*1 So the famous phrase
------------------------------------------
A LAND flowing with milk and sweet juices
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really means
------------------------------------------
A LAND WHOSE INHABITANTS (Goats for milk
and Fruit trees for sweet juices) flows
with milk and honey
------------------------------------------

*2 Rashi brings support for his contention that
LAMB can SYNECDOCHICALLY mean any docile
young creature (the same way BREAD means FOOD etc)
See Dt14-04 -- A GOAT LAMB

*3 See LIST817b for examples. For the while we
point out that because of the snakes characteristic
motion (JUMPING out at a prey) TO SNAKE
came to mean TO JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS (As in
the English Metaphor).

Hence the Rabbis interpret the prohibition of
SNAKING as a prohibition of JUMPING TO
CONCLUSIONS (eg a Snake crossed my path
hence I will have bad luck)

*1 eg a cat crossed my path; HENCE I will have bad luck
The SNAKERS are simply professionally superstitious
people who infer coincidences for gullible people


*2 Bilam looks on prophecy as a SNAKE (something
that happens by COINCIDENCE--something that JUMPS
at a person). Nu23-03 describes nonJewish prophecy
as
----------------------------------
Mabye God will COINCIDENCE me
----------------------------------
So prophecy is described as COINCIDENCE and SNAKE
(Rashi notes that Jewish prophecy by contrast
involves preparation and formal invitation--no
surprises)

*3 In other words
- you came
- my Goblet disappeared
HENCE I assume you stole it

This is an example of SNAKING and is no different
then saying a cat crossed my path and hence bad luck
This also illustrates WHY the Torah prohibited
SNAKING (It leads to false accusations and fights)

*4 In Other words
- you came
- and only then did I have male children
Hence I assume you CAUSE the blessing of male children

Again this is an example of SNAKING and is no
different then saying a cat crossed my path*11

*10 Actually the structure of the chapter is illuminating
--------------- Nu23-20:21 ----------------------------
- CLAUSE 1      I will bless the Jewish people
- CLAUSE 1a     Because there is no sin in them
- CLAUSE 1a1    Hence (because no sin) God is with them
-------------------------------------------------------

In other words
- the Jewish lack of sin CAUSES
- God to be with them which in turn CAUSES me
- to BLESS them (How can I fight God)

Then in Nu23-22:23 Bilam explains why there is
no sin among the Jews

--------- SUPPORT OF NO JEWISH SIN -------------
- God took them out of Egypt the land of sin
- Hence the Jews arent superstitious like Egyptians
(They base their rejections on reality and hence
are respected)
------------------------------------------------

*11 Rashi (Following a Midrash Rabbah) cites
support for the contention that Laban only
had sons after Jacob came (Rashi here uses the
technique of OTHER VERSES)

- When Jacob first came to Laban
We find that Rachel was a shepardess (a mans job)
Apparently Laban did not yet have male children

- When Jacob left however Laban had male
children

So Rashi was simply making a good guess
about WHAT coincidence Laban was thanking
Jacob for (Laban was trying to butter up
Jacob so he shouldnt leave).

There are adult connotations here...the whole
verse was stated tongue and cheek by Laban.
We in fact can combine this with another more
explicit Midrash about the Jacob-Rachel romance
-----------------------------------------
Jacob did not experience any arousal
during the 7 years he worked for Rachel
-----------------------------------------

(Yet another Midrash explains that women
give birth to boys when their husbands
control themselves enough so that the
woman is satisfied first---again the
idea of no unnecessary arousal brought
about by the modest manner of Jacob and
his wives)

Thus it is clear that Jacob Rachel and Leah
created a mature environment which enabled
Laban (who didnt know of such things) to have
male children. Laban therefore says tongue
and cheek...You (Jacob) must be the cause.