Probably the most famous of the blessings that we received in this week’s Parshah is – “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov; your dwelling places, Yisroel” (Numbers 24:5). Not only are these words the latest ‘hit’ in Jewish music, but they are the opening words we say when entering shul.
Perhaps less well known is the Gemora that tells us, that over history, all of the blessings given by Bilam reverted to the curse that he had originally wanted to put on the Jews; with the exception of one – “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov; your dwelling places, Yisroel”. What lies behind this great blessing that remains with us throughout history?
There are predominantly two main explanations of this verse. Some explain that the ‘tents’ refer to the ‘study halls of Torah’ as we find that our forefather Yaakov spent his time “sitting in the tent of Torah study”. ‘Your dwelling places’ [Mishke’no’se’cha] refers to the Tabernacle [Mishkan] more globally the Temple, and nowadays the Shuls – the places of prayer.
Others explain that Bilam uttered this curse after having seen the encampments of the Jews in the desert – in a modest fashion; where the entrances of one tent would not be facing the entrance of their neighbour. He then praised the Jewish home in the desert i.e. the tents, and in the future, the dwelling places – the more permanent dwelling places in the Land of Israel.
On the one hand the Study halls and the Shuls; on the other hand the Jewish homes. On a deeper level perhaps these two different readings of the verse actually compliment each other.
There is a somewhat obscure Medrash that tells us that just as we are told that Noach and his family, the animals, the creepy crawlies and the birds left the Ark – “to their families”; so too when we leave shul we do so – “to our families”.
Rav Zev Leff explained: we live in a world where there is a Mabul, a flood out there on the street. We are bombarded on the street by anti-Jewish literature, advertising. Non Jewish ideas are threatening to infiltrate us through what we read, and how we interact out in the big world. There is however protection to such a flood of non Torah ideas – the Ark. This is the shul, and the Halls of Torah Study, here we have protection. There is however another, equally important place of protection – the Jewish home. When we leave the shul we should go to our Jewish family life. This is the dual protection that we have and Hashem made sure we would always have throughout our long exile.
The hub of Judaism, the places where we strive to grow are our shuls and our homes. Both are as important as each other. Our homes should serve the same purpose as do our shuls. Our homes are not just a ‘base’ they are also a ‘beis’ as in Beis Hamedrash – Study Hall! The Jewish home is a place of Jewish growth as is the shul – the type of learning in the home happens to be invariably in a different format than the Shul but it’s growth nevertheless.
Both ways of reading the blessing are two sides of the same coin. Continued Jewish existence is through the Shul and the home. This is also what the Medrash is teaching us – when we leave Shul we go to our families i.e. to the Jewish home. Only when we are securely connected to these two ‘recharge points’ can we dart out in-between the Shul and the home and face the outside world; the flood that is on the street, and yet remain steadfast to our Judaism.
In conclusion I would like to share with you the most important words of Rav Hirsch. After having so eloquently described how the Chanukah story evolved as a result of Divine punishment for – “a weakening of the service in the Temple” he goes on to conclude how when the tables turned and the Jews strengthened their commitment to Hashem and won the war, the Mitzvah of lighting the Menorah serves to highlight the role of the Jewish home:
“Therefore, go and kindle your light at the festival of the Maccabees. To kindle it in your synagogue, in your temple, is not enough: נר איש וביתו – “a light for each man and his household” is the precept of Chanukah. In your own home there shall be light for you and for your house. Of what avail is it to us if we sing praises in our houses of worship, if in the temples we call ourselves Jews in a momentary access of devotion, while our homes are un-Jewish and we do not harbour in our homes the light of the Jewish spirit? Our salvation has not issued from the temples in the past, nor will it now – the deliverance will come from the home…… the important thing is how your children and babies prattle, whether the Jewish spirit shines in them, whether Jewish sap flows in their veins, whether Jewish way of life is their education.
The light of the temple? It was the very High priests of Judaism themselves who betrayed it…. therefore kindle your light in your own home! ….. You will kindle. נר איש וביתו – “a light for each man and his household” – you will give your full attention to each child…. that the light of Judaism may continue to shine forth in him”.
Good Shabbos,
Yaakov