במדבר, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ל״ח

The long-awaited meeting between the king of Moab and the famous sorcerer begins on a sour note. Instead of promising a swift victory, Balaam immediately declares his complete powerlessness, shattering the king's expectations. The king assumed that the sorcerer's initial delay was simply a tactic to demand greater wealth and prestige [מלבי״ם, אלשיך]. Balaam corrects this assumption, explaining that he is not a messenger of the king, but a messenger of God. The larger, more distinguished delegation was necessary to honor Heaven, not to satisfy his own personal pride [חתם סופר]. Furthermore, his physical arrival is a strict necessity. Contrary to the king's belief, the sorcerer cannot cast a curse from afar without maintaining direct visual contact with his target [העמק דבר]. Nevertheless, he admits that his actual presence changes nothing; even if he had arrived sooner, he would have been just as unhelpful [ספורנו, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Balaam then makes it clear that he is no longer an ordinary man with the free will to speak as he pleases [ספורנו]. His profound inner malice is exposed through his inability to act: he is prevented from cursing the Israelites by two distinct forces. Not only has God explicitly warned him against it, but his free will has actually been stripped away. If he still possessed the ability to choose, he would gladly ignore the warning and curse the nation [אור החיים]. Because he has absolutely no control over his own words, all the king's promises of riches and honor are completely meaningless [אלשיך]. In fact, Balaam harbors a deep fear that instead of cursing the Israelites, he will be forced against his will to bless them [מלבי״ם].

Setting a firm boundary, the sorcerer issues a clear ultimatum to the king. He will only speak the exact words God places in His mouth, regardless of whether they form a curse or a blessing. The king must accept this condition to proceed; otherwise, Balaam will immediately turn back and go home [הטור הארוך]. Yet, Balaam still holds onto a dark hope. By invoking the divine attribute of strict justice, he intends to scrutinize the Israelites, hoping to find a flaw or sin that will trigger a heavenly prosecution against them [רקנאטי, העמק דבר].

At this early stage of their encounter, the sorcerer operates on a relatively low level of divine inspiration. He serves merely as a passive vessel, mechanically repeating the words placed in his mouth. He would later attempt to elevate himself to the highest levels of prophecy, akin to Moses. When those grand attempts ultimately fail, however, he will lose his spiritual abilities entirely and revert to being nothing more than a common sorcerer [צפנת פענח].