Why Was Hashem Angry at Bilam/2

Why Was Hashem Angry at Bilam?

Exegetical Approaches

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Evil Intent

Hashem was angry at Bilam since he was acting in bad faith.  Though Bilam knew that Hashem's intentions were that the Children of Israel be blessed, Bilam was nonetheless hoping to curse them.

Sources:RashiBemidbar 22:9-35About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki, RashbamBereshit 32:29Bemidbar 22:22-33About R. Shemuel b. Meir, R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBemidbar 22:12-35About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, ChizkuniBemidbar 22:12-34About R. Chizkiyah b. Manoach, AbarbanelBemidbar 22:2Bemidbar 22:22About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, SefornoBemidbar 22:12-38About R. Ovadyah Seforno, Or HaChayyimBemidbar 22:13-38About R. Chayyim b. Atar, HaKetav VeHaKabbalahBemidbar 22:12-35About R. Yaakov Mecklenburg, R. S.R. HirschBemidbar 22:12-39About R. Samson Raphael Hirsch, MalbimBemidbar 22:6-40About R. Meir Leibush Weiser, NetzivBemidbar 22:11-38About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin

"קוּם לֵךְ אִתָּם" / "לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם" - Did Hashem change His mind?

Evidence of Bilam's evil intent

"לוּ יֶשׁ חֶרֶב בְּיָדִי כִּי עַתָּה הֲרַגְתִּיךְ" – The angel's intentions

Message of the donkey episode

חָטָאתִי

Did Bilam change?

Ability to curse

Character of Bilam

Lack of Transparency

Bilam was not upfront with Balak's messengers, leading them to believe that he was coming to curse as they requested, when he, in fact, was not given permission to do so.

Sources:RambanBemidbar 22:13-35About R. Moshe b. Nachman #1

No Wrongdoing

Bilam had not yet committed any problematic deed. Hashem was simply issuing a warning to emphasize that he do as told.

Sources:perhaps RalbagBemidbar 22:13-33About R. Levi b. Gershom

Changing Circumstances

Hashem's varying responses relate to the changing deeds of Israel and whether or not they merited protection from Bilam's curses.

Chronology – This approach assumes that the interactions between Bilam and Balak take place at the same time as the story of the Sin of Baal Peor.  Though the stories overlap in time, they are written consecutively, as independent narratives, so as not to confuse the reader in switching back and forth between each.

"הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם לִמְסׇר מַעַל בַּי״י עַל דְּבַר פְּעוֹר" – This approach, following Bavli SanhedrinSanhedrin 106aAbout Bavli Sanhedrin, understands this verse to mean that it was Bilam's idea to incite the Israelites to sin with the Midianites at Baal Peor. However, it uniquely suggests that this advice was given, not after Bilam's attempt to curse the nation failed, but at the very outset of the story. When Hashem forbade Bilam from going to curse the nation because "they are blessed", Bilam suggested to Balak that he cause the nation to stumble and sin so that they would no longer be deserving of blessing.

"קוּם לֵךְ אִתָּם" / "לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם" - Did Hashem change His mind? Hashem did change His mind between the first and second visits of Balak's messengers. During the first visit, Israel was free of sin and worthy of Hashem's protection, and so Bilam was prevented from cursing the nation.  By the second visit, however, the nation had sinned at Baal Peor (in the wake of Bilam's advice) and were deserving of punishment. As such, Hashem acquiesced that Bilam be the tool to inflict it. Hashem, however, added a caveat: "וְאַךְ אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אֹתוֹ תַעֲשֶׂה",  leaving room for the nation to repent and Hashem to change His mind.

The angel and donkey – By morning, Pinechas had killed the guilty parties and the nation was once again deserving of Divine protection.  As such