Holy Tongue And Prophecy

במדרש הצור תמים כו' שלא הניח פתחון פה לאוה"ע לומר שאתה ריחקתנו כו'

In the Midrash on the verse "The Rock, His work is perfect" (Devarim 32:4), the Sages teach that Hashem left no opening for the nations of the world to claim, "You have distanced us," and so forth.

The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash teaching that Hashem arranged matters so the nations could never complain that they were unfairly rejected. Everything that distinguishes Bnei Yisrael was done justly.

הענין הוא דכתיב זכור ימות עולם כו' בהנחל כו' בהפרידו כו' שלקח הקב"ה לשון הקודש ונתנו לבנ"י והוא הנבואה שעיקרו כח הדיבור כדכ' ניב שפתים כו'

The matter is as it is written, "Remember the days of old" (Devarim 32:7), "when He gave the nations their inheritance," "when He separated the children of man" (Devarim 32:8) — that the Holy One, Blessed is He, took Lashon HaKodesh, the holy tongue, and gave it to Bnei Yisrael; and this is nevuah, prophecy, whose essence is the power of speech, as it is written, "who creates the speech of the lips" (Yeshayahu 57:19).

He grounds this in the verse that when Hashem apportioned the world among the nations, He reserved Lashon HaKodesh for Bnei Yisrael. The holy tongue is the root of prophecy, since prophecy is essentially a refined power of speech.

וכמו כן עמי זכר נא מה כו' בלק כו' ומה ענה כו' בלעם כו'

And so too, "My people, remember now what Balak counseled, and what Bilaam answered him" (Michah 6:5).

The prophet Michah ties this theme to our parsha by recalling the episode of Balak and Bilaam. Their plot is connected to the very question of who holds the power of holy speech.

והיינו שרצה בלעם הרשע להחזיר כח הדיבור לאומות כדאיתא במדרש שאמר טוב להיות נעבד מע' אומות כו'

This means that the wicked Bilaam wished to return the power of speech to the nations, as it is brought in the Midrash that he said it is better to be worshipped by seventy nations, and so forth.

Bilaam's hidden aim was to transfer the power of holy speech back to the nations. The Midrash records his desire to be worshipped by all seventy nations, reflecting his bid to elevate them.

ובאמת אין האומות מוכנים לקבל לה"ק ועיין בזוה"ק קצ"ט סוף ע"ב

But in truth the nations are not fit to receive Lashon HaKodesh; see the holy Zohar, page 199, end of side two.

The Sfas Emes states plainly that the nations are simply not equipped to receive Lashon HaKodesh, and points to a source in the Zohar. Their spiritual makeup cannot contain it.

וזה הי' הרמז בפי האתון דאיתא במד' שהי' כדי להראות למה לא ניתן הדיבור לבהמה שלא היו יכולין לעבוד עמה כו' ע"ש

And this was the hint in the mouth of the donkey, as the Midrash brings that it was in order to show why speech was not given to the animal — for they would then not have been able to labor with it — see there.

The talking donkey carried a lesson: it showed why ordinary speech was withheld from animals, since a speaking beast could not be put to work. Speech is reserved where it belongs.

וזה הענין עצמו הוא בין בנ"י ולהבדיל ביניהם כי אם היו מכירין את מקומם להיות משועבדין לבנ"י אפשר הי' יוכל להיות להם איזה יניקה מלשון הקודש שכולל כל הלשונות

And this very same matter applies between Bnei Yisrael and the nations, to distinguish between them, for had the nations recognized their place, to be subservient to Bnei Yisrael, it would have been possible for them to draw some nourishment from Lashon HaKodesh, which encompasses all the tongues.

The same principle governs the relationship between Bnei Yisrael and the nations. Had the nations accepted a subordinate place, they could have received a measure of holiness flowing from Lashon HaKodesh, which contains all languages within it.

אבל הם אין מוכנים לזה

But they are not fit for this.

But the nations are not prepared even for that subordinate share. Their refusal to accept their place blocks them from any such nourishment.

ולכן כשהי' לבלעם הרשע ענין נבואה רצה לעלות יותר מבנ"י

And therefore, when the wicked Bilaam attained the matter of nevuah, he wished to rise higher than Bnei Yisrael.

Bilaam's failure was that, upon receiving a form of prophecy, he sought to surpass Bnei Yisrael rather than accept a lesser place. He inverted the proper order.

וזה לא יוכל להיות

And this cannot be.

Such a thing is impossible; the order Hashem established cannot be overturned. Bilaam could never rise above Bnei Yisrael.

וכמו שיש דצח"ם כן במדברים יש דיבור פנימי שהוא לשון הקודש שעליו כתיב ויפח כו' ויהי כו' לנפש חי' לרוח ממללא

And just as there exist the categories of inanimate, vegetative, animal, and speaker, so too within the speakers there is an inner speech, which is Lashon HaKodesh, concerning which it is written, "And He breathed" (Bereishis 2:7), "and man became a living soul" — which Targum renders as "a speaking spirit."

The Sfas Emes maps the four levels of creation — inanimate, vegetative, animal, and speaker — and adds that within speakers there is a deeper, inner speech, namely Lashon HaKodesh. This is the "speaking spirit" breathed into man at creation.

וכמו שיש הבדל בין חי למדבר כן בין מדבר לנביאים והוא כללות בנ"י כמ"ש ונבאו בניכם כו':

And just as there is a distinction between the animal and the speaker, so too between the speaker and the prophets — and this is the totality of Bnei Yisrael, as it is written, "and your sons shall prophesy" (Yoel 3:1).

Finally, just as there is a gap between animal and ordinary speaker, there is a further gap between ordinary speaker and prophet. Bnei Yisrael as a whole occupy this prophetic level, as the verse promises that their sons will prophesy.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that when Hashem apportioned the world among the nations, He set aside Lashon HaKodesh, the holy tongue, for Bnei Yisrael, and this holy speech is the very root of nevuah. The plot of Balak and Bilaam was an attempt by the wicked Bilaam to seize back the power of holy speech for the nations and even to rise above Bnei Yisrael, but the nations are simply not fit to receive Lashon HaKodesh, just as a beast cannot be granted speech and still serve its master. Had the nations accepted a subordinate place, they could have drawn some nourishment from the holy tongue that encompasses all languages, but they refuse that place, and so Bilaam's attempt to surpass Bnei Yisrael was doomed. Beyond the four levels of inanimate, vegetative, animal, and speaker, there is an inner speech, Lashon HaKodesh, the "speaking spirit" breathed into man, and beyond ordinary speech lies the level of prophecy. This prophetic level belongs to the totality of Bnei Yisrael, as the verse promises that their sons will prophesy.