Upright Stature Through Milah

בענין נביאי אוה"ע כתב בעל עקידה כי הוא שם לווי כמו מלך בחיות ארי

Regarding the prophets of the nations of the world, the Baal Akeidah writes that the term 'prophet' is for them merely a borrowed, secondary title, just as the word 'king' is applied to the lion among the wild beasts.

The Baal Akeidah teaches that calling a gentile like Bilam a 'prophet' is only a loose, borrowed usage, like calling a lion 'king of the beasts' — not the real thing.

שור מלך בבהמות

And the ox is called 'king' among the domesticated animals.

Just as the lion is loosely called king among wild animals, the ox is loosely called king among domesticated animals.

כמו כן לאוה"ע נקרא בלעם נביא ואין זה נבואה בעצם ע"ש

In the same way, when one of the nations of the world such as Bilam is called a 'prophet,' this is not prophecy in its true essence, as it says there.

Similarly, Bilam's title 'prophet' does not reflect genuine prophecy in its essence.

ודבריו נכונים כדכ' אדם אתם אתם קרוין אדם

And his words are correct, as it is written, "You are called 'adam' (man)" (Yechezkel 34:31) — only you, Bnei Yisrael, are called 'adam.'

These words are supported by the verse teaching that only Bnei Yisrael are truly called 'adam.'

וכ"כ בלק בן צפור בלעם בן בעור שם בהמה המה להם

And so it is written, "Balak son of Tzippor" and "Bilam son of Be'or" — 'be'ir' is a term for an animal, for they were on the level of beasts.

The very names of Balak and Bilam contain the root 'be'ir,' hinting that these men were on an animal-like level.

ובאמת לכל יש שורש למעלה כענין שפרשנו הפסוק אלה ברכב ואלה בסוסים שרומז על כמה מרכבות ואנחנו בשם ה' אלקינו נזכיר

But in truth everything has a root Above, in the manner that we explained the verse, "These with chariots and these with horses" — which alludes to many chariots — "but we call out in the Name of Hashem our God" (Tehillim 20:8).

Even so, every created thing has a spiritual root Above, just as the verse contrasts those who trust in chariots and horses with those who call upon Hashem's Name.

וכתי' כמראה אדם עליו מלמעלה

And it is written, "like the appearance of a man (adam) upon it from above" (Yechezkel 1:26).

The verse in Yechezkel describes a likeness of 'adam' upon the Heavenly Throne, pointing to a supernal form of man.

ולזה הציור לא זכו רק בנ"י

And only Bnei Yisrael merited to this form, that of the 'adam' Above.

Only Bnei Yisrael attained a connection to that supernal 'adam' form.

והוא בכח ברית מילה

And this comes through the power of the bris milah.

This elevated status is achieved specifically through the bris milah.

לכן כתב רש"י ז"ל כשהי' השכינה נגלה הי' נופל לפי שהי' ערל

Therefore Rashi, of blessed memory, writes that when the Shechinah was revealed to Avraham Avinu, he would fall upon his face, because he was still uncircumcised.

Rashi explains that before he was circumcised, Avraham would fall on his face when the Shechinah appeared, lacking the strength to stand upright before Hashem.

וקומה זקופה הוא מג' שדומה האדם למלאכי השרת

And the upright, erect stature is one of the three traits by which a person resembles the ministering angels.

Standing erect is one of the three ways a human being resembles the ministering angels.

ובנ"י בכח המילה הם נזקפין כדכתי' מי יעלה לנו כו' ר"ת מילה

And Bnei Yisrael, through the power of milah, stand erect, as it is written, "Who will ascend for us (mi ya'aleh lanu)..." — the initial letters of which spell 'milah.'

Through milah, Bnei Yisrael are able to stand upright, hinted at in a verse whose initial letters spell 'milah.'

והנה כ' אדם ובהמה תושיע פירשו חז"ל ערומין בדעת כאדם ומשימין עצמן כבהמה

Now it is written, "man and beast You save, Hashem" (Tehillim 36:7), which Chazal explained to mean: those who are clever in their understanding like a man yet make themselves lowly like a beast.

Chazal explain that the ideal is to combine a man's sharp understanding with a beast's humble lowliness before Hashem.

כן נביאי בנ"י כדמצינו מרע"ה שלא קם כמוהו [רמז לשון קם שיש הרבה מדריגות בקומה זקופה הנ"ל]. וכתיב בי' עניו מאוד כו'

So too are the prophets of Bnei Yisrael, as we find with Moshe Rabbeinu, of whom it says, "there arose none like him" (Devarim 34:10) — an allusion in the word 'arose' (kam) that there are many levels within the upright stature mentioned above — and it is also written of him, "and he was exceedingly humble" (Bamidbar 12:3).

Moshe Rabbeinu embodied this: unmatched in greatness (many levels of 'upright stature'), yet exceedingly humble.

ולהיפוך בבלעם בן בעור שהוא בחי' בהמה וחשב עצמו כאדם שאמר יודע דעת עליון

And the reverse is true of Bilam son of Be'or, who was on the level of a beast yet considered himself a man, for he said, "one who knows the knowledge of the Most High" (Bamidbar 24:16).

Bilam was the opposite — essentially beastly, yet arrogantly imagining himself to possess knowledge of the Most High.

וזה עדות וסימן שאין הנבואה שייך להם כדאיתא סימן דלא ידע כלום שבוחי

And this itself is the testimony and the sign that prophecy does not truly belong to them, as is brought that the sign of one who knows nothing is one who boasts.

His very boasting proves he lacked true prophecy, for one who boasts of his knowledge is really the one who knows nothing.

ובאמת האדם יש בו בחי' בהמה ג"כ

And in truth, a person also has within him an aspect of the beast.

Every person also contains a beastly, animalistic aspect within himself.

והצדיקים מעלין גם חלק הבהמיות כדכ' רוח בני האדם העולה כו' והרשעים משפילין גם חלק הרוחניי שבהם במעשה בהמה כדאיתא במשנה חלק בלעם רוח גבוהה ותלמידי אברהם אע"ה רוח נמוכה:

And the tzaddikim elevate even the animalistic portion, as it is written, "the spirit of the sons of man, which ascends upward" (Koheles 3:21); whereas the wicked lower even the spiritual portion within them into beastly conduct, as is brought in the Mishnah: the portion of Bilam is a haughty spirit, while the students of Avraham Avinu have a lowly spirit (Avos 5:19).

Tzaddikim raise up even that animal aspect to holiness, while the wicked drag down even their spiritual side into beastly, haughty conduct, as the Mishnah contrasts Bilam's haughtiness with the humility of Avraham's students.

Summary: The Sfas Emes explains that the prophecy attributed to the nations of the world, such as Bilam, is only a borrowed title and not prophecy in its true essence, just as 'king' is loosely applied to the lion and the ox. Only Bnei Yisrael are truly called 'adam,' corresponding to the supernal form of man upon the Heavenly Throne, a status attained through the power of bris milah, which grants the upright stature that makes a person resemble the ministering angels. The true avodah, exemplified by Moshe Rabbeinu, is to combine the sharp understanding of a man with the humble lowliness of a beast — clever in mind yet utterly humble before Hashem. Bilam was the inversion of this: essentially beastly, yet arrogantly imagining himself a knower of the knowledge of the Most High, and his very boasting is the sign that real prophecy never belonged to him. Ultimately, every person contains an animalistic aspect; the tzaddikim elevate even that portion to holiness, while the wicked debase even their spiritual side into a haughty, beastly spirit.