“Ma Tovu,” the tefilla inscribed on the walls of many synagogues around the world and recited by many Jews upon entering shul in the morning, appears in parshat Balak. How do these words represent our aspirations for Jewish spaces? 

Bilaam, a non-Jewish prophet, is sent by Balak, king of Moab to curse the Jewish people. Instead, Bilaam ultimately blesses Bnei Yisrael: “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, Your dwellings, O Israel!” The Talmud (Bava Batra) interprets the fairness of the tents as follows: Bilaam saw that the tents of Israel were set up so that windows and doors did not directly face one another, providing privacy and separation. Perhaps this is why the tents are the tents of Jacob, emphasizing individual tribes and family identities. The second half however, refers to the “klal” the collective of Israel. “Mishkenotecha” – according to the midrash refers to the mishkan, where all of Israel comes together to worship Hashem. The two parts of “Ma Tovu” reflect the importance of preserving our identity within our ohel, with like-minded people, while also not losing contact with the klal, with Jews of different affiliations and ideologies.

Why, however, are these words which focus on Jewish homes, shuls and communities said by Bilaam, a non-Jew who wishes to curse us? The Talmud teaches that it highlights his true intention was to specifically curse the centers of Jewish life, which God then turned into blessings. Perhaps, there is a more positive reason – it encourages us to foster relationships with the non-Jewish world outside our Jewish spaces. Just as Bilaam’s intention to curse was turned to blessing, so too, should we work on shifting negative sentiments into positive views of the Jewish people. 

“Ma Tovu” is a 3-part statement of aspiration for our Jewish spaces: to establish strong Jewish identity, to acknowledge the good in other parts of Klal Yisrael and to foster positive relations with the non-Jewish world around us. Shabbat Shalom -Karen Miller Jackson