Observe that all is predisposed and revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He. Even so was it with Balak and Balaam: although the motive of their action1Viz. the building of the altars and the offering of sacrifices. was not the glory of Heaven, yet was all they did duly recorded before the Lord, who did not diminish aught of their reward in this world. Thus, through the power of the forty-two offerings which they brought on the seven altars, Balak and Balaam obtained for the time being dominion over Israel, so that twenty and four thousand Israelites died by the plague besides those who were slain, as we read: “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up unto the Lord in face of the sun…. Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto the Baal of Peor” (Num. XXV 4-5).’
R. Simeon said: ‘Observe that the forty-two offerings brought by Balaam and Balak were offerings diverted from the “other side” towards the Holy One, blessed be He, and so the “other side”, which is called “curse”, had to be repaid these offerings from Israel. This is the inner implication of the verse, “And he (Elisha) looked behind him and saw them” (2 Kings 2, 24). That is to say, “behind him”, meaning the “other side”, which stands behind the Shekinah. He turned “and saw them” (the children), as being meet for punishment; “and cursed them in the name of the Lord” (Ibid.), inducing the Divine Name, as it were, to discharge the debt owing to the “other side”, for the latter’s offerings which had been diverted to Him. Thus all is made right before the Holy One, blessed be He, and not a single act is lost, whether for good or for evil.
תָּא חֲזֵי כֹּלָּא אִתְתָּקַּן וְאִתְגְּלֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּבָלָק וּבִלְעָם לָא אִתְכַּוְונוּ לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כֹּלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקָּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא גָּרַע מֵאֲגַר דִּלְהוֹן כְּלוּם בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא שְׁלִיטוּ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּגָרַם הַהוּא קוּרְבָּנָא, לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִיִשְׂרָאֵל אַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִין אַלְפִין, בַּר כָּל אִינּוּן דְּאִתְקְטָלוּ, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר כ״ה:ה׳) הָרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו הַנִּצְמָדִים לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר, וּכְתִיב קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם וְהוֹקַע אוֹתָם לַיְיָ'. וְעַד כְּעַן הַהוּא קָרְבָּנָא הֲוָה תָּלֵי לְאִתְפָּרְעָא מִנְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. שִׁבְעָה מַדְבְּחָן כְּחוּשְׁבָן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין.
Observe that all is predisposed and revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He. Even so was it with Balak and Balaam: although the motive of their action1Viz. the building of the altars and the offering of sacrifices. was not the glory of Heaven, yet was all they did duly recorded before the Lord, who did not diminish aught of their reward in this world. Thus, through the power of the forty-two offerings which they brought on the seven altars, Balak and Balaam obtained for the time being dominion over Israel, so that twenty and four thousand Israelites died by the plague besides those who were slain, as we read: “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them up unto the Lord in face of the sun…. Slay ye every one his men that have joined themselves unto the Baal of Peor” (Num. XXV 4-5).’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אָמַר, תָּא חֲזֵי, אִינּוּן אַרְבְּעִין וּתְרֵין קָרְבָּנִין עָבְדוּ בִּלְעָם וּבָלָק, וְנַטְלוּ לוֹן מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְעַל דָּא הֲוָה תָּלֵי הַהוּא קָרְבְּנָא, לְנַטְלָא לֵיהּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִקְרֵי קְלָלָה מִיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַד הַשְׁתָּא לָא גָּבָה מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְדָא אִיהוּ רָזָא (מלכים ב ב׳:כ״ד) וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו וַיִּרְאֵם. וַיִּפֶן אַחֲרָיו, אֲחוֹרֵי שְׁכִינְתָּא, דְּקַיְּימָא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא לַאֲחוֹרָא. וַיִּרְאֵם. אִסְתָּכַּל בְּהוּ הַהוּא סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְחָמָא לוֹן דְּאִתְחָזוּן לְאִתְעַנְּשָׁא, וְעַל דָּא וַיְקַלְלֵם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ'. בְּשֵׁם יְיָ' לְאַפָּקָא הַהוּא שֵׁם יְיָ' מֵחִיּוּבָא דָּא. מֵהַהוּא חִיוּבָא דְּהַהוּא קָרְבָּן דְּאַקְרִיב הַהוּא סִטְרָא לְגַבֵּיהּ. וְכֹלָּא אִיהוּ מִתְתַּקָּן קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אִתְאֲבִיד מִלָּה. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא, כֹּלָּא אִתְתָּקַּן קָמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, הֵן לְטָב הֵן לְבִישׁ.
R. Simeon said: ‘Observe that the forty-two offerings brought by Balaam and Balak were offerings diverted from the “other side” towards the Holy One, blessed be He, and so the “other side”, which is called “curse”, had to be repaid these offerings from Israel. This is the inner implication of the verse, “And he (Elisha) looked behind him and saw them” (2 Kings 2, 24). That is to say, “behind him”, meaning the “other side”, which stands behind the Shekinah. He turned “and saw them” (the children), as being meet for punishment; “and cursed them in the name of the Lord” (Ibid.), inducing the Divine Name, as it were, to discharge the debt owing to the “other side”, for the latter’s offerings which had been diverted to Him. Thus all is made right before the Holy One, blessed be He, and not a single act is lost, whether for good or for evil.