Balak תרל”א 1

במשנה מי שיש בו ג’ דברים הללו מתלמידיו של א”א ע”ה עין טובה רוח נמוכה נפש שפלה כו’ ולהיפוך בלעם הרשע כו’ מה בין תלמידיו כו’ תלמידי א”א אוכלין בעוה”ז ונוחלין לעוה”ב שנאמר להנחיל אוהבי יש ותלמידי בלעם הרשע יורשין גיהנם ויורדין לבאר שחת כו’.

Whoever possesses these three things, he is of the disciples of Avraham, our father; and [whoever possesses] three other things, he is of the disciples of Bilam, the wicked. A good eye, a humble spirit and a moderate appetite he is of the disciples of Avraham, our father. An evil eye, a haughty spirit and a limitless appetite he is of the disciples of Bilam, the wicked. What is the difference between the disciples of Avraham, our father, and the disciples of Bilam, the wicked? The disciples of Avraham, our father, enjoy this world, and inherit the world to come, as it is said: “I will endow those who love me with substance, I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8:21). But the disciples of Bilam, the wicked, inherit gehinnom, and descend into the nethermost pit, as it is said: “For you, O God, will bring them down to the nethermost pit those murderous and treacherous men; they shall not live out half their days; but I trust in You” (Psalms 55:24).

ומהו שם תלמידי בלעם.
The question is why are they called disciples of Bilam, surely what sort of teacher is he that has disciples?
כי מה נלמד ממנו.
What can we possibly learn from.such a person?
ומדות רעות הללו עין רעה ורוח גבוהה כו’ יוכל למצוא כל שוטה בלי לימוד.
For these negative traits can be found with any fool and doesn’t require studying to attain them?
אך כי גם הרשעים מכניעים עצמם
However we find that evil doers also humble themselves
והרי אמר אם יתן לי כו’ מלא ביתו כו’ לא אוכל לעבור כו’ ומזה עצמו נלמד שהי’ נפש רחבה.
As we found Bilam said that even if Balak would give me a house filled with silver and gold I cannot transgress the word of HaShem. And from this very sentence we learn that Bilam was haughty (where seemingly he was displaying humility?)
כי זה נחשב אצלו לחשיבות להקב”ה מה שהוא מכניע עצמו אף שהוא חשוב מאוד.
For Bilam’s thought here look how good I am in the eyes of HaShem, for even though I am such an important person I am still showing humility toward HaShem.
וכל ההכנעה שלו רק כדי לבוא למדריגה מה להתגאות אח”כ
However, all of his humility was just in order to get to another level of haughtiness afterwards!
וז”ש נופל וגלוי עינים שע”י ההכנעה בא למדרגתו.
This is what is meant by Bilam’s description of himself: one who falls with revealed eyes” that even though he falls and displays humility it is with an open eye, to snatch a higher level of honour.
אבל הצדיקים נפש שפלה שאין מבקשים רק להיות דבוק בחי החיים לידע תמיד שאין חיות לשום ברי’ רק כח ה’. כגרזן ביד החוצב.
However with the tzadikim they are called lowly of spirit, true humility were they only wish to be connected to the life force and realise that there is no existence in the world, besides for the energy of HaShem. And their full desire is to be as much as possible like an axe in the hand of the chopper.
וכל פעולה יהי’ דבוק בכח הפנימיות.
And every action they do, they intend it to be connected to that internal source of HaShem.
ומסיים מה בין תלמידיו כו’ ופי’ הבעש”ט אוכלין בעוה”ז ובזה עצמו נוחלין לעוה”ב מלשון נחל שממשיכין חיות השי”ת גם לעניני עוה”ז ע”ש.
The continuation of the Mishnah above is that the disciples of Avraham inherit this world. The word inherit is linked to the word Rover or flow. This is because when they do the things of the world properly this automatically aligns this world in it’s correct place and brings a flow to olam Haba.
כי באמת עוה”ז דומה לפרוזדור כי עוה”ב למעלה מהשגה ואיך יוכל אדם לגשת לזה רק ע”י שמקרב עניני עוה”ז להקדושה זוכה שיתגלו לו עניני עוה”ב
For the truth is that this world is compared to an entrance hall to the world to come. For the only way a person can attain something so spiritual and hidden from.any concept of this world is by uplifting all things of this world to holiness and that will subsequently reveal the ideas of the world to come to him.
כי ב’ אלו העולמות תלוין זה בזה.
For both of the world’s are dependant on each other
עוה”ז נעלם הקדושה ע”י התאוות וקליפות. ועוה”ב נעלם ע”י שמאין תמצא ונעלמת מכל.
This world the darkness covers the holiness, however the world to come is hidden for it is completely above our comprehension
אך מי שמוציא הארה הגנוזה בתוך ההעלם שבעוה”ז. זוכה שיתגלה לו ההעלם שבעוה”ב ג”כ.
And one who can find the hidden light even in the darkness of this world, merits to have the hiddenness of the world to come revealed to him (even in this world!)
וז”ש להנחיל אוהבי יש שזוכה לראות בבחי’ אין כאילו הי’ ממשות
This is what is meant “I have ‘yesh’ (reward) to give those that love me (in the world to come)”. The world to come is not tangible, so why is the word ‘yesh’- something used in this context? However when one uplifts this world one is able to attain reward in such an attainable way that it feels ‘tangible’. The ‘ayin’ – hidden, becomes ‘yesh’ tangible.
[וזה כל ענין הבריאה יש מאין שמקודם הי’ רק אין. והש”י ע”י העשרה מאמרות שבתורה ברא העולם. באורייתא ברא קוב”ה עלמא. שפנימיות העולם הוא בחי’ אין באמת כנ”ל] [This is the concept of the creation of this world. Hahsem created something from nothingness. And through the ten sayings He created the world. Through the Torah He created the world. For the inner spiritual element of the world (what it was created with and sustains it) is indeed ‘nothingness’]

וזהו שעוה”ז כפרוזדור כו’.
This is what is meant that this world is an entrance hall to the world to come. Not just that this is the chain of events, but it can be understood that one can attain the element of the world to come that is in this world!
וזה לימוד אאע”ה להמשיך כל העשי’ אחר חיות הפנימיות וממילא עין טובה כו’ כיון שהכל כח הש”י בלבד.
And this is what we learn from Avraham Avinu, to draw all of one’s actions to this internal force , and therefore he automatically has a good eye, for he realised that everything is only the energy of HaShem.
ולהיפוך לימוד בלעם הרשע שאף הכנעה לצורך גיאות. וז”ש לגרמייהו עבדין להיות לו מדרגה והתנשאות.
And Bilam taught the opposite. His teaching was that even humility should be used to become more haughty, as it says they do things only for themselves, to gain more honour.
ועי”ז יורש גיהנם ג”כ היפוך הנ”ל שאף שהי’ לו קצת מדרגה בקדושה שהרי הי’ נביא.
And therefore they inherit gehinnom, which is the opposite of what we described by the tzadikim. That even though he had attained a certain level of holiness for he was a prophet
רק ע”י שהמשיך החטאים בתוך קצת מעש”ט שהיו לו. עי”ז הכניס הרע לתוך הטוב ויורש גיהנם כנ”ל:
However, through him tainting his good deeds with sin (using them to become haughtier), he brought the bad into good, and automatically ‘inherits’ eternal damnation. (No matter where he is even in this world since all of his holiness is misappropriated he has gehinnom even in this world!)