Avodah Zarah, Daf Daled, Part 3

 

א"ר אבא בר כהנא מאי דכתיב (בראשית יח, כה) "חלילה לך מעשות כדבר הזה להמית צדיק עם רשע" אמר אברהם לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע חולין הוא מעשות כדבר הזה להמית צדיק עם רשע. ולא והכתיב (יחזקאל כא, ח) "והכרתי ממך צדיק ורשע" בצדיק שאינו גמור.

 

R. Abba b. Kahana: What is the meaning of the verse, Far be it for you to act in such a way, to slay the righteous with the wicked (Genesis 18:25)? Abraham said in front of the Holy Blessed One: Master of the Universe, it is profane to act in such a way to slay the righteous with the wicked.

And God does not act in this manner? Is it not written, And I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked (Ezekiel 21:8)? That refers to one who is not thoroughly righteous.

 

This section interprets Abraham s claim against God before God destroys Sodom. It opens a discussion of God s justice, and an attempt to resolve contradictory verses.

 

אבל בצדיק גמור לא והכתיב (יחזקאל ט, ו) "וממקדשי תחלו" ותני רב יוסף אל תקרי ממקדשי אלא ממקודשי אלו בני אדם שקיימו את התורה מאל"ף ועד תי"ו.

התם נמי כיון שהיה בידם למחות ולא מיחו הוו להו כצדיקים שאינן גמורים.

 

But not to one who is thoroughly righteous? Is it not written, And begin [the slaughter] with my sanctuary (Ezekiel 9:6) and R. Joseph taught, do not read my sanctuary but my sanctified ones, namely the men who fulfilled the Torah from Aleph to Tav?

There, too, since it was in their power to protest against [the wickedness of the others] and they did not protest, they are not regarded as thoroughly righteous.

 

Those who are righteous but do not stand up against the wicked are punished as if they were themselves wicked. This is a message that still rings true through the generations.

רב פפא רמי כתיב (תהלים ז, יב) "אל זועם בכל יום" וכתיב (נחום א, ו) "לפני זעמו מי יעמוד". לא קשיא כאן ביחיד כאן בצבור.

 

R. Papa noted the following contradiction: It is written, God is angry every day (Psalms 7:12), while it is also written, Who could stand before His anger (Nahum 1:6)? There is no contradiction; the latter refers to an individual, the former to the community.

 

If God is angry every day, and no one can stand before his anger, then how can people exist? The answer is that individuals suffer the wrath of God and as such, fail to stand. But the community continues to exist.

 

ת"ר אל זועם בכל יום וכמה זעמו רגע וכמה רגע אחת מחמש ריבוא ושלשת אלפים ושמונה מאות וארבעים ושמנה בשעה זו היא רגע ואין כל בריה יכולה לכוין אותה רגע חוץ מבלעם הרשע דכתיב ביה (במדבר כד, טז) "ויודע דעת עליון".

 

Our Rabbis taught: God is angry every day, but how long does His anger last? A moment. And how long is a moment? One fifty three thousand eight hundred forty eighth of an hour is a moment. And no creature could ever precisely fix this moment, except Bilaam the wicked, of whom it is written, who knew the knowledge of the Most High (Numbers 24:16).

 

Only Bilaam could determine precisely that one infinitesimally small moment when God s anger is unleashed every day. Interestingly, while Bilaam is vilified, the rabbis do acknowledge him as a prophet.

 

אפשר דעת בהמתו לא הוה ידע דעת עליון מי הוה ידע? מאי דעת בהמתו לא הוה ידע? בעידנא דחזו ליה דהוה רכיב אחמריה אמרו ליה מאי טעמא לא רכבתא אסוסיא? אמר להו ברטיבא שדאי ליה. מיד ותאמר האתון "הלא אנכי אתונך". אמר לה לטעינא בעלמא. אמרה ליה "אשר רכבת עלי". אמר לה אקראי בעלמא. אמרה ליה "מעודך ועד היום הזה".

 

Is it possible that he did not know the mind of his animal, but he did know the mind of the Most High?

What is meant by the words he did not know the mind of his animal ? At the time when he was seen riding on his donkey, they said to him, Why do you not ride on a horse? And he replied, I consigned mine to the meadow. Whereupon the donkey said, Am I not your donkey. He said back, You are just for carrying loads. She said to him, Upon whom you rode. He said back, Only occasionally. But she continued, Ever since I was yours until this very day ?

 

How could Bilaam know God, but not even understand his own animal. This leads to a reconstruction of Bilaam s discussion with his famous donkey. Each passage is based on the donkey saying a verse back to Bilaam.

 

ולא עוד אלא שאני עושה לך רכיבות ביום ואישות בלילה כתיב הכא "ההסכן הסכנתי" וכתיב התם (מלכים א א, ב) "ותהי לו סוכנת"

 

What is more [she added], I have given you rides by day and sexual company at night. It is written here, Have I endangered you (hiskanti), and it is written there and she was for him a companion (I Kings 1:2).

 

This is probably something you did not know from the Bible. Not usually taught in Hebrew school.

 

אלא מאי ויודע דעת עליון שהיה יודע לכוין אותה שעה שהקב"ה כועס בה. והיינו דקאמר להו נביא (מיכה ו, ה) "עמי זכר נא מה יעץ בלק מלך מואב ומה ענה אותו בלעם בן בעור מן השטים ועד הגלגל למען דעת צדקות ה’.

 

What, then, is the meaning of He knew the knowledge of the Most High ?

He knew the exact hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, is angry.

This, indeed, is what the prophet was saying to them when he says, My people, Remember what Balak king of Moab plotted against you, and how Balaam son of Beor responded to him. [Recall your passage] From Shittim to Gilgal And you will recognize the gracious acts of the Lord.

 

This is the conclusion of the passage. Bilaam did not really know God he only knew when exactly during the day God would get angry. This would assumedly help him in his attempt to curse Israel.