במדבר, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ג׳

As the fateful moment approaches to cast a curse upon the Israelites, a dramatic physical and spiritual separation occurs between the prophet Balaam and the Moabite king. Following the offering of sacrifices, Balaam instructs Balak to stand firmly beside his burnt offering and focus his mind entirely on the ritual, as the owner of a sacrifice is required to be present over it during its offering [ספורנו, העמק דבר]. This act was rooted in their shared pagan belief that sacrifices possessed a magical power capable of coercing God to fulfill their desires [רש״ר הירש]. Furthermore, remaining stationed beside the altar was intended to spiritually prepare Balak, allowing the holy spirit to rest upon him so he could comprehend the prophetic message that would soon follow [אדרת אליהו].

Leaving the king behind, Balaam ventures alone into the unknown, seeking a divine encounter. This isolation is necessary because he cannot achieve prophetic inspiration while surrounded by people [העמק דבר, מלבי״ם]. Moreover, orchestrating a curse against such a massive nation requires absolute secrecy to prevent heavenly angels from advocating on their behalf [שפתי כהן]. Yet, as he departs, Balaam is plagued by deep uncertainty about whether God will actually appear to him. This doubt arises because God typically only communicated with him at night through dreams; thus, a daytime revelation was far from guaranteed [רש״י, מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה]. Additionally, aware that he had sinned by acting contrary to God's will, Balaam feared that the holy spirit might have abandoned him entirely [העמק דבר].

The prophet anticipates a sudden, chance encounter, a hallmark of prophetic experiences for those outside of Israel [The Torah]. Despite this, Balaam holds out hope that he might receive a direct, face-to-face revelation of God's attribute of mercy, much like the initial prophecy of Moses, rather than experiencing a mere partial revelation of divine justice [ספורנו, אלשיך, שפתי כהן]. Acknowledging his limitations, Balaam admits that he cannot conjure the vision on his own. Having completed his role by offering the sacrifices, he can only wait for a divine sight to manifest, which he will then translate into words for the king [רש״ר הירש, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This process encapsulates the complete trajectory of prophecy: the initial supreme revelation, the visual experience, and finally, the articulated speech [אדרת אליהו].

As Balaam sets out, commentators offer three distinct perspectives on the nature of his solitary walk. One approach suggests he moved with a slow, heavy, and silent gait, plunging into deep meditation and isolation to invite the holy spirit [רש״י, מזרחי, העמק דבר, שפתי כהן]. A second perspective maintains that he climbed to a barren, elevated peak to engage in divination. From this vantage point, he intended to look down upon the Israelite camp, hoping to find them vulnerable and gathered, though he ultimately saw them scattered [אבן עזרא, הטור הארוך, רלב״ג, רבנו בחיי, אדרת אליהו]. A third, more physical interpretation posits that Balaam walked with a pronounced limp, suffering from the fractured foot he sustained earlier when his donkey crushed his leg against a wall. Driven by a venomous hatred for the Israelites, he refused to wait for his wounds to heal [רשב״ם, תורה תמימה, חזקוני]. His slow, deliberate steps were an attempt to conceal this physical blemish, which technically disqualified him from performing sacrificial rites [צפנת פענח]. Pressing forward despite his severe disability highlights his stubborn, relentless wickedness [אלשיך]. Moving with the quiet stealth of a viper, he advanced to strike at the Israelites before they could even sense his presence [מזרחי].