July 16, 2022; Tamuz 17, 5782

Parsha After Bilaam invited Balak’s messengers to sleep over at his house, Hashem asked Bilaam who the messengers were. Bilaam responded:
“And Bilaam said to Hashem, ‘Balak Ben Tzipor, the King of Moav, sent them to me.’” (Numbers 22:10)
Why did Bilaam add that Balak was the king of Moav? Didn’t Hashem know who Balak was?
The Ohr HaChaim explains that by adding that Balak was the king of Moav, Bilaam was telling Hashem that he had invited Balak’s messengers to sleep in his home out of Kavod Malchus – respect for royalty. We know, in fact, from an earlier Rashi that Bilaam’s underlying motivation was far less noble...