Talya Wolfson On The Holy Tents Of The Jews

Hi all!!

As we approach the 17th of Tammuz and the 3 weeks to follow, it is as essential time as ever to immerse ourself in Torah. We know that every fast day is a time of reflection, both on teh communal and individual level. The lessons we learn from this week's Torah portion reminds us of the values by which we try to live our lives. Perhaps this Shabbat we can devote some time to introspect and reflect to what extent we live our lives by these ideals!!In Parshat Balak, we read about Bilaam’s numerous attempts to curse the Jewish people and the transformation of his words into blessings.

Rabbi Reuven Spolter points out that it is unusual for the Torah to devote such a lengthy portion to a story of a non-Jew.Perhaps even more surprising is that the rabbis have adapted the words of this wicked man into our own morning prayers that we say each morning upon entering the beit kenesset: Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha yisrael - How good are the tents of Yaakov, your dwelling places Yisrael (24:15). Let us try to understand what lessons we can learn from the very strange story of Bilaam that we read this week, and in doing so perhaps we can better appreciate the words we say to start off our day each morning with these words. When looking at this verse in the context of the parsha, we see that there is a strikingly different introduction to this blessing than the other two times Bilaam blesses the people. Before Bilaam recites this last blessing, the Torah tell us: Vayisa Bilaam et einav vayar et yisrael shochen le’shvatav - And Balaam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes (24:2)Rashi explains that when Bilaam looked upon the dwelling places of the Jewish people, he saw that their tents were not facing one another, “so that they should not peer not each other’s tents.” In witnessing this awesome sight, Bilaam saw the unique qualities of modesty and a respect for one another that the Jewish people possessed. Chazal explain that this was Bilaam’s special ability was in being able to detect when when Hashem was angry with the Jewish people. Bilaam knew that the Jewish people were only susceptible to destruction when they had been sinful and were deserving of punishment by the will of Hashem. When Bilaam saw that the Jewish people were camped in such a modest and respectful way, he realized that in the merit these qualities that were so much a part of Jewish life, the Jewish people would always be beloved to Hashem and would be Divinely protected.

But, how did Bilaam know that these qualities of modesty and respect would be everlasting? Perhaps the answer to this question is found in the very words Bilaam says: How good are the tents of Yaakov, your dwelling places Yisrael. Bilaam did not simply see the Jewish people acting modestly and respectfully; he saw that their dwelling places were set-up according to this value system. He realized, then, that no matter how far the Jews might stray from these ideals, they would return each night to their homes, to an environment that reminded them constantly of the values by which they must conduct their lives. If this is all true that the Jewish people of the time were characterized by their modesty and propriety, it is all the more surprising that we find at the very end of the parsha that the Jewish men were seduced by the Moabite women (and ultimately to worship their gods).When we look closer at these verses, we see how it came to be that the Jewish people seemed to act in a manner that was so antithetical to the Jewish values around which they lived their lives.

The Torah tells us: Vatikran le’am eloheihen - they (the Moabites) invited the Jews to sacrifice to their gods. The world used to describe their gods is written in the same form as the Hebrew word that Bilaam uses to describe the tents (ohel) of the Jewish people. Perhaps the Moabites did more than just invite the Jews to serve the Moabite gods – they invited the Jews into their homes - they removed the Jews from their stable foundation, from their homes in which they were surrounded by Torah ideals. And indeed Rashi tells us that this seduction and invasion of Moabites into the Jewish society was on the advice of Bilaam. The only way the Jews would be led astray from their moral lifestyles would be to bring them out of their dwelling places. This, Bilaam realized, would be the only way to release the Jews from their Divine protection.Bilaam’s plan proved successful, at least for a time - as the Jews were seduced and a plague was sent by hashem in which thousands of Jews were killed. When Pinchas finally ends the plague by killing two of the perpetrators, the Torah goes out of its way to tell us that the Jewish people were weeping in the petach ohel moed – at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. The ohel moed, a central part of the Mishkan, which was the second word Bilam uses to describe the Jewish living quarters. It was when they returned back to the ohel moed, to their ohel and mishkan that the Jews were able to recognize how far they had come from Hashem.

All too often it is easy to stray away from the path we want to be on and it becomes more and more difficult to return to the values and standards that we once lived up to. When we create a foundation for ourselves that embodies the value system we want to live by, and when we create permanent structures in our lives that remind us who we are and who we want to be, then it is much easier to return to the path that we know is right and true. This is at least one of the very important lessons we learn from the episode of Bilaam and its connection to the sin of idolatry at the conclusion of the parsha. I think that we can now understand why is it that we must learn this lesson specifically from the non-Jewish observer. While it is true that it is essential to place ourselves in environments that are conducive to living a Torah lifestyle, the Torah does not propose that we completely isolate ourselves from the surrounding world. We must realize that even when interacting with the world around us, we must allow our Jewish values of modesty and respectfulness to guide us in our daily interactions. This idea is highlighted further in the closing line of this week’s Haftorah: He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to walk modestly with your God (Micah 6:8). Though we often think of modesty only in terms of hiding ourselves and covering ourselves up, the Jewish concept of modesty is also about our actions. This is why the pasuk tells us not simply to dress modestly, but to walk modestly – when we go out into the world, wherever we may find ourselves, we must walk and act according to Jewish values, customs and beliefs.

Rav Zeven explains that there is a difference between the two words that Bilaam uses to describe the Jewish buildings: The ohel is a temporary structure, while the mishkan is a permanent one. Even when we do leave our more permanent home base, be it when we leave our homes and enter the "real world", or even when we are exiled from the land of Israel with no Beit Hamikdash to keep us grounded, we must still live by the ideals that have continued to mark the Jewish people as the beloved people of Hashem. Perhaps this is why we recite Bilaam's final words each morning – specifically as we enter the beit kenesset, the temporary replacement of the Beit Hamikdash, we are reminded of that although we do not have the Holy Temple to center us and ground us in the Jewish value system, we must create for ourselves structures in our lives that can provide this positive influence on us – in our homes and in our communities.

This Tuesday, the 17th of Tammuz, we begin the three-week period in which we commemorate and mourn the loss of the two Holy Temples. May we all continue to create and maintain structures, relationships, and environments that help us to sustain our Jewish ideals. At the same time, may we all continue to yearn for the time that we can return for good to Israel, to our Holiest Mikdash. May our dedication to Jewish life all over the globe bring the final redemption and return of all Jews to our home in Eretz Yisrael.

SHABBAT SHALOM