Balak תרל”ה

תרל”ה
בבמדרש וְיָרֵא בָּלָק נוֹחַ לָרְשָׁעִים לִהְיוֹת סוֹמִין שֶׁרְאִיָּתָם מֵבִיא רָעָה לְעוֹלָם כּוּ’.
The Medrash says that it is preferable for the reshaim to be blind, for their evil looking, brings bad to the world
עוֹד שָׁם מִפְּנֵי מָה הִשְׁרָה הקב”ה שְׁכִינָתוֹ עַל בִּלְעָם כּוּ’ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא לָתֵת פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לָאֻמּוֹת לוֹמַר שֶׁאַתָּה רִחַקְתָּנוּ כּוּ’.
And in the continuation it says that the reason HaShem gave Bilam prophecy, was that the nation’s of the world will not be able to claim that HaShem distanced them (for look what happened when HaShem gave Bilam prophecy he brought about a huge destruction to the world).
דְּהִנֵּה יֵשׁ לְהָבִין הַאיְךְ עָלָה עַל דַּעַת אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע לְקַלֵּל אֶת בנ”י וַהֲלֹא יָדַע כִּי הֵם חֵלֶק ה’ וְנַחֲלָתוֹ.
Behold we need to understand what was that evil man thinking that he will be able to curse Bnei Yisrael, they are the sacred portion of HaShem surely He would not allow such a thing?
וּבֵאוּר הָעִנְיָן כִּי הי’ מְקַטְרֵג עַל בנ”י בְּאָמְרוּ הָעָם הַיֹּצֵא מִמִּצְרַיִם וַיְכַס כּוּ’ עַיֵּן הָאָרֶץ כּוּ’.
We can explain that Balak was accusing Bnei Yisrael with the words they are covering the eye of the land. (Balak and Bilam were claiming that Bnei Yisrael were not spreading the light they received from HaShem with the giving of the Torah, and we’re keeping it all to themselves. This will be explained in the continuation).
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת בנ”י אֲשֶׁר הוֹצִיאָנוּ השי”ת מִמִּצְרָיִם וּבָחַר בָּנוּ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם נַחֲלָה הי’ הַמְכַוֵּן כְּדֵי שבנ”י יַסְתִּירוּ כֹּחַ הַקְּדֻשָּׁה שֶׁיּוּכַל הקב”ה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ טוֹב הַגָּנוּז לַצַּדִּיקִים
For the truth is that Bnei Yisrael that were taken out of Egypt and chosen by HaShem to be His portion, for the intention the they will cover up and hide the strength of holiness in the world and this will allow HaShem to shower down the special bounty that is reserved and hidden away for the tzadikim.
דְּכ’ וְיִמָּנַע מֵרְשָׁעִים אוֹרָם כּוּ’. וְלָכֵן גָּנַז הקב”ה טוֹב הַצָּפוֹן לַצַּדִּיקִים
As it says “He prevented the light from reaching the evil doers” and therefore He hid the holy light from the 6 days of creation for the tzadikim. (This has a double reason. Firstly so that the light will not be misused by the evil doers, for their own selfish physical gains, and secondly so that the light will not become negatively tainted by them)
אֲבָל בנ”י הֵם הַמְּחִצָּה שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁל הָרְשָׁעִים לְהִסְתַּכֵּל בְּשֶׁפַע זוֹ.
However Bnei Yisrael are indeed the partition, preventing the eyes of the reshaim accessing this bounty
וּבֶאֱמֶת זֶה עַצְמוֹ הוּא טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה גַּם לָרְשָׁעִים מָה שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לְקַבֵּל עכ”פ מִתַּמְצִית הַקְּדֻשָּׁה
The truth is that Bnei Yisrael having access to this light exclusively is indeed beneficial for the wicked so that they will at least be able to get Some benefit from this light (via Bnei Yisrael)
שֶׁלּוּלֵא בנ”י לֹא הי’ נִמְצָא טוֹב הַהוּא כְּלָל בָּעוֹלָם.
For without Bnei Yisrael this good would not be found at all in this world (since Bnei Yisrael can hold this light in the correct way, therefore the nation’s of the world can at least have a taste of this light).
וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן הַשַּׁבָּת שֶׁנִּתַּן לבנ”י אוֹת הוּא לְעוֹלָם כּוּ’ כְּמוֹ שֶׁדָּרְשׁוּ חֲזַ”ל זֶה שְׁמִי לְעָלַם הַעֲלִימֵהוּ כּוּ’.
This is the concept of Shabbos that is given exclusively to Bnei Yisrael (for a non New that keeps Shabbos received the death penalty), as it says this is my name ‘le’olam’ forever, which can also be understood as hidden. One needs to hide and protect this light from getting into the wrong ‘hands’
כְּמוֹ כֵן בֵּינִי וּבֵין בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹת הִוא לְעֹלָם פִּי’ שבנ”י יַעְלִימוּ הֶאָרַת הַשַּׁבָּת וְזֶה עִנְיַן אֲמָרָם כנ”י יְהִי’ בֶּן זוֹגֵךְ וְהַבֵּן הֵיטֵב.
So too it says regarding Shabbos it is a sign between Me (HaShem) and Bnei Yisrael forever. Which can mean hiding this closeness, this light of Shabbos. Which is also hinted in the idea that all the days have partners the 1st with the 2nd etc, yet when Shabbos said to HaShem who will be my partner HaShem said Bnei Yisrael will be. (we see the nature of the relationship with shabbos is intimate).
וְהָרְשָׁעִים הַלָּלוּ קִטְרְגוּ בְּאָמְרָם וַיְכַס אֶת עֵין הָאָרֶץ. פִּי’ שֶׁבִּיצִיאָתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וְקִבְּלוּ הַתּוֹרָה הַי’ לָהֶם לְהָאִיר לְכָל הָעוֹלָם וְלֹא לְהַעֲלִים הַשְׁגָּחַת השי”ת שֶׁזֶּה עַיֵּן הָאָרֶץ כמ”ש עֵינֵי ה’ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ כּוּ’.
Now this is what Balak and Bilam were trying to attack Bnei Yisrael by saying they ‘cover the eye of the land’. They were saying look how Bnei Yisrael have this light that they received when they received the Torah, and yet they are not sharing this light with the nation’s of the world. They are hiding the supervision of HaShem over the world (referred to here as ‘The eye of the land’) as we know HaShem’s supervision is on the land from the beginning of the year to the end.
אֲבָל לֹא יָדְעוּ כִּי בְּנַפְשָׁם דִּבְּרוּ כִּי הֵם מוֹנְעִים שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ לְגַלּוֹת הַקְּדֻשָּׁה כְּמַאֲמָר נוֹחַ לָהֶם לִהְיוֹת סוֹמִין כּוּ’.
However Balak and Bilam did not realise that the problem.they were pointing out was really a reflection of them. For it was they themselves that were preventing the light being spread throughout the world (for they would misappropriate it) as it says in the Medrash above, it is better for the reshaim to be blind etc.
וְזֶה עַצְמוֹ רָצָה הקב”ה לְבָרֵר ע”י בִּלְעָם שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמְרוּ שֶׁאַתָּה רִחַקְתָּנוּ.
Now this is what HaShem I tended Bilam to show the world. When seeing the destruction that Bilam brought about the nation’s of the world cannot blame HaShem for not bringing them close
רַק אַדְּרַבָּה זֶה שֶׁנִּבְחֲרוּ בנ”י הוּא לָהֶם טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה
On the contrary, the fact that HaShem chose Bnei Yisrael, was a good turn for the nation’s of the world (for they can at least access the light on a secondary level via Bnei Yisrael)
וְהֶעֱמִיד לָהֶם נָבִיא שַׁהִי’ לוֹ קְצָת הַשָּׂגָה ורוה”ק וְגָרַם בְּזֶה הֶפְסֵד לָהֶם ולבנ”י ג”כ בְּחֵטְא שִׁטִּים:
As we see that when HaShem did give some of the light to the Bilam, who had prophecy, nevertheless he caused such destruction and brought about a great loss by advising the daughters of Moav to seduce Bnei Yisrael.

2
בפסוק ויען בלעם כו’ לא אוכל לעבור כו’ פי’ ה’ אלקי כו’ ועתה שבו כו’ בזה גם אתם הלילה כו’.
“And Balak replied and said, I cannot transgress the will of HaShem, and now, stay here tonight and I will tell you what He says etc”
ביאור הענין כי מתחילה התגאה בעצמו. וכאשר ראה שלא ניתן לו רשות לילך ביקש לו דרך הכנעה ויען בהרמת קול כי לא הי’ הכנעה של אמת רק לבוא ע”י ההכנעה לגדלות.
The explanation (of why Balak originally said he cannot go against the will of HaShem, and afterwards said that they should stay and he will try ‘convince’ HaShem to let him go) is as follows: Originally Balak was haughty thinking he had the power. Yet when he saw that HaShem would not allow him to go, he changed his attitude and ‘pretended’ to be humble. His reply was not one of true humility, rather it was a reply to gain greater heights.
וז”ש שבו בזה פי’ בכח הכנעה זאת.
This was the meaning of his words “stay here בזה with this”. With the power of his ‘humility’.
(Balak thought that his fake humility will gain him favor in HaShem’s eyes to be able to go and curse Bnei Yisrael.
ובאמת פעל אשר רצה.
In truth however Balak just did whatever he wanted
וניתן לו רשות לילך ע”י הכנעה כמאמר משגיא לגוים ויאבדם.
and the reason why he was allowed to go, was as the pasuk states (Iyov 12:23) “He exacltst eh nations and destroys them”.
כי הרשע מיד מקבל שכר כל הכנעה וכל מעשה טוב בעוה”ז כי אין כוונת ההכנעה שלו להיות נכנע באמת רק כדי לקבל שכר ולבוא לידי גבהות.
This is because the wicked receive the reward for their humility and any good deeds they perform in this world, for their intention of their humility is not to be truly humble, rather they are humble to receive reward, and gin more haughtiness.
אבל הכנעה של אמת הוא להיות נכנע באמת להשי”ת. ויש הכנעה במעשה ג”כ כדי לבוא עי”ז להכנעה אמיתיות והוא ג”כ טוב:
However true humlitiy means to be truly humble to HaShem. And there is also a humility in action (action of humility) where the intention is to gain the level of true humility. This too is good.