## Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak

###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:1
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/5:1)

וישלח מלאכים אל בלעם בן בעור פתורה (שם שם ה). שם עירו, ויש אומרים שולחני היה שהיו מלכי אומות העולם נמלכים בו, כשולחני שהכל מריצים לו, ויש אומרים בתחלה פותר חלומות היה, חזר להיות קוסם, וחזר לרוח הקודש.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:5:) AND HE SENT MESSENGERS TO BALAAM BEN BEOR AT PETHOR. Pethor (*petor*) was the name of his city.¹²., Numb. 7:4, cont.; Numb. R. 20:7; *Sanh.* 105ab. But others say that the name implies he was a money-changer,¹³ in Aramaic denotes a table, these interpreters would read the clause: AND HE SENT MESSENGERS TO BALAAM BEN BEOR AT A MONEY-CHANGER’S TABLE. Cf. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Gen. 23:16. since the kings of the nations of the world took counsel with him, as the money-changer to whom they all would rush. Still others say that in the beginning he was an interpreter (*poter*) of dreams. He turned to being a diviner. Then he turned to the Holy Spirit.¹⁴

footnotes:
¹² Tanh
¹³ Since pator
¹⁴ See Numb. 24:2.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:2
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/5:2)

ארץ בני עמו (שם). שמשם היה בלק, והוא אמר לו סופך למלוך.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:5, cont.:) TO THE LAND OF HIS KINSFOLK, for Balak came from there; and Balaam had told him: Your destiny is to become king.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:3
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/5:3)

לקרוא לו (שם). שכתב לו לא תהא סבור שלעצמי בלבד אתה עשה, ואני לבדי מכבדך, אם תעקרם מכל האומות אתה מתכבד, וכנענים ומצרים הכל משתחוים לך.

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:5, cont.:) TO SUMMON HIM. Thus he wrote him: Do not suppose that it is for myself alone that you are doing this and that I alone am honoring you. If you uproot them, you shall receive honor from all the nations, so that the Canaanites and the Egyptians shall all bow down to you.


###### Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:4
[Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Balak 5:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma%20Buber/s/Balak/r/5:4)

הנה עם יצא ממצרים (שם) א"ל אתה מה איכפת לך, א"ל הנה כסה את עין הארץ (שם), שתי עינים שהארץ תלויה בהן, סיחון ועוג, החרימום וכיסו עיניהם

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:5, cont.:) HERE IS A PEOPLE THAT HAS COME OUT OF EGYPT. He said to him: As for you, how does it concern you? He said to him (in Numb. 22:5, cont.): LOOK, THEY HAVE COVERED THE FACE (literally: EYE) OF THE EARTH. There are two eyes upon which the earth depends, Sihon and Og. They have destroyed them and covered their eyes.


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

והוא יושב ממולי (שם). ממלי כתיב, כד"א בשם ה' כי אמילם (תהלים קיח יא).

**Midrash Tanhuma, S. Buber Recension; trans. by John T. Townsend, 1989.:**
(Numb. 22:5, cont.:) NOW THEY ARE DWELLING OPPOSITE ME (*MMWLY*). What is actually written in the biblical text is *MMLY* (from the root, *MWL,* which means, "cut off"), just as it says (in Ps. 118:11): IN THE NAME OF THE LORD I CUT THEM OFF (rt.: *MWL*).¹⁵

footnotes:
¹⁵ With the word rewritten in this sense, the end of Numb. 22:5 reads: NOW THEY ARE DWELLING THERE CUTTING ME OFF. This interpretation of Numb. 22:5 is also given by Rashi, ad loc.