AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, ETC. Said R. Isaac: ‘Why did she see while Balaam, who was so wise, did not see?’ R. Jose replied: ‘It was not to be thought of that that sinner should behold the vision of holiness.’ Said the other: ‘What, then, are we to make of the words, “Falling down and having his eyes open” (Num. 24, 4)?’ ‘Regarding that’, he said, ‘I have not heard anything, so I can give no explanation.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘I have heard that when it was proper for him to behold, he used to fall down and see, but now it was not proper for him to behold.’
If that is so,’ said the other, ‘he was in a grade superior to that of all the true prophets, since when falling with open eyes he beheld the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Simeon, however, has told us that through his enchantments Balaam knew only the lower Crowns beneath, and was entitled only a “diviner”. And R. Simeon also said that through one vision which he was granted exceptionally, as it says, “And the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam”, his eyes were stricken. How, then, can you say that he saw with open eyes and gazed on the glory of God?’
He said: ‘I simply answered your question. Both your statement and mine require to be cleared up. Of a truth the mysteries of the Torah are deep, and not to be penetrated, and therefore one should not make any statement about the Torah until he has heard and understood it properly.’ They therefore went to R. Simeon and laid the matter before him.
(במדבר כ״ב:כ״ג) וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְיָ וְגוֹ'. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וְכִי אֲמַאי חָמָאת הִיא, וּבִלְעָם דְּהֲוָה חַכִּים כָּל כַּךְ לָא חָמָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם דְּהַהוּא רָשָׁע יִסְתַּכֵּל בְּחֵיזוּ קַדִישָׁא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, הָא כְּתִיב נוֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם. אָמַר לֵיהּ לָא שְׁמַעְנָא בְּהָא מִידִי וְלָא אֵימָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא, דְּכַד הֲוָה אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, הֲוָה נָפִיל וְחָמֵי. וְהַשְׁתָּא לָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא.
AND THE ASS SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD, ETC. Said R. Isaac: ‘Why did she see while Balaam, who was so wise, did not see?’ R. Jose replied: ‘It was not to be thought of that that sinner should behold the vision of holiness.’ Said the other: ‘What, then, are we to make of the words, “Falling down and having his eyes open” (Num. 24, 4)?’ ‘Regarding that’, he said, ‘I have not heard anything, so I can give no explanation.’ Said R. Isaac: ‘I have heard that when it was proper for him to behold, he used to fall down and see, but now it was not proper for him to behold.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, אִי הָכִי, בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה יַתִּיר הֲוָה עַל כָּל נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, דְּאִיהוּ גְּלוּי עֵינַיִם, חָמֵי וְאִסְתָּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְהָא רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, בִּלְעָם בְּחַרְשׁוֹי, הֲוָה יָדַע בְּאִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דִּלְתַּתָּא, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, (יהושע י״ג:כ״ב) וְאֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הַקּוֹסֵם, קוֹסֵם קַרְיֵיהּ קְרָא, דְּטִנּוּפָא דְּטִנּוּפֵי, הֵיךְ יִסְתָּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וְעוֹד, הָא אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, בְּחֵיזוּ חַד דְּחָזָא לְפוּם שַׁעֲתָא, דִּכְתִיב וַיְגַל יְיָ אֶת עֵינֵי בִּלְעָם, אִתְעֲקִימוּ עֵינוֹי, וְאַתְּ אַמְרַת דְּהֲוָה חָמֵי בְּגִלוּי דְּעַיְינִין, וְאִסְתָּכַּל בִּיקָרָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
If that is so,’ said the other, ‘he was in a grade superior to that of all the true prophets, since when falling with open eyes he beheld the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He. R. Simeon, however, has told us that through his enchantments Balaam knew only the lower Crowns beneath, and was entitled only a “diviner”. And R. Simeon also said that through one vision which he was granted exceptionally, as it says, “And the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam”, his eyes were stricken. How, then, can you say that he saw with open eyes and gazed on the glory of God?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא אַהֲדַרְנָא לָקֳבְלָךְ. דִּידִי וְדִידָךְ בָּעֵי צָחוּתָא. וַדַּאי רָזֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא עִלָּאִין, וְלָא יַכְלִין בְּנֵי עָלְמָא לְמֵיקָם עָלַיְיהוּ. בְּגִין כַּךְ אָסִיר לְאַקְדְּמָא בְּמִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, עַד דְּיִשְׁמַע מִלָּה וְיֵדַע לָהּ עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ. אָתוּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמְרוּ מִלָּה קַמֵּיהּ.
He said: ‘I simply answered your question. Both your statement and mine require to be cleared up. Of a truth the mysteries of the Torah are deep, and not to be penetrated, and therefore one should not make any statement about the Torah until he has heard and understood it properly.’ They therefore went to R. Simeon and laid the matter before him.