במדבר, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ו

Caught between an angry king and a divine mandate, Balaam defends his unexpected blessing of the Israelites by reminding the Moabite king of a prior warning. From the very beginning of their journey, he made it clear that he lacked any independent control over his prophecies and could not speak out of his own free will [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The entire purpose of his earlier declarations was to establish upfront that whatever God instructed—whether a blessing or a curse—he was absolutely bound to fulfill [אור החיים].

There is also a deeper conversational dynamic at play. Rather than simply stating his lack of choice, Balaam may have been pausing to wait for the king's reaction. By invoking God's name, which represents divine mercy, Balaam waited to see if the king would agree to this new direction. When the king remained silent, this attribute of mercy was fully activated in favor of the Israelites, resulting in a doubled blessing [אלשיך].

Balaam’s commitment to carry out God's will is absolute, but the nature of this obedience operates on several levels. Fundamentally, it reflects a total surrender to God's authority, even when it directly contradicts the very job he was hired to perform [אור החיים]. Furthermore, this obligation is not limited to the moment of speech. It applies to the entire preparation process; whenever a divine desire is awakened, Balaam is required to make all the necessary preparations to receive it [העמק דבר].

The way Balaam describes his obedience also reveals a complex psychological state. In reality, he was completely forced, his words spoken against his will. Yet, out of deep shame, he phrased his response to imply personal choice, attempting to hide his humiliation and maintain a sense of dignity before the king [אלשיך]. On a deeper, more spiritual level, this phrasing reflects the profound nature of his experience. At this moment, Balaam reached such a high prophetic level that the divine speech itself was considered an actual physical action, much like the prophecy of Moses. Because of this elevated state, the mere act of delivering the prophecy was described as an act of doing [צפנת פענח].