B"H

Thursday, Tammuz 15, 5776 / July 21, 2016 - Hakhel year

In Parshat Balak, we read how G-d put words of blessings into Bilam’s mouth and instead of cursing the Jewish people, as he originally intended, he praises and blesses them on three occasions.

One of the many words of praise Bilam said about the Jewish people was, "Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov Mishknotecha Yisrael" - "How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel". 

We begin our daily morning prayers with these words. Although they came from Bilam’s mouth, the Torah tells us that G-d put these words into his mouth and thus they are G-d's holy blessings.

Two expressions are used here to describe the Jewish home; "Tents" and "Dwellings." A tent is a temporary home, while a dwelling represents a permanent home.  

Throughout Jewish history, we shifted between tents and dwellings – between temporary and more permanent dwellings. "How good are your tents O Jacob" - tells us that even when living in tents - throughout our many exiles and persecutions, the Jewish people excelled in their achievement as a people. We were unique in producing the greatest intellectuals, great scholars and superb leaders.  

Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch succeeded the Baal Shem Tov as leader of the Chassidic movement.  Before becoming leader, Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezritch was a teacher, with a meager income. Living in poverty, he didn't even have the barest necessities of a decent table, chairs and bed.

Once the Baal Shem Tov asked a visitor to stop in Mezritch on his way home and give regards to Rabbi Dov Ber. When the person came to Rabbi Dov Ber's house, he couldn't believe its dilapidated state. When he went inside, he was even more shocked at the poverty which he found.  

After giving regards from the Baal Shem Tov, the man said; "Rabbi, I am not a wealthy man myself, yet, at home, I have a decent table, chairs, and beds. How can you live like this?"

Rabbi Dov Ber looked at him, smiled and replied, "You said, at home you have everything you need. Sure, at home one should have all the necessities... I too, at home, have all that I need!"

Rabbi Dov Ber was implying that he didn't view this world as his home. To Rabbi Dov Ber, this world was only “Ohalecha” (“tent”) a temporary place to prepare for his real home, in the World-to-Come.

Thus, we recite each morning, "How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel". This serves as a reminder that this world is "Ohalecha" - "Tents" - a reminder that all material possessions are only temporary… 

A Jew's true possession and real estate are the mitzvot and good deeds performed in this world, which is everlasting in the World-to-Come.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Wednesday, Tammuz 14, 5776 / July 20, 2016 - Hakhel year

Parshat Balak is about the story of Balak, king of Moab, who witnessed the defeat of his two neighboring mighty kings, Sichon and Og at the hands of the Jewish people, when they went out to wage war against the Jewish people. Afraid that they were going to conquer his land too, Balak sent messengers to Bilam; Come, now and curse for me this people; for they are too mighty for me; for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

G-d appeared to Bilam in a dream and said to him, "You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people for they are blessed."

When Bilam refused, Balak sent more honorable messengers to convince Bilam to come and curse the people. Upon seeing Bilam's great desire to go, G-d allowed Bilam to go with them. G-d warned him not to curse the people of Israel. "Only the words which I speak to you shall you say."

“Bilam rose up in the morning and saddled his donkey." He rode to Balak hoping that G-d would eventually let him curse the people of Israel.

This angered G-d and an angel placed himself in the path of Bilam. Three times, Bilam's donkey maneuvered to avoid the angel and three times, Bilam, who didn't see the angel, hit the donkey to bring her back. Then G-d opened the mouth of the donkey and she said to Bilam: “What have I done to you that you have smitten me three times?"

Finally, Bilam came to Balak. When the king asked him to curse the people of Israel, Bilam answered, "Only whatever G-d will put in my mouth that I shall speak!"

Bilam was taken to view the Israelites from different locations so that he would curse them. Each time, G-d put words of praise and blessing in his mouth. One of Bilam's praises was incorporated into our daily prayers: "How good are your tents, O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel!" This refers to the Jewish home and the synagogues in which we pray.

The Talmud tells that a heathen once said to Rabbi Eliezer, "Your G-d honored Bilam more than Moshe. The Torah says that when G-d wanted to speak to Moshe He called Moshe to come to Him. But with Bilam, it says: And G-d came to Bilam! This implies that Bilam was greater than Moshe?" 

Rabbi Eliezer replied with a parable. A leper once came to the king's palace. He informed the guards that he had something very important to tell the king. “Don't let him in,” commanded the king. “He will infect my palace, better that I go out to him.” Later, the guards informed the king that a close friend wanted to speak to him. “Invite him in!” ordered the king.

The same is with Moshe and Bilam. G-d loved Moshe, therefore, He called him into His chamber.  Since He had no regard for Bilam, G-d went out to speak to him.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Tuesday, Tammuz 13, 5776 / July 19, 2016 - Hakhel year

In the Diaspora, we will read Parshat Balak this Shabbat, in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar). 

Balak, King of Moab, solicited the services of Bilam to curse the Jewish people, hoping that if Bilam curses them he would be able to fight them and win.

But G-d warned Bilam not to curse the Jewish nation. No matter how much he tried, G-d didn’t allow Bilam to curse the Jewish people. In the end, G-d placed words of blessings in Bilam's mouth and he blesses them three separate times. 

In one of the passages of Bilam's blessings to the Jewish people, he says, "He [G-d] has not beheld sin in Jacob, nor has He seen perverseness in Israel.  The L-rd his G-d is with him."

Rashi explains this to mean that even when the people of Israel sin, G-d is not extremely strict with them. He doesn’t abandon them even when they sin. He overlooks their flaws and sees their good.

G-d commanded us to, “Love your fellow as yourself.”  This implies, that just as we tend to overlook our own faults, so too, we have to overlook other people’s faults and focus on the good in them.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev was one whose unconditional love for his brethren was legendary.  Rabbi Levi Yitzchak always saw the good in everyone.  He was able to look beyond the person's external acts of the moment and see the essence of the Jew's neshama-soul. 

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was once walking in the marketplace and saw a Jewish coachman in Talit and Tefillin praying and at the same time greasing the wheels of his carriage in preparation for a trip.

Someone else would have scolded the coachman for his lack of respect for his prayers. Not so Rabbi Levi Yitzchak.  He lifted his eyes upward and exclaimed, "G-d, see what a great people you have. How devoted this poor coachman is to You.  Even when he's greasing the wheels of his couch he cannot refrain from praying to you!"

Some find fault with others even when the other person is performing a good deed. Then there are those who see only good in others, even when they may be doing something deemed not so good.

As a small child, the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneerson, of blessed memory, asked his father, “Why did G-d create a person with two eyes? One eye is enough to see."

His father replied, “A person needs two eyes so that with the left eye, he should look at himself in order to find his own faults and correct them.  At another person, however, one should always look with the right eye - with compassion and kindness."

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY