287. "And said, 'What men are these with you'" (Bemidbar 22:9): That was his own level of the left side that needed to ask, BECAUSE IT DIDN'T KNOW. Although the friends remarked on this differently, they indicated that the Holy One, blessed be He, was testing him with His words, because there were three WHO ELOHIM PUT TO A TEST. One was Hezekiah, one was Ezekiel and one was Bilaam. Two of them did not stand up to the test properly and one did. Who was it? That was Ezekiel, as it is written THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, ASKED HIM, "Can these bones live?" (Yechezkel 37:3). And he answered, "And I answered, Hashem, Elohim You know" (Ibid.) Hezekiah said: "They are come from a far country, from Babylon" (II Melachim 20:14). Bilaam said, "Balak the son of Tzipor, king of Moab, has sent to me" (Bemidbar 22:10) TO SHOW THAT he is important in the eyes of rulers and kings. HOWEVER, the Holy One, blessed be He, simply asked him in order to mislead him and allow him to err, as it is written: "He makes nations great and destroys them" (Iyov 12:23). And this has been explained.
287. וַיֹּאמֶר מִי הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה עִמָּךְ. דַּרְגָּא דִּילֵיהּ, מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא הֲוָה, דְּקָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמִשְׁאַל. ואע"ג דְּחַבְרַיָּיא אַתְּעֲרוּ בְּדָא, בְּגַוְונָא אַחֲרָא, וְאִינּוּן אַמְרֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא נִסְיוֹנָא עֲבַד לֵיהּ בְּמִלּוֹי. תְּלָתָא הֲווֹ, חַד חִזְקִיָּה. וְחַד יְחֶזְקֵאל. וְחַד בִּלְעָם. תְּרֵין לָא קַיְימוּ כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, וְחַד קָאֵים. וּמַנוּ. יְחֶזְקֵאל. דִּכְתִּיב, הֲתִחְיֶינָה הָעֲצָמוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, וְאִיהוּ תָּב וְאָמַר, וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ' אֱלֹֹהִים אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ. חִזְקִיָּהוּ אָמַר, מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה בָּאוּ אֵלַי מִבָּבֶל. בִּלְעָם אָמַר בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב שָׁלַח אֵלַי, חָשִׁיב אֲנָא בְּעֵינֵי מַלְכִין וְשַׁלִּיטִין. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שָׁאִיל לֵיהּ לְמִטְעֵי לֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב מַשְׂגִּיא לַגּוֹיִם וַיְּאַבְּדֵם וְאוֹקְמוּהָ.
288. A man from Cuth asked Rabbi Elazar, saying to him, I see a greater power in Bilaam than in Moses. About Moses, it is written: "And Hashem called to Moses" (Vayikra 1:1), MEANING HE CALLED HIM TO COME OVER TO HIM. About Bilaam it says, "And Elohim met Bilaam" (Bemidbar 23:16) and: "And Elohim came to Bilaam" (Bemidbar 22:9), INDICATING THAT ELOHIM CAME TO HIM.
288. חַד כּוּתִי שָׁאִיל לְר' אֶלְעָזָר, אָ"ל, חֵילָא תַּקִּיפָא חֲמֵינָא בֵּיהּ בְּבִלְעָם, יַתִּיר מִמֹּשֶׁה. דְּאִילּוּ בְּמֹשֶׁה כְּתִיב וַיִּקְרָא אֶל מֹשֶׁה. וּבְבִלְעָם כְּתִיב, וַיִּקָּר אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם, וּכְתִיב וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים אֶל בִּלְעָם.
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.
290. When the friend of the king calls at the gate, the king inquires, Who is it? They say to him, That is so-and-so, your friend. He replies, My most beloved soul friend, no other voice should call him but myself. The king shouts, Enter so-and-so, my friend and my soul's beloved. Prepare and make ready the chambers so that I can talk with him.
290. רְחִימָא דְּמַלְכָּא קָרֵי לְדָשָׁא. אָמַר מַלְכָּא, מַאן הוּא. אָמְרוּ, רְחִימָךְ פְּלַנְיָא. אָמַר, רְחִימָא חֲבִיבָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, לָא יִקְרֵי לֵיהּ קָלָא אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא אֲנָא. צָוַוח מַלְכָּא וְאָמַר, פְּלַנְיָא פְּלַנְיָא עוּל, חֲבִיבָא דְּנַפְשָׁאי, רְחִימָא דִּילִי, אַתְקִינוּ הֵיכָלִין לְמַלְּלָא עִמֵּיהּ.
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.
292. "And Bilaam said to the Elohim, 'Balak the son of Tzipor, king of Moab...'" (Bemidbar 22:10). He mentioned the king of Moab TO SHOW THAT an important king sent for him. "King of Moab," indeed! Look at the arrogance of that wicked man, because it is written THAT HE SAID king of Moab instead of A KING over Moab, WHICH SHOULD HAVE indicated a person who is not worthy to be a king, but became a king over Moab FOR SOME REASON. Of the first KING, it is written: "Who had fought against the former king of Moab" (Bemidbar 21:26). IT DOES NOT REFER TO THE FIRST KING AS A KING OVER MOAB, AS IT IS WRITTEN: "AND BALAK THE SON OF TZIPOR WAS KING OVER MOAB" (BEMIDBAR 22:4), DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE EARLIER KING WAS a king, the son of a king, royalty descended from royalty. However, about this one, IT IS WRITTEN: "BALAK THE SON OF TZIPOR was king over Moab." The scripture testifies, "king over Moab" - THAT HE WAS NOT DISTINGUISHED, BUT BILAAM SAID TO ELOHIM, "BALAK THE SON OF TZIPOR, KING OF MOAB." Here, I remarked that he intended to give pride to his arrogant heart, SAYING LOOK HOW all the royalty of the world send me messengers.
292. וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים בָּלָק בֶּן צִפּוֹר. וְהוּא אָמַר מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, מַלְכָּא חֲשִׁיבָא שָׁלַח אֵלַי. מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב. חָמוּ גָּאוּתָא דְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע, דִּכְתִּיב מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, וְלָא אָמַר לְמוֹאָב, מִכְלָל גַּבְרָא דְּלָא אִתְחֲזֵי לְמַלְכָּא, וְהָא אִתְעָבֵיד מַלְכָּא לְמוֹאָב. קַדְמָאָה מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ. וְהוּא נִלְחַם בַּמֶּלֶךְ מוֹאָב הָרִאשׁוֹן, מַלְכָּא בַּר מַלְכָּא. חֲשִׁיבָא בַּר חֲשִׁיבָא. אֲבָל דָּא מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב כְּתִיב. קְרָא אַסְהִיד מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב. וְהָא אִתְּעַרְנָא, דְּאִתְכָּוַּון הוּא לְגָאוּתָא לִבָּא רַב. כָּל מַלְכִין דְּעָלְמָא, שַׁלְחִין לְגַבָּאי שְׁלוּחֵיהוֹן.