Pirkei Avoth 5:19 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Bamidbar Rabbah

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:

Tutti coloro che possiedono questi tre attributi sono dei discepoli di nostro padre Abramo; e (tutti quelli che possiedono) altri tre attributi sono dei discepoli del malvagio Bilam: (Se possiede) un buon occhio, uno spirito umile e un'anima umile, è dei discepoli di nostro padre Abramo. [Ha imparato da lui e ha camminato a modo suo: "Un buon occhio"— accontentandosi di ciò che ha e non desiderando la ricchezza degli altri, come troviamo con Abramo, che disse al re di Sodoma (Genesi 14:22): "Niente — da un filo fino a un fermo di sandalo (devo tenere per me stesso, né prenderò tutto ciò che è tuo. "" E uno spirito umile " —superando l'umiltà, come troviamo con Abraham, vale a dire. (Ibid. 18:27): "e io sono polvere e cenere"; "e un'anima umile"—vigilanza e separazione dalla lussuria, come troviamo con Abraham, vale a dire. (Ibid. 12:11: "Ecco, ora so che sei una bella donna", non essendo stata consapevole della sua bellezza a causa della sua grande modestia.] (Se possiede) un occhio cattivo, uno spirito altero e un anima "ampia", è dei discepoli del malvagio Bilam. [Bilam aveva "un occhio malvagio", sapendo che agli occhi di Dio era male per lui andare a Balak, eppure andare comunque per amore di ricompensa, vale a dire (Numeri 22:18): "Se Balak mi dà la sua casa piena di argento e oro, ecc."; "e uno spirito altero", (dicendo di se stesso) (Ibid. 24:16): "Il il discorso dell'ascoltatore delle parole dell'Onnipotente e il conoscitore della conoscenza dell'Altissimo ";" e un'anima "vasta". "Se non fosse stato estremamente lussurioso, non avrebbe consigliato di abbandonare le figlie di Moav alla prostituzione. E i nostri saggi dissero (Sinedrio 105a): "Bilam viveva con il suo asino".] Qual è la differenza tra i discepoli di nostro padre Abramo e i discepoli del malvagio Bilam? I discepoli di nostro padre Abramo mangiano in questo mondo ed erediterò il mondo a venire, come è scritto (Proverbi 8:21): "Ho molto da lasciare in eredità ai miei amanti [nel mondo a venire], e i loro negozi dovrò riempire [in questo mondo.]" "[Abraham si chiama "amante" vale a dire. (Isaia 41: 8): "il seme di Abramo, mio ​​amante".] Ma i discepoli del malvagio Bilam ereditano Gehinnom e scendono nella fossa della distruzione, come è scritto (Salmi 55:24): "E tu, O Do, li calerà nella fossa della distruzione. Uomini di spargimento di sangue [(es. Bilam, che con il suo consiglio uccisero ventiquattromila di Israele)] e l'inganno non dimezzerà i loro giorni, ma mi fiderò di Te. "

Midrash Tanchuma

(Numb. 22:12:) “Then God said unto Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them.’” He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them from where I am.”22Numb. R. 20:10. He said to him, (ibid., cont.) “You shall not curse the people.” He said to Him, “Let me bless them.” He said to him, “They do not need your blessing, (ibid., cont.) ‘for they are blessed.’” Similarly one says to a hornet, “None of your honey and none of your sting.” (Numb. 22:13:) “So Balaam arose in the morning and said to the ministers of Balak, ‘Go unto your own land….’” Balaam did not tell them, “The Holy One, blessed be He, did not give me permission either to go or to curse.” [He] simply [said] (ibid., cont.:), “’The Lord refused to let me go with you.’ He said to me, ‘It is not in accord with your honor to go with these people. Rather [you must go] with people greater then they,’ since He takes pleasure in my being honored.” (Numb. 22:14:) “So the ministers of Moab arose [and came unto Balak and said, ‘Balaam has refused to go with us.’]” Therefore (in vs. 15), “Once again Balak sent ministers, [more numerous and more honorable than the first ones].” (Numb. 22:16-17:) “Then they came unto Balaam and said to him, ‘Thus has Balak ben Zippor said, “[Please do not refrain from coming unto me.] For I will surely honor you greatly.”’” [Even] more than what you [wanted] formerly I will give you. Moreover, everything that you desire and whatever you ordain I will do. (Numb. 22:18:) “But Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, ‘[Even] if Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, [I could not transgress the command of the Lord my God to do less or more].’” From here you learn that he had three things. And they are an evil eye, a haughty spirit and a greedy soul:23See Avot 5:19. An evil eye, as it is written (in Numb. 24:2), “Then Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel.” A haughty spirit, as it is written (according to Numb. 22:13), “for the Lord refused to let me go with you.” A greedy soul, as it is written (according to Numb. 22:18), “[Even] if Balak should give me [his house full of silver and gold].” [He said to Balak,] “If you sought to hire soldiers to fight against them, it is a question whether they would vanquish them or fail, [yet you would pay it]; is it not [then proper] that you would give it to vanquish [them with certainty]?” See you have learned that he sought this. (Ibid., cont.:) “I could not transgress [the command of the Lord my God].” [He was] prophesying that he could not annul the blessings with which the ancestors had been blessed by the mouth of the Divine Presence. (Numb. 22:19:) “Now you also please stay here tonight.” What is the meaning of “you also.” That in the end you will go in disappointment like the former [messengers]. (Ibid., cont.:) “So that I may know what else (rt.: ysp) the Lord may say to me.” Thus he prophesied that the Holy One, blessed be He, was going to multiply (rt.: ysp) blessings for them through him.
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Midrash Tanchuma Buber

(Numb. 22:18:) BUT BALAAM ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO THE {PRINCES} [SERVANTS] OF BALAK: <EVEN> IF BALAK SHOULD GIVE ME <A HOUSE FULL OF SILVER AND GOLD, I COULD NOT TRANSGRESS THE COMMAND OF THE LORD MY GOD TO DO LESS OR MORE>. From here you learn that he had {a haughty spirit, an evil eye} [an evil eye, a haughty spirit], a greedy soul:26See Avot 5:19. An evil eye, since it is stated (in Numb. 24:2): THEN BALAAM RAISED HIS EYES AND SAW ISRAEL DWELLING TRIBE BY TRIBE. A haughty spirit, <since> (according to Numb. 22:13): <SO BALAAM AROSE IN THE MORNING AND SAID TO THE PRINCES OF BALAK: GO UNTO YOUR OWN LAND, FOR> THE LORD REFUSED TO LET ME GO WITH YOU. A greedy soul, <since> (according to Numb. 22:18): <EVEN> IF BALAK SHOULD GIVE ME [A HOUSE FULL OF SILVER AND GOLD].
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Bamidbar Rabbah

“For I will honor you greatly, and anything that you say to me I will do, only please go curse this people for me” (Numbers 22:17).
“For I will honor you greatly” – I will give you more than what you have been accustomed to take in the past.
“Bilam answered and said to the servants of Balak: If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I would be unable to violate the directive of the Lord my God, to perform a small or a great matter” (Numbers 22:18).
“Bilam answered and said…If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold” – from here you learn that there were three characteristics in him: An evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a greedy soul. An evil eye, as it is written: “Bilam lifted his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes” (Numbers 24:2).25It would have been sufficient to write that he saw. The fact that it is prefaced by the lifting of his eyes indicates that in his jealousy, he sought to harm them with his evil eye. A haughty spirit, as it is written: “As the Lord refused to allow me to go with you.”26As explained above, Bilam claimed that God sought to honor him. A greedy soul, as it is stated: “Were Balak to give me his house full of silver and gold.” Had he sought to hire armies to wage war against them, it is uncertain whether they would have prevailed or fallen. Is it not worth his while to give that and ensure victory?27The midrash is explaining Bilam's line of reasoning. You learn that this is what he requested.
“I would be unable to violate” – he prophesies that he is unable to nullify the blessings that they were given by the Divine Presence.
“Now, please, you, too, remain here this night, and I will know what more the Lord will speak to me” (Numbers 22:19).
“Now, please, you, too, remain here” – what is “you, too”? Ultimately, you will go frustrated, like the first ones.
“I will know what more the Lord” – he prophesies that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to add blessings for them [Israel] through him.
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