And Balaam saw that it was good in the eyes of the Lord to bless Israel. Because they were good in the eyes of the Lord, and he did not go, as at other times, to seek divinations, that is, to search after their transgressions and all their sins which were done through the instigation of the primordial serpent. And he set his face toward the wilderness, as he concludes (in Shemot Rabbah 2:4), Who is this coming up from the wilderness? All the merits of Israel come from the wilderness, etc. The intent of the midrash is that in the merit of the humility found among Israel, who make themselves like this wilderness which all tread upon, Israel merited all the virtues, as our Sages interpreted (in Eruvin 54a) on the verse and from the wilderness, Matanah [which can also mean a gift] (Numbers 21:18). And immediately, when he set his eyes to recount all the virtues which they merited from the wilderness, in order to cast an evil eye upon them, his eye was immediately blinded. Therefore, he called himself whose eye is closed specifically on this occasion. But according to Rashi, who explained that he was blinded because he said and count the fourth part of Israel, it is difficult to understand why he did not call himself thus in the second prophecy.

The utterance of one who hears the words of God and beholds a vision of the Almighty. Since every blind person is called in the language of our Sages “sagi nahor” [full of light], because the vision of the heart and ordinary eyesight diminish each other, and when one strengthens, the other weakens. Therefore, inner intellectual vision is greater among the blind because they are not distracted by physical sight. Similarly, some have the custom to close their eyes while reciting “Hear O Israel,” etc., in order to strengthen their heartfelt intention, so that their eyes are on a lower level while their heart is elevated to a higher level. Therefore, after his eye was blinded, he called himself one who beholds a vision of the Almighty, and said falling down because he is blind — with his eyes uncovered — which causes him to fall, yet his intellectual eyes are uncovered. And he called himself one who hears the words of God because the sense of sight also diminishes the sense of hearing, as a person cannot use these two senses as one, as we explained on the verse Behold, I am coming to you in a thick cloud (Exodus 19:9), meaning that you will not be able to see the Divine Presence, and He gave the reason: so that the people may hear — because through this the sense of hearing is strengthened, as explained in my work Ollelot Ephraim, discourse 215, see there.

And he said “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob.” He saw that their openings were not aligned facing each other, so that no one would look into their fellow’s tent and they would not be harmed by the evil eye. He said, “How is it possible that they would be harmed by the evil eye, since it is something they themselves are careful about?” Rather, like streams stretched out — he is saying that the tents of Jacob and his dwellings are compared to streams that cover the fish so that the evil eye has no power over them. Similarly, the tents in which they sit and engage in Torah study protect from the [evil] eye, for the evil eye has no power over those who dwell in tents who are not seen at the head of all streets. Nevertheless, their Torah proclaims them in the streets, giving its voice, and their wellsprings spread outward in the streets [like] streams of water. Therefore it says, like streams stretched out, like gardens planted by the Lord, for the tents and the streams have the same property.

Like cedars beside the waters. In Sanhedrin (105b), they said that the curse of Ahijah the Shilonite was better than the blessings of Balaam. Ahijah cursed them with a reed, as it is said (1 Kings 14:15), The Lord will strike Israel as a reed is shaken in the water. Just as the reed only stands in a place of water, and its trunk renews and its roots are numerous, etc., but Balaam blessed them with a cedar which does not stand in a place of water, etc. Rashi explained that what is written here, like cedars beside the waters, was what the Divine Presence made him say, but this explanation is difficult. It seems that the correct interpretation is that from Balaam’s blessings we can learn what was in His heart to curse them. Certainly, he intended to compare them to an ordinary cedar that does not stand in water, in order to make them vulnerable to the evil eye, just as an ordinary cedar, because it is tall, everyone looks at it. Similarly, Israel, because they are raised and lifted up and very high (Isaiah 52:13), the nations would cast their eyes upon them. But God transformed the curse and put a hook in his mouth to say, “Say, like cedars beside the waters” — the remedy included with the affliction — because the waters protect it, as most of its lower part is covered by water and it doesn’t appear so tall, and the waters save it from the evil eye, like fish. Nevertheless, the metaphor of the reed is better than that of the cedar because it represents humility, as it bends before the wind, and this is its remedy. That is why our Sages said (Taanit 20a) that the reed merited to have a quill taken from it to write Torah scrolls, to teach that the Torah only endures in those who are humble in spirit like the reed, and not in one who is hard like a cedar. Still, a cedar that stands beside the waters somewhat resembles a reed in that it is partially covered, which also somewhat indicates humility. Therefore, he immediately says, Water shall flow from his branches, meaning that from the poor [dalim] who are naturally humble, the water of Torah will flow.

And when Balaam saw that he could not harm them in any way, he conceded and said that he could not do good or bad, etc. For the bad means to curse, and the good to bless them in a loud voice so that it would be considered a curse for them, and this good is worse than simple bad since his mouth and heart are not aligned. Therefore, he put the good before the bad in a manner of “not only this but also that.” And after all the prophecies, he said, Behold, I am going to my people. This does not mean that his prophecy was ceasing, for he was still prophesying as he went, but rather he said, Behold, I am going to prophesy what this people will do to my people. Therefore, come, I will advise you, etc., for this advice is how you will be saved from them.

And it is reasonable to interpret that he said to him “I will advise you” to be passive and not act, since there will be peace in your days, why worry about the future? For what this people will do to your people will be in the end of days, but peace will be in your days. Therefore, be careful and quiet. And the main advice is hinted in the word “lekha” [go], meaning now “lekha” — go away from this path. And what is hinted in “lekha” is “I will advise you” that for now you should go your way and set aside the matter, for the vision is yet for an appointed time.