413. "And the she-mule saw the angel of Hashem..." (Bemidbar 22:25). Rabbi Yitzchak said, How come THE SHE-MULE saw and Bilaam, who was so wise, did not see? Rabbi Yosi said, Heaven forbid that the wicked should gaze at a holy sight, THAT HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PERCEIVE AN ANGEL OF HASHEM. He said to him, If so, why is it written: "Falling down, but having his eyes open" (Bemidbar 24:4)? He said to him, I have not heard anything about this, so I say nothing. He said, I heard that when he needed to see, he fell, and then saw. BY THE ANGEL, he was not ment to look AND THAT IS WHY HE DIDN'T SEE.

414. He said to him, If so, then BILAAM was in a higher level than all the other faithful prophets, because he was "having his eyes open," seeing and observing the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He. Didn't Rabbi Shimon say that Bilaam with his witchcraft understood the lower Sfirot below, as it is written: "Bilaam also, of the son of Beor, the soothsayer" (Yehoshua 13:22). The scripture calls him "soothsayer;" that is, soiled filth, and how could he gaze at the glory of his Master? Furthermore, didn't Rabbi Shimon say that when he beheld for a short while, as it is written: "Then Hashem opened the eyes of Bilaam," his eyes squinted and you say that he had to see with his eyes open, observing the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He.

415. He said to him, I take back what I said against you. My words and yours need to be polished AND CLARIFIED. The secrets of the Torah are definitely lofty and ordinary people cannot understand them. It is therefore not permissible to proceed to expound on a topic in Torah before hearing and understanding the matter properly and clearly. They came to Rabbi Shimon and discussed the matter with him.