Bilam’s Hat

Numbers/Bamidbar 22:2 (much of today’s translation was based on the JPS translation in Sefaria.org.)	Balak … saw all that Israel did to the Amorites.	וַיַּרְא בָּלָק … אֵת כׇּל־אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂה יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאֱמֹרִי׃
22:3	The Moabites were alarmed … and dreaded the Children of Israel.	וַיָּגׇר מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי הָעָם … וַיָּקׇץ מוֹאָב מִפְּנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃
22:4	…and Balak …, who was king of Moab at that time,	… וּבָלָק … מֶלֶךְ לְמוֹאָב בָּעֵת הַהִוא׃
22:5	sent messengers to Bilaam …	וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל־בִּלְעָם …
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22:8	He said to them, “Spend the night here, and I shall reply to you as G-d may instruct me.” …	וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם לִינוּ פֹה הַלַּיְלָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִי אֶתְכֶם דָּבָר כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר ה’ אֵלָי …׃
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22:12	But G-d said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You must not curse that people, for they are blessed.”	יֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל־בִּלְעָם לֹא תֵלֵךְ עִמָּהֶם לֹא תָאֹר אֶת־הָעָם כִּי בָרוּךְ הוּא׃
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22:15	Then Balak sent other dignitaries, ….	וַיֹּסֶף עוֹד בָּלָק שְׁלֹחַ שָׂרִים רַבִּים …׃
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22:20	And G-d came to Bilaam that night, and said to him:  If the men have called you, go with them, but do only that which I tell you to do.	וַיָּבֹא אֱלֹהִים  אֶל־בִּלְעָם לַיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם־לִקְרֹא לְךָ בָּאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים קוּם לֵךְ אִתָּם וְאַךְ אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אֹתוֹ תַעֲשֶׂה׃
22:21	And Bilaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and left with Moabite dignitaries.	וַיָּקׇם בִּלְעָם בַּבֹּקֶר וַיַּחֲבֹשׁ אֶת־אֲתֹנוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ עִם־שָׂרֵי מוֹאָב׃
22:22	G-d was angry that went, and placed an angel to block the way of the donkey….	וַיִּחַר־אַף אֱלֹהִים כִּי־הוֹלֵךְ הוּא וַיִּתְיַצֵּב מַלְאַךְ ה’ בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְשָׂטָן לוֹ …׃
22:23	And when the donkey saw the angel of G-d standing in her way, holding in its hand a drawn sword, she swerved from the road and went into the fields.  So Bilaam beat the donkey so as to make her return to the road.	וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת־מַלְאַךְ ה’ נִצָּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלוּפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַתֵּט הָאָתוֹן מִן־הַדֶּרֶךְ וַתֵּלֶךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיַּךְ בִּלְעָם אֶת־הָאָתוֹן לְהַטֹּתָהּ הַדָּרֶךְ׃
22:24	The angel of G-d then stationed itself in a lane between the vineyards, with a fence on either side.	וַיַּעֲמֹד מַלְאַךְ ה’ בְּמִשְׁעוֹל הַכְּרָמִים גָּדֵר מִזֶּה וְגָדֵר מִזֶּה׃
22:25	The donkey, who could see the angel of G-d, pressed herself against the wall such that Bilaam’s foot was squeezed against the wall; so he beat her again.	וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת־מַלְאַךְ ה’ וַתִּלָּחֵץ אֶל־הַקִּיר וַתִּלְחַץ אֶת־רֶגֶל בִּלְעָם אֶל־הַקִּיר וַיֹּסֶף לְהַכֹּתָהּ׃
22:26	Once more the messenger of G-d moved forward and stationed itself on a spot so narrow that there was no room to swerve right or left.	וַיּוֹסֶף מַלְאַךְ־ה’ עֲבוֹר וַיַּעֲמֹד בְּמָקוֹם צָר אֲשֶׁר אֵין־דֶּרֶךְ לִנְטוֹת יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול׃
22:27	When the donkey now saw the messenger of G-d, she lay down under Bilaam; and Bilaam was furious and beat the donkey with his stick.	וַתֵּרֶא הָאָתוֹן אֶת־מַלְאַךְ ה’ וַתִּרְבַּץ תַּחַת בִּלְעָם וַיִּחַר־אַף בִּלְעָם וַיַּךְ אֶת־הָאָתוֹן בַּמַּקֵּל׃
22:28	Then G-d opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you that you have beaten me these three times?”	וַיִּפְתַּח ה’ אֶת־פִּי הָאָתוֹן וַתֹּאמֶר לְבִלְעָם מֶה־עָשִׂיתִי לְךָ כִּי הִכִּיתַנִי זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים׃
22:29	Bilaam said to the donkey, “You have made a mockery of me! If I had a sword with me, I would kill you.”	וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם לָאָתוֹן כִּי הִתְעַלַּלְתְּ בִּי לוּ יֶשׁ־חֶרֶב בְּיָדִי כִּי עַתָּה הֲרַגְתִּיךְ׃
22:30	The donkey said to Bilaam, “Look, I am the donkey that you have been riding all along until this day! Have I been in the habit of doing this sort of thing to you?” And he answered, “No.”	וַתֹּאמֶר הָאָתוֹן אֶל־בִּלְעָם הֲלוֹא אָנֹכִי אֲתֹנְךָ אֲשֶׁר־רָכַבְתָּ עָלַי מֵעוֹדְךָ עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לְךָ כֹּה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא׃
22:31	Then G-d uncovered Bilaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of G-d standing in the way, its drawn sword in his hand; thereupon he bowed right down to the ground.	וַיְגַל ה’ אֶת־עֵינֵי בִלְעָם וַיַּרְא אֶת־מַלְאַךְ ה’ נִצָּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְחַרְבּוֹ שְׁלֻפָה בְּיָדוֹ וַיִּקֹּד וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְאַפָּיו׃
22:32	The angel of G-d said to him, “Why have you beaten your donke these three times? It is I who came out as an adversary, for the errand is obnoxious to me.	וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו מַלְאַךְ ה’ עַל־מָה הִכִּיתָ אֶת־אֲתֹנְךָ זֶה שָׁלוֹשׁ רְגָלִים הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי יָצָאתִי לְשָׂטָן כִּי־יָרַט הַדֶּרֶךְ לְנֶגְדִּי׃
22:33	And when the donke saw me, she shied away because of me those three times. If she had not shied away from me, you are the one I should have killed, while sparing her.”	וַתִּרְאַנִי הָאָתוֹן וַתֵּט לְפָנַי זֶה שָׁלֹשׁ רְגָלִים אוּלַי נָטְתָה מִפָּנַי כִּי עַתָּה גַּם־אֹתְכָה הָרַגְתִּי וְאוֹתָהּ הֶחֱיֵיתִי׃
22:34	Bilaam said to the messenger of G-d, “I erred because I did not know that you were standing in my way. If you still disapprove, I will turn back.”	וַיֹּאמֶר בִּלְעָם אֶל־מַלְאַךְ ה’ חָטָאתִי כִּי לֹא יָדַעְתִּי כִּי אַתָּה נִצָּב לִקְרָאתִי בַּדָּרֶךְ וְעַתָּה אִם־רַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ אָשׁוּבָה לִּי׃
22:35	But the angel of G-d said to Bilaam, “Go with the men. But you must say nothing except what I tell you.” So Bilaam went on with Balak’s dignitaries.	וַיֹּאמֶר מַלְאַךְ ה’ אֶל־בִּלְעָם לֵךְ עִם־הָאֲנָשִׁים וְאֶפֶס אֶת־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־אֲדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אֹתוֹ תְדַבֵּר וַיֵּלֶךְ בִּלְעָם עִם־שָׂרֵי בָלָק׃

Note: if you do not wish to cut the fruit leather, simply use a whole piece and add extra folds to make it as pointy as you like.

Ingredients as Shown:

Tools:

• Scissors

Instructions:

1. Cut fruit leather round in half.

2. Fold, sticky side out, to form a cone.

3. Add additional folds to make as pointy as you like. You may choose to fold a bottom edge under if it is not as even as you like.

4. Put sprinkles on your work surface.

5. Roll the hat in the sprinkles, pressing down so they stick (this is why the sticky side has to be out).

6. You now have a nice magician’s hat.

7. If desired, pinch the top and shaped (perhaps slouched) to your preference.