Rashi explains x¤w ½ Ÿ A©A Æm ̈r §l ¦A m ̈w³ ̈I©e From here we learn that hate causes a disregard for the standard of dignified conduct, for he saddled it himself. The Holy One, blessed is He, said, “Wicked one, their father Avraham has already preceded you, as it says, 'Avraham arose in the morning and saddled his donkey’”
The donkey saw the angel of the Lord stationed on the road with his sword drawn in his hand; so the she-donkey turned aside from the road and went into a field. Bilaam beat the she-donkey to get it back onto the road. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it crouched down under Bilaam. Bilaam's anger flared, and he beat the donkey with a stick. The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Bilaam, "What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times?" Bilaam said to the donkey, "For you have humiliated me; if I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now."The she-donkey said to Bilaam, "Am I not your donkey on which you have ridden since you first started until now? Have I been accustomed to do this to you?" He said, "No." (22:21-30)
Bilaam doesn’t even seem surprised when his donkey started talking to him! He just answers back! Bilaam seems to express no surprise over his donkey's sudden capacity to speak. He responds right away, as if he were talking to any other person. The Midrash (Bamidbar Rabbah 20:12) notes this was a miracle that there was never like it ever before." But Bilaam apparently took it in stride. The Midrash continues: Hashem wanted Bilaam to realize that the ability to speak is a gift from Hashem. He can grant it even to a beast if He so desires, and He can remove it from a human if that human opposes His will.
Rabbeinu Bechaye, explains that Hashem performed such an extraordinary miracle specifically in order to shock Bilaam. Hashem wanted to wake Bilaam up, so that he would realize that Hashem did not want him to go. But Bilaam, due to his cruel, wicked nature and his strong desire to curse Israel took no heed. He responded to his donkey almost without flinching and moved on. This is the modern expression: “He was in his box.” Bilaam should have understood this and realized he will never be able to curse Israel against God’s will. But this message too was lost on Bilaam, who in his wicked zeal would not be stopped. The Mishna in Avos 5:19 says: Bilaam, was wicked, had an evil eye, a haughty spirit and a limitless appetite for kavod, honor.
The key to understanding the reasoning of Bilaam, is found in Sefer Chesed L’Avrahom the Radomsker Rebbe. Bilaam as most people do, believe that the world is run by nature. Even when something extra ordinary happens, they would always find an answer, whether it was a meteor or a star or fate that caused the reaction. Therefore, their lives are full with fantasies and in denial. Hashem wanted to prove to Bilaam, that the opening of the mouth of the donkey was a miracle. “The Lord opened Bilaam's eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the road.” Then Bilaam understood, that his sins caused him from believing that everything in this world is a message and and from Hashem. Therefore, says the Radomsker Rebbe, Bilaam confessed: i ¦Y§r ½©c ̈i ` ́ Ÿ l i μ¦M "i ¦z` ½ ̈h ̈g" "I have sinned, therefore I did not know that you were standing on the road before me. I thought it was nature. Now, if it displeases you, I will return." I sinned, but I will return and repent. Now Bilaam’s hate was softened, and spoke with respect towards Klal Yisrael. Our sins cause us to also think everything is done by nature. Let us do teshuva and come closer to Hashem, and we would see that Hashem has a master plan with precise details for everything that happens to us.
(Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
