זוהר, בלק כ״בZohar, Balak 22

Segment 1א׳

(במדבר כ״ב:ח׳) וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה וַהֲשִׁיבוֹתִי, אִינּוּן כְּתִיב, וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו. וְאִיהוּ כְּתִיב, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם. לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה, בְּגִין דְּלֵילְיָא אִיהוּ שַׁעֲתָא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא הֲוִי, לְחַרְשַׁיָּא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי וְשַׁלְטֵי סִטְרֵי בִּישִׁין וּמִתְפַּשְּׁטָן בְּעָלְמָא. כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר יְיָ אֵלָי. שַׁבּוּחֵי קָא מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא דַּיְיָ.

“And he said to them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring back word” (Num. 22, 8). Of them it is written, “And they spoke to him”; and of him it is written, “And he said to them”. “Lodge here this night”: because the night is the hour of the other side, the hour for sorceries, when the evil sides are found and hold sway and spread through the world. “As the Lord shall speak to me”: he was praising himself with the name of the Lord.

Segment 2ב׳

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב, וְשָׂרֵי מִדְיָן אִתְפְּרָשׁוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְלָא בָּעוּ לְמֵיתַב תַּמָּן. וְסָבֵי מוֹאָב אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ, דִּכְתִּיב וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב, בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ. יָאוּת עַבְדֵי מִדְיָן, דְּאִתְפְּרָשׁוּ מִכָּל וְכָל מִנַּיְיהוּ. וְאִלְמָלֵא לָא הֲווֹ מָחָאן בְּסוֹפָא דַּהֲווֹ בְּעֵיטָא דְּבִלְעָם, לְשָׁלְחָא נְשֵׁיהוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים לְמִטְעֵי לוֹן. וּקְרָא אוֹכַח חוֹבָא דִּלְהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב, (במדבר כ״ה:י״ח) כִּי צוְֹרַרִים הֵם לָכֶם בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר נִכְּלוּ לָכֶם עַל דְּבַר פְּעוֹר וְעַל דְּבַר כָּזְבִּי בַּת נְשִׂיא מִדְיָן אֲחוֹתָם וְגוֹ'. בִּתְרֵין אִלֵּין חָאבוּ. וַהֲוָה חוֹבָא דִּלְהוֹן סַגִּי. מָחוּ בִּזְנָבָא לְבָתַר. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִלֵּין אִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְאִלֵּין אַזְלוּ בִּלְחוֹדַיְיהוּ.

“And the princes of Moab abode”: the princes of Midian parted from them and did not wish to sit there. And the elders of Moab remained, as it is written, “And the princes of Moab abode”, by themselves. Those of Midian did well, in that they parted from them altogether. And had they only not struck at the last, when they were in the counsel of Balaam to send their women to Israel at Shittim, to lead them astray! And the verse proves their sin, as it is written, “For they harass you with their wiles, with which they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister”, etc. (Num. 25, 18). In these two things they sinned, and their sin was great. They struck with the tail afterwards. And therefore these remained with him, and those went by themselves.

Segment 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב עִם בִּלְעָם, כַּמָה יָאוּת הֲוָה לוֹן לִבְנֵי מִדְיָן דְּאַזְלֵי, אִי רְעוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן הָכִי. אֲבָל יְשִׁיבָה דְּיָתִיבוּ אִינּוּן דְּמוֹאָב, גַּרְמָא לוֹן טַב, בְּגִין דְּאִשְׁתָּאָרוּ תַּמָּן. וּמַאן דְּאָזְלוּ אִינּוּן דְּמִדְּיָן, גַּרְמֵי לוֹן בִּישׁ. מַאי טַעְמָא. אִלֵּין חַשְׁשׁוּ לִיקָרָא דְּמִלָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְיָתִיבוּ. וְאִלֵּין לָא חַשְׁשׁוּ לָהּ כְּלוּם. וְאָזְלוּ לְאָרְחַיְיהוּ.

Another explanation of “And the princes of Moab abode with Balaam”: how well it would have been for the sons of Midian who went, had their will been so! But the sitting with which those of Moab sat brought them good, since they remained there; and those of Midian who went, it brought them evil. What is the reason? These had regard for the honour of the word of the Holy One, blessed be He, and sat; and those had no regard for it at all, and went their way.