The 42 sacrifices of Balak

Synopsis

When Balak made his sacrifice he intended to placate God because he had killed so many people. God did not accept this sacrifice, nor did the Other Side. Those who were to be punished were cursed in Hashem's name but until now they have not been punished, nor have the sacrifices been accepted by either side. The sacrifice offered was to propitiate the Other Side, but it has not done so, and nor has it met with God's blessing.

Altar Balaam Balak Peor Sacrifice Seven

65. Come and see: All is predisposed and revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He. Though Balak and Bilaam did not mean to devote THEIR SACRIFICES for the Holy One, blessed be He, yet all is established before Him, and He does not reduce their reward at all in this world. At that time they had power over Yisrael, by their sacrifice which caused twenty-four thousand people from Yisrael to pass away, besides those who were killed, as it is written, "Slay every one of his men that have attached themselves to Ba'al Peor" (Bemidbar 25:5), and "Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up before Hashem" (Ibid. 4). And even now that sacrifice impends upon Yisrael to cause misfortune. They built seven altars, AND OFFERED SACRIFICES UPON THEM, 42 in all.

65. ת"ח כֹּלָּא אִתְתָּקַּן וְאִתְגְּלֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאע"ג דְּבָלָק וּבִלְעָם לָא אִתְכַּוְונוּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקָּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא גָּרַע מֵאֲגַר דִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שְׁלִיטוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּגָרַם הַהוּא קוּרְבָּנָא, לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִין אַלְפִין, בַּר כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִתְקְטָלוּ, דִּכְתִּיב הִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו הַנִּצְמָדִים לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר, וּכְתִיב קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַיְיָ'. וְעַד כְּעַן הַהוּא קָרְבָּנָא הֲוָה תָּלֵי לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. שִׁבְעָה מַדְבְּחָן כְּחוּשְׁבָן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין.

Balaam Balak Curse Evil Head Other Side Sacrifice Shechinah

66. Rabbi Shimon said, Come and see: Balak and Bilaam offered 42 sacrifices, and took them from the Other Side to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, that sacrifice is impending until it is taken by the Other Side called 'curse from Yisrael'. Until now, he has not taken it from them. And this is the secret of, "And he turned back, and looked at them" (II Melachim 2:23), AT THE BOYS WHO JEERED AT HIM AND SAID TO HIM "GO UP, BALD HEAD." "And he turned back," NAMELY, to the back of the Shechinah, because the Other Side stands at the back. "And looked at them," he looked and saw IN THOSE 42 BOYS, the Other Side CALLED 'CURSE', and saw that they deserved to be punished. Therefore, "he cursed them in the Name of Hashem" (Ibid. 24), in order to remove the Name of Hashem from the debt, NAMELY the debt of the sacrifice, that the Other Side offered him, NAMELY, BY BALAK AND BILAAM. And all was made right before the Holy One, blessed be He, and nothing is lost before the Holy One, blessed be He. In the same manner, everything stands before the Holy One, blessed be He, both good and evil.

66. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, תָּא חֲזֵי, אִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין קָרְבָּנִין עָבְדוּ בִּלְעָם וּבָלָק, וְנַטְלוּ לוֹן מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְע"ד הֲוָה תָּלֵי הַהוּא קָרְבְּנָא, לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִקְרֵי קְלָלָה מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא גָּבָה מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו וַיִּרְאֵם. וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו, אֲחוֹרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּקַיְּימָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לַאֲחוֹרָא. וַיִּרְאֵם. אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְחָמָא לוֹן דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְאִתְעַנְּשָׁא, וְעַל דָּא וַיְקַלְלֵם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ'. בְּשֵׁם יְיָ' לְאַפָּקָא הַהוּא שֵׁם יְיָ' מֵחִיּוּבָא דָּא. מֵהַהוּא חִיוּבָא דְּהַהוּא קָרְבָּן דְּאַקְרִיב הַהוּא סִטְרָא לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקָּן קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִלָּה. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, כֹּלָּא אִתְתָּקַּן קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֵן לְטָב הֵן לְבִישׁ.