What are the connotations of "Viyisa Meshalo".
Rashi (in Mishlei, 27:14): It means that he raised his voice.
Targum Yonasan: It means that he declared the parable of his prophecy. 1
See Oznayim la'Torah who connects explains that Bil'am prophecy also implies a deeper meaning and proceeds to elaborate.
Which country is "Aram"?
"Aram" in the current context refers to Aram Naharayim (on the River P'ras [the Euphrates] - Targum Yonasan) which is synonymous with Bavel.
What are the connotations of ?Vayisa Meshalo Vayomar??
Seforno: It means tha this is how Bilam interpreted the Mashal he was told.
Ba?al ha?Turim (citing the Yalkut): It means tha Bil?am raised his voice so that all the nations hould hear and be jualous of Yisrael. 1
Ba?al ha?Turim: As the Pasuk writes in Mishlei 27:14 ?Mevaresh Re?ehu be?Kol Gadol ? Kelalah Techashev lo?.
?min Aram Yancheni Balak?. Which country is "Aram"?
"Aram" in the current context refers to Aram Naharayim (on the River P'ras [the Euphrates] - Targum Yonasan) which is synonymous with Bavel.
Why did he need to mention that Balak brought him from Aram ... ?
R. Bachye (citing Rashi): 1 ?What a fool Balak is for ?shlepping? me all the way from his (Bil?am?) home-town to curse a nation who is called ?the portion of Hashem?! 2 Moreover, 3 were it not for Avraham (their ancestor) we would not be alive, 4 and were it not for Ya?akov (their ancestor), I (Bil?am) would not be alive! 5 - we are both Kefuyei Tovah - ungrateful. 6
Rashbam: Balak troubled him to come all the way from Aram (Naharayim) and from the mountains of the east, 7 but that this was in vain, as the Pasuk goes to explain.
Ba?al ha?Turim #1: ?Balak led me from Aram to curse Yisrael - But their great-grandfather Avraham let Aram laden with B?rachos, and their grandfather Ya?akov arrived in Aram laden with those same B?rachos!? 8
Ba?al ha?Turim #2: ?min Aram? has the same Gematriya as ?Eishel? - They come with the merit of Avraham, who planted an Eishel in Be?er -Sheva. 9
Though this does not appear in our version of Rashi.
R. Chavel?s footnotes: From here, it is the Lashon of the Tanchuma.
As the Torah writes in Bereishis 19:29 ?Vay?hi beShacheis Elokim es es Arei ha?Kikar Vayizkor Elokim es Avraham Vayeshalach es Lot (Balak?s great-grandfather).
R. Bachye When Ya?akov arrived in Charan, Lavan - Bil?am?s great-grandfather - had no sons, and later, after Ya?akov arrived in Charan, Lavan declared ?Nichashti, Vayevarcheni Hashem bi?Gelalecha!? (Bereishis 30:27).
See also Ba?al ha?Turim DH ?min Aram?.
Rashbam: Which is synonymous with ?Aram? - See Yeshayah, 9:11.
See Ba?al ha?Turim.
Why did Bil'am refer to Aram as "Harerei Kedem"?
Rashi (on Iyov, 1:1): Because it is in the east of the world (east of Eretz Yisrael).
Ba?al ha?Turim: Because it refers to the mountain on which men of earlier generations (Ya?akov and Lavan formed a pile of stones and made a covenant never to pass it to harm one another 1 - Yet Balak sent for him (Lavan?s descendant) to come and curse Yisrael (Ya?akov?s descendants)!
Why did Bil'am use the dual request, one by the name Ya'akov, the other, by the name Yisrael?
Rashi: Because Balak asked Bil'am to curse Yisrael by both names, in case one of them was only secondary. 1
Ramban (on Pasuk 9): He mentioned their honored name (Yisrael) and the name of their fathers (Ya?akov 2 ). 3
R. Bachye: This teaches us that, in order to curse someone, one needs to curse him by all his names - and the same applies to blessing, as Bil?am will say later - in 24:5 ?Mah Tovu Ohalecha Ya?akov Mishk?nosecha Yisrael?.
And cursing by it would not take effect. Refer to 23:23:151:1. See also Ba'al ha'Turim.
The ?B?chir she?be?Avos?.
