Parashat Balak: What Does Bilam Teach Us About the Eternal Sanctity of the Communities of Israel?

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Parashat Balak
What Does Bilam Teach Us About the Eternal Sanctity of the Communities of Israel?

What is the Advantage of Jewish Communities in Israel over the Shtetl?

Having grown up in the Western world and been spoon-fed the importance of individual success – proving oneself better, smarter, and more accomplished than others – it took me time to internalize the Torah’s value of tzibbur, the sacred power of the Jewish community.  It was the vibrant Torah community of the Old City and Mount Tzion that drew me in. As a newly religious single woman, I began volunteering – babysitting, helping families prepare for Shabbat – and, in turn, was welcomed into their homes. Around one of those Shabbat tables, I met the love of my life – my future husband.

Among my students today, I recognize that the concept of prioritizing the needs of the community over personal preferences can feel foreign at first. That’s why we emphasize acts of chesed and participation in community events, not only in the Midrasha community, where we celebrate the holidays together, but also in the greater Bat Ayin community.

While Jewish communities existed in exile – in the shtetl and elsewhere – they were often formed out of external necessity, as the gentile society forced our ancestors into shtetls by not permitting Jews to mingle with their society.  In contrast, here in Eretz Yisrael, we have the opportunity to build intentional, enduring communities where every Jew can contribute their own unique color and voice. Bat Ayin itself, lovingly called ‘Chabakook,’ is a mosaic of Chabad, Breslov, and followers of Rav Kook – living together, rooted in the holiness of the Land.

In Which Way Did Bilam Attempt to Bring About the Downfall of Israel?

The story of Bilam, the gentile prophet hired to curse the Israelites, is one of the most mystifying and ironic episodes in the Torah. Although gifted with prophetic insight, Bilam chooses to use his power against the Jewish people and their future rectified communities in the Land of Israel. Again and again, he tried to curse, but from his mouth emerged only blessings. Standing on the mountain overlooking the Israelite camp, he was forced to proclaim:

ספר במדבר פרק כד פסוק ה מַה טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

“How goodly are your tents, O Ya’acov, your dwelling places, O Israel” (Bamidbar 24:5).

This verse, which opens the daily morning prayers, is an eternal testament to the spiritual beauty and destiny of the Jewish people – particularly in their connection to the Land of Israel.

The Talmud asks: What was it that Bilam saw that so inspired him? He saw that the entrances of their tents were not aligned with each other, ensuring that each family enjoyed a measure of privacy. And he said: If this is the case, these people are worthy of having the Divine Presence rest upon them (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 60a).

Bilam saw from above more than physical encampments; he beheld a people with inner order, sanctity, and purpose. But despite this vision of holiness and Hashem’s evident protection, Bilam persisted in seeking their downfall. Why, even after witnessing Divine protection and inner holiness, did he still seek their downfall? The reason is that he understood that the root of Israel’s strength lay not just in their G-d, but in their potential to become a sanctified and unified nation in their Land. Preventing this actualization was his true aim.

How Did Bilam’s Curse Target Our Connection to the Land of Israel?

Bilam’s curses were not random expressions of hatred. According to Rabbeinu Bechaya (Bamidbar 24:5), when Bilam saw the tribes of Israel encamped in orderly formation, he was struck by the vision of their future settlement in the Land. It was specifically Israel’s rootedness in Eretz Yisrael that brought forth his blessing. What Bilam saw was not just a people encamped by tribe, but a vision of Israel’s spiritual destiny unfolding within the Land itself. His words, “מַה טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב – How goodly are your tents, O Ya’acov,” became an unwitting prophecy – a vision of Israel dwelling peacefully and righteously in their homeland. The arrangement of tents represented not chaos but sacred order – revealing a higher unity that could only be actualized in the Land. Though Bilam came to curse, he ended up revealing the beauty and holiness of the Jewish people living in Eretz Yisrael.

The Tzafnat Paneach offers a complementary insight: Bilam’s intent was far more destructive; he sought to fracture the inherent unity of Israel at its root. Bilam’s underlying goal in cursing Israel was perpetuating disunity to prevent the formation of a true tzibbur – a unified spiritual community – which can only fully exist in the Land of Israel. Outside the Land, the Jewish people remain fragmented – individuals or separate tribal groupings. This is hinted in the opening verse of Bilam’s prophecy:

ספר במדבר פרק כד פסוק ב וַיִּשָּׂא בִלְעָם אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֹׁכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו וַתְּהִי עָלָיו רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים:

“Bilam raised his eyes and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes, and the spirit of God rested upon him” (Bamidbar 24:2)

The deeper meaning of Bilam’s words, “according to their tribes,” was the division when in exile. Yet the Land of Israel creates the condition for deeper integration and collective sanctity. Even the batei knesset (synagogues) and batei midrash (study halls) are affected by the sanctity of Israel, as the Tzafnat Paneach notes. Therefore, Bilam’s curse could not touch them since they are the places where the sanctity of the Land – and the unity it enables – endures eternally.

Moreover, when Moshe gazed upon the Land, the air itself became sanctified through his vision – and this sanctified air continues to grant spiritual clarity and wisdom to this day. That sanctity stands untouched – the very atmosphere of Eretz Yisrael preserves blessings and enables ongoing closeness with Hashem.

How Can Parashat Balak Help Us Overcome Confusion, Disunity, and Fear?

The Land of Israel is not only a place but a spiritual catalyst. It unifies what is divided, elevates what is mundane, and sustains what is eternal. Through this lens, we begin to grasp the spiritual stakes of Bilam’s mission and the enduring power of Israel’s connection to the Land – a connection built through unity, sanctity, and the invisible yet potent emunah that draws Hashem’s presence into every breath of its sacred air.

Balak, the Moabite king, had witnessed what happened to the other nations that stood in Israel’s way. He understood that this was not a military problem but a spiritual one. The Jewish people, with their covenant and prophetic mission, were preparing to enter a land infused with holiness – a land that could not tolerate moral corruption.

The nations feared not only the people of Israel, but the spiritual light that would be released through their settlement in the Land. The Sitra Achra (the Other Side) cannot bear the illumination that emerges when the Jewish people are in their rightful place. The Land of Israel serves as a Divine amplifier: everything planted here – physically or spiritually – grows with intensified force. Holiness takes root quickly, and so does desecration. This dual potential is what frightened Bilam and Balak most.

Bilam came to divide and darken – but instead revealed light and unity, precisely because he stood before the power of Eretz Yisrael. In our times – as we face confusion, disunity, and fear – this parasha reminds us that the Land itself holds the potential to transform us. It invites us to become not scattered individuals, but a true holy people, united under Hashem’s vision, rooted in the sacred soil that sustains prophecy, wisdom, and enduring blessing.