Balak: Chapter 30

"What have I done to you? and wherein have I wearied you?"

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar tells us how compassionate God is to His sons even when they have sinned. He says that God feels their pain if He punishes them, so that finally He begs them to act righteously.

Balak Face Head Love Moab Repentance Sin

336. He opened the discussion with the verse: "O My people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab devised" (Michah 6:5). "My people;" how much is the Holy One, blessed be He, compassionate to His children, even though they sinned against Him. All His words to them are with love, like a father to his son. If a son sins against his father and he beats him yet as much as he beats him he doesn't repent his ways; if he scolds him with words but he does not accept from him, his father then says, I do not wish to continue to do to my son as I have done until now. If I beat him, his head will hurt and his pain will be upon me. If I scold him, his expression will be strange. What shall I do? I can only go and beg of him and speak to him softly, so he should not get saddened.

336. פָּתַח וְאָמַר עַמִּי זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְגוֹ.' עַמִּי, כַּמָה קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַבָּא רַחֲמָן עַל בְּנוֹי, אע"ג דְּחָאבוּ גַּבֵּיהּ, כָּל מִלּוֹי בִּרְחִימוּ לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, כְּאַבָּא לְגַבֵּי בְּרֵיהּ. חָטֵי בְּרֵיהּ לְגַבֵּי אֲבוֹי, אַלְקֵי לֵיהּ, כ"כ דְּאַלְקֵי לֵיהּ לָא תָּב מֵאָרְחֵיהּ, נָזִיף בֵּיהּ בְּמִלִּין וְלָא קַבִּיל. אָמַר אֲבוֹי, לָא בָּעֵינָא לְמֶעְבַּד לִבְרִי כְּמָה דְּעָבֵדְנָא עַד יוֹמָא. אִלּוּ אַלְקְיֵיהּ יְהֵא חָשִׁישׁ בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, הָא כְּאִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ גַּבָּאי, אֱהֵא נָזִיף בֵּיהּ, הָא דִּיּוּקְנֵיהּ מִשְׁתַּנְיָא, מַה אַעְבִּיד, אֶלָּא אֵיזִיל וְאֶתְחַנֵּן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְאֵימָא לֵיהּ מִלִּין רְכִיכִין, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעֲצֵב.

Head Soul, The

337. In all these ways, the Holy One, blessed be He, conducted Himself towards Yisrael. He began by hitting them but they did not submit. He scolded them but they did not submit. The Holy One, blessed be He, then said, I see about My children that, due to the beatings they had from Me, their heads hurt. Woe is their pain which I also feel, as it says, "In all their afflictions He was afflicted" (Yeshayah 63:9). If I scold them, their expression will change, as it says, "Now their visage is blacker than coal; they are not known in the streets" (Eichah 4:8). Woe, when I gaze at them and I do not recognize them. Now, I will just beseech them, "O My people, what have I done to you? and wherein have I wearied you?" (Michah 6:3). My only son, My soul's beloved, look what I have caused you. I have set you up to rule over all the members of the palace. I have set you up to dominate over all the kings of the world. And if I have done any other things, answer Me. You can testify against Me.

337. כֵּן בְּכָל זִינִין, אָזִיל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. שָׁארִי עִמְּהוֹן אַלְקָאָה וְלָא קַבִּילוּ. נָזִיף בְּהוּ, וְלָא קַבִּילוּ. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, חֲמֵינָא בִּבְרִי, דִּבְגִּין מַלְקִיּוּתָא דְּלָקֵינָא לוֹן, אִינּוּן חַשְׁשׁוּ בְּרֵישֵׁיהוֹן. וַוי, דְּהָא מִגּוֹ כְּאִיבָּא דִּלְהוֹן, חֲשִׁישְׁנָא אֲנָא. דִּכְתִּיב, בְּכָל צָרָתָם לוֹ צָר. נָזִיפְנָא בְּהוּ, אֶשְׁתַּנָּא דִּיּוּקְנָא דִּלְהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, חָשַׁךְ מִשְּׁחוֹר תָּאֳרָם לֹא נִכְּרוּ בַּחֻצוֹת. וַוי כַּד אִסְתְּכָּלִית בְּהוּ, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדָעוּ. הַשְׁתָּא, אֱהֵא מִתְחַנֶנָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ גּוֹ תַּחֲנוּנִים. עַמִּי מֶה עָשִׂיתִי לָךְ וּמָה הֶלְאֵיתִיךָ. בְּרִי יְחִידָאָה דִּילִי, חֲבִיבָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, חָמֵי מַה עֲבָדִית לָךְ, שָׁלִיטִית לָךְ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי הֵיכָלֵי, שָׁלִיטִית לָךְ עַל כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, וְאִי עֲבָדִית לָךְ עוֹבָדִין אַחֲרָנִין, עֲנֵה בִּי, אַנְּתְּ הֲוֵי סָהִיד בִּי.

Balaam Balak Laban Moab Prayer Torah

338. "O My people, remember now what Balak, king of Moab devised, and what Bilaam, the son of Beor answered him." "Remember now:" Remember, I pray you, "what...devised." Now we should observe what the advice of Balak was against the holy people. The Torah did not consider Balak as anything in comparison to Laban, as it says, "An Arammian wished to destroy my father" (Devarim 26:5). (THE REST IS MISSING)

338. עַמִּי זְכָר נָּא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וּמֶה עֲנֵה אוֹתוֹ בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר. זְכָר נָא, הֲוֵי דָּכִיר בְּמָטוּ מִינָךְ. מַה יָּעַץ הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, מַה הֲוָה עֵיטָא דְּבָלָק עַל עַמָּא קַדִּישָׁא וְאוֹרַיְיתָא לָא חֲשִׁיבַת לֵיהּ לְבָלָק כְּלוּם, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה לְלָבָן, דִּכְתִּיב אֲרַמִּי אוֹבֵד אָבִי.

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