וּבְבֹא משֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ (במדבר ז, פט), תָּנֵי (דברים לד, י): וְלֹא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא קָם אֲבָל בְּאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם קָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יְהֵא פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לוֹמַר אִלּוּ הָיָה לָנוּ נָבִיא כְּמשֶׁה הָיִינוּ עוֹבְדִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְאֵיזֶה נָבִיא הָיָה לָהֶם כְּמשֶׁה זֶה בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר, אֶלָּא הֶפְרֵשׁ בֵּין נְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל משֶׁה לִנְבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁל בִּלְעָם, שָׁלשׁ מִדּוֹת הָיוּ בְּיַד משֶׁה מַה שֶׁלֹא הָיוּ בְּיַד בִּלְעָם. משֶׁה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ עוֹמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ה, כח): וְאַתָּה פֹּה עֲמֹד עִמָּדִי וַאֲדַבְּרָה אֵלֶיךָ וגו', וְעִם בִּלְעָם לֹא הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ אֶלָּא נוֹפֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כד, ד): נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם. משֶׁה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ פֶּה אֶל פֶּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יב, ח): פֶּה אֶל פֶּה אֲדַבֵּר בּוֹ, וּבְבִלְעָם (במדבר כד, ד): נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי אֵל, שֶׁלֹא הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ פֶּה אֶל פֶּה. משֶׁה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ פָּנִים בְּפָנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לג, יא): וְדִבֶּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל פָּנִים, וְעִם בִּלְעָם לֹא הָיָה מְדַבֵּר כִּי אִם בִּמְשָׁלִים, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא (במדבר כג, ז): וַיִּשָֹּׂא מְשָׁלוֹ וַיֹּאמַר וגו'. שָׁלשׁ מִדּוֹת הָיוּ בְּיַד בִּלְעָם מַה שֶׁלֹא הָיוּ בְּיַד משֶׁה, משֶׁה לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מִי מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, בִּלְעָם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ מִי מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נְאֻם שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי אֵל אֲשֶׁר מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה. משֶׁה לֹא הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, וּבִלְעָם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כד, טז): וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן. מָשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל לְטַבָּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ מָה הַמֶּלֶךְ מַקְרִיב עַל שֻׁלְחָנוֹ וְיוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה הוֹצָאוֹת יוֹצְאוֹת לַמֶּלֶךְ עַל שֻׁלְּחָנוֹ, כָּךְ הָיָה בִּלְעָם יוֹדֵעַ מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עָתִיד לְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ. בִּלְעָם הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּכָל שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם, הָיָה מִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ עַל פָּנָיו וּמִיָד הָיָה גְּלוּי עֵינָיִם עַל מַה שֶּׁשּׁוֹאֵל, וּמשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּכָל שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר אַף משֶׁה הָיָה מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ בְּכָל שָׁעָה שֶׁיִּרְצֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וּבְבֹא משֶׁה אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ, מִיָּד (במדבר ז, פט): וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶת הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו.
And in Moshe's coming to the tent of meeting to speak with Him: It is learned (Deuteronomy 34:10), “And no other prophet arose in Israel like Moshe” - in Israel, none did arise, but among the nations of the world, one did arise; so that there not be a claim open to the nations to say, “If we had a prophet like Moshe, we would have worshiped the Holy One, blessed be He. And which prophet did they have [that was] like Moshe? This was Bilaam the son of Beor. However there is a difference between the prophecy of Moshe and the prophecy of Bilaam: Three characteristics were in the hand of Moshe that were not in the hand of Bilaam. Moshe would speak with Him, standing; as it is stated (Deuteronomy 5:28), “And you stand with Me and I will speak to you, etc.” And with Bilaam, He would only speak with him prostrate, as it is stated (Numbers 24:4), “fallen and of open eyes.” Moshe would speak to Him 'mouth to mouth,' as it is stated (Numbers 13:8), “'Mouth to mouth' I speak to him.” And with Bilaam [it is written,] “Speaks the one who hears the speeches of God” – as He did not speak to him 'mouth to mouth.' Moshe would speak to him face to face, as it is stated (Exodus 33:11), “And the Lord spoke to Moshe face to face.” And with Bilaam, He only spoke in parables, as you say (Numbers 24:15), “And he started his parable, etc.” Three characteristics were in the hand of Bilaam that were not in the hand of Moshe: Moshe did not know who was speaking with him. Bilaam knew who was speaking with him, as it is stated, “Speaks the one who hears the speeches of God, who gazes upon the vision of the Almighty.” Moshe did not know when the Holy One, blessed be He, would speak to him, and Bilaam did know when the Holy One, blessed be He, would speak to Him; as it is stated, “and who knows the mind of the Most Elevated.” They [accordingly] told a parable about the king's butcher who knows what the king brings to his table and knows how much is spent for [what goes] on the king's table. So it was that Bilaam knew what the Holy One, blessed be He, would say to him in the future. Bilaam would speak with Him any time he wanted, as it is stated, “fallen and of open eyes” - he would prostrate himself on his face and immediately, his eye would be revealed about what he was asking; and Moshe did not speak to Him anytime he wanted. Rabbi Shimon says, “Moshe too would speak to Him anytime he wanted, as it is stated, 'And in Moshe's coming to the tent of meeting to speak with Him' - immediately, 'and Moshe heard the Voice speaking to him.'”