The Prophecy of Bilaam and Mashiach

 נבואת בלעם ומשיח

B'Midbar 24.17

17. ’I see him, but not now, I behold him, but not near; there shall shoot forth a star from Jacob and shall rise a scepter out of Israel and he shall smite down the extremities of Moab and ground down all the children of Seth-אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת (7162 + 19 words=7181=17=8 counting final Zaddik and Kaf as 900 and 500).

The verse can be divided so:

·         I see him but not now - אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה  (770+3 words=17=8);

·         I behold him but not near- אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב(908=17=8);

·         There shall shoot forth a star from Jacob- דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב (494 =17=8);

·         And a scepter shall rise out of Israel- וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל(1598+3 words = 1601=8);

·         And he shall smite down the extremities of Moav -  וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב(1494 =18);

·         And ground down all the children of Seth- וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת (1418 +3 words = 1421=8).

Rashi comments that he saw the glory of Jacob and his greatness that will occur at a later time. “A king will arise from Jacob and an anointed king will be appointed from Israel” translates Onkelos. Rashi calls it a good omen - a star shooting forth like an arrow from a bow. There will be a King who will reign .David is the King who will defeat Moab (Shmuel 2-8.2) according to Rashi. The children of Seth are all the nations of the world that descended from Seth son of   Adam.

The Sages teach us that this verse speaks of two saviors, King David and King Mashiach. Thus the verse must be read alternatively in two halves:

King David-I see him but not now

מלך דוד-אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה

874=19=10=1 or 1354+5 words=18 (Kaf 500)

Mashiach ben David- I behold him but not near

משיח בן דוד-אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב

1332=1+8 or 1992+6 words=26=8 (Nun 700)

King David- There shall shoot forth a star from Jacob

מלך דוד-דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב

598+5 words=603=1+8 or 1558=19=10=1 (Kafs 500)

Mashiach ben David- And a scepter shall rise out of Israel

משיח בן דוד- וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל

1462+6 words=19=10=1 or 2672=17=8 (final letters)

King David- And he shall smite down the extremities of Moav

מלך דוד-וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב

788+5 words=793=19=10=1 or 2078=17=8 (final letters)

Mashiach ben David- And he shall ground down all the children of Seth

משיח בן דוד-וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת

2492=17=8

This tradition passed down by the Sages is further proved by dividing the six descriptions into “halves”-חצי three for King David and three for Mashaich ben David, and then adding their gematriot:

King David- I see him but not now; a star shall shoot forth from Jacob; and he shall smite down the extremities of Moav

מלך דוד- אֶרְאֶנּוּ וְלֹא עַתָּה דָּרַךְ כּוֹכָב מִיַּעֲקֹב וּמָחַץ פַּאֲתֵי מוֹאָב

2052=1+8 or 3822+11 words=3833=17=8 (final letters)

Mashiach ben David- I behold him but not near; and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; and he shall ground down all the children of Seth

משיח בן דוד- אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ וְלֹא קָרוֹב וְקָם שֵׁבֶט מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְקַרְקַר כָּל בְּנֵי שֵׁת

3788=26=8 or 4998 +13 words=5012=8

The dividing of the verse into half is significant as the gematria of the word “half”-חצי is 108. 

Thus the two halves are 216 and the number 216 corresponds to the 216 letters in the Explicit Name of Hashem (72*3) and the volume in tefachim (6*6*6) of the Two Tablets of the Testimony.