Talmud, Balaam & Bestiality
According to the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 105a–105b, Balaam used to have sex with his donkey and used his penis as a means of divination:
קוֹסֵם בְּאַמָּתוֹ הָיָה. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״וְהָמָן נֹפֵל עַל הַמִּטָּה וְגוֹ׳״. אִיתְּמַר, מָר זוּטְרָא אָמַר: קוֹסֵם בְּאַמָּתוֹ הָיָה. מָר בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבִינָא אָמַר: שֶׁבָּא עַל אֲתוֹנוֹ. מַאן דְּאָמַר קוֹסֵם בְּאַמָּתוֹ הָיָה – כְּדַאֲמַרַן, וּמַאן דְּאָמַר בָּא עַל אֲתוֹנוֹ הָיָה – כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״כָּרַע שָׁכַב״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״בֵּין רַגְלֶיהָ
The Gemara relates: Balaam was a diviner by using his penis. It is written here: “Fallen, yet with opened eyes” (Numbers 24:4), and it is written there: “And Haman was fallen upon the divan whereupon Esther was” (Esther 7:8), indicating that the verb fallen has sexual connotations.
It was stated that there is an amoraic dispute with regard to this matter. Mar Zutra says: Balaam was a diviner by using his penis. Mar, son of Ravina, says: He engaged in bestiality with his donkey. The one who says that he was a diviner by using his penis derives it as we stated.
And the one who says that he engaged in bestiality with his donkey derives it as follows: It is written here: “He crouched, he lay down” (Numbers 24:9), and it is written there: “Between her legs
105b
כָּרַע נָפַל שָׁכָב וְגוֹ׳״.
he sunk, he fell, he lay” (Judges 5:27), which is interpreted as a reference to sexual intercourse between Sisera and Jael.
״וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן״. הַשְׁתָּא דַּעַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ לָא הֲוָה יָדַע, דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן הֲוָה יָדַע? מַאי דַּעַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ? דְּאָמְרִי לֵיהּ: מַאי טַעְמָא לָא רָכְבַתְּ סוּסְיָא? אֲמַר לְהוּ: שְׁדַאי לֵהּוֹ בִּרְטִיבָא.
§ Balaam describes himself: “And he knows the knowledge of the Most High” (Numbers 24:16), and the Gemara asks: Now, if the knowledge of his animal he did not know, is it possible that the knowledge of the Most High he knew? The Gemara explains: What is the meaning of the knowledge of his animal? The princes accompanying him said to him: What is the reason that you did not ride horses? Balaam said to them: I brought the horses to graze in the pasture and rest there.
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: ״הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי אֲתֹנְךָ״! לִטְעִינָא בְּעָלְמָא. ״אֲשֶׁר רָכַבְתָּ עָלַי״! אַקְרַאי בְּעָלְמָא. ״מֵעוֹדְךָ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה״!
The donkey said to him: “Am I not your donkey” (Numbers 22:30)? Balaam said to the donkey: Merely for burdens, not for riding. The donkey said to him: “Upon which you have ridden” (Numbers 22:30). Balaam said to the donkey: That was mere happenstance and is not a regular occurrence. The donkey said to him: “Your whole life until this day” (Numbers 22:30).
וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲנִי עוֹשָׂה [לְךָ] מַעֲשֵׂה אִישׁוּת בַּלַּיְלָה. כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״הַהַסְכֵּן הִסְכַּנְתִּי״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״וַתְּהִי לוֹ סֹכֶנֶת״.
The donkey continued: Moreover, I perform a conjugal act for you and we engage in bestiality at night. From where is this derived? It is written here: “Was I ever wont [hahasken hiskanti] to do so to you” (Numbers 22:30)? And it is written there with regard to Abishag the Shunammite: “And let her be a companion [sokhenet] to him” (I Kings 1:2). Just as the root samekh, kaf, nun indicates sexual relations in the case of Abishag, the same is true with regard to the donkey. Balaam was unable to best his donkey in a debate. (Emphasis mine)