Musar for Nedarim 63:13
תני אהבה בריה דרבי זירא כל אדם שאינו מנחש מכניסין אותו במחיצה שאפילו מלאכי השרת אין יכולין ליכנס בתוכה שנאמר כי לא נחש ביעקב ולא קסם בישראל וגו' (במדבר כג, כג)
R. Isaac said: He who perfects himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, deals uprightly with him, as it is written, With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright thou wilt shew thyself upright.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXII, 26. ');"><sup>23</sup></span> R. Hoshaia said: If one perfects himself, good fortune will be his,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the hour will stand by him'. ');"><sup>24</sup></span>
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
This is alluded to in Numbers 23,23: כי לא נחש ביעקב קסם בישראל, כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל השם. "For there is no augury in Jacob, no divining in Israel; Jacob is told at once, yea Israel, what G–d has accomplished." [the traditional translation of this verse bears no semblance to the author's interpretation, and is presented only to demonstrate how far the author departs from the plain meaning, פשט. Rashi brings a similar explanation. Ed.] As a first step in his rise to lofty spiritual regions, Jacob got rid of נחש and its powerful influence. Once he had attained the stature of ישראל, not even a vestige of such an influence i.e. קסם remained The word Kessem is the same as קיסם, a sliver, splinter, something very small and insignificant. Israel continues to ascend higher and higher until a time comes when the ministering angels say to Jacob turned Israel who has penetrated and surpassed their ranks: "What did G–d do?"
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