We read in Parashat Balak that when Balak sent his delegation of dignitaries to summon Bilam for the purpose of placing a curse on Benei Yisrael, they brought with them kesamim (22:7), a term that generally denotes instruments of magic and divination. At first glance, it seems difficult to understand why Balak would send these tools to Bilam. After all, he specifically summoned Bilam because of his famed proficiency in the field of sorcery; presumably, Bilam already had in his possession whatever instruments he would need for the assigned task. Why did Balak equip the delegation with kesamim?
Rashi offers two approaches in explaining this verse, both originating from the Midrash Tanchuma. First, he writes, "[They brought with them] all kinds of kesamim, so that he [Bilam] would not say, 'I don't have my tools with me'." Balak anticipated Bilam's possible claim that he does not have the necessary equipment for this kind of job, and he therefore ensured to supply him with any kind of magical tools he would need. The Rashbam follows this approach, as well, as does Chizkuni (in his first explanation), though he explains kesamim as referring to textbooks on the subject of sorcery, rather than instruments of sorcery. The flaw in this explanation lies in the fact that, as mentioned, Bilam appears to have established quite a reputation in the field of magic and sorcery, and it seems difficult to imagine that at his level of "professionalism" he wouldn’t have the proper equipment or texts.
Rashi then suggests a second explanation, claiming that kesamim here does not, in fact, denote instruments of divination. Rather, it refers to the "sign" that the Midyanite dignitaries metaphorically "took" with them as they went to Bilam. They decided ahead of time that if Bilam would not immediately accept the invitation, then this would demonstrate that he is not truly capable of cursing Benei Yisrael. Indeed, as Rashi notes, after Bilam's initial refusal to go to Moav, only Moavite officials paid him another visit to once again invite him to come; the Midyanite officials already despaired from Bilam and no longer participated in this effort.
Ibn Ezra advances the novel theory that Balak sent along with these dignitaries a team of magicians, anticipating that Bilam might decline the invitation with the claim that he saw no propitious time for cursing Benei Yisrael on the horizon. The team of sorcerers accompanying the delegation could easily refute such a claim, and for this reason Balak sent them along with the Moavite and Midyanite officials.
Earlier, Ibn Ezra cites and rejects the approach taken by Shemuel Ha-naggid, who interpreted the word kesamimhere as a shorthand reference to the term demei kesamim – the payment for magic. Meaning, Balak sent with the delegation the sum of money he promised to pay Bilam in exchange for his cursing services.
A slightly different theory is advanced by Chizkuni (in his second approach), who suggests that the word kesamim itself means "money." His proof-text is a translation of Targum Yonatan Ben Uziel to a verse in Sefer Chabakuk (3:15) – "lo yigbun kisma bi-Yerushalayim" ("they will not accumulate wealth in Jerusalem"), where the word kisma – the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew kesem – is used to mean "wealth."
Finally, Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch speculates that the superstition of the ancients required that the magician must take in his possession some article belonging to the individual on behalf of whom he performs the given task. Balak's sending of kesamim along with his delegation of dignitaries was thus in line with the superstitious beliefs that prompted this delegation in the first place, which required him to give Bilam some allegedly magical article in order for the sorcery to be effective.
Courtesy of Yeshivat Har Etzion - www.etzion.org.il