~ Our portion, Balak, is named after the Moabite king that decided to pay off Bilam, the sorcerer, to curse Israel. Our triennial picks up the end of the story.
~ Can you spot a prayer that some people say as they enter the synagogue, or as the service begins?
~ Use your creativity: why would some people think this is a great prayer to begin the service, and why would some people oppose it vehemently? Look at the context before and after.
~ If you say that prayer, what does it do for you? If you don't why not?
סדר רב עמרם גאון
הנכנס לבית הכנסת אומר: מה טובו אהליך יעקב משכנותיך ישראל. ואני ברב חסדך אבא ביתך אשתחוח אל היכל קדשך ביראתך:
כשיוצא אומר ה׳ נחני בצדקתך למען שוררי הישר לפני דרכך;
Seder Rav Amram Gaon 9th Century, Sura, Babylonia
One who enters a synagogue says: "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, Thy dwellings, O Israel!" (Numbers 24:5). "But as for me, in the abundance of Thy lovingkindness will I come into Thy house; I will bow down toward Thy holy temple in the fear of Thee." (Psalms 5:8)
When leaving, say:
"O LORD, lead me in Thy righteousness because of them that lie in wait for me; Make Thy way straight before my face." (Psalms 5:10)
This position is also the one of the Machzor Vitry (France, 11th century) and of the Aruch HaShulchan (Lithuania, 19th century). It is the Ashkenormative position. But there is another position: this is not what you could say! Say all the other verses, but not this!
In the morning when I come to the synagogue I start praying with the verse Va-ani be-rov hasdeka and skip the verse Mah tovu ohaleka, because Balaam said it, and his intent was to curse the Israelites and not to bless them. I also omit the verse Va-ani tefilati, but say it on Sabbath at the afternoon prayer. When I sit down I say: Ashre yoshbe vetekha and Ashre ha-am.
~ The Maharshal accepts the tradition of saying verses relating to "God's sanctuary" but objects to our verse (Numbers 24:5) because it was said by Bilaam, a hired enemy.
~ Does the Maharshal have a point?
Mishnah: A person's residence should not open into a courtyard which is shared with other an opening opposite an opening or a window opposite a window. If [the opening] is small, one may not enlargen it; if it was one opening it cannot be made two. But in a public domain a door may be opposite a door and a window may open opposite a window. If it is small it may be enlargened and if it was one it may be made into two.
Gemara: From whence do we derive this? Rabbi Yochanan says, for it says in Scriptures: "And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel dwelling tribe by tribe" (Numbers 24:2). What did he see? He saw that their openings were not lined up directly opposite each other. He said, "the people are fit to have the Divine Presence rest upon them."
The Talmud does not appear to see this as an introduction to prayer, but as teaching us an important value: not to snoop around other people's affairs. It is because they did that that Bilaam sees the good in us. In another place the Talmud will analyse each blessing to show that Billam really wanted to say. Other rabbis will have other ideas about what this prayer is suppose to etch inside our consciousness:
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (Poland, 1740–1809)
(Numbers 24:5) “How good are your tents, Yaakov, your dwellings, Israel.” This may best be understood in light of the sages urging us to set aside definitive hours each day for Torah study. (Avot 1:15), since 'Yaakov' is the name used for Israel when it is at low spiritual level, and 'Israel' denotes the name of the higher spiritual level. And this is the explanation: make your work an occasional preoccupation, and your Torah a fixed preoccupation.
The word: אהל always denotes a temporary abode, as opposed to משכן which always describes permanent dwellings. When Torah study comprises a major part of their waking hours, i.e. it is a fixture, they are referred to as Israel. When Torah study is only an occasional activity of the Jewish people, they are on the level of “Yaakov.”
(א) מה טובו אהליך יעקב בתי מדרשות. כענין יושב אהלים וכענין וישכון באהלי שם וכן והיה כל מכקש ה' יצא אל אהל מועד:
(ב) משכנותיך בתי כנסיות ומקדשי אל המיוחדים לשכן שמו שם ולקבל תפלת המתפללים. ואמר מה טובו כי לא בלבד הם מטיבים לעוסקים בם אבל מטיבים לכל האומה כמו שיורה שם יעקב שישאר בעקב ובאחרית הכל ולא יסוף וכמו שיורה שם ישראל לשרר עם אלהים ועם אנשים:
(1) Your tents, Yaakov: a reference to the Torah academies. [The word tent sends us back to Genesis 25:27 where] Yaakov is described as a dweller in tents. [It was also used in Genesis 9:27 by Noach when he blessed] 'dwell in the tents of Shem.' [This meaning is also in Exodus 33:7] “anyone desirous of finding the presence of God would go out to the Tent of Testimony.”
2) Your dwellings Israel: a reference to the synagogues and the Temples where God's name dwelled and where the prayers of those who pray are received. And he said 'mah tovu' because Torah study does not benefit only the people who study in them, but that they also benefit the entire nation. The very name יעקב Yaakov: עקב a heel, is something at the tail end of matters, but also meaning that after everything else has already disappeared the עקב still remains, endures. The name “Israel” is because its bearer had come out of a confrontation with celestial forces and had survived and will do so also with terrestrial forces (Genesis 32:29).
The prayer reminds us that there is a duality inside us: Yaakov and Israel are one person, with different characteristics. It is not merely a repetition. Yaakov - the ekev, the heel, represents smallness; Israel, the one who struggles with God and people, represents expansion. It reminds us that we have both levels, both qualities, inside.
Baal Shem Tov
"Your tents" – your external appearance must be that of Jacob, a lower level, while "your dwelling places" – your interior – must be of the level of Israel.
(Yeshayahu Levi Horovitz, Poland, 1555-1630)
Although there is not a single one of the 613 commandments listed in this פרשה, the famous blessing of מה טובו אהליך יעקב משכנותיך ישראל "How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwellings O Israel," is contained in our portion. Our sages have said that the expression "your tents," refers to periods when Israel securely settled, whereas the word "your dwellings," refers even to periods when Israel is experiencing ruins. And we learn in Megillah (25a) that we behave respectfully towards each other whether when dwelling securely, whether when in ruins. And they expanded this in the gemara.
When we look at what happened after the blessings of Bilaam, we can understand how our people ebbs between greatness and smallness: the blessings have the effect of diminishing Israel - and they "profane themselves" according to our reading. The people become complacent, believing in their own greatness, and then let themselves down.
In our days, when things look fine we tend to rest. We, too, can become complacent. In that sense, we can understand why Rabbi Shlomo Luria, the Maharshal, did not like this particular sentence to begin his awareness of prayer: it lead to complacency, which lead to spiritual downfall.
But if we keep our awareness this can be a powerful reminder: we have to present ourselves to God in truth. In the truth of who we are. With awareness that we have both forces inside us: the ability of being great and the ability of being petty. And may we cling to our greatness as the week begins.