Peaks of Majesty
D’var Torah for Parashat
Balak
By Rabbi Boaz D. Heilman
This week's Torah portion, Balak (Numbers
22:2--25:9), contains the famous line, "How goodly are your tents O Jacob,
your dwellings, O Israel." Spoken by the pagan seer Balaam, these
beautiful words have entered the Jewish liturgy as the opening of every morning
service. Though Balaam was hired by King Balak of Moab to curse Israel,
from his perch on top a mountain overlooking the ancient Israelite camp, Balaam
is overwhelmed by the vision of Israel he sees from the heights and his evil
purpose is turned instead into a blessing.
I was reminded of this line a few days ago as
the El Al jet I was in was making its final approach to Ben Gurion Airport in
Tel Aviv. The coastline of Israel emerged from the mist and grew ever closer.
From the heights, the roads and buildings of Tel Aviv, the green fields
and the forests, the rocky mountains around Jerusalem all formed a breathtaking
pattern. It's a sight that takes one's breath away no matter how many
times you see it. What made this flight different from all others,
however, was that it was El Al's maiden non-stop flight between Boston and Tel
Aviv. Festivities at Logan Airport continued in the boarding area, replete with
flags, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, speeches and champagne. Teddy
bears dressed in T-shirts with "El Al: Boston to Tel Aviv" logos
awaited every passenger. More champagne, cupcakes and mint tins with the same
El Al logo were offered after the meal. The plane was filled with a
diverse multitude of passengers comprised of exuberant youth groups, rabbis
coming to Israel for study or R&R, tourists, business people, older people
visiting Israel for the first or umpteenth time, and children speaking a
mixture of English and Hebrew. It was a complex mixture of people united
by one thing--a love for the people and the land of Israel. When the
plane touched down in Tel Aviv, applause filled the cabin, and while some
people began to sing, others offered a silent prayer of gratitude. Tears
were in the eyes of many.
Israel has a way of doing that to people.
Emotions spring up from somewhere deep inside your heart and cause your
spirit to soar. Poor Balaam never stood a chance.
Mah tovu o-halecha Ya'akov, mish'k'notecha
Yisrael, "How
goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwellings, O Israel." How fortunate
and blessed we are to have Israel to go to today, to take its presence for
granted, to assume that it will always be there for us, a source of hope,
strength and pride.
Especially today, almost the 4th of July, I
can't help but think of the close connection between America and Israel.
It's a connection I feel in a most personal way. I sometimes feel torn
between the two homes I have, while the truth is that within me, the two merge
into one. Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu, in a congratulations
message sent to the US for the 4th of July, said that Israel has no greater
friend than the US, and the US has no greater friend than Israel. The
truth of this message is apparent in every possible way, from the personal to
the national; from the strong economic ties to the cultural; and certainly in
the unwavering military and security partnership that exists between the
two countries.
A prayer that should be said by all on this
Shabbat day is that God continue to bless both America and Israel. Together we all pray that, with God's help, we will continue making the
world a better place for all its inhabitants.
May God grant strength to God's people, may God
bless us all with peace.
Happy Fourth of July and Shabbat shalom to all.
© 2015 by Boaz D. Heilman
