Balak: Chapter 46

Aza and Azael

Synopsis

Rabbi Yehuda tells how Bilaam went to the mountains of darkness to consult with Aza and Azael. We hear what happens in those mountains and how Aza and Azael teach magic and sorcery to those who enter there. When Bilaam went there God confused all the magic in the world so it would be ineffective against His children, so Bilaam eventually gave Balak advice regarding the Midianite women in an attempt to hurt Yisrael. When God saw that he had given this advice He told Bilaam that he would be ensnared in his own plot, and indeed he was later killed in the vengeance against Midian.

Aza Azael (Supernal Minister) Balaam Congregation Darkness Egypt Hair Head Iron Mountains Torah

494. "And now, behold, I go to my people..." (Bemidbar 24:14). Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "You shall not deliver to his master the servant...he shall dwell with you" (Devarim 23:16). How lovely are the words of the Torah before the Holy One, blessed be He, and how beloved is the Torah that he gave her as a legacy to the Congregation of Yisrael. Come and see: At the time they left Egypt, Bilaam heard that his witches and sorcerers, and all those ties THAT THEY PERFORMED, were not effective against Yisrael. He began to scratch himself and tear his hair out of his head. Then, he went to the mountains of darkness and reached the iron chains, WITH WHICH AZA AND AZAEL ARE BOUND.

494. וְעַתָּה הִנְנִי הוֹלֵךְ לְעַמִּי וְגוֹ' ר' יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, לֹא תַסְגִּיר עֶבֶד אֶל אֲדוֹנָיו וְגוֹ' עִמְּךָ יֵשֵׁב בְּקִרְבְּךָ. כַּמָה חֲבִיבִין מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. כַּמָה חֲבִיבָה אוֹרַיְיתָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כַּמָה חֲבִיבָה אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאוֹרִית לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לִכ"י. ת"ח, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דִּי נַפְקוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם. שְׁמַע בִּלְעָם דְּהָא חֲרָשׁוֹי וְקִסְמוֹי, וְכָל אִינּוּן קִשְׁרִין, לָא סְלִיקוּ בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, שָׁארִי לְגַרְדָא גַּרְמֵיהּ, וּלְמֵירַט רֵישֵׁיהּ. אָזַל לְאִינּוּן טוּרֵי חֲשׁוֹכָא, וּמָטָא לְגַבֵּי אִינּוּן שַׁלְשְׁלָאֵי דְּפַרְזְלָא.

Animals Aza Azael (Supernal Minister) Eyes Face Hands Head Onimta Rooster Vessels White

495. This is the manner of the one who reaches them. As soon as a person enters there, between the mountaintops, Azael, THAT ONE that is called "having his eyes open" (Bemidbar 24:4), notices him. He immediately informs Aza. They then give the sound signal and the great burning snakes gather to them and surround them. They send a TYPE OF small CREATURE CALLED 'Onimta' towards that person. We were taught that it is a cat-like animal with a narrow snake-like head. It has two tails and its hands and feet are tiny. A person who sees it covers his face and brings A VESSEL WITH ASHES THAT IS CALLED 'smoked shreds' from the burning of a white rooster and throws them in front of the Onimta, which then comes with him.

495. וְכַךְ הוּא אָרְחָא דְּמַאן דְּמָטֵי גַּבַּיְיהוּ, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל ב"נ בְּרֵישֵׁי טוּרַיָּא, חָמֵי לֵיהּ עֲזָאֵ"ל, הַהוּא דְּאִקְרֵי גְּלוּי עֵינַיִם. מִיַּד אָמַר לַעֲזָ"א, כְּדֵין יָהֲבִין קָלָא, וּמִתְכַּנְּשִׁין גַּבַּיְיהוּ חִוְיָין רַבְרְבֵי דִּמְתוֹקְדָן, וְסַחֲרִין לוֹן. מְשַׁדְּרֵי אוֹנִימְתָא זְעֵירְתָּא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דב"נ, וְתָנָא, כְּמִין שׁוּנְרָא, הִיא, וְרֵישֵׁהּ כְּרֵישָׁא דְּחִוְיָיא, וּתְרֵין זַנְבִין בָּהּ, וִידָהָא וְרַגְלָהָא זְעִירִין. ב"נ דְּחָמֵי לָהּ, חָפֵּי אַנְפּוֹי, וְהוּא מַיְיתֵי חַד קַטוּרְתָּא, מֵאוֹקִידוּ דְּתַרְנְגוֹלָא חִוָּורָא, שָׁדֵי בְּאַנְפָּהָא וְהִיא אָתְיָת עִמֵּיהּ.

Aza Azael (Supernal Minister) Eyes Face Ground

496. He goes until he reaches the top of the chains, because the top of those chains is stuck into the ground and reaches to the great depths. In the great depths, there exists a socket that is stuck into the lower depth, and into that socket the top of the chains is connected. When a person reaches the top of the chain, he knocks at it three times. They, AZA AND AZAEL, call for him. He then kneels on his knees, bows down and continues to close his eyes until he reaches them. He then sits up in front of them and all these snakes surround him from either side. Then he opens his eyes and sees them. He is shaken, and he falls on his face and bows towards them.

496. עַד דְּמָטֵי לְגַבֵּי רֵישָׁא דְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאֵי, וְהַהִיא רֵישָׁא דְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאֵי, נָעִיץ בְּאַרְעָא, וּמָטֵי עַד תְּהוֹמָא. וְתַמָּן בִּתְהוֹמָא. חַד סָמִיךְ, וְהוּא נָעִיץ בִּתְהוֹמָא תַּתָּאָה, וּבְהַהוּא סָמִיךְ אִתְקְשַׁר רֵישָׁא דְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאֵי. כַּד מָטֵי ב"נ לְרֵישָׁא דְּשַׁלְשְׁלָאָה, בָּטַשׁ בָּהּ ג' זִמְנִין, וְאִינּוּן קָרָאן לֵיהּ, כְּדֵין כָּרַע וְסָגִיד עַל בִּרְכּוֹי, וְאָזִיל וְאָטִים עֵינוֹי, עַד דְּמָטֵי גַּבַּיְיהוּ. כְּדֵין יָתִיב קַמַּיְיהוּ, וְכָל אִינּוּן חִוְיָין סָחֲרִין לֵיהּ מֵהַאי סִטְרָא וּמֵהַאי סִטְרָא. פָּתַח עֵינוֹי, וְחָמֵי לוֹן, אִזְדַּעְזָע, וְנָפַל עַל אַנְפּוֹי, וְסָגִיד לָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ.

Aza Azael (Supernal Minister) Darkness Fifty Mountains Onimta Sorcery Witchcraft

497. Afterwards, AZA AND AZAEL teach him magic and sorcery, and he stays with them for fifty days. When the time arrives to leave on his way, that LITTLE CREATURE CALLED 'Onimta' and all these snakes walk in front of him, until he leaves the mountain ranges from in between that heavy darkness.

497. לְבָתַר אוֹלְפִין לֵיהּ חֲרָשִׁין וְקִסְמִין, וְיָתִיב גַּבַּיְיהוּ נ' יוֹמִין. כַּד מָטָא זִמְנָא לְמֵיהַךְ לְאָרְחֵיהּ, הַהִיא אוֹנִימְתָא, וְכָל אִינּוּן חִוְיָין, אַזְלִין קַמֵּיהּ, עַד דְּנָפִיק מִן טוּרַיָּיא, בֵּין הַהוּא חֲשׁוֹכָא תַּקִּיפָא.

Aza Azael (Supernal Minister) Balaam Egypt Mountains

498. When Bilaam reached AZA AND AZAEL, he told them WHAT HE NEEDED FROM THEM, locked himself with them in the mountains and asked to denounce YISRAEL and return them to Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, confused and impaired all the wisdoms in the world, and all the magic in the world, so they could not get close TO YISRAEL.

498. וּבִלְעָם כַּד מָטָא גַּבַּיְיהוּ, אוֹדַע לוֹן מִלָּה, וְאַסְגַּר גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּטוּרַיָיא עִמְּהוֹן. וּבָעָא לְקַטְרְגָא לוֹן, לְאָתָבָא לוֹן לְמִצְרַיִם. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְבֵּל וְקִלְקֵל כָּל חָכְמְתָא דְּעָלְמָא, וְכָל חֲרָשִׁין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּלָא יָכִילוּ לְקָרְבָא בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ.

Balaam Balak Moses Women

499. Come and see: When Bilaam realized that he was incapable of harming Yisrael, he returned to Balak and gave him advice in order to harm Yisrael, something he did not ask him to do. And his advice was regarding the Midianite women, who were beautiful. If not for the fact that Moses TOLD THIS TO US, we would not have known of it, because it is written: "Behold, these caused the children of Yisrael, through that counsel of Bilaam" (Bemidbar 31:16).

499. ת"ח, הַשְׁתָּא כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא בִּלְעָם דְּלָא יָכִיל לְאַבְאָשָׁא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אַהְדָּר גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְאַמְלִיךְ לֵיהּ לְבָלָק, מַה דְּלָא בָּעָא מִנֵיהּ, בְּגִין לְאַבְאָשָׁא לוֹן. וְעֵיטָא דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה בְּאִינּוּן נוּקְבֵי דְּמִדְיָן דְּאִינּוּן שָׁפִּירָן, וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּאָ"ל מֹשֶׁה, לָא הֲוֵינָא יָדַע, דִּכְתִּיב הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם.

Balaam Eyes Midyan Torah

500. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw his advice, He said, 'You will certainly get snared by your own plot' - BECAUSE HE WAS KILLED IN THE VENGEANCE AGAINST MIDIAN. What did the power controlling magic do, THAT IS MALCHUT, AS MENTIONED ABOVE? It showed him the final end. HE INQUIRES: Does he have permission to see into the distant future? Rabbi Yitzchak said, The eye saw and perceived; however, the actual statements were spoken by the one who is over him, MEANING IT CAME FROM MALCHUT. This was already explained in relation to the verse: "And he took up his discourse, and said..." WHO SPOKE? Whoever should have spoken, MEANING MALCHUT, AS WE MENTIONED THERE. Why is that so? So that disgusting statements BY BILAAM should not come true through the will of the most High, through the high knowledge of the Torah.

500. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עֵיטָא דִּילֵיהּ, אָמַר, הָא וַדַּאי גַּרְמָךְ בְּעִיטֵךְ יִפּוֹל. מַה עָבֵד, הַהוּא חֵילָא דְּשָלַט עַל כָּל חֲרָשִׁין, אַחְמֵי לֵיהּ סוֹפָא דְּכֹלָּא. וְכִי אִית לְהוּ רְשׁוּתָא לִזְמַן רָחִיק. א"ר יִצְחָק, עֵינָא חָמָא, וּמִלִּין אִתְמָרוּ מֵהַהוּא דְּקָאֵים עָלֵיהּ, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר. מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְמֵימַר. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְקַיְּימוּן מִלִּין דְּגָעְלָא, בִּרְעוּתָא עִלָּאָה, בְּדַעְתָּא עִלָּאָה בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

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