Why was Nevuchadnezer able to command horses not to whinny, and birds not to fly?

Question

In the second chapter of Daniel in verse 38, At the beginning of his interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream Daniel explains "Hashem, gave you rule over People, wild breasts and birds of heaven, therefore the Gold(en Head of the image in your dream) is you" Rashi explains: "Nevuchadnezer was able to command horses not to whinny, and birds not to fly" My Question is that I don't understand how Hashem can give this wicked and sadistic man, who loves killing even his own Countrymen, who destroyed the BAIS HAMIKDASH, the power to control animals? Esp. because when read the previous Pasak 37, together with this one it sounds like Hashem (כביכול) gave from His glory to Nevuchadnezar.

(The Metzudas David on the other hand explains this Pasuk by bringing Our ר"זל (usually ref. to a Gemara, though sometimes a Midrash) that says "Once Nevuchadnezar lassoed a Lion and rode on its back. Both Medrashim bring Jer. Chapter 27 "And also the wild beasts of the field I gave to my Servant" as a proof ref. to Nebuchadnezzar)

P.S. I don't have question on the fact that 'ה gave a prophetic dream to this Rasha, because that was (like they say by Yosef's Pharoh) that was to elevate דניאל וחבריו)

Answer 1

Rabbi Tanchum Hayerushalmi in his commentary on Daniel¹ explains that this is not literal. Rather, it's simply a symbolic title intended to represent Nevuchadnetzar's might and power as king, akin to the other title in the verse, "king of kings" - after all, the only king of kings we know of is Hashem. So why would Daniel call Nevuchadnetzar so? Because that was one of the titles used in the Babylonian court to refer to the king:

"...והראיה על כך שלא ניתנה השליטה על בעלי חיים אלא במקום מציאות בני אדם והוא ובכל די דירין בני אנשא, כלומר בכל הארץ, ואין ספק כי בעלי החיים תחת שעבוד האדם והוא שולט עליהן בתבונתו, ולכן מי שמשל על בני אדם יהיו בעלי החיים תחת שלטונו...ולפיכך כלומר מחמת משמעת המלכים לו תיארו באמרו אנת מלכא מלך מלכיא, כלומר יחסך אל המלכים כיחס המלכים למי שלמטה מהם מבני אדם...ואין תימה במה שתיארו דניאל בתאר זה אף שיש שיתואר בו הבורא יתעלה, אבל יהיה מוזר מה שיהיה מן התארים מיוחד לו יתעלה בלבד, אבל יתר התארים הרי רובן דרך השאלה ביחס אליו יתעלה, ומושאלין מתארי הנבראים...ולא יהיה מלך מלכים חמור מן אלהים ויש שהוא נאמר על המלכים, ואף על הדיינים, ונכבדי בני אדם, וזה פשוט מאד ולכן אין צורך להרתע מזה ולהתפתל...ודומה לתואר הזה מה שנאמר בעזרא בהתכתבות ארתחשסת מלך מלכיא לעזרא כהנא, ראיה שהם היו מתכנים בכך מפני שתחת לשטונם מלכים אחרים..."

Translation: "...and evidence on that control over animals is only where humans can be found, and that is "wherever men dwell", meaning all over the land, and this is without a doubt, for the animals fall under the control of man and he commands them through his wisdom, and therefore whoever rules over men, the animals will also fall under his control...and therefore, meaning, because the kings answer to him, he described him by saying "You, O king—king of kings", meaning your relation to the kings is like the relation of the kings to those of mankind that are under their control...and it is not surprising that Daniel describes him with this title, though this is also used to describe the Creator, Exalted is He, but it would be strange if he used for him one of the titles that are special to the Exalted alone, but the other titles most of them are borrowed for use toward the Exalted, and these titles are borrowed from the titles of those created...and "king of kings" would not be worse than Elohim, and there are cases in which this is used for kings, and for the judges (see here for example), and the nobility among mankind, and this is very simple, and therefore there's no reason to flinch away from this and squirm...and similar to this title is what is said in Ezra when writing of "Artaxerxes king of kings, to Ezra the priest", evidence that they were called so because under their rule were other kings..."

---

¹ Rabbi Qafich's translation can be found in the Judeo-Arabic section of the Cairo Genizah's website. It's called דניאל פירוש מספר הבאור.

Answer 2

Why did God give Bilam and Balak great powers? Balak was a magician and Bilam was a sorcerer.

I remember hearing, (but can't remember at the moment from where), that just as God gave great powers to the good side he also gave, in contrast, great powers to the other side.

One place that kind of mentions this in passing is this article on torahmitzion.org about Moshe and Bilam.

“In order that the nations of the world will have no excuse to say, ‘If we had a prophet like Moshe, we would serve HaKadosh Baruch Hu…’ And which prophet did they have [who was] like Moshe? This was Bilaam ben Be’or.” (Bamidbar Rabah 14)

So in this case there is a specific reason, as mentioned above. But in general the dark side was also given powers just as the good side has it's powers.