Every day we begin our davening with the words “Ma Tovu Ohelcha Yaakov, Mishkenosecha Yisrael – How goodly are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel.” This sentence comes from this week’s parsha where Bilaam praises the modesty of the Jewish people. When he gazed upon the tents of the Jewish people he observed how their tents were set up so that the doors were not facing each other. This was to ensure the Tznius – modesty of the Jewish home, that they would not be able to see the private things happening in each other’s homes.

The meforshim asks: Isn’t it a little strange that we begin our Tefillah every day with the words of Bilaam who was a Rasha! Shouldn’t we start with words that come from a holier source?

Rav Boruch Halevi Epstein* in his Sefer Boruch Sheomar explains that on the contrary! We davka choose the words of Bilaam praising the Jewish people to begin our Tefillah.

The gemoro (Sanhedrin 105a) tells us that “Ahava Mekalkeles as Hashura” that when you love someone you can overlook their flaws and inaccurately describe their greatness. Like parents who many times think of their children as being something that is not attached to reality…

We want to begin our Tefillah praising the Jewish people, thereby giving Hashem a reason to accept our Tefilos. Had we brought the words of Dovid Hamelech, or someone else who loved the yidden, it would not have been proof that we are great, after all, he loves us. We specifically bring the words of Bilaam who hated us and yet still praises us. This shows us that the Jewish people are great when even their enemies praise them.

What a way to begin our Tefillah with expressing how the whole world realizes that “Mi Kemacha Yisrael!” 

*Rav Boruch Halevi Epstein was the son of the Aruch Hashulchan and authored the famous Torah Temima Chumash. He was also the nephew of the Netziv and learned by him in Volozin

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