## Sforno on Numbers Chapter 23

###### Sforno on Numbers 23:1:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:1:1)

**בְּנֵה לִי בָזֶה.** שֶׁהוּא מָקוֹם שֶׁאֶרְאֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
בנה לי בזה, for this is a place from where I can view the Jewish people.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:3:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:3:1)

**הִתְיַצֵּב עַל עוֹלָתֶךָ.** לְכַוֵּן בְּהַעֲלָאַת כָּל חֵלֶק מִמֶּנָּה, כְּעִנְיָן ״כִּי הַדָּם הוּא בַּנֶּפֶשׁ יְכַפֵּר״ (ויקרא יז:יא).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
התיצב על עולותך, so that you can mentally concentrate on what you are doing during the offering of each single part of the animal, a reminder of the blood being the essence of the animal (Leviticus 17,11).


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:3:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:3:2)

**אוּלַי יִקָּרֵה ה׳ לִקְרָאתִי.** אוּלַי בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדִי, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא אַשִּׂיג לַעֲלוֹת לְאוֹר פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הָעִנְיָן בְּמֹשֶׁה כַּאֲמָרוֹ ״וּבְכָל בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא״ (במדבר יב:ז), יִקָּרֶה לִי שֶׁיָּבֹא ה׳ לִקְרָאתִי כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הָעִנְיָן בְּמֹשֶׁה בִּתְחִלַּת נְבוּאָתוֹ, קֹדֶם שֶׁעָלָה אֶל הַשְּׁלֵמוּת שֶׁהִשִּׂיג אַחַר כָּךְ, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וַיַּרְא ה׳ כִּי סָר לִרְאוֹת וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו אֱלֹהִים״ (שמות ג:ד).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'אולי יקרה ה, perhaps through my isolating myself I can achieve to see “the King’s face, have him relate to me with a benevolent mien.” Bileam hoped, (perhaps), to achieve the kind of familiarity with G’d which the Torah reports about Moses, whom G’d described as having unrestricted access to His entire “house.” (Numbers 12,7) יקרה לי, that G’d would come toward me, as had happened to Moses at the beginning of his career as a prophet at the burning bush. G’d had waited with addressing Moses until the latter had made up his mind not to ignore the bush that burned but would not become consumed by the flames (Exodus 3,4).


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:7:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:7:1)

**וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ.** אָמַר אוֹתוֹ הַמָּשָׁל שֶׁרָאָה בִּנְבוּאָתוֹ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וישא משלו, he explained in parable form what he had seen in a vision.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:7:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:7:2)

**וַיֹּאמַר מִן אֲרָם.** אַחַר שֶׁסִּפֵּר הַמָּשָׁל פָּתַר אֶת עִנְיָנוֹ, וְאָמַר כִּי הוֹרָאַת הַמָּשָׁל הָיְתָה אֵיךְ מִן אֲרָם נְחָהוּ בָּלָק וְכוּ׳.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ויאמר, after having related his vision (which has not been described in the Torah), he proceeded to interpret its meaning He described how Balak had brought him from a region far away.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:9:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:9:1)

**הֶן עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן.** הֵן לְבַדָּם יִשְׁכְּנוּ אָרֶץ בְּסוֹף הָעִנְיָן, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״ה׳ בָּדָד יַנְחֶנּוּ״ (דברים לב:יב), וְאֵיךְ אוּכַל לְהַכְרִיתָם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הן עם לבדד ישכון, in the final analysis, they are the only people who will eventually populate the earth. This concept is repeated by Moses in Deuteronomy 32,12 ה' בדד ינחנו, “the Lord will guide only them alone.” It will be impossible to destroy them.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:10:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:10:1)

**תָּמוֹת נַפְשִׁי מוֹת יְשָׁרִים.** לוּ תָמוֹת נַפְשִׁי עַתָּה, אַךְ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מִיתָתָהּ מִיתַת יְשָׁרִים שֶׁתִּזְכֶּה אַחֲרֶיהָ לְחַיֵּי עַד.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
תמות נפשי מות ישרים, if I were to die now I do not mind, provided that it would be the death of the righteous who will pass over into another life.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:10:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:10:2)

**וּתְהִי אַחֲרִיתִי כָּמֹהוּ.** וּבִלְבַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה אַחֲרִיתִי וְצֶאֱצָאֵי מֵעַי כְּמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי אָמְנָם בָּנָיו שֶׁל אָדָם וְיוֹצְאֵי חֲלָצָיו נִקְרָאִים אַחֲרִיתוֹ, כְּמוֹ ״תְּהִי אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית״ (תהלים קט:יג), וְכֵן ״וְלֹא לְאַחֲרִיתוֹ״ (דניאל יא:ד).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ותהי אחריתי כמוהו, so that my offspring be like that of the Israelites. The children of man and those who are the biological issue of him are known as אחריתו, [literally the ones who are following behind him. Ed.] We encounter the word אחרית in this sense in Psalms 109,13 תהי אחריתו להכרית, “may his posterity be cut off. We encounter it in this context also in Daniel 11,4 ולא לאחריתו, “but not for any of his posterity.”


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:12:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:12:1)

**הֲלֹא אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָשִׂים ה׳ בְּפִי.** וּכְבָר יָדַעְתָּ שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא יְדַבֵּר כִּי אִם טוֹב עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
הלא את אשר ישים ה' בפי, you already know that He is the G’d of Israel, and that therefore He will only speak well of the Israelites.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:13:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:13:1)

**אֲשֶׁר תִּרְאֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם.** וְתוּכַל לָתֵת עֵינֶיךָ בָּם לְרָע.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אשר תראנו משם, so that you can focus on them with your evil eye.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:13:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:13:2)

**אֶפֶס קָצֵהוּ תִרְאֶה וְכֻלּוֹ לֹא תִרְאֶה.** אַל תִּתֵּן אֶת עֵינֶיךָ בְּכוּלָּם, שֶׁלֹּא תַשִּׂיג הַמְּכֻוָּן כְּלָל, כְּאָמְרוֹ (ירמיהו מו:כח) ״כִּי אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם וְאוֹתְךָ לֹא אֶעֱשֶׂה כָלָה״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אפס קצהו תראה וכלו לא תראה, do not try and look at all of them simultaneously, because if you will do you will not even achieve part of your objective. Compare the meaning of the word כלו, כלה in Jeremiah 46,28 כי אעשה כלה בכל הגויים ..ואותך לא אעשה כלה, “whereas I will make an end to all the nations, I will not utterly destroy you.” [seeing that the Jewish people have been assured that they will never be totally annihilated, do not try and do what is an exercise in futility, but try and make your curse effective against part of them. Ed.]


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:20:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:20:1)

**וּבֵרַךְ.** וְהוּא כְּבָר בֵּרַךְ.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
וברך, Israel is blessed already.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:21:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:21:1)

**וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּוֹ.** בִּנְסוֹעַ הַמַּחֲנוֹת הֵם תּוֹקְעִים תְּרוּעָה בִּנְסוֹעַ הַמִּשְׁכָּן לְשִׂמְחָה, שֶׁיָּגִילוּ בְּמַלְכָּם.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
ותרועת מלך בו, whenever the whole camp begins to journey or to make camp they blow the trumpets to express the joy of having their King with them.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:22:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:22:1)

**כְּתוֹעֲפוֹת רְאֵם לוֹ.** לְעַם יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁאֵינוֹ טוֹרֵף וְאוֹכֵל כַּאֲרִי, אֲבָל דוֹחֶה בְּקַרְנָיו כְּמוֹ הָרְאֵם, כִּי הָיְתָה הַכַּוָּנָה לְגָרֵשׁ הָאֻמּוֹת וּלְהַכְנִיס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאָרֶץ בִּלְתִּי הֲרִיגַת הָאֻמּוֹת, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״תְּגָרֵשׁ גּוֹיִם וַתִּטָּעֶהָ״ (תהלים פ:ט), כִּי לֹא חָפֵץ בְּמוֹת הַמֵּת. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: ״שְׁלֹשָׁה אִגְּרוֹת שָׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, הָרוֹצֶה לִפְנוֹת יִפְנֶה, הָרוֹצֶה לְהַשְׁלִים יַשְׁלִים, הָרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת מִלְחָמָה יַעֲשֶׂה״. אֲבָל הֵם הִקְשׁוּ עָרְפָּם לְהִלָּחֵם, וְהֻצְרְכוּ לְהַחֲרִימָם. וּבְכֵן לֹא הִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בָּהֶם כְּלָל כְּמוֹ שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ הָאַרְיֵה בְּטַרְפּוֹ, אֲבָל עָשׂוּ בָּהֶם כְּמוֹ שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הָרְאֵם בְּמַה שֶּׁהוּא דוֹחֶה אוֹ כוֹבֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכְלֶנּוּ כְּלָל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כתועפות ראם לו like the horns of a wild ox for him, seeing that it does not act like a lion, a predator. It only pushes with its horns like a wild ox, i.e. while it wants to expel the nations living in the land of Canaan. It is not bent on killing the inhabitants unless they resist occupation. We find a matching verse in Psalms 80,9 תגרש גויים ותטעה, “You (G’d) expelled nations and planted it. (Israel in their place)” All of this because G’d is not interest in the death of people. This is also the meaning of what our sages said in the Jerusalem Talmud Sheviit 6,1 “Joshua sent three letters to each of the nations inhabiting the land of Canaan; offering them a number of choices: 1) anyone wishing to emigrate can do so and will not be molested. 2) anyone wishing to make peace with us, i.e. to surrender, is welcome to do so. 3) anyone wishing to resist us by fighting us is welcome to do so.” The people of Canaan were obstinate attacking the incoming Israelites so that the latter were forced to kill them. It is clear therefore that the Jewish nation did not behave at all in the manner a lion behaves when he looks for prey. Instead, they acted in the manner of a wild ox when it feels forced to resist opposition.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:23:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:23:1)

**כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב.** וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁהוֹצִיאָם מִמִּצְרַיִם וּמְגָרֵשׁ גּוֹיִם בִּשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנוֹתֵן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹעֲפוֹת רְאֵם, הוּא כִּי הֵם דּוֹר דּוֹרְשָׁיו וְלֹא יִדְרְשׁוּ הַנָּחָשׁ, כְּאָמְרוֹ (דברים יח:יד) ״כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֶל מְעוֹנְנִים וְאֶל קוֹסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ וְאַתָּה לֹא כֵן״.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כי לא נחש ביעקב, the reason why G’d took the Jewish people out of Egypt and expels other nations in their wake by providing them with the horns of a wild ox is that they are a generation of people looking for G’d and His proximity instead of relying on all kinds of demonically inspired methods of divining the future. Moses spelled out this stark contrast between the Jewish people and their gentile neighbours in Deuteronomy 18,14 when he said: “for these nations that you are about to dispossess do indeed resort to soothsayers and augurs; to you however, the Lord your G’d has not assigned the like.”


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:23:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:23:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:23:2)

**כָּעֵת.** שֶׁהֵם רוֹצִים לָדַעַת עֲתִידוֹת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כעת, at any time they wish to know what the future holds.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:23:3
[Sforno on Numbers 23:23:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:23:3)

**יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַה פָּעַל אֵל.** יֵאָמֵר לָהֶם בִּנְבוּאָה אוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֵיזֶה נָבִיא מַה גָּזַר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ, לֹא יֵאָמֵר לָהֶם מַה יוֹרוּ אוֹתוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּמַה יִפְעֲלוּ מַעֲרְכוֹתֵיהֶם, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינָם תַּחַת אוֹתָן הַמַּעֲרְכוֹת.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
'יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל ה, they will be told by means of a prophetic message or through some other divine revelation what G’d has decreed. They will not be told what the various constellations of the stars appear to portend. The reason is that their fates are subject to direct supervision by G’d, not to the intermediaries He has appointed for that purpose for the gentile nations.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:24:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:24:1)

**כְּלָבִיא יָקוּם.** לְהִלָּחֵם עִם מִי שֶׁלֹּא נִלְחַם בָּם כְּלָל.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
כלביא יקום, in order to go to battle against those who have not attacked them at all.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:24:2
[Sforno on Numbers 23:24:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:24:2)

**עַד יֹאכַל טֶרֶף.** יֹאכְלוּ וִיבַעֲרוּ אוֹתָם הָאֻמּוֹת שֶׁהֵם טֶרֶף מֵעַכְשָׁיו לְשִׁנֵּיהֶם, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״כִּי לַחְמֵנוּ הֵם״ (במדבר יד:ט).

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
עד יאכל טרף, they will consume and destroy those nations who from now on will be like prey in their teeth.


###### Sforno on Numbers 23:27:1
[Sforno on Numbers 23:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Numbers/r/23:27:1)

**אוּלַי יִישַׁר בְּעֵינֵי הָאֱלֹהִים וְקַבֹּתוֹ לִי מִשָּׁם.** כִּי אוּלַי יִהְיֶה אוֹתוֹ הַחֵלֶק מֵהֶם יוֹתֵר רָאוּי לִקְלָלָה.

**Eliyahu Munk, HaChut Hameshulash:**
אולי יישר בעיני האלוקים וקבותו לי משם, perhaps this section of the people will be more deserving of a curse.