Sanhedrin

And knoweth the mind  of the most High.  Now, seeing that he did not even know the mind of his ass, could he know the mind of the most High! What [is this about] the mind of his ass? — For they [the elders] said to him, 'Why didst thou not ride upon thy horse?' He replied. 'I have put it [to graze] in the dewy pastures. But the ass said to him, 'Am I not thine ass?'  — 'Merely for carrying loads', A sectarian  lived in the neighbourhood of R. Joshua b. Levi, who used to vex him. One day he took a fowl, tied it to the foot A Tanna taught in the name of R. Meir: When the sun shines and kings place their crowns upon their heads and adore the sun, immediately [the Almighty] becomes wroth. And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass.  A Tanna taught on the authority of R. Simeon b. Eleazar: Love disregards the rule of dignified conduct. [This is deduced] from Abraham, for it is written, And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass.  Hate likewise disregards the rule of dignified conduct: [this is deduced] from Balaam, for it is written, And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: One should always occupy himself with Torah and good deeds, though it be not for their own sake,  for out of good work misapplied in purpose there comes [the desire to do it] for its own sake. For as a reward for the forty-two sacrifices offered up by Balak, he was privileged that Ruth should be his descendant;[as]  R. Jose b. Huna said: Ruth was the daughter of Eglon, the grandson of Balak, king of Moab. Raba said to Rabbah b. Mari: It is written, [And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying] God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne:  is it mannerly to speak thus to a king? — He replied: They meant, according to the nature of [thy throne etc.].  For should you not say thus, [consider:] Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.  Now who are the 'women in the tent'? — Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. Is it then meet to say thus? — But it means according to the nature of [their blessedness].  So here too, it bears the same meaning. Now, this conflicts with R. Jose b. Honi. For R. Jose b. Honi said: Of everyone a man is jealous, except his son and disciple. 'His son' — this is deduced from Solomon.  'His disciple — [is deduced] if you like, say, from Let a double quantity of thy spirit be upon me;  or if you like, say, from And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge. And the Lord put a thing in the mouth of Balaam.  R. Eleazar said, An angel;  R. Jonathan said: a hook. R. Johanan said: From the blessings of that wicked man you may learn his intentions:  Thus he wished to curse them that they [the Israelites] should possess no synagogues or school-houses — [this is deduced from] How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob;  that the Shechinah should not rest upon them — and thy tabernacles, O Israel;  that their kingdom should not endure — As the valleys are they spread forth;  that they might have no olive trees and vineyards — as gardens by the river's side; that their odour might not be fragrant — as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted; that their kings might not be tall — and as cedar trees beside the waters; that they might not have a king the son of a king — 37 He shall pour the water out of his buckets;  that their kingdom might not rule over other nations — and his seed shall be in many waters; that their kingdom might not be strong — and his king shall be higher than Agag; that their kingdom might not be awe-inspiring — and his kingdom shall be exalted. R. Abba b. Kahana said: All of them reverted to a curse,  excepting the synagogues and schoolhouses, for it is written, But the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing for thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee;  the curse, but not the curses. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: What is meant by the verse, Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful?  Better is the curse wherewith Ahijah the Shilonite cursed Israel than the blessing wherewith the wicked Balaam blessed them. Ahijah the Shilonite cursed Israel by a reed, as it is said, For the Lord shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water:  just as a reed grows in well watered soil and its stem