400. You may wonder why we find written: "And Elohim came to Bilaam at night" (Bemidbar 22:9). That is certainly how it is and we already explained that this is the minister that was appointed over them. And he approached him. Similarly, "Elohim came to Laban the Aramean..." (Beresheet 31:24) and it all was the same meaning. IT REFERS TO THEIR APPOINTED MINISTER, BECAUSE ELOHIM IS A COMMON NAMESAKE USED EVEN FOR PEOPLE. Therefore, he said to the princes of Balak, "Lodge here this night" (Bemidbar 22:8).

401. When that appointed minister used to arrive, Bilaam came in to his she-mule and performed his deeds, and spoke his spells. Then the she-mule would inform him. He also demonstrated acts, so that this spirit should dwell on him. What did he demonstrated? He knew that she-mules wander around and prevail at the beginning of the night. He then showed that accomplishment and placed his she-mule at a prepared spot LINED UP AGAINST THE SHE-MULES, and accomplished his work. He set the order of his speeches, and he used the she-mule to tell whoever came in WHATEVER WAS NEEDED.

402. HE INQUIRES: Since one night he already told him, "You shall not go with them" (Ibid. 12), what is the reason that he returned the second time? HE RESPONDS: It is only that they were under jurisdiction of the high authority and we were taught, 'in the path man wishes to follow he is led.' At first, it is written: "You shall not go with them." However, when the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that he wanted to SO, He told him "Rise up, and go with them; but only that word..." (Bemidbar 22:20). What did Bilaam do? All that night he was contemplating and thinking, saying, Where then is my honor if I am bound, THAT IS, TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY? He studied his witchcraft all night but could not find an angle that would place him under his own authority, except from the aspect of his she-mule, MEANING THAT WITH THE POWER OF HIS SHE-MULE, HE WOULD BE DISCONNECTED FROM HIGHER AUTHORITY AND COME INTO HIS OWN AUTHORITY.

403. That is what Rabbi Yitzchak said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda regarding these lower Sfirot: there is right and there is left. From the right side are the donkeys, WHICH ARE MALES, as we explained, and from the left side are the she-mules THAT ARE THE FEMALES. We have learned that there are ten to the right and ten to the left. THAT IS, CORRESPONDING TO THE TEN SFIROT OF HOLINESS, since "THE ELOHIM HAS MADE THE ONE AS WELL AS THE OTHER" (KOHELET 7:14). That is what Rabbi Yosi said: When Joseph left his father, he was knowledgeable in the higher wisdom in the secret meaning of the holy supernal Sfirot. When he was in Egypt, he studied also their wisdom of the lower Sfirot OF THE OTHER SIDE, how these of the right and these of the left are linked. That is the ten of the right and the ten of the left, the male and female asses. That is why he told his father what he had learned there, as it is written: "And to his father he sent after this manner; ten asses..." (Beresheet 45:23).

404. Rabbi Yosi said, These TEN of the right are all comprised in that one that is called 'donkey.' That is the same donkey of which is written: "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together" (Devarim 22:10). That is the same donkey which King Messiah will handle, as was explained, BASED ON THE MEANING OF THE VERSE: "HUMBLE, AND RIDING UPON AN DONKEY" (ZECHARYAH 9:9). These TEN of the left are all comprised in the one that is called 'the she-mule,' because from her side emanates Iroh that harms children, THAT IS, a COLT (HEB. IR), THE FOAL OF AN DONKEY, as we studied. This is what is written: "Humble, and riding upon an donkey, and upon a colt, the foal of an she-mule (Heb. atonot)." It spells atonot, with out Vav OF PLURAL INDICATION, because the ten are all included in one SHE-MULE, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.

405. Rabbi Shimon said that it is written: "Binding his foal to the vine" (Beresheet 49:11). "Binding...to the vine," MEANS THAT for the sake of Yisrael, who are called 'grapevine,' AS IT IS WRITTEN: "YOU HAVE BROUGHT A VINE OUT OF EGYPT" (TEHILIM 80:9), the Holy One, blessed be He, will tie up this Iroh, who is the Accuser that harms them, since YISRAEL are called "noble vine," as it is written: "And I had planted you a noble vine" (Yirmeyah 2:21). IT IS WRITTEN: "His ass's colt TO THE CHOICE VINE" (Beresheet 49:11), meaning the one who comes from that ass's side. HE WILL BIND HER AND SUBDUE HER.

406. The ten from the right and ten from the left that are included in these two, WHICH ARE THE MALE AND FEMALE DONKEY, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, all pertain to divination. There are ten others of the right and ten of the left that pertain to enchantment. Therefore, it is written: "Surely there is no enchantment in Jacob, nor is there any divination in Yisrael" (Bemidbar 23:23). What is the reason? Because "Hashem Elohim is with him" (Ibid. 21), from the aspect of enchantment comes the ox. From the aspect of divination comes the donkey. That is the meaning of "ox and an donkey." Therefore, because Bilaam knew that he was bound to the other authority THAT IS HIGHER, it said to him: "But only that word..." He found this bad, saying to himself, Where is my honor? Immediately, he examined his witchcraft but could not come up with ANYTHING that would REINTRODUCE HIM to his authority, except this she-mule.

407. Instantly, "Bilaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his she-mule" (Bemidbar 22:21) to do his desire with her and the desire of Balak. Therefore, "Elohim's anger burned because he went" (Ibid. 22), "he" precisely, because he has removed himself from His authority, WITH THE HELP OF HIS SHE-MULE, AS MENTIONED EARLIER from what he was told: "but only that word WHICH I SHALL SAY TO YOU, SHALL YOU DO" (Ibid. 20). Come and see that this is how it was: because he was granted permission at first and was told to "stand up and go with them," now that he was going, why did "Elohim's anger burned?" It is because "he" in his own authority was going to exclude himself from the One who said to him, "But only that word..."

408. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Wicked one, you are hurrying and preparing your gear and hastening to leave My authority. I promise on your life, that you and your she-mule will remain in My control.' Soon, "the angel of Hashem stood" (Bemidbar 22:22). What is the meaning of: "stood?" Rabbi Aba said, He deviated from his usual skill and adopted another skill, because he was an angel of Mercy AND NOT OF JUDGMENT, AS BILAAM. That is what Rabbi Shimon meant when he said, 'The wicked transform Mercy into Judgment.' Therefore, it is written: "as an adversary" (Ibid.), BUT NOT FOR ANOTHER, because that was not his wont, SINCE HE WAS OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY.

409. Rabbi Elazar says, The angel did not act differently and did not leave his usual practice. It is only that the angel was from the merciful side and stood against him. He was confounding his wisdom and disturbing his wishes. That is the meaning of, "as an adversary." To him, he was an adversary and presented himself as an adversary, but to someone else he was not considered an adversary.