“Come curse Yaakov for me, come bring anger upon Yisrael.” “How can I curse? – Kel has not cursed. How can I anger? – Hashem is not angry. From the top of rocks I see it [the nation], and from hills do I see it.” (23:7-9)
R’ Eliezer David Gruenwald z”l explains these verses based on two introductions:
First, the names “Yaakov” and “Yisrael” both allude to G-d. The gematria of “Yaakov” is a multiple of the gematria of Hashem’s four- letter Name (7 x 26 = 182). The name “Yisrael” contains G-d’s Name – Kel – within it
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Second, the halachah is that when one prays for a person who is ill, one must mention the person’s name. The exception is if one is in the presence of the ill person; then his or her name need not be mentioned. (We learn this from Moshe’s prayer for Miriam at the end of Parashat Be’ha’alotecha. He said simply: “Please, Hashem, heal her now.”) Presumably, writes R’ Gruenwald, the same thing applies when one curses. If he is cursing someone who is in front of him, he does not need to mention the person’s name. Otherwise, he does need to mention it.
Balak said to Bilam, “Come curse Yaakov for me, come bring anger upon Yisrael.” Just curse them from where you are, using their name, and be done with it. However, that would require Bilam to curse Bnei Yisrael by name, and he did not wish to do that. After all, their names, Yaakov and Yisrael, both contain the name of G-d, and one who blasphemes G-d incurs the death penalty.
Therefore Bilam said, “How can I curse? — Kel has not cursed. How can I anger? — Hashem is not angry.” He meant: How can I curse? — I would have to curse “Kel.” How can I anger? — I would have to anger “Hashem.”
What is the solution? If from the top of rocks I see the nation, and from hills do I see it.
Then I can curse without using their names.
