Talmud - Mas. Sanhedrin 106a
is renewed1 and its roots are numerous, and even if all the winds of the world come and blow upon it they cannot dislodge it from its place, but it sways in unison with them, and as soon as the winds subside, the reed still stands in its place, [so may Israel be]. But the wicked Balaam blessed them by the cedar:2 just as the cedar does not stand in a watery place, and its roots are few and its stock is not renewed, and even if all the winds of the world come and blow upon it they cannot stir it from its place, but immediately the South wind blows upon it it uproots and overturns it on its face, [so may Israel be]. Nay, more, it was the reed's privilege that a quill thereof should be taken for the writing of the Scroll of the Torah, Prophets and Hagiographa. And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable.3 Balaam said to Jethro, 'Thou Kenite, wast thou not with us in that scheme?4 Who then placed thee among the strong ones of the world!'5 And that is what R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Simai's name: Three were involved in that scheme,6 viz., Balaam, Job, and Jethro. Balaam, who advised it, was slain; Job, who was silent,7 was punished through suffering; and Jethro, who fled - his descendants were privileged to sit in the Hall of Hewn Stones, as it is written, And the families of the scribes which dwell at Jabez, the Tirathites, the Shemeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab;8 whilst elsewhere it is written, And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees.9
And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!10 R. Simeon b. Lakish said: Woe unto him who maketh himself alive by the name of God,11 R. Johanan said: Woe to the nation that may be found [attempting to hinder], when the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes the redemption of his children: who would throw his garment between a lion and a lioness when these are copulating!12
And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim.13 Rab said: This refers to the White Legion.14 And shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber:15 Until Asshur, they shall slay; after that, they shall throw into subjection.16
And now, behold I go unto my people; come, therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.17 But he should have said, What thy people shall do to this people?18 - R. Abba b. Kahana said: It is as one who, cursing himself, refers his malediction to others.19 He [Balaam] said thus to him [Balak]. 'The God of these hates lewdness, and they are very partial to linen.20 Come, and I will advise thee. Erect for them tents enclosed by hangings, in which place harlots, old women without, young women within, to sell them linen garments.' So he erected curtained tents from the snowy mountain [Hermon] as far as Beth ha-Yeshimoth [i.e., right from north to south], and placed harlots in them - old women without, young women within. And when an Israelite ate, drank, and was merry, and issued forth for a stroll in the market place, the old woman would say to him, 'Dost thou not desire linen garments?' The old woman offered it at its current value, but the young one for less. This happened two or three times. After that she would say to him, 'Thou art now like one of the family; sit down and choose for thyself.' Gourds of Ammonite wine lay near her, and at that time Ammonite21 and heathen wine had not yet been forbidden. Said she to him, 'Wouldst thou like to drink a glass of wine?' Having drunk, [his passion] was inflamed, and he exclaimed to her, 'Yield to me!' Thereupon she brought forth an idol from her bosom and said to him, 'Worship this'! 'But I am a Jew', he protested. 'What does that concern thee?' she rejoined, 'nothing is required but that thou should uncover thyself' - whilst he did not know that such was its worship. 'Nay', [said she,] 'I will not leave thee ere thou hast denied the Torah of Moses thy teacher,' as it is written, They went into Baal-peor, and separated themselves unto that shame, and their abominations were according as they loved.22
And Israel abode in Shittim.23 R. Eliezer said: Its name was Shittim. R. Joshua said: They engaged in ways of folly [shetuth],24 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods:25 R. Eliezer said: They met them naked;26 R. Joshua said: They were all excited to pollution.27
What is the meaning of Rephidim?28 - R. Eliezer said: Rephidim was its name. R. Joshua said: [It was so called] because there they slackened in [their loyalty to] the Torah, as it is written, The fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands.29
R. Johanan said: Wherever [Scripture] writes 'And he abode [or dwelt]', it denotes trouble, Thus: And Israel abode in Shittim - and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab;30 And Jacob dwelt in the laid where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan -31 and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report;32 And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen -33 And the time drew near that Israel must die;34 And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree -35 And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was the king's seed in Edom.36
And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain . . . Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.37 What business had Balaam there? - R. Jonathan said: He went to receive his reward for the twenty-four thousand Israelites whose destruction he had encompassed.38 Mar Zutra b. Tobiah remarked in Rab's name: This is what men say, 'When the camel went to demand horns, they cut off the ears he had.'39
Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, [did the children of Israel slay with the sword].40 A soothsayer? But he was a prophet! - R. Johanan said: At first he was a prophet, but subsequently a soothsayer.41 R. Papa observed: This is what men say, 'She who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters.'42
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(1) It grows again after it is cut down,
(2) Deut. XXIV, 6, quoted above.
(3) Num. XXIV, 21.
(4) To destroy Israel through Pharoah's decree: Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river - Ex. I, 22 - Of course thou wast!
(5) A metaphor for the Sanhedrin situated in the Hall of Hewn Stones, which counted amongst its members Jethro's descendants. That is the meaning of Strong is thy dwelling place.
(6) V. n. 2.
(7) Not voicing his disapproval.
(8) I Chron. II, 55.
(9) Judges I, 16.
(10) Num, XXIV, 23.
(11) משמו אל is read משמו אל [Herford, op. cit. 74ff. sees in this a covert allusion to Jesus.]
(12) So also, woe to the nation that would come between God and Israel when He is redeeming them to bring them to Himself
(13) Ibid. 24.
(14) [ליכון אספיר. So Levy, adopting the reading ליכון (**) אספר (**). Funk, Schwarz Festschrift, p. 248, takes אספר as the Persian aswar, 'knight', and renders 'a legion of knights', (cf. Lat. ferreus equitatus). The verse is accordingly interpreted: 'Legions will come from the Coast of Chittim, etc.' the Chittim being taken to denote Rome, (cf. Targ. Yerushalmi a.l.]. Jastrow regards the whole passage as an interpolation of the eighth or ninth century, and as referring to Leo the Isaurian, the Byzantine Emperor, leader of the iconoclastic movement which caused a long war between the East and the West of the Empire.
(15) Ibid.
(16) The nations which shall conquer each other - referred to in the words 'and ships' shall, up to Asshur, completely destroy the defeated. But after that a victorious nation shall merely enthral its victim, but not destroy it.
(17) Ibid. 14.
(18) According to Rabbinic tradition, he advised the Moabites to ensnare Israel through unchastity. Thus, he was referring to an action by the former to the latter, whilst Scripture suggests the reverse.
(19) I.e., makes others the object thereof, though meaning himself, so Scripture, alluding to Israel's disgrace, makes it appear that the allusion is really to Moab.
(20) Linen garments were worn by the wealthy and noble; cf. Gen. XLI, 42; Ex. XXVIII, 39.
(21) This is omitted in the Yalkut and Tanhuma.
(22) Hosea IX, 10; i.e., they separated themselves from Moses' teaching.
(23) Num. XXV, 1.
(24) שטות.
(25) Ibid. 2.
(26) They called - i.e., they attracted them by their naked bodies.
(27) Deriving ותקראן from קרי the usual euphemism for semen.
(28) Having discussed the meaning of one place name, the Talmud proceeds to discuss another: Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim - Ex. XVII, 8.
(29) Jer. XLVII, 3. This is quoted to shew that רפה which he assumes to be the root of Rephidim, connotes weakness.
(30) Ibid.
(31) Gen. XXXVII, 1.
(32) Ibid. 3.
(33) Ibid. XLVII, 27.
(34) Ibid. 29.
(35) I Kings V, 5.
(36) Ibid. XI, 14.
(37) Num, XXXI, 8.
(38) V. ibid, XXV, 1-9: since Israel was thus seduced and punished through his advice, as stated above, he demanded payment.
(39) So Balaam, demanding a reward, lost his life.
(40) Joshua XIII, 22.
(41) As a punishment for wishing to curse Israel he was degraded from a prophet to a soothsayer.
(42) 'Shipdraggers,' (v. Rashi). Herford, Christianity in the Talmud, p. 48, suggests that Balaam is frequently used in the Talmud as a type for Jesus (v. also pp. 64-70). Though no name is mentioned to shew which woman is meant, the mother of Jesus may be alluded to, which theory is strengthened by the statement that she mated with a carpenter. (The Munich MS. has גבר in the margin instead of גברי, i.e., singular instead of plural.)
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