִרְחַק אָרְחֵיהּ מִמוֹתָבָא דִּבְרִי, וְלָא יִסְאַב לֵיהּ. אַקְדִים מַלְכָּא, וְאָתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאַגְזִים. וְאָמַר לֵיהּ, סְגִיר סְגִיר, מְנַע רַגְלָךְ מֵאָרְחָא דִּבְרִי שָׁארִי תַּמָּן, וְאִי לָאו, אוֹמֵינָא, דְּחֲתִיכִין יַעַבְדוּן גוּפָךְ בְּנֵי שִׁפְחוֹתַי.
291. So too, Bilaam that leper, who is the outcast from people, calls at the king's gate. The king heard and said, This contaminated leper should not enter in here and he shall not soil my palace. I need to go and warn him that he should not approach the gate of my son, and he should not taint him. Therefore, "And Elohim came to Bilaam" saying, Leper, leper, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people: for they are blessed" (Bemidbar 22:12). Do not get near my son, either for good or for bad. You are outright polluted. However, about Moses, it is written: "And...called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1), meaning the voice of the King, and not through an emissary. "Out of the Tent of Meeting" (Shemot 30:20), MEANS from the holy palace the good chanber, the precious palace, which the upper and lower grades crave, but are unable to approach.
291. כַּךְ בִּלְעָם אִיהוּ סְגִיר, רְחִיקָא מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא, קָרָא לְתַרְעָא דְּמַלְכָּא, שְׁמַע מַלְכָּא, אָמַר סְגִיר מִסְאֲבָא לָא יֵיעוּל, וְלָא יְטַנֵּף הֵיכָלָא דִּילִי. אֲנָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֵיזָל לְאַגְזְמָא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִקְרַב לְגַבֵּי תַּרְעָא דִּבְרִי, וְלָא יִסְאַב לֵיהּ, וְעַ"ד וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם וְגוֹ.' אָמַר לֵיהּ, סְגִיר סְגִיר לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם, לֹא תָּאוֹר אֶת הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא. לָא תִּקְרַב לְגַבֵּי דִּבְרִי, הֵן לְטָב הֵן לְבִישׁ, מְסָאָב אַנְתְּ בְּכֹלָּא. אֲבָל בְּמֹשֶׁה כְּתִיב, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה, קָלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, וְלָא ע"י שְׁלִיחָא אַחֲרָא. מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מֵהֵיכָלָא קַדִּישָׁא, מֵהֵיכָלָא מְתֻקְּנָא, מֵהֵיכָלָא יַקִּירָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין תְּאִיבִין לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְלָא יַכְלִין לְמִקְרַב לְגַבֵּיהּ.