דברים, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ו׳

God's love for the Israelites extends far beyond merely providing them with abundance and goodness. It involves active intervention, shifting the very order of the world to protect them from hostile forces seeking their ruin. This protection does not always stem from the people's merits, but rather from a profound and unconditional love.

Balaam deeply desired to curse the Israelites and exerted great effort to voice the dark intentions he held in his mind [אבן עזרא, ביאור יש״ר]. However, God refused to accept his words [נתינה לגר, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. One might wonder why God did not simply allow Balaam to speak the curse and then cancel it, thereby proving Balaam's powerlessness and completely humiliating him. The answer lies in the sheer magnitude of God's love. He loved the Israelites so deeply that He was unwilling to let a curse even enter the world, regardless of whether it would be undone afterward [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, even if the Israelites' past sins had given Balaam a legitimate footing to curse them rightfully, God refused to listen. He bypassed logical justification entirely, acting solely out of an unconditional love that did not depend on their actions or worthiness [אור החיים].

God's intervention went beyond mere prevention; He actively transformed the curse into a blessing. This was not a case of neutralizing a meaningless evil wish, but rather taking a real, certain curse and flipping it [העמק דבר]. The words literally turned against Balaam's will while they were still in his mouth [ביאור יש״ר].

The mechanics of how a curse becomes a blessing reveal a fascinating dynamic. As an astrologer, Balaam saw the Israelites' destiny and attempted to curse them based on his visions, such as foreseeing a time when they would have no synagogues. Because God generally does not disrupt the natural laws of the universe unless absolutely necessary, He did not entirely erase the decree. Instead, He kept the original content of the curse but inverted its meaning for their benefit. When the Israelites would eventually sin, God would pour out His anger on the wood and stones of their ruined synagogues rather than destroying the people themselves. Thus, the exact phrasing of the curse remained intact, but its practical meaning was transformed into a mechanism of salvation and blessing [כלי יקר].

Despite God stepping in to prevent and reverse the harm, the guilt of the Ammonites and Moabites who hired Balaam remains undiminished [ביאור שטיינזלץ, תורה תמימה]. Ultimately, the one who attempts to curse another brings that very curse upon himself [מלבי״ם, תורה תמימה]. This lingering guilt directly ties into the subsequent command to never seek the peace or welfare of Ammon and Moab. Just as Balaam outwardly appeared to be offering blessings while secretly harboring curses within, any apparent act of kindness or peace from these nations is inherently deceitful and conceals hidden danger. Therefore, a complete distance must be maintained from them [פני דוד].