Balak 23:21 · EXTRA 1 — He has not beheld iniquity in Yaakov

Parashas Balak · EXTRA · Passuk 23:21 · Tanchuma via Rashi

The Complete Passuk

לֹֽא־הִבִּ֥יט אָ֙וֶן֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־רָאָ֥ה עָמָ֖ל בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ וּתְרוּעַ֥ת מֶ֖לֶךְ בּֽוֹ׃

He has not beheld iniquity in Yaakov, nor has He seen toil in Israel; Hashem his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.

Source Citation

Midrash Tanchuma Balak 14 — Hashem does not scrutinize their sins to the full; Shechinah remains among them.

Sefaria — Rashi on 23:21

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לֹא הִבִּיט הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָוֶן שֶׁבְּיַעֲקֹב — כְּשֶׁהֵן עוֹבְרִין עַל דְּבָרָיו אֵינוֹ מְדַקְדֵּק אַחֲרֵיהֶם. ה׳ אֱלֹהָיו עִמּוֹ — אֲפִלּוּ מַכְעִיסִין וּמַמְרִים לְפָנָיו, אֵינוֹ זָז מִתּוֹכָן. וּתְרוּעַת מֶלֶךְ בּוֹ — לְשׁוֹן חִבָּה וְרֵעוּת; שְׁכִינַת מַלְכָּן בֵּינֵיהֶן.

English: The Holy One does not behold the iniquity that is in Yaakov — when they transgress His words He does not scrutinize them closely. “Hashem his God is with him” — even when they provoke and rebel before Him, He does not depart from their midst. “And the shout of a king is among them” — language of love and friendship; the Shechinah of their King is among them.

Type of Learning

Aggadic reading of divine forbearance and enduring presence.

What Is Learned

Israel’s protection is not sinlessness but that Hashem does not pursue every fault to the end — and the Shechinah stays even under provocation.