What are the connotations of "Ulai Uchal Nakeh bo"?
Rashi #1: 'Let us (between the two of us) smite them'. 1
Rashi #2 and Targum Yonasan: 'Perhaps I will be able to diminish them. 2
Ramban: 'I, together with Midyan will be able to defeat them'.
Seforno: 'Perhaps, after you curse them, we will be able to defeat them - I in battle and you, with a curse'.
What did Balak mean when he said to Bil'am that whoever Bil'am blessed is indeed blessed and whoever he curses is cursed?
Rashbam: Balak knew that either Bil'am was a prophet and that his power lay in prophesy, or that he was a sorcerer, 1 and he only mentioned blessing and cursing here because he assumed that his prayers and his sacrifices too, would be effective.
Seforno: In fact, Bil'am did not have the ability to bless, 2 only to curse, 3 and Balak mentioned blessing only in deference to Bil'am. 4
Rashbam: As the Pasuk describes him in Yehoshua, 13:22.
Seforno: Which explains why Bil'am did not ask him for an eternal Berachah for success, or at least that he should succeed in keeping Yisrael at bay.
What are the implications of "va'Agarshenu min ha'Aretz"?
From where did Balak know that whoever Bil'am blessed was blessed ... ?
Rashi: From the battle against Sichon, whom Bil'am assisted to defeat Mo'av by cursing Mo?av. 1 Refer to 21:27:2:1**.
R. Bachye: He had a Chazakah that his curses were effective. 2
"L?chah Arah Li es ha?Am". What is the significance of the ?Hey? in ?L?chah??
Ba?al ha?Turim: It hints at the five parts of Yisrael - the four camps - Yehudah, Reuven, Efrayim, Dan and the Eirev Rav.
From which land did Balak want to expel Yisrael?
Da'as Zekenim and Hadar Zekenim (on Pasuk 7): From what was formerly his (Mo'av's) land, which Yisrael took from Sichon, who took it from Mo'av.
Why did Bil'am say "Arah Li"? It suffices to curse the nation!
Rosh: Balak knew that those who curse Yisrael are cursed. 1 and that consequently, Bil'am's curse would rebound on himself. Neverthless, so deep was his loathing of Yisrael, that he went ahead and asked BIl'am to curse Yisrael. 2
R. Bachye (ciing the Tanchuma): Bil?am told Balak that whoever curses Yisrael curses himself - as Hashem said o Avraham ?u?Mekelelcha A?or!? 3 Indeed, whenever Balak mention K?lalah in connection with Yisrael, he cursed himself - ?Arah li!?; ?Kaboh li!?; 4 ?ve?Kavno li!?; 5 ?Vekaboso li!? 6 .
Ba?al ha?Turim: His words ?tripped him up? - because in the end Bil?am cursed him.
See Toldos Bereishis, 27:29.
Rosh: Like Shimshon, who wanted to avenge the Plishtim, even though he knew that also he would die in the process - Shoftim 16:30.
22:11.
23:13.
23:27.
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes that Balak knew that Bil'am's blessings work from the war with Sichon. Why did he not say since Bil'am told him that he will become king (refer to 22:5:2:1*)?
Moshav Zekenim: Bil'am did not bless him that he would become king; it was a prophecy.
