Balaam's oracle about a star rising out of Jacob gets read messianically by later Christian tradition - is it strange that the source is a prophet hired to curse Israel rather than bless it? The irony doesn't seem to bother the tradition that reuses ...
Mystical & Allegoricalוישא בלעם את עיניו AND BALAAM LIFTED UP HIS EYES — he wished to cast the evil eye upon them. Thus you have his three characteristics — an evil eye mentioned here, and pride and greed which have been mentioned above (see Rashi on Numbers 22:13 and 18)...
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