Balak 24:03 · unit 1 — the man whose eye is open
Parashas Balak · Aliyah 6 · Passuk 3 · TT unit 1
The Complete Passuk
וַיִּשָּׂ֥א מְשָׁל֖וֹ וַיֹּאמַ֑ר נְאֻ֤ם בִּלְעָם֙ בְּנ֣וֹ בְעֹ֔ר וּנְאֻ֥ם הַגֶּ֖בֶר שְׁתֻ֥ם הָעָֽיִן׃
And he took up his discourse and said: The speech of Bilam son of Beor, and the speech of the man whose eye is open.
Chabad.org — 24:3
Source Citation
Torah Temimah: Sanhedrin 105a — R. Yochanan: Bilam was blind in one of his eyes.
Sefaria — Sanhedrin 105a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: בִּלְעָם סוּמָא בְּאַחַת מֵעֵינָיו הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וּנְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר שְׁתֻם הָעָיִן״.
English: It was taught: R. Yochanan said: Bilam was blind in one of his eyes, as it is said, “And the speech of the man whose eye is open [shesum].”
Type of Learning
Lexical reading of שתם as closed/defective eye.
What Is Learned
The seer who claims open vision is marked by a closed eye — the verse itself records the defect.