[Avodah] Parshas Balak and the root "Kuf Beis"

[kennethgmiller at juno.com]

The unusual root "kuf beis" (or some 3-letter variation of it) appears several times in Parshas Balak, and I'm curious if there is some kind of connection or lesson in this.

First, we find the relatively common "aleph resh" -- meaning "curse" -- three times in pasuk 22:6, and elsewhere in the parsha as well., although the even more common "kuf lamed lamed" does not appear at all. But in 22:11 we find a different word, "kavah" (kuf beis heh), which Rashi says is a stronger term than "arah". This form occurs elsewhere in the parsha too.

Now, one could analyze the places in the parsha where the "aleph resh" sort of cursing is mentioned, and compare them to places which refer to the "kuf beis" sort of cursing. And if anyone is interested in that question, I welcome them to start a new thread on that topic. But what I'm curious about it something else entirely.

At the end of the parsha, pasuk 25:8 tells us that Pinchas followed Zimri into "the kubah" (heh kuf beis heh), which Rashi explains to be a tent. That same pasuk tells us that the spear pierced Kozbi's "kavasah" (kuf beis sav heh), which Rashi explains to mean "belly" literally, but actually refers to her female organs.

Rav SR Hirsch on these pesukim supports these translations, explaining that the rook "kuf beis" refers to a hollow emptiness -- the void of a curse, the space in a tent, and the abdominal cavity.

So I have no objection or argument on the meanings and translations of these words. But I am struck by how odd it was for these three terms to be used in this single parsha. Perhaps "kavah" is indeed more a severe curse than "arah", but why couldn't 25:8 have used the words "ohel" and "beten"?

Pasuk 25:8 seems to be crying out for a connection to Bilaam's attempted curses. Any idea what that connection is?

Akiva Miller

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