“So spoke he who hears the words of G-d and knows the knowledge of the Supreme One”
(Bamidbar 24:16)
“Those who have the attributes of a good eye a humble spirit and a meek soul are of the disciples of Avraham Avinu. Those who have the attributes of an evil eye an arrogant spirit and a greedy soul are among the disciples of Bilaam the rasha. Avraham’s disciples eat in this world and inherit the World to Come. Bilaam’s disciples inherit Gehinnom and descend to the pit of destruction. ” (Avos 5:19).
One who truly recognizes his Creator cannot have the audacity to fight against the power of kedushah within him. Therefore it’s completely bewildering how someone like Bilaam whose prophecy was equated to that of Moshe Rabbeinu was drawn after petty things such as money false honor and base desires.
In the above mishnah in Avos we see the secret to Bilaam’s downfall: envy desire and honor. In essence these middos are intrinsically permissible. Envy of another’s scholarship is a desirable trait and involvement in matters of money prestige and worldly pleasure is permitted by the Torah. So what went wrong with Bilaam?
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