Daf 207b (דַּף ר״ז ע״ב)

Kudsha Berikh Hu said to him: Wicked one, you prepare and hasten your weapon to go forth from My domain (אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָשָׁע אַתְּ מְתַקֵּן וּמְזַרֵּז זַיְינָךְ לְנָפְקָא מִן רְשׁוּתִי) by your life, you and your she-ass shall be within My domain (חַיֶּיךָ אַנְתְּ וַאֲתָנָךְ בִּרְשׁוּתִי תֶּהֶווֹן). Immediately, “And the angel of Hashem stationed himself” (מִיָּד וַיִּתְיַצֵּב מַלְאַךְ יְיָ). What is the meaning of “stationed himself”? (מַאי וַיִּתְיַצֵּב). Rabbi Abba said: He went out and stood in a different function, from his own function (אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא נָפַק וְקָאֵים בְּאוּמְנוּתָא אַחֲרָא מֵאוּמָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ), for this angel was of compassion (דְּהַאי מַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה). And this is what Rabbi Shim‘on said: The guilty ones turn mercy into judgment (וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן חַיָּיבַיָּא מְהַפְּכֵי רַחֲמֵי לְדִינָא). To become a Satan for him, for that was not originally his function (לְשָׂטָן לוֹ דְּהָא לָא אוּמָנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ הֲוָה).

Rabbi El‘azar said: The angel did not change, and did not leave his function (אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר לָא שַׁנֵּי מַלְאָכָא וְלָא נָפַק מֵאוּמְנוּתָא דִּילֵיהּ), except because this angel was from the side of compassion (אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּהֲוָה הַאי מַלְאָכָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּרַחֲמֵי), and stood before him, he disrupted his wisdom and ruined his intention (וְקָאֵים לַקֳבֵּלֵיהּ סָתִיר חָכְמְתָא דִּילֵיהּ וְקִלְקֵל רְעוּתֵיהּ). This is what is written: “To be an adversary for him” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב לְשָׂטָן לוֹ). For him he was a Satan, and was found to be a Satan, but for another he would not have been a Satan (לוֹ הֲוָה שָׂטָן וְאִשְׁתְּכַח שָׂטָן אֲבָל לְאַחֲרָא לָא הֲוָה שָׂטָן).

It was taught: Rabbi Shim‘on said, how wise was Bil‘am in his sorcery beyond all the people of the world (תָּאַנָא אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן כַּמָּה חַכִּים הֲוָה בִּלְעָם בְּחַרְשׁוֹי עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא). For when he examined to find the moment to go out from the domain of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּהָא בִּשְׁעָתָא דְּאַשְׁגַּח לְאַשְׁכְּחָא עֵיטָא לְנָפְקָא מֵרְשׁוּתֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא), from that word which is written: “But the word…” (מֵהַהִיא מִלָּה דִּכְתִּיב וְאַךְ אֶת הַדָּבָר וְגוֹ׳). He looked into his sorcery and did not find anything except for that she-ass (אִסְתַּכַּל בְּחַרְשׁוֹי וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח בַּר הַהִיא אָתוֹן). What is written? “And he saddled his she-ass” (מַה כְּתִיב וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת אֲתוֹנוֹ). He loaded her with all sorceries and with all enchantments that he knew (אַטְעִין לָהּ בְּכָל חַרְשִׁין וּבְכָל קְסָמִין דְּהֲוָה יָדַע) and entered into her and encompassed her with all of them (וְאָעִיל בָּהּ וְאַכְלִיל לָהּ מִכֻּלְּהוּ) in order to destroy Yisrael (בְּגִין לְמֵילָט לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). Immediately: “And the anger of Elohim burned because he was going” (מִיָּד וַיִּחַר אַף אֱלֹהִים כִּי הוֹלֵךְ הוּא). “He” precisely, as has been said (הוּא דַּיְיקָא כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר). What did Kudsha Berikh Hu do? He sent forth first the angel of compassion (מָה עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַקְדִּים לְמַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי) to stand against him, and to obscure his sorceries and enchantments (לְקַיְּימָא לַקֳבֵּלֵיהּ וְיַסְתִּיר חֲרָשׁוֹי וְקִסְמוֹי).

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), that until now it is not written “Hashem,” and it did not appear in his enchantments and sorceries (דְּעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא כְּתִיב יְיָ וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי בְּקִסְמוֹי וְחַרְשׁוֹי). And this has already been established (וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ). But now, once he prepared his she-ass and hurried her with the arrangements of his sorceries (וְהַשְׁתָּא כֵּיוָן דְּאַתְקִין אֲתָנֵיהּ וְזֵרְזָה בְּתִקּוּנֵי חֲרָשׁוֹי), on the side of judgment, to harm Yisrael (בְּסִטְרָא דְּדִינָא לְמֵילָט לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), Kudsha Berikh Hu went ahead and sent the angel of compassion to meet him (אַקְדִּים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי לָקֳבְלֵיהּ), and in the Name of compassion, to break his wisdom (וּבִשְׁמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי בְּגִין לִסְתּוֹר חָכְמְתָא דִּילֵיהּ), and to divert his she-ass from that path (וּלְאַסְטָאָה לַאֲתָנֵיהּ מֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא), as it is written: “And the she-ass turned aside from the path” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וַתֵּט הָאָתוֹן מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ). From the path—precisely (מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ דַּיְיקָא). And for this reason it is not written “the angel of God stationed himself” or “the angel of God stood” (וְעַל דָּא לָא כְּתִיב וַיִּתְיַצֵּב מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים וַיַּעֲמוֹד מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים), but “the angel of Hashem,” of compassion (אֶלָּא מַלְאַךְ יְיָ דְּרַחֲמֵי).

Kudsha Berikh Hu said: Wicked one, you have loaded your she-ass with your sorceries (אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רָשָׁע אַתְּ אַטְעָנַת לַאֲתָנָךְ בְּחַרְשְׁךָ), with many sides of judgments, to oppose My children (בְּכַמָּה סִטְרֵי דְּדִינֵי לָקֳבֵל בָּנַי). I will overturn your burden and divert it from this path (אֲנָא אַעְבָּר טְעוּנָךְ וְיֵהָפֵךְ מֵאָרְחָא דָּא), immediately the angel of compassion was sent to be a Satan for him (מִיָּד אַקְדִּים מַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי לְשָׂטָן לוֹ). For him—precisely (לוֹ דַּיְיקָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר): “And the she-ass saw the angel of Hashem…” (במדבר כ״ב: וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְיָ וְגוֹ׳). Rabbi Yitzchak said: And why did she see, but Bil‘am, who was so wise, did not see? (אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְכִי אֲמַאי חָמָאת הִיא וּבִלְעָם דְּהֲוָה חַכִּים כָּל כַּךְ לָא חָמָא). Rabbi Yose said: Heaven forbid that that wicked one would gaze upon a holy vision (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע יִסְתַּכֵּל בְּחֵיזוּ קַדִּישָׁא). He said to him: If so, is it not written “Falling and having open eyes”? (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָכִי הָא כְּתִיב נוֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם). He said to him: I have not heard anything on this and will not say (אָמַר לֵיהּ לָא שְׁמַעְנָא בְּהָא מִידִי וְלָא אֵימָא). He said to him: I have heard, that when he needed to see, he would fall and see (אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא דְּכַד הֲוָה אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא הֲוָה נָפִיל וְחָמֵי). But now he did not need to see (וְהַשְׁתָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא).

He said to him: If so, he was on a level higher than all the faithful prophets (אָמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָכִי בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה יַתִּיר הֲוָה עַל כָּל נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא), for he was “open-eyed,” he saw and gazed upon the glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu (דְּאִיהוּ גְּלוּי עֵינַיִם חָמֵי וְאִסְתַּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). But Rabbi Shim‘on has said: Bil‘am, in his sorcery, had knowledge of those lower crowns from below (וְהָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר בִּלְעָם בְּחַרְשׁוֹי הֲוָה יָדַע בְּאִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דִּלְתַּתָּא), as it is written: “And Bil‘am son of Be‘or the sorcerer…” (כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב וְאֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם) (Joshua 13). “Sorcerer” is what Scripture called him (קוֹסֵם קַרְיֵיהּ קְרָא), a filth of filth (דְּטִנּוּפָא דְּטִנּוּפֵי), how could he gaze upon the glory of his Master? (הֵיךְ יִסְתַּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ). Furthermore, Rabbi Shim‘on said: in a single vision that he saw at that moment, as it is written: “And Hashem uncovered the eyes of Bil‘am” (וְעוֹד הָא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בְּחֵיזוּ חַד דְּחָזָא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא דִּכְתִּיב וַיְגַל יְיָ אֶת עֵינֵי בִּלְעָם), his eyes were opened (אִתְעֲקִימוּ עֵינוֹי), and you say he was seeing with unveiled eyes and gazed upon the glory of Kudsha Berikh Hu? (וְאַתְּ אַמְרַת דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי בְּגִלוּי דְּעַיְינִין וְאִסְתַּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא).

He said to him: I retract before you (אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא אַהֲדַרְנָא לָקֳבְלָךְ). Yours and mine require clarity (דִּידִי וְדִידָךְ בָּעֵי צָחוּתָא). Truly, the supernal secrets of Orayta (וַדַּאי רָזֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא עִלָּאִין) cannot be grasped by the people of the world (וְלָא יַכְלִין בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לְמֵיקָם עֲלַיְיהוּ). Therefore, it is forbidden to speak prematurely a word of Orayta (בְּגִין כַּךְ אָסִיר לְאַקְדְּמָא בְּמִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא) until one hears the word and knows it in its completeness (עַד דְּיִשְׁמַע מִלָּה וְיֵדַע לָהּ עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ). They came before Rabbi Shim‘on and said a word before him (אָתוּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמְרוּ מִלָּה קַמֵּיהּ).