Bamidbar 22:32

32 And the Malach Hashem said unto him, Why hast thou beaten thine donkey these shalosh regalim? Hinei, I came l’satan (as adversary, opposer) to thee, because thy derech is perverse before me;

Bamidbar 22:32 Meaning and Commentary

Numbers 22:32

And the angel of the Lord said unto him
When risen up, and standing before him:

wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times?
the brute creatures are not to be beaten without cause, nor to be misused and abused by men, even their owners:

behold, I went out to withstand thee;
the ass was not to be blamed, nor to be beaten for turning aside, or lying down, it was I that stood in the way, and hindered its going forward, and this was done by me on purpose to oppose and stop thee:

because thy way is perverse before me;
the journey he took was not with his good liking and approbation, and especially seeing he went with an intention, if possible, to serve Balak, and curse Israel; the way of his heart was bad, which the Lord knew; it was not directed according to his will, but swerved from it; the Targum of Jonathan is,

``it is manifest before me that thou seekest to go and curse the people, and the thing is not agreeable to me.''

Bamidbar 22:32 In-Context

30 And the donkey said unto Balaam, Am not I thine donkey, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever accustomed to do so unto thee? And he said, Loh.

31 Then Hashem opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the Malach Hashem standing in the derech, and his cherev drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell facedown.

32 And the Malach Hashem said unto him, Why hast thou beaten thine donkey these shalosh regalim? Hinei, I came l’satan (as adversary, opposer) to thee, because thy derech is perverse before me;

33 And the donkey saw me, and turned from me these shalosh regalim; had she not turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee, and saved her alive.

34 And Balaam said unto the Malach Hashem, Chatati (I have sinned); for I was without da’as that thou stoodest in the derech against me; now, therefore, if it displease thee, I will return home.