במדבר, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ח

After two failed attempts to find a vulnerability to strike the Israelites, the Moabite king tries a third and final strategy, leading his hired prophet to a fresh vantage point at the peak of a mountain overlooking the desert on the border of Canaan [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The choice of this specific mountain, Peor, is highly calculated. Balak is actually a greater sorcerer and astrologer than Balaam. Through his mystical foresight, he envisions that the Israelites are destined to sin and suffer God's fierce wrath in connection to Peor. Though his vision is blurred and he does not know exactly how or when this downfall will occur, he assumes this location is the nation's ultimate weak point and hopes a curse will finally take hold from there [רש"י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, מלבי"ם].

This dynamic highlights the unique relationship between the two men. Balak is the visionary who identifies the vulnerabilities and leads the way, while Balaam is merely the tool of execution. They operate much like two men performing a surgery, where one knows exactly where to cut but lacks the blade, while the other holds the knife but does not know where to make the incision [רש"ר הירש].

Having realized that the physical and spiritual defenses of the Israelites are impenetrable, Balak searches for internal rot. The idol worship associated with Peor represents profound immorality, promiscuity, and the complete loss of shame, reducing human beings to an animalistic state. Balak hopes to uncover a flaw of immodesty within the camp, knowing that the loss of sexual purity is a corrosive force that destroys a nation's resilience from the inside out [רש"ר הירש]. Simply standing opposite the site of Peor poses a severe spiritual danger. However, the Israelites camp there out of a need to study the Torah in the plains of Moab, fully trusting that the power of their study will shield them from the area's corrupting influence. Balak, conversely, sees their proximity to this epicenter of sin as a prime opportunity to trigger a curse [העמק דבר].

A completely different perspective suggests that the king and the prophet actually conclude that the Israelites are entirely flawless. Recognizing this absolute perfection, they pivot to a new strategy: weaponizing the Evil Eye. By ascending to the peak of Peor, the goal is for Balaam to open his mouth wide and broadcast the praises of the Israelites at the top of his lungs. They hope that as the surrounding nations hear these grand praises, intense jealousy will awaken, drawing a destructive Evil Eye that will twist the blessing into a curse [כלי יקר].

Yet, it is precisely at this notorious location that Balaam finally understands the futility of using omens and magic against the Israelites. He decides to abandon his standard sorcery, a profound shift that ultimately allows the spirit of God to rest upon him [אבן עזרא].