Balak תרל”ג

תרל”ג
בְּכִסָּה אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ כּוּ’ י”ל ב’ פֵּרוּשִׁים
Bilam said to Balak that Bnei Yisrael are covering the ‘eye of the land’ simply meaning that they are multiplying and conquering all the nations.
This can be understood in two ways
שבנ”י מְכַסִּין הַשְׁגָּחָה הַחִיצוֹנִיּוֹת בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת.
One explanation is that Bnei Yisrael are covering up (HaShem’s) supervision of the world that is usually seemingly natural
רַק לִהְיוֹת נִכָּר חִיּוּת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת בְּכֹל דָּבָר.
They are actually uncovering the natural events and showing the inner life force in everything. (Bnei Yisrael are revealing how there is actually no such thing as nature rather it is all an expression of HaShem). (this is the meaning of covering up the eye, covering up the way we tend to naturally see things).
וְכַאֲשֶׁר בנ”י יָצְאוּ מִמִּצְרַיִם הֵאִירוּ פְּנֵי תֵּבֵל עַד שֶׁנִּתְגַּלָּה הַקְּדֻשָּׁה בְּכֹל מָקוֹם עַד שֶׁגַּם הָאֻמּוֹת רָאוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּטוֹבָתָם כמ”ש וְיָרֵא בָּלָק.
And when Bnei Yisrael left Egypt, they enlightened the entire world so much so that the holiness of HaShem was revealed everywhere. Even the nation’s of the world realised this revelation, and it was actually a bad reflection on them
וְחָרָה לָהֶם ע”ז כמ”ש פֶּן יֵרָאֶה בְּעֵינָיו כּוּ’.
and it made them angry (for it showed them the error of their ways) as it says הַשְׁמֵן֙ לֵב־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְאָזְנָ֥יו הַכְבּד וְעֵינָ֣יו הָשַׁ֑ע פֶּן־יִרְאֶ֨ה בְעֵינָ֜יו וּבְאָזְנָ֣יו יִשְׁמָ֗ע וּלְבָב֥וֹ יָבִ֛ין וָשָׁ֖ב וְרָ֥פָא לֽו׃ – Dull that people’s mind, Stop its ears, And seal its eyes— Lest, seeing with its eyes And hearing with its ears, It also grasp with its mind, And repent and save itself.”

וְעוֹד יֵשׁ פִּי’ שבנ”י בַּעֲבוֹדָתָם צְרִיכִין לְהַסְתִּיר נְקֻדָּה הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת מַלְכוּתוֹ ית’ אֲשֶׁר בַּכֹּל מִשֶּׁלָּהּ
Another explanation (of the words covering the eye of the land) is that it is the duty of Bnei Yisrael to cover up and protect the inner point of the kingship of HaShem which rules everything.
וְהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ ית’ נִסְתָּר בְּכֹל דָּבָר ובנ”י צְרִיכִין לִשְׁמוֹר נְקֻדָּה זוֹ.
And the supervision of HaShem, is indeed hidden in everything, and this needs to be protected. (These two explanations are not contradictory as will be explained).
וְהָעִנְיָן כְּפִי מַה שֶׁאָדָם שׁוֹמֵר כֹּחַ פְּנִימִיּוֹת שֶׁבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ לַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת.
The idea here is that inasmuch as one guards the inner energy (the source of HaShem) in every action, and not to misappropriate it for physical things
כְּמוֹ כֵן נִשְׁמַר וְאֵין שׁוֹלֵט מַגַּע נָכְרִי בַּפְּנִימִיּוֹת.
So proportionately it will be protected from foreign interferences
וְכֹל מָה שֶׁשּׁוֹלֶטֶת עַיֵּן רַע שֶׁלָּהֶם בִּקְדֻשַּׁת יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא ע”י חֶסְרוֹן שְׁמִירַת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת כַּנַ”ל.
And the only way they the evil eye of the nation’s of the world have any control over the holiness of the Jews is because of the lack of guarding this inner energy
וז”ש כִּסָּה כּוּ’ עַיֵּן הָאָרֶץ הִיא הַשְׁגָּחָה הָאֲמִתִּיּוּת כמ”ש תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ כּוּ’.
This is what is meant by Balak’s words to Bilam, they have covered the eye of the land. (they have covered up the ability for us to afflict them with evil eye) for now there is the true (holy eye) of HaShem that is revealed. As it says “the eye’s of HaShem are on it constantly etc.”
וּמָצִינוּ שֶׁיּוֹסֵף הגין שֶׁלֹּא יַבִּיט עָשׂוּ בְּרָחֵל וְהוּא כָּעִנְיָן הַנָּ”ל.
We find the same idea with Yosef who protected his mother Rachel, and stood in front of her so that Eisav won’t be able to see her (and inflict her with an evil eye)
וּב’ אֵלּוּ הַפֵּרוּשִׁים הֵם עִנְיַן אֶחָד
Now both these (seemingly opposite) explanations are the same idea.
שֶׁכְּפִי מַה שֶׁשּׁוֹמְרִים חִיּוּת הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת שֶׁלֹּא לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ לַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת מִמֵּילָא מַעֲלִין הַחִיּוּת שֶׁבְּכָל דָּבָר לְשָׁרְשׁוֹ עַד שֶׁמִּתְבַּטֵּל כֹּל הַחִיצוֹנִיּוֹת
As much as we guard the inner life force from being used for physicality, that automatically raises and reconnects the life force back to its original roots so much so that anything external becomes completely nullified (it becomes completely spiritual and holy)
כְּמוֹ שיהי’ לֶעָתִיד שֶׁלֹּא יהי’ כְּלָל חַיּוֹת רַק לִסְטְרָא דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
As will be in the future where there will only be life force for the side of holiness
וְזֶה הָעִקָּר שֶׁחָרָה לְבָלָק וּבִלְעָם כִּי רָצוּ שבנ”י שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם יֵלְכוּ לְדַרְכָּם וְלֹא יִכָּנְסוּ בְּתִקּוּן הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת.
And this is what primarily bothered Balak and Bilam. For they wanted that Bnei Yisrael upon leaving Egypt with go on their own path and not start to amend all of physicality and uplift it (for that will destroy their very existence)
אַךְ ואעפ”כ וְהוּא יוֹשֵׁב מִמֻּלִי דַּוְקָא כַּנַ”ל:
Nevertheless in spots of this Balak says and they are now camping opposite me (they are his nemesis)