Over Shabbos, I had a revelation about Bilaam:
a) He only had one eye. (Sanhedrin 105a, based on Bemidbar 24:3)
b) While not wanting to live a Jewish life, he wanted to die among the righteous Jews, and so could be considered quasi-Jewish. (Bemidbar 23:20) (Alternatively, ketoafot re'em lo, "he has the horn of the unicorn", in Bemidbar 23:22)
c) He could fly. (Midrash Rabba on Balak)
d) He was royalty - as Bela ben Beor, he was one of the kings of Edom. (Bereishit 36:32)
e) His name is a contraction of bala' 'am, swallower of a people.
Thus:
♫ He was a (a) one eyed, (b) one horned, (c) flying (d) purple (e) people eater. ♪
a) He only had one eye. (Sanhedrin 105a, based on Bemidbar 24:3)
b) While not wanting to live a Jewish life, he wanted to die among the righteous Jews, and so could be considered quasi-Jewish. (Bemidbar 23:20) (Alternatively, ketoafot re'em lo, "he has the horn of the unicorn", in Bemidbar 23:22)
c) He could fly. (Midrash Rabba on Balak)
d) He was royalty - as Bela ben Beor, he was one of the kings of Edom. (Bereishit 36:32)
e) His name is a contraction of bala' 'am, swallower of a people.
Thus:
♫ He was a (a) one eyed, (b) one horned, (c) flying (d) purple (e) people eater. ♪
1 comment:
I believe it was a (purple people) eater, not a purple (people eater). Other than that I think the theories sound. :-)
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