The Flying Balaam Who Wouldn't Die (Parshas Matos-Masei 5775)

Was Midian Completely Destroyed?

The Torah seems to imply that all of Midian was destroyed (Numbers 31:7-11):

And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew every male. And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword. And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey. And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire. And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.

However, we find later on in Tanach, that Midian was very much alive and subjugated the Jews (Judges 6:1):

And the children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years

Ha-emek Davar explains that they did not surround Midian from all four sides but left them room to flee (Numbers 31:7) [see also Sefer haChinuch 527 and Sifri 157). This is also explicit in the Rambam (Melachim 6:7):

When a city is besieged, we do not surround it from four sides but only from three, and leave a place for the inhabitants to flee, so anyone who wishes to escape can do so. And this is written: 'And they besieged Midian as G-d commanded Moses' - from G-d they were commanded to do it this way.

[See Sefer Shaarei Aharon who cites many opinions explaining how the entire Midian was not destroyed but only some of them, see also Ibn Ezra who explains that they only killed adult men]

Why Did Balaam Come Back?

The Torah writes (Numbers 31:8):

And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

However, earlier the Torah tells us that Balaam went home (Numbers 24:25):

And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

We know that Balaam lived in Pethor (see Numbers 22:5) which was located in Aram Naharaim (see Deuteronomy 23:5). Aram Nahariim was the city where Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, was originally from (see Genesis 24:10). Targum Onkelos (ibid) identifies this as being located near the Euphrates river, which is no where near Midian (which was on the east bank of the Jordan opposite the Land of Israel).

Rashi (Numbers 31:8) explains why Balaam came back but it is not immediately apparent that Rashi is combining two different opinions to answer this question. The first opinion is based on the Talmud (Sanhedrin 106a):

Balaam returned there to get his rewards for the twenty-four thousand Jews who died as the result of his advice

Rashi also cites a second opinion (based on Sifri 157):

He left Midian to greet the Jews and give them advice: If earlier when you came with 600 thousand, you could not conquer, now that you come only with 12 thousand, you think you can conquer? The Jews gave him a just reward (i.e. they killed him)

[See also the discussion in Josh Waxman's parshablog and other opinions cited there]

How Did Balaam Die?

The Torah writes (Numbers 31:8):

And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

The Sifri (Matos 157) writes that he was killed by a Jewish court:

He was killed by a Jewish court as it is written (Joshua 13:22): And Balaam son of Beor, the sorcerer, they killed by sword

[See Sefer Shaarei Aharon and Sefer Torah Sheleimah why he had to be killed through a court]

Rashi (Numbers 31:6) writes (based on Midrash Tanchuma, see also Targum Jonathan) that Balaam knew how to fly through sorcery and was killed by falling from the sky:

For Balaam was with them and he made the kings of Midian fly with magic, and he himself flew with them. When the Tzitz was shown to them [by Pinchas], the Divine Name etched on it, they fall. And that is why it says "upon their dead" by the kings of Midian for they fell on their dead from the air,  and so by Balaam (see Joshua 13:22)

[See Shach al haTorah who writes that Balaam flew with stone wings, was brought down to the ground but did not die and was instead brought to a Jewish court to be judged. See also further discussion in Josh Waxman's parshablog here and here]

Daas Zekeinim (Genesis 31:52) writes that this sword was part of the monument put up by Jacob and Laban:

They attached a sword in this stone heap also as a witness, and Balaam was struck by it twice [once when the donkey squeezed his leg against it, and the second time when he was killed with it]

Tosfos haShalem (Exodus 1:10 and here) cites opinions that Balaam was never killed (based on Talmud [Sanhedrin 105a] that Balaam was the same as Cushan Rishasaim, a king in the days of Judges):

And if he was Balaam, wasn't he killed in the days of Moses and did not live until the days of the Judges? The Riva answers ... that there are those that explain that they made him poor and took all his money and a poor person is like a dead one. And that which it is written "And Balaam the son of Beor they killed by a sword" we must explain that they removed his eyes and a blind person is like a dead one, and either way he had a long life and was very old

[Published at parshapeople.blogspot.com]