Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Balak Volume VII/Number 36 (323) 14 Tamuz 5753/July 3, 1993 Speaking at the dedication of a new "Shul", Dayan Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss, zatzal (1902-1989), once said, "I remember when I was a child, the 'Melamed' (teacher) explained the verse, 'Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov,' in two ways: 'How good your tents are,' and 'How beautiful your tents are.' "I remember wondering, 'What's the difference between "good" and "beautiful"?' I finally decided that goodness refers to inner qualities, while beauty refers to outer appearance. "The Gemara (Sanhedrin 105b) interprets the verse of 'Ma Tovu' as a reference to Shuls and 'Batei Midrashot' - places of Torah study. These places, we may therefore say, should be both good and beautiful. A Shul is beautiful if its outside is nicely designed and if, as the Halacha requires, it is taller than our homes. A Shul is good, on the other hand, if its interior conforms to Halacha: Is the 'Mechitzah' properly constructed? Is the 'Bimah' placed where the Halacha requires?" (quoted in Tel Talpiyot p.46) ************************************ "G-d is not a man, who lies, nor a human being, who changes his mind; has He said, and not done, spoken and not brought it about? He did not see bad in Yaakov, nor wrong in Yisrael..." (23:19,21) These verses present many questions, writes R' Chaim David haLevi, shlita. I would have understood, "He did not see bad in Yaakov," to mean that Yaakov (i.e. the Jewish people) does not do bad. However, that is not how Chazal understood it. They interpret it to mean that when Hashem does see bad in Yaakov, He looks the other way and does not punish His people harshly. Why did Chazal interpret the verse this way? (Even Rashbam, who always adopts the "P'shat" - simplest meaning, follows this understanding!) Furthermore, is this interpretation consistent with reality as we observe it? We know of many occasions on which the Jews were punished harshly! Another question arises from the first verse quoted above. Why do we praise Hashem as One who does not lie or change His mind? Even man will ordinarily be embarrassed to lie or go back on his word. In these verses, explains R' haLevi, Bil'am recognizes that there is logic in history and that history is leading us to some goal. Events are not random. The path which Bil'am saw through history began with the Exodus. So powerful was Bil'am's vision of this path that he understood: No matter what, Hashem will not change His mind. Hashem's plans will be brought to fruition, and even man's sins will not stop it. Sometimes Hashem looks the other way so that man's sins will not interfere with His plans. In other words, Hashem does not punish "impulsively," but designs a punishment which fits into His long- range plans. Even a punishment as harsh as the decree that the generation of the Exodus would die in the desert changed nothing in the long run. It merely slowed history's development by 40 years. (Aseh Lecha Rav IV p.60) ************************************ "Return to your land, for Hashem declines to allow me to go with you." (22:13) Rashi comments: Bil'am told the Moabite emissaries, "Hashem will not let me go with you, but if your king sends higher officials, I can go with them." How could Bil'am say that? asks R' Chaim Shmuelevitz, zatzal (1901-1979; Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva). Hashem clearly told him not to go at all! This is one of many proofs in the Torah that a person hears only what he wants to hear. A person's self-interest -- in Bil'am's case, his desire to curse the Jews -- can twist even the words that a person hears. (Sichot Mussar 5751 No. 27) ************************************ "Bil'am said to his donkey, '[I hit you] because you embarrassed me; had I a sword in my hand, I would even kill you now'." (23:29) Look what happens to one who seeks honor, observed R' Berel Soloveitchik, zatzal (died 1981). In the end, he demands honor even from his donkey! He would even kill his donkey and walk, just so that it will not embarrass him. (quoted in Shai laTorah p.193) ************************************ Bil'am refers to himself as "Shtum haAyin" (24:3). Rashi explains that Bil'am was missing one eye. Onkelos, on the other hand, translates "Shtum haAyin" as "Beautiful to see." How can these two explanations be reconciled? The story is told of a Nazi officer who offered to save the life of a Jewish woman if she could tell him which of his eyes was glass. No one had yet accomplished that feat. The woman easily pointed out the glass eye. "It's the one which doesn't look evil." she explained. (Shai laTorah p.193) ************************************ In one of his lectures in the Yeshiva of Slutsk, R' Isser Zalman Meltzer, zatzal (1870-1953), said: "On Fridays, the Yeshiva's "Seder" (study hall period) officially ends at 1 PM, but in practice, no one learns on Friday. Everybody has errands to run. "In this connection, it is possible to explain the verse, 'How good are your tents, Yaakov....' (24:5), as follows, based on Rashi's comment that Bil'am was impressed that the doors and windows of the Jews' homes never faced those of another home. Metaphorically, Bil'am was searching for a sin that all Jews committed -- sin is referred to as an 'opening' (B'reishit 4:7) -- for this would allow Bil'am to recite a curse that would apply to all Jews. However, no two doors faced each other; while no Jew was perfect, each one had his own private faults. This lead Bil'am to exclaim, 'How good are your tents, Yaakov,' and so on. "No doubt," R' Isser Zalman continued, "Yeshiva boys must run errands. Why, however, are they all saved for Friday? If some students ran their errands on Monday, others on Tuesday, and so on, Seder could be held on Friday as on all other days. "To what may this be compared? To a person whose jacket is torn. As long as his shirt is whole, his skin does not show. However, even if his shirt were torn, his skin would not show unless his jacket, shirt, and undershirt were all torn at the same spot. That kind of tear is what happens here on Friday." (quoted in Torah laDa'at XVI, No.42) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Demai 5:9-10 O.C. 633:8-10 Nazir 48 Yerushalmi - Shevi'it 30 Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Shechitah - Ch. 4 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Malveh Vloveh - Chs. 22-24 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:N237; Su:P198; M:P246; Tu:P246; W:P246; Th:P246; F:P246 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: Martin and Michelle Swartz and family in memory of Martin's grandfather, John Hofmann ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible