Bilam and The Mountain peak.

"From the top of mountains I see him, and from the hills I gaze upon him".

These are the words of Bilam as he begins to bless the Jewish people at the plains of Moab, while standing of a mountain top gazing at the nation.

Surprisingly Rashi who usually interprets the verse in the most literal way translates this verse in the following way: I gaze at the strength - (“mountains” are rock solid, and strong) - of the people given to them by (their “peak”) the patriarchs and matriarchs.

Why?

Why does Rashi choose to say that Bilam was speaking allegorically?

The rebbe explains this by looking at the opening verse where the Torah says that Bilam “opened his parable”. Now, in the first series of blessings we do not find any parables. Bilam’s language is quite clear. Therefore Rashi must look for the parable, and Rashi finds it hiding on the mountain peaks.

Squeeze a little deeper and you discover the wine of the Torah, the delicious intoxicating secrets hidden within the Torah.

The conventional meaning of strength is the solidification of ones existence. The strength of the Jews by contrast is their ability to put themselves on the side, to dedicate and nullify themselves to Hashem. They have this unbelievable strength to connect to Hashem under all circumstances, to they want to loose their own existence and unite with Hashem as the flame yearning to escape the confines of the candle, disappear and connect to it’s source.

Think about a parable. When something is so revolutionary, so very different then what we are accustomed to, so foreign, then we need to use a parable to understand and explain it.

Bilam is trying to grasp the strength of the Jewish people. He recognizes that he can’t comprehend it, he is left with no choice but to use a parable, so he starts talking about the mountain peaks.

(Lekutei Sichos vol. 28)