Balaam's Shortcut

… Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my end be like his.                            Numbers 23:10

          Balaam’s first attempt to curse the People of Israel ended with these words.

          Naḥmanides comments that the “righteous” refers to Israel, who are assured eternal life after their physical death, as our Sages taught [Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 90a]: “all Israel has a portion in the world to come.”

          My father noted that Balaam essentially was looking for a shortcut. He was not interested in living as Israel does, accepting Torah and mitzvot, preferring to indulge in a life of pleasure without limitations, yet, nonetheless, he wants to receive a share of the world to come.