True Versus False Submission

בפסוק ויען בלעם כו' לא אוכל לעבור כו' פי' ה' אלקי כו' ועתה שבו כו' בזה גם אתם הלילה כו'

On the verse, "And Bilaam answered... I cannot transgress... the word of Hashem my God... and now you too, remain here this night..." (Bamidbar 22:18-19).

The Sfas Emes opens with Bilaam's reply to Balak's messengers, where he professes that he cannot defy Hashem's word, yet still invites them to stay the night so he can seek further permission.

ביאור הענין כי מתחילה התגאה בעצמו

Here is the explanation of the matter: at first Bilaam exalted himself in his own eyes.

Bilaam's starting point was arrogance — he carried himself with a sense of his own importance.

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

And when he saw that he was not granted permission to go, he sought out a path of submission, yet he "answered" by raising his voice, for it was not a submission of truth but only a means of arriving, by way of that submission, at greatness.

When Hashem refused him permission, Bilaam adopted a show of submission, but it was a false humility — the raised voice betrays that he was only using submission as a ladder to reach the greatness he craved.

וז"ש שבו בזה פי' בכח הכנעה זאת

And this is the meaning of "remain here" (Bamidbar 22:19) — that is, by means of this submission.

The words "remain here this night" reflect that Bilaam was relying on this counterfeit submission to get his way.

ובאמת פעל אשר רצה

And in truth he accomplished what he desired.

Through this pretense Bilaam did, in fact, attain what he was after.

וניתן לו רשות לילך ע"י הכנעה כמאמר משגיא לגוים ויאבדם

And he was granted permission to go by way of this submission, in accordance with the dictum, "He makes the nations great and then destroys them" (Iyov 12:23).

He received permission to go, which the Sfas Emes ties to the principle that Hashem grants the wicked their wishes and elevates them only as a prelude to their downfall.

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

For the wicked man immediately receives the reward of every act of submission and every good deed in this world, since the intent of his submission is not to be genuinely submissive but only to receive reward and to come to haughtiness.

A rasha is paid out for his good deeds and humble gestures right away in this world precisely because his humility is hollow — aimed at reward and self-aggrandizement rather than at truly bowing before Hashem.

אבל הכנעה של אמת הוא להיות נכנע באמת להשי"ת

But submission of truth is to be genuinely submissive before Hashem Yisbarach.

Genuine submission, by contrast, means truly nullifying oneself before Hashem Yisbarach with no ulterior motive.

ויש הכנעה במעשה ג"כ כדי לבוא עי"ז להכנעה אמיתיות והוא ג"כ טוב:

And there is also a submission in deed, undertaken in order to come thereby to true submission, and this too is good.

Even a submission expressed only through action, when it is undertaken as a path toward attaining true inner submission, is itself a worthy thing.

Summary: The Sfas Emes examines Bilaam's response to Balak's messengers and exposes the difference between false and true submission. Bilaam began from a place of arrogance, and when Hashem denied him permission, he feigned humility — but his raised voice revealed that his submission was merely a tool to reach the greatness he desired. Because of this counterfeit submission he was in fact granted permission to go, in keeping with the principle that Hashem elevates the wicked only to bring them to ruin; the rasha collects the reward for his good deeds immediately in this world precisely because his humility is hollow and self-serving. True submission, however, is to genuinely nullify oneself before Hashem Yisbarach. And even a submission carried out merely in deed is worthwhile when it is undertaken as a path toward arriving at that authentic, inner submission.