452. "And it came to pass on the morrow, when Balak took Bilaam..." (Bemidbar 22:41). Rabbi Yitzchak said, Balak was wiser in magic than Bilaam, except that he was unable to figure out the most opportune time to curse, LIKE BILAAM. Therefore, "Balak took Bilaam." He was preparing him and holding to him in everyway.

453. "And brought him up into the high altars of Ba'al" (Ibid.). What is the meaning of: "And brought him up into the high altars of Ba'al?" HE RESPONDS: It is that he observed which aspect OF YISRAEL he should grasp on to with his witchcraft. And he discovered that Yisrael were going to build altars and serve the Ba'al, as it says, "And served the Ba'al" (II Melachim 17:16). "That thence he might see the utmost part of the people" (Bemidbar 22:41): he noticed the chiefs of the people and their king worshipping him, as it is written: "And they called on the name of the Ba'al" (I Melachim 18:26) and: "If Hashem be Elohim..." (Ibid. 21). As soon as Bilaam saw that Yisrael were going for it in the future, immediately "Bilaam said to Balak, 'Build me here seven altars'" (Bemidbar 23:1).

454. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Yehuda were talking. One said that in accordance with the earlier altars, THAT WERE PREPARED by the ancestors, he offered sacrifices ON seven altars. And one said that he did everything with wisdom, because he found that Yisrael's lot was tied to the seven levels, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. Therefore, he said, Let me set up seven altars.

455. THIS IS COMPARABLE to a person who had a friend, whose father left him. People were afraid to quarrel with him on account of that friendship. Sometime later, a person came and wanted to quarrel with him. He thought to himself, What should I do? If I provoke him into a quarrel, here he has a friend, and I shall not prevail. What did he do? He sent a gift to the friend. The friend thought to himself, What does this fellow have to do with me? I understand that it is on account of my friend's son, WHOM HE WISHES TO HARM. He said, This gift is not acceptable to me. Call the dogs, and let them eat it.

456. So, Bilaam too came along to provoke a quarrel with Yisrael and saw that he could not, because of that supernal friend of theirs. He began preparing a gift for Him, WHICH IS THE SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Wicked one, what do you have to do with Me? You wish to be associate with My children. Behold, your gift is being given to the dogs.' Come and observe that it is written: "And Elohim met (Heb. vayikar) Bilaam" (Bemidbar 23:16). Rabbi Shimon said VAYIKAR is derived from the same root as nightly pollution (Heb. keri) and defilement. Behold, your gift is presented to those, and does not enter before Me.

457. Rabbi Aba said, vayikar is like it says: "Who can stand before His cold (Heb. karato)?" (Tehilim 147:17). He was confident that he would be able to overcome Yisrael with that gift. It is written: "And Elohim met (Heb. vayikar);" He cooled Himself from what he, BILAAM, was thinking. IN ADDITION, "And Elohim met" is as we were taught, that the aspect of defilement was roused against him.

458. Rabbi Elazar said that vayikar MEANS THAT Bilaam believed he would be able to harm Yisrael with that gift. The Holy One, blessed be He, eradicated that gift from His presence, expunged Bilaam from such thoughts and uprooted him from that level. That is what is meant by vayiker, as it says, "The ravens of the valley shall pick it up (Heb. yikruha)" (Mishlei 30:17). He said to him, 'Wicked one, you are not worthy to be associated with Me or to enter into My presence. Your gift will be given to the dog.'

459. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and see that this wicked one was the abomination of everyone, because you will not find in the entire passage of the episode such expressions as: "And Hashem spoke to Bilaam" or "And Hashem said." Heaven forbid. It is written: "And Hashem put a word in the mouth of Bilaam...," which is like someone who puts the bridle bit into the mouth of the she-mule to restrain it from diverting this way or that. So too is the meaning of: "And Hashem put a word in the mouth..."

460. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Wicked one, do you really think that it depends on you if the blessings will be fulfilled in My children or not? They do not need you. They say to a bee: NOT FROM YOUR STING AND NOT FROM YOUR HONEY, but rather "go back to Balak" (Bemidbar 23:16). When you open your mouth, it will not be in your control and it will not depend on your mouth, but only "say thus (Heb. coh)." For coh, WHICH IS THE SHECHINAH, is prepared to bless them and coh will express the blessing of My children. When you open your mouth, She will speak the words that will come true in My children, and I will not leave these matters in your hand.'

461. Come and see that this is how it was. As soon as BILAAM came to Balak and Balak heard all these things, WITH WHICH HE BLESSED YISRAEL, Balak first thought that they emerged from Bilaam's mouth. He said, "I called you to curse my enemies..." and Bilaam replied, Take this witchcraft into your hand to restrain here this coh, WHICH IS MALCHUT. If you will be capable of holding her back with this sorcery, I will expunge all these words that She said from her, MEANING HE WILL NULLIFY THE BLESSINGS THAT SHE SAID, AS MENTIONED ABOVE.