## Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak

###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:1
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:1)

ויגל ה' את עיני בלעם וירא (שם שם לא). וכי סומא היה, אלא להודיעו שאף העין ברשותו.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:31:) THEN THE LORD UNCOVERED THE EYES OF BALAAM AND HE SAW THE ANGEL OF THE LORD…. Was he blind?³⁹ These words were simply to inform him that even the eye is under in his power.

footnotes:
³⁹ Tanh. 7:10; Numb. R. 20:15.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:2
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:2)

ויקד וישתחו (על אפיו) [לאפיו] (שם). שדיבר עמו.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid., cont.:) THEN HE BOWED DOWN AND PROSTRATED HIMSELF ON HIS FACE, because the angel had spoken with him.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:3
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:3)

ויאמר אליו מלאך ה' וגו' (שם שם לב). עלבון של אתון בא המלאך לבקש מידו, אמר לו ומה האתון שאין לה זכות, ולא זכות אבות, נצטויתי לתבוע עלבונה מידך, אומה שלימה שאתה בא לעקור על אחת כמה וכמה.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:32:) AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM: WHY DID YOU STRIKE YOUR SHE-ASS THESE THREE TIMES ? Did the the angel come to seek satisfaction at his hand for the she-ass? He said to him: Now if for the she-ass, which has neither its own merit nor merit from ancestors, I have been commanded to claim satisfaction from your hand, how much the more so for an entire people that you have come to uproot!


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:4
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:4)

הנה אנכי יצאתי לשטן כי ירט הדרך לנגדי (שם). יראתה ראתה נטתה.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:32, cont.:) HERE I HAVE COME OUT AS AN ADVERSARY (*satan*), BECAUSE YOUR WAY IS CONTRARY (*YRT*) TO ME. *YRT* is interpreted as an acronym concerning the ass for *yare'ah*⁴⁰., Numb. 7:10, and in Numb. R. 20:15. The Buber text has the corrupt spelling, *YR’TH*. (she feared), *ra'atah* (she saw), *natetah* (she turned away).

footnotes:
⁴⁰ For this word the translation follows the parallel in the traditional Tanh


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:5
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:5)

ותראני האתון ותט לפני זה שלש רגלים, אולי נטתה מפני כי עתה גם אותכה הרגתי ואותה החייתי (שם שם לג). מיכאן אתה למד שהרג את האתון.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:33:) FOR THE SHE-ASS SAW ME AND TURNED AWAY FROM ME THESE THREE TIMES. IF SHE HAD NOT TURNED AWAY FROM ME, SURELY JUST NOW I WOULD HAVE KILLED YOU AND LET HER LIVE. From here you have learned that he killed the ass.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:6
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:6)

ויאמר בלעם אל מלאך ה' חטאתי כי לא ידעתי (שם שם לד). להודיע כי הוא רשע גמור, ידע כי אינו עומד בפני הפורענות אלא תשובה, שכל מי שיחטא ואומר חטאתי אין רשות למלאך ליגע בו.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:34:) THEN BALAAM SAID UNTO THE ANGEL OF THE LORD: I HAVE SINNED BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW. These words are to teach you that he was completely evil. He knew that no one stands facing divine punishment without repentance; for whenever anyone sins and says: I have sinned, the angel has no authority to touch him.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:7
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:7)

כי לא ידעתי (שם). אע"פ שמשבח אותו רשע ויודע דעת עליון, פיו העיד ואמר לא ידעתי.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid.:) BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW. Although that wicked man was praising him and had knowledge of the most high, his mouth bore witness and said (in Numb. 22:34): I DID NOT KNOW.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:8
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:8)

ועתה אם רע בעיניך אשובה לי (שם). אמר לו אני לא הלכתי עד שאמר לי הקב"ה קום לך אתם (שם שם כ), ואתה אומר שאחזור כך אומנותו, לא כך אמר לאברהם להקריב את בנו, ואחר כך ויקרא אליו מלאך ה' [וגו'] ויאמר אל תשלח ידך (בראשית כב יא יב), למוד הוא לומר דבר, ומלאך בא ומחזירו, הוא אמר לי לך אתם, ועכשיו אם רע בעיניך אשובה לי.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid., cont.:) AND NOW, IF IT IS EVIL IN YOUR EYES, I WILL RETURN.⁴¹ He said to him: I did not go until the Holy One said to me (in Numb. 22:20): ARISE AND GO WITH THEM; yet you are saying that I should return! Indeed such is his practice! Similarly, did he not tell Abraham to sacrifice his son? Then after that it is stated (in Gen. 22:11–12): BUT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF THE HEAVENS AND SAID: ABRAHAM! ABRAHAM! AND HE SAID: HERE AM I. THEN HE SAID: DO NOT RAISE YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD. He is used to saying something, then to have an angel come and reverse it. He said to me (in Numb. 22:20): GO WITH THEM; but now (in vs. 34), IF IT IS EVIL IN YOUR EYES, I WILL RETURN.

footnotes:
⁴¹ This verb can also be rendered as “repent.”


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:9
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:9)

ויאמר מלאך ה' אל בלעם לך עם האנשים (במדבר כב לה). שחלקך עמהם וסופך ליאבד עמהם מן העולם.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:35:) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD SAID UNTO BALAAM: GO WITH THE MEN; for your lot is to be with them, and your end is to be obliterated with them from the world.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:10
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:10)

וילך בלעם עם שרי בלק (שם). [מלמד שכשם שהם שמחים לקלל, כך הוא שמח.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid., cont.:) SO BALAAM WENT WITH THE PRINCES OF BALAK. [These words teach that just as they were happy to curse Israel, so was he happy.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:11
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:11)

וישמע בלק כי בא בלעם (שם שם לו)], מלמד ששלח שלוחים אל בלק לבשרו.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:36:) WHEN BALAK HEARD THAT BALAAM HAD COME.] These words teach that he sent messengers unto Balak to tell him the good news.⁴²

footnotes:
⁴² Numb. R. 22:16.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:12
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:12)

ויצא לקראתו אל עיר מואב (שם). אל מטרפולין שלהן, מה ראה לקדמו לגבולין, א"ל הגבולין הללו שנקבעו מימי נח שלא תיכנס אומה בגבול חבירתה, אלו באין לקלקל, והיה מראה לו היאך פרצו ועברו גבול סיחון, כאילו קובל עליהן.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid., cont.:) HE WENT OUT TO MEET HIM UNTO THE CITY OF MOAB, i.e., unto their metropolis.⁴³ What was Balak's reason for preceding him to the borders? He said to him: These are borders which have been fixed from the days of Noah, so that a nation would not enter the territory of its neighbor. These people are coming to despoil. Then he showed him how they had broken through and crossed the border of Sihon,⁴⁴., Numb. 7:10, and Numb. R. 20:16 read “Sihon and Og” here instead of “Sihon” alone. as though lodging a complaint against them.

footnotes:
⁴³ Gk. and Lat.: metropolis.
⁴⁴ The parallel texts in Tanh


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:13
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 14:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/14:13)

ויאמר בלק אל בלעם הלא שלח שלחתי אליך וגו' (שם שם לז). נתנבא שסופו לילך בקלון, ואף בלעם השיבו בענינו, ויאמר בלעם אלבלק הנה באתי אליך עתה היכול אוכל דבר מאומה (שם שם לח). שאין בידי רשות לומר מה שאני רוצה.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:37:) THEN BALAK SAID UNTO BALAAM: DID I NOT TRULY SEND UNTO YOU TO SUMMON YOU? WHY DID YOU NOT COME UNTO ME? AM I REALLY UNABLE TO HONOR YOU? He prophesied that his end would be to go in disgrace. Then did Balaam also answer him concerning the matter (in Numb. 22:38:) SO BALAAM SAID UNTO BALAK: SEE, I HAVE COME UNTO YOU NOW, BUT AM I REALLY ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL? for I do not have authority to say what I want.