R. Eleazar said: ‘Who killed the wicked Balaam, and how was he killed?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘Phineas and his comrades killed him, as it says, “they slew on their slain”. For we have learnt that through his magic arts in the city of Midian he became able to fly in the air, he and the kings of Midian, and it was the holy frontlet and the prayer of Phineas that brought them down on their slain.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘I know all this.’
R. Simeon then said: ‘Eleazar, Balaam was a powerful adversary, as it says, “There arose not a prophet in Israel like Moses”, but- so we explain- there did arise among the Gentiles, to wit, Balaam, who was supreme among the lower Crowns as Moses among the upper Crowns. How, then, were they able to kill him?’
The answer is to be gathered from a remark of the Book of the Wisdom of King Solomon. There are three signs in a man: paleness is a sign of anger, talking is a sign of folly, and self-praise is a sign of ignorance.
It is true that it says, “Let a stranger praise thee and not thy own mouth” (Prov. 27, 2), and we alter this to “Let a stranger praise thee, and if not, thine own mouth”, but that only means that if thou art not known, discourse on the Torah so that through the opening of thy mouth in the Torah men should know who thou art and praise thee.
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, בִּלְעָם חַיָּיבָא מַאן קָטִיל לֵיהּ, וְהֵיךְ אַקְטִיל. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, פִּנְחָס וְסִיעָתֵיהּ קַטְלוּהוּ. דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר ל״א:ח׳) הָרְגוּ עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם. וְתָנֵינָן, בְּקַרְתָּא דְּמִדְּיָן הֲוָה עָבִיד בְּחָכְמְתָא דְּחַרְשׁוֹי, דְּטָאסִין בַּאֲוִירָא הוּא וּמַלְכֵּי מִדְיָן. וְאִלְמָלֵא צִיץ דִּקְדוּשָׁא, וּצְלוֹתָא דְּפִינְחָס, דַּאֲפִּילּוּ לְהוֹן עַל קְטִילַיָּיא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם. וּכְתִיב (יהושע י״ג:כ״ב) וְאֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל דָּא יְדַעְנָא.
R. Eleazar said: ‘Who killed the wicked Balaam, and how was he killed?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘Phineas and his comrades killed him, as it says, “they slew on their slain”. For we have learnt that through his magic arts in the city of Midian he became able to fly in the air, he and the kings of Midian, and it was the holy frontlet and the prayer of Phineas that brought them down on their slain.’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘I know all this.’
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אֶלְעָזָר, כָּל מִלּוֹי דְּבִלְעָם חַיָּיבָא, תַּקִּיפִין אִינּוּן, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא, דִּכְתִיב (דברים ל״ד:י׳) וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמֹשֶׁה, וְאָמְרוּ, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא קָם אֲבָל בְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם קָם, וּמַנוּ. בִּלְעָם, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלָּה, מֹשֶׁה לֵית דִּכְוָותֵיהּ, בְּכִתְרִין עִלָּאִין. בִּלְעָם לֵית דִּכְוָותֵיהּ, בְּכִתְרִין תַּתָּאִין. דָּא בְּסִטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, וְדָא בְּסִטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא. וְאִי כָּל דָּא הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ, וְכָּל כַּךְ תַּקִּיף בְּחָכְמְתָא, גְּבַר דִּיְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּחֵילָא תַּקִּיף, דִּכְתִיב וְאָנֹכִי אִקָּרֶה כֹּה, אַעְקַר לְכֹה מֵהַאי. הֵיאַךְ יָכִילוּ לְקָטְלָא לֵיהּ.
R. Simeon then said: ‘Eleazar, Balaam was a powerful adversary, as it says, “There arose not a prophet in Israel like Moses”, but- so we explain- there did arise among the Gentiles, to wit, Balaam, who was supreme among the lower Crowns as Moses among the upper Crowns. How, then, were they able to kill him?’
אֶלָּא בְּסִפְרָא דְּחָכְמְתָא דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא הָכִי אָמַר, תְּלַת סִימָנִין אִינּוּן. סִימַן לַעֲבֵרָה, יְרָקוֹן. סִימַן לַשְׁטוּת, מִלִּין. סִימַן דְּלָא יָדַע כְּלוּם, שַׁבּוּחֵי. וְדָא אַכְרַע לִשְׁאַר, שׁוֹטֶה בְּכָל עֲבֵירוֹת, כֹּלָּא אִית בֵּיהּ.
The answer is to be gathered from a remark of the Book of the Wisdom of King Solomon. There are three signs in a man: paleness is a sign of anger, talking is a sign of folly, and self-praise is a sign of ignorance.
וְהָא כְּתִיב (משלי כ״ז:ב׳) יְהַלֶּלְךָ זָר וְלֹא פִיךָ, וְאִם לָא זָר. פִיךָ. לָאו הָכִי. אֶלָּא אִי לָא הֲוִי מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לָךְ, אַפְתַּח פּוּמָךְ לְמַלְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּלְאוֹדָעָא מִלֵּי קְשׁוֹט בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וּכְדֵין פְּתִיחוּ דְּפוּמָךְ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, יְשַׁבְּחוּן מִילָךְ, וְיִנְדְּעוּן מַאן אַנְּתְּ, דְּלֵית מִלָּה בְּעָלְמָא דְּיִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעוּן לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ, אֶלָּא בְּזִמְנָא דְּאַפְתַּח פּוּמֵיהּ. פּוּמֵיהּ הוֹדַע לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא מַאן הוּא.
It is true that it says, “Let a stranger praise thee and not thy own mouth” (Prov. 27, 2), and we alter this to “Let a stranger praise thee, and if not, thine own mouth”, but that only means that if thou art not known, discourse on the Torah so that through the opening of thy mouth in the Torah men should know who thou art and praise thee.