זוהר, בלק מ״גZohar, Balak 43

Segment 1א׳

פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (תהילים ח׳:ה׳) מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ וְגוֹ', הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, דִּמְמָנָן דְּעָלְמָא אֲמְרוּהָּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּסָלִיק בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמִבְרֵי אֱנָשָׁא. קְרָא לְכִתּוֹת כִּתּוֹת דְּמַלְאֲכֵי עִלָּאָה, וְאוֹתִיב לוֹן קַמֵּיהּ. אָמַר לוֹן, בָּעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם. אָמְרוּ קַמֵּיהּ, (תהילים מ״ט:י״ג) וְאָדָם בִּיקָר בַּל יָלִין וְגוֹ'. אוֹשִׁיט קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֶצְבְּעָא דִּילֵיהּ, וְאוֹקִיד לוֹן. אוֹתִיב כִּתּוֹת אַחֲרָנִין קַמֵּיהּ, אָמַר לוֹן בָּעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם. אָמְרוּ קַמֵּיהּ, מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ. מַה טִיבוּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ דָּא. אָמַר לוֹן, בַּר נָשׁ דִּיְהֵא בְּצַלְמָא דִּידָן, דִּיְהֵא חָכְמְתָא דִּילֵיהּ, עִלָּאָה מֵחָכְמָתְכוֹן.

In reply he cited to them the verse: “What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?” (Ps. 8, 5). ‘The exposition of this verse’, he said, ‘is that it was uttered by those in charge of the world at the time when God expressed His intention of creating man. He called together various companies of heavenly angels and stationed them before Him. He said to them: I desire to create man. They exclaimed, “Man abideth not in honour”, etc. (Ps. 49, 13). God thereupon put forth His finger and burnt them. He then set other groups before Him, and said: I desire to create man. They exclaimed,”What is man that thou shouldst remember him?” What is the character of this man, they asked. He replied: Man will be in our image, and his wisdom will be superior to yours.

Segment 2ב׳

כֵּיוָן דְּבָרָא אָדָם, וְחָטָא, וְנָפִק בְּדִימוּס קַמֵּיהּ, אָתוּ עֲזָ"א וַעֲזָּ"אֵל, אָמְרוּ קַמֵּיהּ, פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה אִית לָן גַּבָּךְ, הָא בַּר נָשׁ דְּעַבְדַּת חָטֵי קַמָּךְ. אָמַר לְהוּ, אִלְמָלֵי תֶּהֱווֹן שְׁכִיחֵי גַּבַּיְיהוּ וְכוּ'. מַה עֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אָפִּיל לוֹן מִדַּרְגָּא קַדִישָׁא דִּלְהוֹן מִן שְׁמַיָא.

When He had created man and he sinned and obtained a pardon, Uzza and Azael approached Him and said: We can plead justification against Thee, since the man whom Thou hast made has sinned against Thee. He said to them: Had you been with them you would have sinned equally, and He cast them down from their high estate in heaven.

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, הַשְׁתָּא אַהֲדַרְנָא לְתִיּוּבְתַיְיכוּ. דְּבִלְעָם אָמַר נוֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם, אִי נֵימָא דְּלָא הֲוָה הָכִי, וְשַׁבּוּחֵי קָא מְשַׁבַּח גַּרְמֵיהּ, הֵיךְ יִכְתּוֹב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מִלָּה כְּדִיבָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וְאִי מִלָּה דִּקְשׁוֹט הִיא, הֵיךְ יִשְׁתַּבַּח הַהוּא רָשָׁע בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה עַל כָּל נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא. וְעוֹד, דְּהָא לָא שַׁרְיָא קְדוּשָּׁה דִּלְעֵילָּא, אֶלָּא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ.

Now to come to your question. How are we to explain Balaam’s saying of himself, “Falling and with eyes open”? For if this was merely an empty boast, how comes a false statement in the Torah? And if it is true, how could that sinner attain to a degree higher than that of all the true prophets, especially as the holiness from above rests only on a spot qualified to receive it?