Balak 23:03 · unit 1 — he walked lame
Parashas Balak · Aliyah 4 · Passuk 3 · TT unit 1
The Complete Passuk
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר בִּלְעָ֜ם לְבָלָ֗ק הִתְיַצֵּב֮ עַל־עֹלָתֶךָ֒ וְאֵֽלְכָ֗ה אוּלַ֞י יִקָּרֵ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לִקְרָאתִ֔י וּדְבַ֥ר מַה־יַּרְאֵ֖נִי וְהִגַּ֣דְתִּי לָ֑ךְ וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ שֶֽׁפִי׃
And Bilam said to Balak: Station yourself by your burnt-offering, and I will go; perhaps Hashem will chance upon me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you. And he went alone.
Chabad.org — 23:3
Source Citation
Torah Temimah: Sotah 10a — R. Yochanan: Bilam was lame in one leg.
Sefaria — Sotah 10a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: בִּלְעָם חִגֵּר בְּרַגְלוֹ אַחַת הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֵּלֶךְ שֶׁפִי״.
English: It was taught: R. Yochanan said: Bilam was lame in one leg, as it is said, “And he went shefi [alone / limping].”
Type of Learning Lexical inference from an unusual word in the verse.
What Is Learned The word שפי marks physical defect — the prophet who would curse Israel is himself incomplete.
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