Bearing in mind Chazal's tendency to Darshen names - as we find by the Meraglim - what are the implications of "Bil'am ben Be'or" and of "Balak ben Tzipor"?
Sanhedrin, 105a: "Bil'am" is the acronym of 'Bala Am' spelt either with an 'Ayin' 1 - he wanted to swallow the nation of Yisrael), or with a 'Hey' - he wanted to wear out the nation of Yisrael; "ben Be'or" - implies that he had relations with his mule. 2
Targum Yonasan: "Bil'am", 'Bala Amen Be'' - he wanted to swallow the nation of Yisrael; "ben Be'or" (without a 'Vav'- he was crazy because he had no pity on the descendents of his own daughters Rachel and Le'ah, Bilhah and Zilpah, whom he wanted to kill.
Ba'al ha'Turim (in Pasuk #2): "Balak" is the acronym of 'Ba Luk' - 'he came to lap-up (the blood of Yisrael); "ben Tzipor" - 'He hovered over them like a bird to curse them'. 3
Why here, does the Torah call Bil'am the son of Be'or, and in 24:3, Bil'am refers to Be'or as his son?
Sanhedrin,105a: In reality, he was the son of Be'or and the Pasuk later is hinting at the fact that Be'or was inferior to him in prophecy. 1
See Torah Temimah, note 2.
What is the meaning of "Pesorah"?
Rashi #1: It is comparing Bil'am to a moneychanger, 1 to whom everyone brought their coins (to check or to exchange), so too, did everyone bring Bil'am their letters (to decipher).
Rashi #2, R. Bachye #1 and Targum Onkelos: It is simply the name of the place where Bil'am lived. 2
R. Bachye #2 and Targum Yonasan: It is the name of the place where Bil'am, alias Lavan ha'Arami, 3 lived, 4 named after Bil'am who was a dream-interpreter. 5 6
A moneychanger used to sit behind a table ('Pesorah' is Arama'ic for 'a table'), on which all transactions were performed.
R. Bachye and Targum Onkelos: Aram (Naharayim) on the River P'ras.
Targum Yonasan: Who was so wicked that he actually went to curse the descendants of his own grandchildren!
"Pesorah" is from the Lashon 'Poser Chalomos'. See Ba'al ha'Turim.
R. Bachye: Before he became a sorcerer and ultimately, he had Ru?ach ha?Kodesh.
What are the connotations of "Eretz B'nei Amo"?
Rashi (citing the Midrash Rabah) and Rashbam: It means that Bil'am hailed from the same town as Balak. 1
Ramban: It means from the land where Bil'am was born and where his lineage lay. 2
Targum Yonasan: It means that people from all over came and bowed down to him. 3
Rashi: Whom he predicted would become king. See also 23:7.
Ramban: To teach us that he was a sorcerer, and that he came from a land where they were all sorcerers - See Yeshayah, 2:6.
See Peirush Yonasan and Na'ar Yonasan
Why did Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu grant prophecy to a wicked Nochri?
Rashi: So that the Nochrim would not be able to claim that, had Hashem given them prophets, they would have followed the right path. So He gave them a prophet, and what did he do? He broke down the barrier - inasmuch as previously, the people guarded themselves against adultery, and he came along and advised them to engage in Z'nus.
Oznayim la'Torah: Hashem appointed Bil'am as the universal prophet, because, in his prevous capacity as a universally respected and popular dream-interpreter, he had the potential to convince the world to keep the seven Mitzvos B'nei No'ach - and perhaps even to accept the Torah when it was offered to them at Matan Torah, 1 only he chose to go for the money and the Kavod.
See Oznayim la'Torah, DH 'Pesorah', who elaborates.
What are the implications of "Likro lo"?
Rashi: It implies that Balak offered Bil'am a lot of money to come and curse Yisrael. 1
As the word "Lo" generally means 'for his benefit' - Refer to Bereishis, 12:1:3:1.
Why did Balak add "Hinei Chisah es Ein ha'Aretz"?
Rashi: He meant metaphorically that Yisrael had defeated Sichon, who guarded them, and that they therefore constituted a threat to Mo'av.
Why throughout the current narrative, do neither Balak nor Bil'am even once refer to Yisrael by name - always as "Am"?
Oznayim la'Torah: It seems that they were afraid to mention it because it is the name by which which they are particularly beloved by Hashem, 1 and mentioning it would arouse the Mal'achim to come to their defence. 2
Perhaps it was simply a sign of hatred, since both of them are described as haters of Yisrael.
