Sanhedrin

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his parable.  Balaam said to Jethro, 'Thou Kenite, wast thou not with us in that scheme?4   Who then placed thee among the strong ones of the world!'  And that is what R. Hiyya b. Abba said in R. Simai's name: Three were involved in that scheme,  viz., Balaam, Job, and Jethro. Balaam, who advised it, was slain; Job, who was silent,  was punished through suffering; and Jethro, who fled — his descendants were privileged to sit in the Hall of Hewn Stones, as it is written, And the families of the scribes which dwell at Jabez, the Tirathites, the Shemeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hemath, the father of the house of Rechab;  whilst elsewhere it is written, And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees. And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!  R. Simeon b. Lakish said: Woe unto him who maketh himself alive by the name of God,11  R. Johanan said: Woe to the nation that may be found [attempting to hinder], when the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes the redemption of his children: who would throw his garment between a lion and a lioness when these are copulating!12 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim.  Rab said: This refers to the White Legion.  And shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict And now, behold I go unto my people; come, therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.  But he should have said, What thy people shall do to this people?18  — R. Abba b. Kahana said: It is as one who, cursing himself, refers his malediction to others.  He [Balaam] said thus to him [Balak]. 'The God of these hates lewdness, and they are very partial to linen.20  Come, and I will advise thee. Erect for them tents enclosed by hangings, in which place harlots, old women without, young women within, to sell them linen garments.' So he erected curtained tents from the snowy mountain [Hermon] as far as Beth ha-Yeshimoth [i.e., right from north to south], and placed harlots in them — old women without, young women within. And when an Israelite ate, drank, and was merry, and issued forth for a stroll in the market place, the old woman would say to him, 'Dost thou not desire linen garments?' The old woman offered it at its current value, but the young one for less. This happened two or three times. After that she would say to him, 'Thou art now like one of the family; sit down and choose for thyself.' Gourds of Ammonite wine lay near her, and at that time Ammonite  and heathen wine had not yet been forbidden. Said she to him, 'Wouldst thou like to drink a glass of wine?' Having drunk, [his passion] was inflamed, and he exclaimed to her, 'Yield to me!' Thereupon she brought forth an idol from her bosom and said to him, 'Worship this'! 'But I am a Jew', he And Israel abode in Shittim.  R. Eliezer said: Its name was Shittim. R. Joshua said: They engaged in ways of folly [shetuth],  And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods:  R. Eliezer said: They met them naked;26  R. Joshua said: They were all excited to pollution.27 What is the meaning of Rephidim?  — R. Eliezer said: Rephidim was its name. R. Joshua said: [It was so called] because there they slackened in [their loyalty to] the Torah, as it is written, The fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands. R. Johanan said: Wherever [Scripture] writes 'And he abode [or dwelt]', it denotes trouble, Thus: And Israel abode in Shittim — and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab;  And Jacob dwelt in the laid where his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan— and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report;  And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen— And the time drew near that Israel must die;  And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree— And the Lord stirred up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was the king's seed in Edom. And they slew the kings of Midian, beside the rest of them that were slain … Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.  What business had Balaam there? — R. Jonathan said: He went to receive Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, [did the children of Israel slay with the sword].  A soothsayer? But he was a prophet! — R. Johanan said: At first he was a prophet, but subsequently a soothsayer.41  R. Papa observed: This is what men say, 'She who was the descendant of princes and governors, played the harlot with carpenters.'42