## Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak

###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:1
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/21:1)

ויקחהו שדה צופים [אל ראש הפסגה] (שם שם יד). ראה שישראל נפרצין שם, ששם מת משה, שנאמר על ראש הפסגה (דברים ג כז), יש פירצה גדולה מזו, ראה בנחשים והיה סבור שבידו הם נופלין שם.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 23:14:) SO HE TOOK HIM TO THE FIELD OF ZOPHIM [AT THE TOP OF PISGAH]. He saw that Israel would be breached there, for it was there that Moses died, as stated (in Deut. 3:27): GO UP TO THE TOP OF PISGAH …, FOR YOU SHALL NOT CROSS OVER THIS JORDAN.⁷²., Numb. 7:13. Is there a breach greater than this? What he saw was through divinations, and he was of the opinion that because of him they would fall there.

footnotes:
⁷² Tanh


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:2
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/21:2)

ויבן שבעה מזבחות [וגו'] ויאמר אל בלק התיצב כה וגו', (וישב) [ויבא] אליו והנו נצב על עולתו ושרי מואב אתו (במדבר כג יד טו יז). בראשונה כתיב הוא וכל שרי מואב (שם שם ו), כשראו שלע הועילו כלום, הניחוהו ונשתיירו עמו מקצת שרי מואב.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 23:14, cont., 16, 17:) AND HE BUILT SEVEN ALTARS AND OFFERED A RAM AND A BULL ON EACH ALTAR. THEN HE SAID UNTO BALAK: STAND HERE BESIDE YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS AND LET ME MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE TO THE LORD OVER THERE…. SO HE {RETURNED} [CAME] UNTO HIM, AND THERE HE WAS STANDING BESIDE HIS BURNT OFFERINGS TOGETHER WITH THE PRINCES OF MOAB. Concerning the first occasion, it is written (in Numb. 23:6): WITH ALL THE PRINCES OF MOAB.⁷³ When they saw that they had derived no benefit at all, they left him; and only a small portion of the princes of Moab were left with him.

footnotes:
⁷³ Numb. R. 20:20.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:3
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/21:3)

ויאמר לו בלק מה דבר ה' (שם שם יז). שראה שאינו ברשות עצמו לומר מה הוא רוצה ישב לו והיה משחק בו, כיון שראה שהיה משחק אמר לו בלעם עמוד משם, אין אתה רשאי לישב, ודברי המקום נאמרים, קול בלק ושמע האזינה עדי בנו צפור (שם שם יח), שניהם היו מנה בן פרס, שהיו עושין עצמן גדולים מאבותיהם, נאם בלעם בנו בעור (שם כד ג).

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 23:17:) BALAK SAID TO HIM: WHAT DID THE LORD SAY? When he saw that Balaam was not in control of himself to say what he wanted, Balak sat down himself and mocked him. As soon as he saw that he was mocking him, Balaam said to him: Get up from there. It is not fitting to sit while the words of the Omnipresent are being spoken. (Numb. 23:18:) RISE UP BALAK AND LISTEN; GIVE EAR TO ME, YOU SON OF ZIPPOR (literally: HIS SON IS ZIPPOR)! Both of them were distinguished sons of undistinguished fathers, for they had made themselves greater than their fathers.⁷⁴ 21b. (Numb. 24:3:) AN ORACLE OF BALAAM SON OF BEOR (literally: HIS SON IS BEOR).⁷⁵

footnotes:
⁷⁴ On the importance of having a distinguished lineage, see, e.g., Ta‘an
⁷⁵ The unusual wording of Numb. 23:18 and 24:3 suggests that Balak and Balaam both had fathers undistinguished enough to be called their sons.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:4
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/21:4)

לא איש אל ויכזב (שם כג יט). אינו כבשר ודם, [בשר ודם] קונה אוהבים, מצא אחרים יפים מהם, כופר בראשונים, והוא אינו כן, אי אפשר לו לכזב בשבועת אבות הראשונים

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 23:19:) GOD IS NOT A HUMAN, THAT HE SHOULD SPEAK FALSEHOOD. He is not like flesh and blood. When a person of [flesh and blood] acquires friends and finds others nicer than they, he forsakes the former ones. But the Holy One is not like that. It is not possible for him to be false to the oath of the early ancestors.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:5
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 21:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/21:5)

ההוא אמר ולא יעשה (שם). כשהוא אומר להביא עליהם רעות, שאם עשו תשובה מבטלן, אתה מוצא כתיב זובח לאלהים יחרם (שמות כב יט), ועשו את העגל, לא היו ראויין כליה, והייתי סבור לקללן ולהכחידן, ומעט עשו תשובה וביטל וינחם ה' על הרעה (שם לב יד).

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Ibid., cont.:) HAS HE PROMISED AND NOT FULFILLED? When he promises to bring evils upon them, he will cancel them, if they have repented. You find it written (in Exod. 22:19 [20]): WHOEVER SACRIFICES TO A GOD OTHER THAN GOD ALONE SHALL BE DEVOTED TO DESTRUCTION. When they made the calf, did they not merit destruction? So I was of the opinion that he would curse and destroy them; but when they repented a little, he suspended any punishment AND (according to Exod. 32:14) THE LORD REPENTED OF THE EVIL WHICH HE HAD PLANNED TO DO TO HIS PEOPLE.