כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים הַלָּלוּ, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. וּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע. עַיִן טוֹבָה, וְרוּחַ נְמוּכָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ שְׁפָלָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ. עַיִן רָעָה, וְרוּחַ גְּבוֹהָה, וְנֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה, מִתַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע. מַה בֵּין תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לְתַלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע. תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, אוֹכְלִין בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְנוֹחֲלִין בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ח) לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ, וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא. אֲבָל תַּלְמִידָיו שֶׁל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע יוֹרְשִׁין גֵּיהִנֹּם וְיוֹרְדִין לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים נה) וְאַתָּה אֱלֹהִים תּוֹרִידֵם לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת, אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה לֹא יֶחֱצוּ יְמֵיהֶם, וַאֲנִי אֶבְטַח בָּךְ:
All who possess these three attributes are of the disciples of our father Abraham; and (all who possess) three other attributes are of the disciples of the wicked Bilam: (If he possesses) a good eye and a humble spirit and a lowly soul, he is of the disciples of our father Abraham. [He learned from him and walked in his ways: "A good eye" — contenting himself with what he has and not desiring the wealth of others, as we find with Abraham, who said to the king of Sodom (Genesis 14:22): "Nothing — from a thread until a sandal latchet (shall I keep for myself, nor shall I take anything that is yours." "And a humble spirit" — exceeding humility, as we find with Abraham, viz. (Ibid. 18:27): "and I am dust and ashes"; "and a lowly soul" — watchfulness and separation from lust, as we find with Abraham, viz. (Ibid. 12:11: "Behold, I now know that you are a beautiful woman," not having been aware of her beauty because of his great modesty.] (If he possesses) an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a "broad" soul, he is of the disciples of the wicked Bilam. [Bilam had "an evil eye," knowing that it was evil in the eyes of the L rd for him to go to Balak, yet going anyway for the sake of reward, viz. (Numbers 22:18): "If Balak gives me his house full of silver and gold, etc."; "and a haughty spirit," (saying of himself) (Ibid. 24:16): "The speech of the hearer of the words of the Almighty and the knower of the knowledge of the Most High"; "and a 'broad' soul." For if he were not exceedingly lustful, he would not have counseled to abandon the daughters of Moav to harlotry. And our sages said (Sanhedrin 105a): "Bilam lived with his donkey."] What is the difference between the disciples of our father Abraham and the disciples of the wicked Bilam? The disciples of our father Abraham eat in this world and inherit the world to come, as it is written (Proverbs 8:21): "I have much to bequeath to My lovers [in the world to come], and their stores shall I fill [in this world.]" [Abraham is called a "lover" viz. (Isaiah 41:8): "the seed of Abraham, My lover."] But the disciples of the wicked Bilam inherit Gehinnom and descend to the pit of destruction, as it is written (Psalms 55:24): "And You, O G-d, shall lower them to the pit of destruction. Men of bloodshed [(e.g., Bilam, who by his counsel killed twenty-four thousand of Israel)] and deceit shall not halve their days, but I shall trust in You."
Rashi
Haamek Sheilah
Relevant to understanding this verse Tractate Avos, chapter 5,7Mishnah 22. explains the phrase “I will fill their storehouses” as referring to those who love God by serving Him out of love, as the Mishnah states: The disciples of our Patriarch Abraham enjoy the fruits of their good deeds in this world and inherit the World to Come, as Scripture states: “I will cause those who love Me to inherit an everlasting possession and I will fill their storehouses.”8I translated Prov. 8:21 slightly differently than before in order to facilitate the flow of the Mishnah. It is clear that the phrase “those who love Me” alludes to the disciples of Abraham, who are referred to as “the descendants of Abraham, who loved Me,”9Isa. 41:8. for Abraham served God out of love, as I wrote in my [commentary] Ha’amek She’elah] 145:24.10There the Netziv writes, based on the Bereshis Rabbah, parashah 44, and Tractate Hullin 89a, that when Abraham saved Lot by defeating the four kings and refused any share of the plunder (as described in Gen. chapter 14), he demonstrated that he served God totally out of love. Abraham is described in Isa. 41:7 as the following: “He who strikes with the anvil” (Abraham who struck the Four Kings); “[God] says of the soldering: ‘It is good.’” In other words, Abraham had unified heaven and earth by acting totally out of love for God and by enabling Divine providence to enter the world. [The Mishnah] explains “inherit an everlasting possession” in the World to Come, and “fill their storehouses” with reward in this world. However, R. Yehoshua ben Levi [unlike the Mishnah] explains that the entire verse is discussing this world, as we have explained above.[