Pisqa’ 250243H:253-254;JN2:176. 1. “By reason of their failure to extend hospitality to you, with bread and water” (Dt.23:5)— when He uses the term, by reason of244Heb: `al davar; literally, “by the word of.” it can also be rendered as: “in reliance upon the counsel of.”245Heb: `eitzah; root: y-`-tz. Cf. Dt. 22:24 at Pisqa’ 242.1 And, in this sense, He states: “Remember, if you will, Balak’s counsel,246Heb: ya`atz establishes assonance with `eitzah, formed of the same root. . . .” (Mic.6:5).
2
בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בִּשְׁעַת טֵרוּפְכֶם.
2. “On the road” (Dt.23:5)— in your hour of utter confusion.
“But HASHEM your God did not consent to listen to Bilaam” (Dt.23:6)— this teaches that the one uttering a curse [upon Israel] is himself the accursed! “And HASHEM your God up-ended the curse, transforming it into a blessing” (Dt.23:6)— this teaches that the one uttering a curse winds up bringing a curse upon himself.248The same root, q-l-l (“to curse”) structures each verb in this series of assonantal exegeses: meqalel (“utter a curse”), mequlal (“accursed”), mitqalel (“to curse oneself”). And why is this so? “Because HASHEM your God loves you!” (Dt.23:6)
(דברים כג ה) עַל דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר עַל דְּבַר אַף עַל הָעֵצָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (מיכה ו ה): ״עַמִּי זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב״.
Pisqa’ 250243H:253-254;JN2:176.
1. “By reason of their failure to extend hospitality to you, with bread and water” (Dt.23:5)—
when He uses the term, by reason of 244Heb: `al davar; literally, “by the word of.”
it can also be rendered as:
“in reliance upon the counsel of.”245Heb: `eitzah; root: y-`-tz. Cf. Dt. 22:24 at Pisqa’ 242.1
And, in this sense, He states:
“Remember, if you will, Balak’s counsel,246Heb: ya`atz establishes assonance with `eitzah, formed of the same root. . . .” (Mic.6:5).
בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בִּשְׁעַת טֵרוּפְכֶם.
2. “On the road” (Dt.23:5)—
in your hour of utter confusion.
בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם, בִּשְׁעַת גְּאֻלַּתְכֶם.
“As you were leaving Egypt” (Dt.23:5)—
in your hour of liberation.247Cf. Pisqa’ot 275.1
וַאֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר, הֲרֵי דְבַר נוֹי לְבִלְעָם.
“How he hired Bilaam b. Be`or against you . . . to curse you” (Dt.23:5)—
which Bilaam considered a compliment!
(דברים כג ו) וְלֹא אָבָה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַמְּקַלֵּל הוּא הַמְּקֻלָּל. וַיַּהֲפֹךְ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְּךָ אֶת הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַף הַמְּקַלֵּל מִתְקַלֵּל. מִפְּנֵי מָה? כִּי אֲהֵבְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
“But HASHEM your God did not consent to listen to Bilaam” (Dt.23:6)—
this teaches that
the one uttering a curse [upon Israel]
is himself the accursed!
“And HASHEM your God up-ended the curse, transforming it into a blessing” (Dt.23:6)—
this teaches that
the one uttering a curse winds up bringing a curse upon himself.248The same root, q-l-l (“to curse”) structures each verb in this series of assonantal exegeses: meqalel (“utter a curse”), mequlal (“accursed”), mitqalel (“to curse oneself”).
And why is this so?
“Because HASHEM your God loves you!” (Dt.23:6)