i think the difference is that an angel with a sword was standing in front of the donkey to kill balaam
so this donkey was saving balaam's life by refusing to move forward
iow i think the miracle of speech was to warn balaam - and God wanted to warn balaam - otherwise why would He have let the donkey even see the angel - balaam didn't see the angel - so it could also be a biblical message that there are things going on in the unseen world - and for us all to remember that - that the seen world is not the only world we live in - we are actually a part of the unseen world - and prayer is an unseen power that works in the unseen world to affect the seen world
why does God not allow abused animals a voice? - i like
Papa Zoom 's post about you can see how they feel in their eyes and faces and body language and hear their cries and yelps - although it would be nice to scare abusers straight by allowing animals to momentarily talk - but then it would be nice if all bad people were scared straight the moment they did anything awful to anyone - human or animal
would you say the big question then is why does God not stop atrocities at the time or before they happen?