As we learned in the mishnah on Sanhedrin 90 that opened our current chapter, the last one in Tractate Sanhedrin, three kings of Israel were given no share in the World to Come. That mishnah also mentioned four commoners who suffered the same fate — and today they become the Gemara’s focus. The first is Balaam, son of Beor.
Numbers chapters 22-24 relates the story of the gentile prophet Balaam who was hired by the Moabite King Balak to curse the Israelites in order to prevent them from vanquishing his army. Though God advised him against it, Balaam accepted the commission. But when he and his talking donkey, who had also tried to stop him, arrived at the Israelite encampment and he opened his mouth to curse the Israelites, what emerged was a now-famous blessing: “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!” (Numbers 24:5)
Since Balaam ultimately blessed the Israelites rather than cursing them, why did he forfeit his share in the World to Come? Several possible answers appear on our daf, including the charge that Balaam (and/or his father) had intimate relations with animals (“riding his donkey” can mean something else entirely here), or that Balaam engaged in sorcery using his sexual organ. Moving on from these prurient ideas, the Gemara continues with another interpretation:
It is stated: “And Balaam rose in the morning and saddled his donkey.” (Numbers 22:21) It was taught in a beraita in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: Love negates the standard conduct of those of prominence. This is derived from Abraham, as it is written: “And Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey.” (Genesis 22:3) This was atypical: He saddled the donkey himself and he did not wait for his servants. Likewise, hatred negates the standard conduct of those of prominence. This is derived from Balaam, as it is stated: “And Balaam rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey.” (Numbers 22:21)
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Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar explains that people might rise early and rush to their tasks out of either love or hate. In the Akeda, the account of the binding of Isaac, Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar explains that Abraham saddled his donkey out of love in order to do God’s bidding. Balaam, in contrast, rose early due to his hatred for the nation of Israel — or, at least, in order to act in accordance with Balak’s enmity. It was ultimately this contempt for Israel that lost him a place in the World to Come.
Lest you think that all gentiles suffer the same fate, the Gemara explains:
It is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua, as it is taught in a beraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: It is written: “The wicked shall be turned back to the netherworld, all the nations that forget God.” (Psalms 9:18) “The wicked shall be turned back to the netherworld” — these are the sinners of the Jewish people. “All the nations that forget God” — these are the sinners of the gentiles. This is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But is it stated in the verse that the sinners of the Jewish people will be like all of the gentiles? It is stated only: “All the nations that forget God.” Rather, the wicked shall be turned back to the netherworld, and who are they? They are all the gentiles that forget God.
The Hebrew word for nations found in Psalm 9:18 is goyim, a word that came to mean specifically non-Jewish nations — in other words, gentiles. This is the linguistic hook for the interpretations of Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua. The first part of the verse, describing the fate of “the wicked,” they agree, refers to the fate of sinful Jews who are not granted a place in the World to Come. But the second part, which describes the fate of “the nations (goyim) that forget God” means, according to Rabbi Yehoshua, specifically gentiles who act contrary to God’s wishes — like Balaam. When deciding between following God or an earthly king, Balaam chose incorrectly, sealing his fate.
Read all of Sanhedrin 105 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on April 1, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
