{"id":363,"date":"2024-03-03T03:19:07","date_gmt":"2024-03-03T03:19:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/?p=363"},"modified":"2024-03-03T03:19:07","modified_gmt":"2024-03-03T03:19:07","slug":"to-daven-and-to-have-davened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/03\/to-daven-and-to-have-davened\/","title":{"rendered":"To Daven and To Have Davened"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov mishkinosecha Yisroel<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How great are your tents o Jacob, how great are your dwelling places.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Classically interpreted to refer to our synagogues, these words from our parsha can be found in the first few pages of every siddur as the prayer one recites upon entering a synagogue.   How apropos for our shabbat of unity, and we are well on our way to a beautiful davening together as a shul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would like to discuss today not these words per say, but the context in which they appear, the opening of Bilaam\u2019s third blessing to the Jewish people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two unsuccessful attempts at cursing the Jewish people, a clear transition moment immediately precedes Bilaam\u2019s third blessing.   We find elaborate preparation preceding Bilaam\u2019s first two attempts- he locates himself to see the Jewish people, builds alters, brings offerings- in order to facilitate the use of his powers of divination to curse the Jewish people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both these attempts are thwarted by G-d, and the Torah uses the same word each time in describing G-d intervention:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vayikar Elokim el Bilaam, G-d happened upon Bilaam.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rashi notes that the word \u201cVayikar\u201d has a negative connotation, signifying G-d\u2019s rendezvous with Bilaam as one of hesitancy and disdain, unlike His encounter with other prophets in Tanach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the Torah sets the stage for the third blessing quite differently: Bilaam builds no alters, brings no sacrifices, and G-d does not simply happen upon him: the Torah informs us<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vatihi alav ruach elokim<\/em>, the spirit of G-d rested upon Bilaam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We find this phrase, ruach elokim<\/em>, the spirit of G-d, throughout Tanach describing G-d\u2019s encounters with the highest of prophets, and most commentators here explain that Bilaam was experiencing this sublime presence of ruach elokim<\/em> as he uttered his third and final blessing.  With Bilaam reaching such a level of connection to G-d, we understand why his blessing Ma tovu Ohalecha Yaakov<\/em> is deserving of entering our liturgy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, Rashi seems to feel compelled to explain these words differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vatihi Alav Ruach Elokim:  Alah bilibo shelo yikalilem<\/em>.  He made the decision not to curse them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What bothered Rashi to sidestep the obvious explanation that Bilaam had reached this high level of prophecy, and instead insist that Bilaam simply decided not to curse the Jewish people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter, a businessman in Toronto and founder of the Dirshu learning program, suggest a beautiful answer in his work Darash Dovid on the Parsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps Rashi is not reinterpreting the ruach elokim<\/em>; in truth, Bilaam did in fact reach this high level of prophecy.  Rashi\u2019s comment explains not what<\/strong> the ruach elokim<\/em> was, but why<\/strong> Bilaam merited this ruach elokim<\/em> at juncture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Allah bilibo shelo yikallelem<\/em>: Bilaam\u2019s decision not to curse them is the cause<\/strong> of the ruach elokim<\/em> which rests upon him.  The two previous times that G-d intervenes, He does so begrudgingly, happening upon Bilaam, as Bilaam does not deserve G-d\u2019s presence.  However, once Bilaam makes a conscious decision to do what is right, G-d responds by appearing to him fully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are times in life where we act correctly begrudgingly, because we feel our hands are tied.  When we feel that way, we should nevertheless push ourselves to do what is right, even if it is not easy.  Other times, we tap into something greater, to do what is right not because we feel forced to, but because we want to.  Rabbi Soleveitchik once commented that many shul goers do not want to daven, they want to have davened.  They are not looking for the relationship, but to fulfill an obligation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we truly want to experience G-d\u2019s presence in our lives, although short of prophecy, we must choose to do what is right not because we must, but because we want to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each time we enter shul we are presented with an opportunity develop our relationship with the Almighty, to not just to check off that we have davened, but to truly aspire to connect with our Creator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Internalizing this lesson from Bilaam reinforces and brings new meaning to his liturgical legacy which has the potential to place us in this proper state of mind as we enter the sanctuary:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov Mishkinosecha Yiosrel.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ma tovu ohalecha Yaakov mishkinosecha Yisroel How great are your tents o Jacob, how great are your dwelling places. Classically interpreted to refer to our synagogues, these words from our parsha can be found in the first few pages of every siddur as the prayer one recites upon entering a synagogue.   How apropos for our […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"saved_in_kubio":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[57,72,10,39],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363\/revisions\/364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remoteshul.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}