ספורנו — לכה נא ארה לי / כי ידעתי את אשר תברך מברך

Q — When Balak feared Israel, why did he summon Bilam to *curse* Israel rather than asking him to *bless* Moav? And how do we reconcile this with Balak's own opening line — "כי ידעתי את אשר תברך מברך ואשר תאר יואר" — which credits Bilam with both blessing-power and curse-power?

A — For Sforno, Bilam's real power was only destructive. As Chazal say (Berachot 7a), Bilam "היה יודע לכוין אותה שעה שהקב\"ה כועס בה" — he could time-target divine anger, "בהזכיר עון או בכוון שעה." That's a skill for cursing, not for blessing. Balak knew this — which is exactly why he asked only for a curse and "לא שאל ממנו שיברכהו לנצח או שיוכל להתיצב מנגד." But why does Balak's opening flatter Bilam with both functions? Sforno: it was diplomacy. "לכבודו של בלעם להורות שלא חשב אותו למזיק בלבד." Balak didn't want to insult his hire by openly labeling him a one-trick destroyer; he padded the request with credit for both capacities. The chiddush exposes the gap between political speech and political knowledge: even ancient idolaters wrapped their dark hires in polite language.