Printable PDF available here. A previous piece on Parshat Balak is available here.

Rav Kook (Olat Re’iah)

How goodly are your tents (lit. אהליך), O Jacob, Your dwellings (lit. משכנותיך), O Israel! (Bamidbar 24:5)

The lifelong process of striving for spiritual completion consists essentially of two different movements, both of which serve as the foundation for all worthy things in life.

The first movement, which is the elevated crown of every attainment, is to be constantly striving for higher levels of spirituality. One must always be yearning for more wisdom and more holiness, to be illuminated by the pure light that comes from G-dly knowledge, from refining one’s emotions and thoughts. One must allow the noble foundation of his or her soul to intensify and be built up in an ever-increasing process of ascent. This process is stormy, dynamic, and does not allow for any rest.

But there must also be a different modality of spiritual work. You cannot be climbing upward at every moment. You must also hold fast to what you have accomplished, and fortify your spiritual gains against the dangers that threaten to wash them away. There is also a risk that one will leap upward toward levels that are not appropriate, or that unchecked and unhealthy spiritual ambition will breach the bounds of morality or Torah. Thus, this second modality is what consolidates the accomplishments of the first, what enables one’s spiritual attainments to last and endure. And unlike its counterpart, this is a process of rest and repose, of being rooted in one’s spiritual ‘place’ instead of seeking to transcend it.

These two forms of spiritual work are symbolized by two different types of structures. The ceaseless process of spiritual ascent is represented by the tent, which is an intrinsically temporary dwelling that is moved from place to place. The other, more poised mode of consolidating and holding fast to one’s spiritual gains is embodied by the Mishkan. Although the Mishkan was always ready to be relocated to another encampment in the desert, it only functioned when the people were no longer traveling, when they had ceased to move and were summoned to stand still. But as we have seen, the very act of ‘standing still’ is itself an important mode of Divine service.

All of this is encapsulated by Bilaam’s pithy declaration “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!”

Perhaps this is why Jewish custom is to begin the morning prayer service with this very verse. As we prepare to pour out our souls in prayer to our Creator, we invoke the imagery of the “tent,” thus decisively rejecting spiritual complacency. We acknowledge our desire to rise, ascent after ascent, to the highest possible levels of holiness. And at the same time, this vision must be bound up with its counterpart. While taking care to climb higher and higher, we must take care not to slip and fall on our way up. There must be moments to rest, to integrate what one has attained and become, to stay in a “dwelling” and not only a “tent” on the steep cliff of the mountainside.

Only through the unification of these two modalities will we attain the ultimate goodness in all of its vigor and splendor.

Food for Thought

Gemara Sanhedrin (105b): From the blessing of that wicked person, Balaam, you can ascertain what was in his heart. G-d transformed the curses that he planned into blessings. He sought to say that they should not have synagogues and study halls, and he said instead: ”How goodly are your tents, Jacob” (Numbers 24:5), a blessing on their synagogues. He sought to say that the Divine Presence will not rest upon them, and he said instead: ”And your dwellings Israel.”

Seder Rav Amram Gaon (9th Century, 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)

Responsa of Maharshal, 64 (1500s, Poland): When I come to synagogue I begin with the verse “But as for me, in the abundance of Thy lovingkindness…” (Psalms 5:8) and skip the first verse “How goodly are thy tents” (Numbers 24:5) because Balaam said it [first] and he said it as a curse as we find in Sanhedrin 105b, and this is not its proper place.

Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz (moderntoraleadership.com): If, indeed, Bilam was evil, why are his words among the first that we teach our children? Why are they included in the siddur? I suggest an answer to this question based on Yosef Albo’s explanation of prayer in his Sefer Ikarim. Albo wrestles with the philosophical difficulty of how petitional prayer can ever be effective if G-d is all-knowing? Hashem has already declared what the end result will be, and G-d’s will does not change. Logically, then, our prayers should have no impact on the outcome. R. Albo explains that G-d’s will does not change. However, the future outcome is determined for each individual as they are at that moment in time. The act of prayer has the power to transform the individual into a new person – about whom a different decree is possible. Because prayer is transformative, there is no more philosophical difficulty.

The structure and content of the siddur helps us to go through a transformation described by Albo. Throughout the siddur we utter the words of others – beginning with Bilam’s words of Mah Tovu, the words of Tehilim composed by David haMelech that comprise the majority of pesukei de-zimra, the words of Moshe and B’nei Yisrael during Shirat haYam, etc. In one sense, we begin tefilah as a rasha (wicked person) deserving of punishment. If we internalize this sentiment, then our prayers will be more sincere and more passionate. The discomfort of beginning with the word of Bilam further helps us to be open to the transformative power of our prayer.

Rabbeinu Bachya: According to the midrash (Talmud Baba Batra 60a) Bilam speaks of the tents in the desert, seeing that there the Israelites dwelled in tents. When he saw how the entrances of these tents were so arranged [modestly] that they did not face each other, Bilam was inspired to compliment the people on this.

Kedushat Levi: “How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, ‎your dwellings O 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). “Yaakov” is the name used for ‎Israel when it is at “low” ebb spiritually, whereas “Israel,” is the ‎name applied to the Jewish people when they are spiritually at ‎their best. When Torah study is only an occasional activity of the ‎Jewish people, they are on the level of “Yaakov.” [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.]‎

Questions for Discussion

1. Rav Kook uses his analysis to explain why we start the morning prayer service with the verse “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel.” What might be an additional (and simpler) explanation? (For a hint, see the gemara in Sanhedrin, cited in “Food for Thought” above.)
2. Is ambition in worldly matters a positive trait? Why or why not?
3. What happens if a person is too focused on rising upward spiritually, without taking time to rest and consolidate their gains?
4. Rav Kook writes that there is a danger that “unchecked and unhealthy spiritual ambition will breach the bounds of morality or Torah.” Is there anyone in Tanach or Jewish history who might serve as an example of this?
5. According to Rav Kook, the terms “tents” and “dwellings” refer to an internal spiritual process. See Rabeinu Bachya and Kedushat Levi in “Food for Thought” above – how do they understand these terms?
6. What happens if a person is too cautious about consolidating their spiritual gains, without being sufficiently ambitious or interested in spiritual growth?
7. It was only in the desert that the Jews had a traveling Mishkan. Once they entered into Eretz Yisrael, they were commanded to build a permanent Temple. What do you think this expresses, in light of Rav Kook’s insights?

Printable PDF available here.

Orot Yisrael (8:6):

For I see them from the heights of mountain peaks, and I behold them from the hills. It is a nation that will dwell alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations. (Bamidbar 23:9)

The division of humanity into various nations is not arbitrary. Every nation has its own unique inclinations and perceives reality through a unique perspective. And all of these are incorporated within Israel. The Jewish People are a repository for everything that is good and holy in humankind, for every manifestation of the צלם אלוקים. As we read in the Song of Ha’azinu, “When the Most High gave nations their lot, when He separated the sons of man, He set up the boundaries of peoples according to the number of the children of Israel.”[1]

This unique quality of the Jewish nation is what enables us to be a “nation that dwells alone.” Many interpretations have been given to this appellation. Rashi says it means that Jews are indestructible. Ibn Ezra says it means that they don’t assimilate. Ramban says it means that they maintain their own integrity. But there is a deeper explanation as well. Only because the Jewish people contain all of humanity’s spiritual aptitudes are they capable of “dwelling alone,” i.e. in a state of spiritual independence and self-sufficiency. Unlike other nations, we have no need to seek out foreign shoots for grafting onto our national spirit, as the seeds of all spiritual potentialities are already contained within us.[2]

However, this unique quality of the Jewish nation presents a danger as well. It means that we are uniquely prone to factionalism and machloket, in a way that other nations are not. Other nations are able to formulate a discrete perspective on life and rally around its values. But Israel must express and harmonize all perspectives and all tendencies. It must give voice to all manifestations of holiness. Each of us can relate to only a portion of this totality, which can lead to friction and division with those who inevitably do not share our vision.

Only the Torah, in its mighty splendor and its consistent blueprint for conducting life’s affairs, can tame this tendency towards atomization and factionalism. The Torah’s all-encompassing Divine goodness binds everything and everyone into an integrated and all-encompassing whole. The more connected Israel is to Torah, the more it can draw blessing from the multitude of talents and perspectives of its members.

Commentary

Before G-d gives the Jewish people the Torah, there are a few short verses that articulate the Jewish destiny. One of the most famous is וְעַתָּה אִם שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת בְּרִיתִי וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים כִּי לִי כָּל הָאָרֶץ. The concept of segulah is usually understood as referring to some qualitative uniqueness that the Jewish people possess (or acquire) by virtue of being G-d’s chosen people. Taken literally, מכל העמים thus means ‘compared to all other nations.’ But in light of Rav Kook’s insights, I think we can translate it differently – or at least offer a deeper interpretation. As many earlier commentaries point out, the word סגולה literally means a storehouse of treasure.[3]Could it be that סגולה מכל העמים means that the Jewish people will be a ‘repository for the spiritual treasures and aptitudes that G-d has distributed amongst the nations (מכל העמים)?

Food for Thought

1. Netziv (Ha’emek Davar, Bamdibar 23:9): For every other nation, when its people went into exile and assimilated into the dominant culture, they found acceptance and respect. With Jews, the opposite was the case. In exile, when they remained true to their faith and way of life, they found themselves able to live at peace with their gentile neighbors. When they tried to assimilate, they found themselves despised and reviled. The sentence, should therefore be read thus: “If it is a people content to be alone, faithful to its distinctive identity, then it will be able to dwell in peace. But if Jews seek to be like the nations, the nations will not consider them (לא יתחשב) worthy of respect.
2. Bereishit 49:28, with Rashi: “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them; each man, according to his blessing, he blessed them (lit. איש אשר כברכתו ברך אותם).” The Torah should have said, “each man, according to his blessing, he blessed him.” Why does it say say “he blessed them”? The answer is that since Ya’akov bestowed upon Judah the might of a lion, and upon Benjamin the power to seize like a wolf, and upon Naphtali the fleetness of a gazelle, I might think that he did not include all of them in all the blessings. Therefore, the Torah states “he blessed them.”
3. R. Shlomo Luria/Maharshal (Introduction to Yam Shel Shlomo): One should not be astonished by the range of debate and argumentation in matters of halakhah. . . . All these views are in the category of divrei Elokim chayim as if each was received directly from Sinai through Moshe. This is so despite the fact that Moshe never projected opposing perspectives with respect to any one issue. The Kabbalists explained that the basis for this is that each individual soul was present at Sinai and received the Torah by means of the 49 paths (tzinorot). Each perceived the Torah from his own perspective in accordance with his intellectual capacity as well as the stature and unique character of his particular soul. This accounts for the discrepancy in perception inasmuch as one concluded that an object was tamei in the extreme, another perceived it to be absolutely tahor, and yet a third individual argues the ambivalent state of the object in question. All these are true and sensible views. Thus, the wise men declared that in a debate between true scholars, all positions articulated represent a form of truth.
4. Netziv (Ha’emek Davar, Introduction to Bereishit): The Talmud states that the Second Temple was destroyed due to baseless hatred (lit. שנאת חנם). Due to the baseless hatred in their hearts towards each other they suspected that those who disagreed with them on religious matters were Sadducees or heretics. This brought them to mistaken bloodshed and many other evils until the Temple was destroyed. This is the justification for the destruction: for God is yashar and God does not tolerate ‘tzadikkim’ like these. Rather, [God prefers] people who act in a way that is yashar even in worldly matters and not those who act crookedly even for the sake of Heaven, for such causes the destruction of creation and the annihilation of the world’s population.

5. Barbara Tuchman (Bible and Sword, Preface): The history of the Jews is . . . intensely peculiar in the fact of having given the Western world its concept of origins and monotheism, its ethical traditions, and the founder of its prevailing religion, yet suffering dispersion, statelessness and ceaseless persecution, and finally in our times nearly successful genocide, dramatically followed by fulfilment of the never-relinquished dream of return to their homeland. Viewing this strange and singular history one cannot escape the impression that it must contain some special significance for the history of mankind, that in some way, whether one believes in divine purpose or inscrutable circumstance, the Jews have been singled out to carry the tale of human fate.

Questions for Discussion

1. If the Jewish people are spiritually self-sufficient, is it legitimate to derive wisdom and/or inspiration from non-Jewish sources? To hold up non-Jews as role models?
2. Think of a perspective on Judaism or Torah that bothers you. Based on Rav Kook’s insights, can you see any positive tendency or religious value in it?
3. Rav Kook explains that factionalism and machloket are not purely evil phenomena, since they reflect the Jewish people’s spiritual self-sufficiency and need to harmonize all aspects of holiness. Can you think of any other explanations for why the Jewish people are so prone to machloket?
4. Can you think of any other ‘positive’ aspects of machloket?
5. Rav Kook writes that Torah is the only force that can check the Jewish’s people’s inclination towards factionalism and machloket. How exactly does the Torah accomplish that?
6. What do you think Rav Kook would say about intra-Jewish machloket with individuals or factions that reject the legitimacy of the Torah?[4]Can they be a part of the collective Jewish project?
7. Can Torah be used to divide the Jewish people instead of bring them together? If so, how?

[1]Devarim 32:8

[2]Rav Kook cites the gemara in Chullin (56b) –תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר ׳הוא עשך ויכוננך׳ (דברים לב:ו) – כרכא דכולה ביה ממנו כהניו ממנו נביאיו ממנו שריו ממנו מלכיו שנאמר (זכריה י, ד) ממנו פנה ממנו יתד וגו’. . The Jewish people is a city with everything in it. Out of it come its priests, out of it come its prophets, out of it come its chiefs, out of it come its kings, as it is stated: “Out of them shall come forth the cornerstone, out of them the stake, out of them the battle bow, out of them every master together” (Zechariah 10:4).

[3]For example, see Rashi there – אוצר חביב, כמו (קהלת ב ח) וסגלת מלכים, כלי יקר ואבנים טובות שהמלכים גונזים אותם.

[4]Rav Kook writes as follows in the continuation of the above excerpt from Orot – התורה כולה… מופיע על ידה הטוב הכללי, שמאחד את כולם בכללות קיומה של תורה, מלבד הרשעים המוחלטים העוקרים בית ישראל ופורקים עולה העליון ביד רמה, כדאמרה ברוריה למינא: רני עקרה שלא ילדה בנים לגיהנם כותייכו, שרבוי הכחות יפה הוא לאומה בהתאחדם בשורש קיומה בתורה.