Daily Zohar # 4042 – Balak – Why Balaam got angry

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Hebrew translation:

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Zohar Balak
Continued from previous DZ
Numbers 22:23
“וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה נִצָּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַתֵּט הָאָתוֹן מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וַתֵּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּךְ בִּלְעָם אֶת הָאָתוֹן לְהַטֹּתָהּ הַדָּרֶךְ.”
“Now the donkey saw the Angel of YHVH standing in the way with His drawn sword in His hand, and the donkey turned aside out of the way and went into the field. So Balaam struck the donkey to turn her back onto the road.”

#443
Numbers 22:24
“וַיַּעֲמֹד מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה בְּמִשְׁעוֹל הַכְּרָמִים גָּדֵר מִזֶּה וְגָדֵר מִזֶּה.”
“Then the Angel of YHVH stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on this side and a wall on that side.”
Rabbi Aba asks how the angel could block the external forces from accessing the path when it should be open because it was made when Zeir Anpin and Malchut had a unification. He answers that the angel received help from the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the Congregation of Israel. Rabbi Yehuda says that the Torah helped the angel because it is written;
Exodus 32:15
“וַיִּפֶן וַיֵּרֶד מֹשֶׁה מִן הָהָר וּשְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת בְּיָדוֹ לֻחֹת כְּתֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה הֵם כְּתֻבִים.”
“And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other, they were written.”
The tablets were written on both sides. The angel stood on the path on both sides. The words that refer to sides “מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה” are the same in both places.

#444
About that situation, it is written;
Numbers 22:25
“וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה וַתִּלָּחֵץ אֶל הַקִּיר וַתִּלְחַץ אֶת רֶגֶל בִּלְעָם אֶל הַקִּיר וַיֹּסֶף לְהַכֹּתָהּ.”
“And when the donkey saw the Angel of YHVH, she pushed herself against the wall and crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall, so he struck her again.”

He asks, What is the meaning of “pressed him against the wall”. And he answers, it is as written, “מְקַרְקַר קִר” “Breaking down the walls” (Isaiah 22:5). The ‘wall’, ‘קיר,’ means “חומה,” “protective wall” and it connects to the minister that protects the narrow path. The donkey couldn’t help Balaam but she pushed him to the wall to get protection from his minister, but Balaam continue to hit her.

#445
The angel of YHVH, continued to stand in the narrow path. At that time, the angel blocked all sides of the world from supporting the donkey and Balaam. Then we read;
Numbers 22:27
“וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה וַתִּרְבַּץ תַּחַת בִּלְעָם וַיִּחַר אַף בִּלְעָם וַיַּךְ אֶת הָאָתוֹן בַּמַּקֵּל.”
“And when the donkey saw the Angel of YHVH, she lay down under Balaam; so Balaam’s anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his stick.”
The donkey couldn’t find even a place that could be considered as help, as she hinted earlier, about getting help from the wall. When Balaam saw that he could not get help, his anger was aroused, and he struck the donkey with his stick.
When he struck his donkey with the stick, he loaded her with harsh judgments as explained in #429.

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