Balak: the power of speech

What is this request to curse the people?
A magic spell?

This is an unappealing answer.

The first verses of the parsha are a little helpful.

Balak, the king of Moab ( at that time) saw all Israel had done.

More likely, he heard

although since he is the son of a bird ( ben tzipor), he may have had a special viewpoint

The consequence of this information was that he and his people were disheartened;

Israel was victorious without a battle.

Perhaps BAlak wanted the same advantage over Israel.

Perhaps Bilaam could make this overwhelming force insecure.

Perhaps, like the US military, the only force able to defeat the army of Israel was the people of Israel.

The Gd human relationship here is very complex, hard to understand.

Gd's will will be done, but Bilaam has his own agenda that he tries to intercalate .

Bilam admits that his power devolves from Hashem.

Bilam's praise involves the reproductive activities of Israel

their numbers

their respect for privacy

And the parsha ends with the sin of sexual promiscuity.

an aspect of promiscuity is that it is sex in which there may not be desire for progeny. In fact, the desire is not to have a pregnancy result for these sexual acts.