Soccer Dad

Prophet for a loss

DovBear again brings up his assertion that Bilaam was not a prophet by citing the Ramban (Nachmanides) as his source. I've disputed him on this topic several times before.

So writes DovBear

Bilaam was NOT (not, not, not, NOT) a prophet -- at least according to two of the top three Rishonim. Here is the Ramban's commentary to Num 22:31. The translation is Chaval's (pg 258):"...and God-Forbid that they should stretch forth a hand against a prophet of God." On the same verse the Ramban says: "From this verse we learn the Balaam was not a prophet because had he been a prophet how could it be that he required "opening of the eyes... and indeed scripture calls him a Ballam ben Beor, the soothsayer[Kosaim]"

Here's the problem, in citing the Ramban as his source he is being selective. While he may agree with the Ramban that Bilaam was not a prophet, he does not (despite DovBear's assertions to the contrary) that the Ramban believes that there is a power of magic. DovBear does not believe that a power of magic exists, but the Ramban clearly does.

Second of all what's not clear is whether he's interpreting the Ramban on the subject of Bilaam being a prophet correctly. (It's possible that the Ramban does not necessarily disagree with Rashi.) The context in which the Ramban claims that Bilaam was not a prophet is that he was not a career prophet. Bilaam, according to the Ramban, did not regularly talk to God. However he could still be a prophet. The Gemora (Talmud) in Megilla calls anyone who had a single prophecy a prophet, if that prophecy was something that was preserved for generations. In other words, given that Bilaam had a single prophecy and that it was recorded at the end of the Torah reading makes him a prophet by definition, though not necessarily as a career.

DovBear knows all this, alas he didn't inform his readers that his interpretation of these issues is not as conclusive as he would like.

There's no doubt that there's some disagreement whether or not Balaam was a prophet. The lines are not as clear DovBear claims.