Gaea's

After a whole ordeal trying to curse the Jews, Bilam finally ends up blessing the Jews instead. So what does a person whose power lies in his word utter, after so much suspense? He says “How good are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, Israel” (24:5). Is it Yaakov or Israel? Is it the tents or the dwelling places (assuming they’re different) that are good? It’s a pretty ambiguous for someone presumably articulate.

To understand this, we need to analyze the context of the three blessings he imparted in the following Pessukim (verses): 1) You should stay near water (reference to Torah), 2) G-d will help you crush your oppressors, and 3) Those that bless you will be blessed, and those that curse you will be cursed. It seems that there is a natural progression throughout these blessings: If we 1) stay close to the Torah, 2) G-d will help us defeat our enemies, and 3) we will be blessed upon blessings. That’s why the blessings start with the statement that it’s all because of our homes (tents), that leads to our communities (dwellings), from Yaakov as an individual to Israel as a nation. If we introduce the Torah in our own controlled-environment homes, it will not only help ourselves and our communities, but will also lead to the many blessings that follow!

Related posts:

1. Dvar for Toldot (Genesis 25:19-28:9)
2. Dvar for Chukat (Numbers 19:1-22:1)
3. Dvar for Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26)
4. Dvar for Shlach (Numbers 13:1-15:41)
5. Dvar for Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26)
6. Dvar for Pinchas (Numbers 25:10-30:1)
7. Dvar for Beha'alotcha (Numbers 8:1-12:17)
8. Dvar for Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20)
9. Dvar for Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13)
10. Dvar for Shlach (Numbers 13:1-15:41)
11. Dvar for Bo (Exodus 10:1-13:16)
12. Dvar for Naso (Numbers 4:21-7:89)
13. Dvar for Korach (Numbers 16:1-18:30)
14. Dvar for Vaetchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11)
15. Dvar for Bamidbar (Numbers 1:1-4:20)
16. Dvar for Vaeira (Exodus 6:2-9:35)
17. Dvar for Ki Tavo (Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8)
18. Dvar for Vaeira (Exodus 6:2-9:34)
19. Dvar for Beshalach (Exodus 13:17-17:16)
20. Dvar for Yitro (Exodus 18:1-20:23)