Part 5
Ma tovu oholecho Yaakov (part 1)
Chazal added five extra pesukim, that are said as an
introduction to our tefillos in order to put us in the
correct frame of mind from which to approach prayer. They
also serve to awaken the zchus Ovos — the merit
of our ancestors — that established our daily
tefilloh.
The first of these is the posuk (Bamidbor 24:5),
"Ma tovu oholecho Yaakov, mishkenosecho Yisroel"
— how good are your tents, Yaakov, your dwelling
places, Yisroel. This is said upon entering shul, and
sets the correct attitude that will help us achieve success
in our prayers. The words were originally uttered by Bilaam
who was hired to curse the Jewish People, and they are chosen
as our introduction to our daily prayer schedule.
It is noteworthy that of the five additional pesukim,
two of them contain ten words each, and both of these begin
with the letter vov and end with the letter
chof that together have a numerical value of twenty-
six, the same numerical value as the Name of Hashem.
These six words contained in the posuk, "Ma tovu oholecho
Yaakov, mishkenosecho Yisroel," correspond to the six places
that the Shechinoh rested, namely Nov, Gilgal, Givon,
Shiloh, and the two Botei Mikdosh. The first four were
temporary abodes for the Shechinoh and correspond to
the temporary nature expressed in the words oholecho
Yaakov, the tents of Yaakov. The two Botei Mikdosh
were more permanent structures and are represented by the
words mishkenosecho Yisroel the dwelling places of
Yisroel. The gemora (Megilloh 29) interprets the
phrase oholecho Yaakov, mishkenosecho Yisroel as
referring to our botei keneissiyos and botei
midroshim. It is therefore preferable to daven in
the same location as one learns Torah.
Bilaam's unique power was that he was able to ascertain the
short period every day when Hashem used His attribute of
Anger in the world. Bilaam's curses were effective as he
would schedule them to coincide with this period of Divine
Anger. However, during the entire period that Bilaam
attempted to curse the Jewish people, Hashem suppressed this
short period of daily Divine Anger, thereby negating any
possibility of Bilaam's curses being effective.
The gemora (Brochos 6b) states in the name of Rabbi
Yochonon that Hashem immediately gets angry if He enters a
shul and there is no minyan present. We come to
shul to pray to Hashem — but why does Hashem
come to shul?
The Seforno explains that Hashem arrives on time because He
wants to listen to our tefillos. He arrives on
schedule, but if He finds no minyan, Divine Anger is
immediately aroused.
It may be that these few initial minutes, before the entire
minyan arrives in shul after the scheduled time
for the commencement of tefilloh, are the daily cause
of the Divine Anger that Bilaam took advantage off. In that
period Hashem, in His Mercy, arranged a panic situation
amongst the entire Jewish Nation. Whilst encamped in the
desert, they received information that Bilaam had been hired
to curse them. They knew of his potential evil power and were
terrified. When Jews are in a difficult situation and a
prayer session is arranged to pray for Divine Mercy, the
shul is always full, well before the scheduled
time.
Thus, the panic situation that was created by Bilaam's
presence, resulted in all the Jewish people arriving early
for davening. This, in turn, averted the Divine anger.
And therefore Bilaam's curses were of no effect.
We now begin our introduction to our daily prayers with the
posuk, "Ma tovu oholecho Yaakov, mishkenosecho
Yisroel" to remind us of the importance and great benefit
that is gained from coming on time to shul. Even
Bilaam realized this and was able to highlight the great
protective power that is created when at least a
minyan is present at the commencement of each
tefilloh.
Ma tovu oholecho Yaakov, mishkenosecho Yisroel. What a
privilege you possess within your oholei Yaakov, when
they are treated correctly. This posuk was therefore
chosen with which to enter shul every morning.
How long does this Divine Anger last?
Every lunar month is twenty nine and a half days long, plus
an additional 793 parts of the 1,080 of every hour.
The Benei Yissoschor discusses the origin of this
unusual additional fraction of an hour that makes up the
exact length of a lunar month. Hashem created the universe in
such a fashion as to allow Him to continuously perform
Kindness with all its creatures. The word chesed-
kindness has a numerical value of seventy-two. Fifteen (the
numerical value of the first two letters of Hashem's Name)
multiplied by seventy-two, equals 1,080, thereby forming the
denominator in the above fraction. Eleven (the numerical
value of the second half of His Name) when multiplied by
seventy-two, equals 792. This extra fraction of an hour is
entirely created from His attribute of Kindness — apart
from one part of the day that is reserved for administering
Divine Anger and Justice.
One part of 1,080 parts of an hour is exactly three and one
third seconds, which is the length of time of this Divine
Anger during which Bilaam had to articulate his curses.
A shul in Amsterdam had a custom that it always
remained locked until a minyan had actually arrived.
Only when ten adults had assembled in the foyer would the
shammas unlock the doors to the beis hamedrash.
It may be that these two extra pesukim, each of
which contain ten words, were actually used by the shammas
to count the assembled people in the foyer to ensure that
a minyan was present before he actually opened the
doors. This was to conform with the above quoted gemora,
and to ensure that they began their tefillos with
a measure of Divine Goodwill.
Bilaam, in his efforts to curse the Jewish People, tried to
negate any merit that they inherited from the Ovos. The
posuk (Bamidbor 22:21) tells us, Vayokom Bilaam
baboker — Bilaam arose in the morning to saddle his
donkey. Rashi comments, Omar Hakodosh Boruch Hu, Rosho!
Kvar kodmucho Avrohom Ovihem, shene'emar, `Vayashkem Avrohom
Baboker.' " Hashem said, You evil one! Avrohom their
forefather, has already preceded you, as it states
(Bereishis 22:3), `Avrohom rose early in the morning
and he saddled his donkey,' on the way to the Akeidah.
This comment of Rashi is difficult to understand. Bilaam
lived some four centuries after Avrohom Ovinu, so it is no
surprise that the latter preceded him in saddling his donkey.
This alone is an insufficient reason to term Bilaam a wicked
person.
The Maharal explains that Bilaam was trying to match the
merits that the Ovos had. Bilaam, however eager he was to
curse the Jewish People, nevertheless arose at his normal
time: "Vayokom Bilaam baboker." This is no match for
the enthusiasm that Avrohom displayed when asked to go to the
Akeidah. Avrohom Ovinu rose up earlier than normal:
Vayashkeim Avrohom baboker. Avrohom displayed an
exemplary enthusiasm and rose up earlier than his normal
schedule, so as to arrive early when performing the
mitzvah.
Some months ago, I went to visit two brothers who were
sitting shiva for their late father. The older brother
was elaborating about the virtues of his deceased father
— how he had escaped during World War II, how he had
arrived in England, and his complete life history. Every few
sentences he would stress how his late father was meticulous
to always daven with a minyan but he would
never arrive on time for davening. He was always at
least ten minutes early!
Being early in shul displays your conviction that
tefilloh is important to you, and that you do not want
to miss any of it. Ma tovu oholecho Yaakov, mishkenosecho
Yisroel. Look at what benefits they can provide when you
arrive early.
