Parasha: Balak · Aliyah: Fifth (Hod)

Numbers 23:13–23:26
כ"ג:י"ג וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלָ֜יו בָּלָ֗ק לך־[לְכָה־] נָּ֨א אִתִּ֜י אֶל־מָק֤וֹם אַחֵר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְאֶ֣נּוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם אֶ֚פֶס קָצֵ֣הוּ תִרְאֶ֔ה וְכֻלּ֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִרְאֶ֑ה וְקָבְנוֹ־לִ֖י מִשָּֽׁם׃
23:13 Then Balak said to him, “Come with me to another place from which you can see them—you will see only a portion of them; you will not see all of them—and damn them for me from there.”
23:13 And Balak said unto him: ‘Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them; thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse me them from thence.’
כ"ג:י"ג וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ בָּלָק אִיתָא כְעַן עִמִּי לַאֲתַר אוֹחֳרַן דְּתֵחֲזִנֵּיהּ מִתַּמָּן לְחוֹד קְצָתֵיהּ תֶּחֱזֵי וְכוּלֵּיהּ לָא תֶחֱזֵי וּתְלוּטֵיהּ לִי מִתַּמָּן:
כ"ג:י"ד וַיִּקָּחֵ֙הוּ֙ שְׂדֵ֣ה צֹפִ֔ים אֶל־רֹ֖אשׁ הַפִּסְגָּ֑ה וַיִּ֙בֶן֙ שִׁבְעָ֣ה מִזְבְּחֹ֔ת וַיַּ֛עַל פָּ֥ר וָאַ֖יִל בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
23:14 With that, he took him to Sedehzophim,fOr “Lookout Point.” on the summit of Pisgah. He built seven altars and offered a bull and a ram on each altar.
23:14 And he took him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered up a bullock and a ram on every altar.
כ"ג:י"ד וְדַבְּרֵיהּ לַחֲקַל סְכוּתָא לְרֵישׁ רָמָתָא וּבְנָא שַׁבְעָא מַדְבְּחִין וְאַסֵּק תּוֹר וּדְכַר עַל כָּל מַדְבְּחָא:
כ"ג:ט"ו וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־בָּלָ֔ק הִתְיַצֵּ֥ב כֹּ֖ה עַל־עֹלָתֶ֑ךָ וְאָנֹכִ֖י אִקָּ֥רֶה כֹּֽה׃
23:15 And [Balaam] said to Balak, “Stay here beside your offerings, while I seek a manifestation yonder.”
23:15 And he said unto Balak: ‘Stand here by thy burnt-offering, while I go toward a meeting yonder.’
כ"ג:ט"ו וַאֲמַר לְבָלָק אִתְעַתַּד הָכָא עַל עֲלָתָךְ וַאֲנָא אִתְמְטֵי עַד כָּא:
כ"ג:ט"ז וַיִּקָּ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיָּ֥שֶׂם דָּבָ֖ר בְּפִ֑יו וַיֹּ֛אמֶר שׁ֥וּב אֶל־בָּלָ֖ק וְכֹ֥ה תְדַבֵּֽר׃
23:16 The LORD manifested Himself to Balaam and put a word in his mouth, saying, “Return to Balak and speak thus.”
23:16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said: ‘Return unto Balak, and thus shalt thou speak.’
כ"ג:ט"ז וַעֲרַע מֵימַר מִן קֳדָם יְיָ לְבִלְעָם וְשַׁוִּי פִתְגָּמָא בְּפוּמֵיהּ וַאֲמַר תּוּב לְוָת בָּלָק וּכְדֵין תְּמַלֵּל:
כ"ג:י"ז וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וְהִנּ֤וֹ נִצָּב֙ עַל־עֹ֣לָת֔וֹ וְשָׂרֵ֥י מוֹאָ֖ב אִתּ֑וֹ וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ בָּלָ֔ק מַה־דִּבֶּ֖ר יְהוָֽה׃
23:17 He went to him and found him standing beside his offerings, and the Moabite dignitaries with him. Balak asked him, “What did the LORD say?”
23:17 And he came to him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt-offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him: ‘What hath the LORD spoken?’
כ"ג:י"ז וַאֲתָא לְוָתֵיהּ וְהוּא מְעַתַּד עַל עֲלָתֵיהּ וְרַבְרְבֵי מוֹאָב עִמֵּיהּ וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ בָּלָק מָא מַלִּיל יְיָ:
כ"ג:י"ח וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר ק֤וּם בָּלָק֙ וּֽשֲׁמָ֔ע הַאֲזִ֥ינָה עָדַ֖י בְּנ֥וֹ צִפֹּֽר׃
23:18 And he took up his theme, and said: Up, Balak, attend, Give ear unto me, son of Zippor!
23:18 And he took up his parable, and said: Arise, Balak, and hear; Give ear unto me, thou son of Zippor:
כ"ג:י"ח וּנְטַל מַתְלֵיהּ וַאֲמַר קוּם בָּלָק וּשְׁמַע אָצֵית לְמֵימְרִי בַּר צִפֹּר:
כ"ג:י"ט לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙ וִֽיכַזֵּ֔ב וּבֶן־אָדָ֖ם וְיִתְנֶחָ֑ם הַה֤וּא אָמַר֙ וְלֹ֣א יַעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְדִבֶּ֖ר וְלֹ֥א יְקִימֶֽנָּה׃
23:19 God is not man to be capricious, Or mortal to change His mind. Would He speak and not act, Promise and not fulfill?
23:19 God is not a man, that He should lie; Neither the son of man, that He should repent: When He hath said, will He not do it? Or when He hath spoken, will He not make it good?
כ"ג:י"ט לָא כְמִלֵּי בְנֵי אֱנָשָׁא מֵימַר אֱלָהָא בְּנֵי אֱנָשָׁא אָמְרִין וּמְכַדְּבִין וְאַף לָא כְּעוֹבָדֵי בְנֵי בִשְׂרָא דִּי אִנּוּן גָּזְרִין לְמֶעְבַּד וְתַיְּבִין וּמִתְמַלְּכִין דְּהוּא אָמַר וְעָבֵד וְכָל מֵימְרֵיהּ מִתְקַיָּם:
כ"ג:כ׳ הִנֵּ֥ה בָרֵ֖ךְ לָקָ֑חְתִּי וּבֵרֵ֖ךְ וְלֹ֥א אֲשִׁיבֶֽנָּה׃
23:20 My message was to bless: When He blesses, I cannot reverse it.
23:20 Behold, I am bidden to bless; And when He hath blessed, I cannot call it back.
כ"ג:כ׳ הָא בִרְכָן קַבֵּלִית וַאֲבָרֵכִנֵּיהּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְלָא אָתֵב בִּרְכְּתִי מִנֵּיהּ:
כ"ג:כ"א לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃
23:21 No harm is in sight for Jacob, No woe in view for Israel. The LORD their God is with them, And their King’s acclaim in their midst.
23:21 None hath beheld iniquity in Jacob, Neither hath one seen perverseness in Israel; The LORD his God is with him, And the shouting for the King is among them.
כ"ג:כ"א אִסְתַּכָּלִית לֵית פָּלְחֵי גִּלּוּלִין בִּדְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְאַף לָא עָבְדֵי לֵאוּת שְׁקַר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ אֱלָהָהוֹן בְּסַעְדְּהוֹן וּשְׁכִינַת מַלְכְּהוֹן בֵּינֵיהוֹן:
ה' אלהיו עמו. אֲפִלּוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּמַמְרִים לְפָנָיו, אֵינוֹ זָז מִתּוֹכָן:
כ"ג:כ"ב אֵ֖ל מוֹצִיאָ֣ם מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם כְּתוֹעֲפֹ֥ת רְאֵ֖ם לֽוֹ׃
23:22 God who freed them from Egypt Is for them like the hornsgLit. “eminences,” used figuratively. of the wild ox.
23:22 God who brought them forth out of Egypt Is for them like the lofty horns of the wild-ox.
כ"ג:כ"ב אֱלָהָא דְּאַפֵּקִנּוּן מִמּצְרָיִם תּוּקְפָּא וְרוּמָא דִּילֵיהּ:
כ"ג:כ"ג כִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃
23:23 Lo, there is no augury in Jacob, No divining in Israel:hCf. Deut. 18.10–15. Jacob is told at once, Yea Israel, what God has planned.iOr, “Else would it be told to Jacob, / Yea to Israel, what God has planned.”
23:23 For there is no enchantment with Jacob, Neither is there any divination with Israel; Now is it said of Jacob and of Israel: ‘What hath God wrought! ’
כ"ג:כ"ג אֲרֵי לָא נַחֲשַׁיָּא צָבָן דְּיִיטַב לִדְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְאַף לָא קְסָמַיָּא רְעַן בִּרְבוּת בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּעִדַּן יִתְאַמַּר לְיַעֲקֹב וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל מֶה עֲבַד אֱלָהָא:
כ"ג:כ"ד הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
23:24 Lo, a people that rises like a lion, Leaps up like the jHeb. ’ari, another term for “lion.”king of beasts,-j Rests not till it has feasted on prey And drunk the blood of the slain.
23:24 Behold a people that riseth up as a lioness, And as a lion doth he lift himself up; He shall not lie down until he eat of the prey, And drink the blood of the slain.
כ"ג:כ"ד הָא עַמָּא כְּלֵיתָא שָׁרֵי וּכְאַרְיָא יִתְנַטָּל לָא יִשְׁרֵי בְאַרְעֵיהּ עַד דְּיִקְטוֹל קְטוֹל וְנִכְסֵי עַמְמַיָּא יֵירָת:
כ"ג:כ"ה וַיֹּ֤אמֶר בָּלָק֙ אֶל־בִּלְעָ֔ם גַּם־קֹ֖ב לֹ֣א תִקֳּבֶ֑נּוּ גַּם־בָּרֵ֖ךְ לֹ֥א תְבָרֲכֶֽנּוּ׃
23:25 Thereupon Balak said to Balaam, “Don’t curse them and don’t bless them!”
23:25 And Balak said unto Balaam: ‘Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.’
כ"ג:כ"ה וַאֲמַר בָּלָק לְבִלְעָם אַף מֵילַט לָא תְלוּטִנּוּן אַף בְּרָכָא לָא תְבָרֵכִנּוּן:
כ"ג:כ"ו וַיַּ֣עַן בִּלְעָ֔ם וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶל־בָּלָ֑ק הֲלֹ֗א דִּבַּ֤רְתִּי אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֹת֥וֹ אֶֽעֱשֶֽׂה׃
23:26 In reply, Balaam said to Balak, “But I told you: Whatever the LORD says, that I must do.”
23:26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak: ‘Told not I thee, saying: All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do?’
כ"ג:כ"ו וַאֲתֵב בִּלְעָם וַאֲמַר לְבָלָק הֲלָא מַלֵּלִית עִמָּךְ לְמֵימָר כֹּל דִּי יְמַלֵּל יְיָ יָתֵיהּ אֶעְבֵּד:

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