1)

(a)When Bilam saw the Keini - Yisro's descendents (as 'Kayin was one of Yisro's seven names)- he expressed his surprise at the heights that Yisro had attained ...

(b)... since they sat together at the time of Paroh's decree of 'Havah Nischakmah lo' (to enslave the B'nei Yisrael).

(c)When he said "Eisan Moshavecha" ('Your dwelling is among the strong ones'), he was referring to the fact that Yisro's descendants were destined to sit on the Sanhedrin in the Lishkas ha'Gazis (as we learned earlier).

(d)The third member of Paroh's advisory board was - Iyov.

(e)Rebbi Chiya bar Aba Amar Rebbi Sima'i described how, when the three of them sat together on that occasion - Bilam, who advised Paroh to enslave Yisrael, would eventually be killed, Iyov who remained silent, was made to suffer, and Yisro, who fled, merited that his descendants would sit in the Lishkas ha'Gazis.

2)

(a)Resh Lakish interprets Bilam's words "Oy Mi Yichyeh mi'Sumo Keil" to mean 'Woe to those who make themselves into gods - with particular reference to Paroh and Chirom, King of Tyre.

(b)Rebbi Yochanan interprets the Pasuk to mean - 'Woe to the nation who tries to interfere with Hash-m, when He comes to redeem His children'. Who would dare place his cloak between a lion and a lioness when they are about to become intimate?

(c)To explain Bilam's statement ...

1. ... "ve'Tzim be'Yad Kitim" - (large ships will come from Kitim), Rav says ...

2. ... 'Libun Aspir'- (which is a better-known name for Kitim).

(d)Bilam continued "ve'Inu Ashur ve'Inu Eiver". The invaders from Kitim ...

1. ... until they reach Ashur - will kill.

2. ... once they pass Ashur - will enslave.

3)

(a)Before taking leave of Balak, Bilam told Balak what his people were about to do to Yisrael. He was he was referring to - the episode of Ba'al Pe'or, designed by himself to make Yisrael sin.

(b)And he said "asher Ya'aseh ha'Am ha'Zeh le'Amcha", and not the other way round, either out of respect for Balak, to avoid conveying the idea that he Balak, needed to seek ways and means to destroy Yisrael, but rather that Yisrael are the ones who need to find ways and means to defend themselves - or it is the Torah that changed what Bilam said, out of Kavod for Yisrael, who fell to Mo'av in such a dishonorable way.

(c)The two things that gave Bilam the idea were the fact that the G-d of Yisrael hates immorality and that - Yisrael loved linen clothes, which is what the Mo'avim used to arouse their interest.

(d)After the Moavim set up stalls selling linen clothes from Har Sheleg till Beis Hayeshimos - the Jewish men discovered an older woman standing outside the stall selling linen clothes at the regular price, and a young prostitute selling them cheaper inside the stall. After lowering the price a number of times, they would invite the men to make themselves at home and offer them some strong Amoni wine.

4)

(a)The Amoni wine was not forbidden to drink - because the Chachamim would only decree on S'tam Yeinam many generations later.

(b)After the wine had its effect, the women convinced the Jewish men to serve their idol - by informing them that all that was expected of them was to defecate in front of it, and they, unaware that this was the conventional method of worship regarding this particular idol (Pe'or), readily agreed.

(c)Once they had worshipped their idol, and the men were pleading with them to acquiesce to their advances - they would refuse unless they denounced the Torah of Moshe their Rebbe (see Agados Maharsha).

(d)According to Rebbi Eliezer, the place was really called 'Shitim', whereas according to Rebbi Yehoshua - 'Shitim' merely reflects the 'Sh'tus' (nonsense) in which they had indulged.

5)

(a)According to Rebbi Eliezer, "Vatikrena la'Am le'Zivchei le'Eloheihen" implies that the women were naked (see Agados Maharsha). According to Rebbi Yehoshua however - it implies that when the men saw the women, they all had an emission (they became Ba'alei Keri [which is from same root as "Vatikrena"]).

(b)In similar vein, Rebbi Eliezer explains that when the Torah records the last stop before Har Sinai as 'Refidim', that was its name, that was its name. According to Rebbi Yehoshua - it is the acronym of "Rafu Yadayim", which means that they were lax (in Torah), which explains why Amalek attacked them.

(c)Rebbi Yochanan explains that whenever the Torah writes "Vayeishev", it always implies trouble (like we find by the current episode, where the Torah writes "Vayeishev ha'Am be'Shitim, Vay'chel ha'Am Liz'nos el B'nos Mo'av". Following the Pasuk ...

1. ... (in Vayeishev) "Vayeishev Ya'akov be'Eretz Megurei Aviv ... " - Yosef spoke Lashon-ha'Ra about his brothers, who subsequently sold him as a slave.

2. ... (in Vayigash) "Vayeishev Yisrael be'Eretz Goshen" - Ya'akov became ill and died.

3. ... (in Melachim) "Vayeishev Yehudah ve'Yisrael la'Vetach Ish Tachas Gafno" - Hadad King of Edom attacked Yisrael.

6)

(a)When Yisrael eventually avenged their honor and defeated the Midyanim, killing the five princes of Midyan, they killed Bilam too. Rebbi Yochanan explains that Bilam had arrived in Midyan from Aram, to claim remuneration from Balak for the twenty-four thousand of B'nei Yisrael (or from the Eirev Rav, according to the Zohar) who died as a result of the sin of Ba'al Pe'or.

(b)Mar Zutra bar Tuvya Amar Rav cites the adage - of a camel who came to claim horns, and not only did he not get any, but they cut off his ears too.

(c)Similarly, Bilam came to claim his reward from Balak - and Yisrael killed him.

(d)At first, says Rebbi Yochanan - Bilam was a Navi, and the Pasuk in Yehoshua refers to him as a sorcerer, because that is what he was relegated to, after he attempted to curse Yisrael.

(e)Rav Papa quotes an adage in this connection about the wife of a prince - who committed adultery with the man who pulls the rope of the boat along the canal, or with a carpenter. So Bil'am relegated himself from a Navi to a sorcerer.

7)

(a)Rav extrapolates from the Pasuk "Hargu B'nei Yisrael ba'Cherev el Chaleleihem" that - they killed Bilam with all four Misos Beis-Din (first they hanged him [Chenek], then they set fire to the gallows [Sereifah], they cut off his head [Hereg] and he received Sekilah, when the rope burned through and he fell to the ground (see also Agados Maharsha).

(b)When a heretic asked Rebbi Chanina how old Bilam was when he died - he replied that although this is not clearly specifically, based on the Pasuk in Tehilim "Anshei Damim u'Mirmah Lo Yechetzu Yemeihem", he would say that he died at thirty-three or at most thirty-four.

(c)The heretic - conceded that he was right, as he had seen in Bilam's 'ledger' that Bilam the lame was thirty-three when Pinchas Lista'ah killed him.

(d)The ledger refer to Pinchas as 'Pinchas Lista'ah' - because, in this context, it means 'General'.

(e)What we just learned doesn't tie up at all with Rebbi Sima'i, who maintained above that Bilam was one of Paroh's advisers by the decree of "Havah Nischakmah lo" (more than two hundred years earlier) - because Rebbi Chanina clearly argues with that.

8)

(a)Mar b'rei de'Ravina told his son that - he should avoid Darshening anything derogatory about any of the kings and Hedyotos listed in our Mishnah with the sole exception of Bilam, where he should actually make a point of doing so.

(b)One Pasuk speaks about Do'eg, and another, about Doyeg. Rebbi Yochanan explains that - initially, Hash-m was worried ('Do'eg') that he might go out to evil ways. Once this happened, He said 'Vai' (which form the middle letters of 'Doyeg') that he did.

(c)Rebbi Yitzchak explains the Pasuk in Tehilim ...

1. ... "Mah Tis'halel be'Ra'ah ha'Gibor, Chesed Keil Kol Ha'Yom" to mean that - Hash-m asked Do'eg why he boasted about the evil that he perpetrated, seeing as he was so great in Torah (and it was not becoming for him to speak Lashon ha'Ra about Nov Ir ha'Kohanim); now that he was surrounded with the kindness of Hash-m (who offered him a chance to do Teshuvah [Agados Maharsha]), why didn't he do it?

2. ... "ve'la'Rasha Amar Elokim Mah l'cha Lesaper Chukai" to mean that - for all Do'eg's knowledge, what would he do when he arrived at the Parshah of slanderers and murderers (since he was also the one to kill the Kohanim of Nov)?

(d)Rebbi Ami explains this, based on the Pasuk "Vatisa B'risi alei Picha" - which means that his Torah was from the lips and outward, but did not affect his heart (he did not internalize what he learned).

9)

(a)And Rebbi Yitzchak explains the Pasuk which first speaks about the fear of the Tzadikim, and then describes how they will laugh - with reference to Do'eg, who, they were initially afraid, due to his enormous success in life, would serve as an example to others; but when he died at a young age, they were pleased.

(b)Based on Rebbi Yitzchak's interpretation of a Pasuk in Iyov, when David prayed that Do'eg should die, Hash-m replied - that he would wait until he forgot all his learning.

(c)David's response to that was that - Hash-m should not wait for that to happen, but should make it happen immediately.

(d)And, still based on Rebbi Yitzchak's interpretation of a Pasuk in Iyov, when Hash-m asked him whether ...

1. ... Do'eg should go to Olam ha'Ba, he replied that - He should cut him down forever.

2. ... the Beis-Din shel Ma'alah should quote Divrei Torah in his name, he replied that - he should be uprooted from the Beis-Hamidrash forever.

3. ... he should have children who would be Talmidei-Chachamim, he replied - that he should be uprooted from the land of the living (Torah).

10)

(a)When Rebbi Yitzchak explained "Ayeh Sofer" as 'Ayeh Sofer Kol Osiyos she'ba'Torah' he was lamenting the fact that - Do'eg and Achitofel, who were experts in the Chaseiros and Yeseiros (missing letters and extra ones), were no longer alive.

(b)"Ayeh Shokel" refers to all the 'Kal va'Chomers' in the Torah. And he interpreted "Ayeh Sofer es ha'Migdalim" - with regard to the three hundred Halachos in 'Migdal ha'Pore'ach be'Avir' that they Darshened.

(c)This might refer to the top of the 'Lamed', which is bent downwards (much in the same as way as Rebbi Akiva Darshened 'from every crown piles and piles of Halachos'). If 'Migdal' is taken to mean a sort of moving wagon - then it pertains to the question of whether someone who travels to Chutz la'Aretz in a wagon becomes Tamei (like he does when he walks there) or not.

(d)It might also be referring to Halachos concerning stopping a cupboard in mid-air by magic. But it probably pertains to a Mishnah in Ohalos, which rules that - if a cupboard is standing in the open, and there is a piece of Tamei Meis inside it, then any vessels that are inside the cupboard become Tamei.

11)

(a)Rebbi (or Rebbi Ami) stated - that nobody could resolve the four hundred She'eilos that Do'eg and Achitofel asked with regard to a 'Migdal ha'Pore'ach be'Avir'.

(b)Rava commented on this that - it was no big deal to ask She'eilos (from the lips and outwards, as we learned earlier). What is important is to internalize the Torah that one learns ('Rachmana Liba Ba'i' [Hash-m wants the heart]).

(c)And he based it on the distinction between his generation and that of Rav Yehudah when it came to ...

1. ... Torah-study, where the latter concentrated all their efforts on learning Nezikin, whereas the former had thirteen Yeshivos who were learning Uktzin (the last Masechta in Shas).

2. ... levels of Chasidus, where in his generation, they prayed for rain to no avail, yet all Rav Yehudah needed to do was to remove his shoe, and Hash-m would respond immediately.

(d)We learn from the Pasuk (that we cited earlier) "va'Hashem Yir'eh la'Leivav" that - 'Rachmana Liba Ba'i'.

12)

(a)To prove his point, Rava cited Rav Yehudah's statement concerning the Mishnah in Uktzin 'Zeisim she'Kavshan be'Tarfeihon', which means - 'Olives which have been pickled together with their leaves' ...

(b)... which the Tana renders Tahor.

(c)When Rav Yehudah saw the Tana's ruling, he exclaimed - 'I see here the profound learning of Rav and Shmuel!' ...

(d)... since stalks and leaves are generally considered a Yad (a handle), which transmit their own Tum'ah on to the vegetables or fruit to which they are attached. Consequently, he could not understand why the Tana renders the olives Tahor.

13)

(a)Mar Zutra objects to Rav Mesharshaya's statement, that Do'eg and Achitofel were not conversant in Halachah - on the basis of the Pasuk "Ayeh Sofer, Ayeh Shokel ... " (that we just discussed).

(b)So he amends the statement to read that - they did not merit that their opinions should be accepted as Halachah (against the opinion of others) ...

(c)... a special merit that is confined to those who possess Yir'as Shamayim, as the Pasuk writes "Sod Hash-m li'Yere'av".

(d)Based on the Pasuk "Hu Yamus be'Ein Musar u've'Rov Avlaso Yishgeh", Rebbi Ami says that - Do'eg did not die before he had forgotten all his learning (as Hash-m had decreed).

14)

(a)According to Rav, Do'eg was stricken with Tzara'as before he died, and he extrapolates this from the word "Hitzmatah" (in the Pasuk in Tehilim [in connection with Do'eg') "Hitzmatah Kol Zoneh mimeka" - because Unk'lus translates the same word "li'Tzemisus" (in Parshas B'har, to do with the sale of land) as 'la'Chalutin', a word which is turn, is used regarding Tzara'as (a Metzora Muchlat).

(b)Rebbi Yochanan describes how three destructive angels were employed to handle Do'eg at the time of his death; one made him forget all his learning, another burned his Soul - whereas the third one scattered his ashes in the Batei-Kenesi'os and the Batei-Midrashos.

(c)Do'eg and Achitofel could never have seen each other - because the former lived in the time of Shaul, whereas the latter lived during the latter years of David.

(d)The Beraisa (which we cite in support of Rebbi Yochanan), states - that, based on the Pasuk in Tehilim (that we already quoted above) "Anshei Damim u'Mirmah Lo Yechetzu Yemeihem", Do'eg died at the age of thirty-four, and Achitofel, at thirty-three.

15)

(a)According to Rebbi Yochanan, based on the Pasuk in Tehilim, "ve'Atah Enosh ke'Erki Alufi u'Meyuda'i, David Hamelech initially considered Achitofel as his Rebbe. Later however - he referred to him as a Chaver, and eventually, as his Talmid.