The evil prophet Bilaam wanted to curse the people of Israel, but instead found himself blessing them, "How goodly are your tents, Jacob; your dwelling places, Israel." (Numbers 24:5)



Why the repetition? What does each of these terms - tents and dwelling places - signify?



We should all work continually towards perfecting ourselves. This is achieved via two opposing yet complementary means:



First is the aspiration to constantly elevate ourselves. We strive to attain greater wisdom; to be enlightened with the splendor of divine knowledge, in purity and holiness; to refine the emotions and ennoble the spirit.



The second aspect is the need to restrain this striving for spiritual growth. We want to maintain our current level. The soul needs to internalize gains, assimilate changes, and guard against spiritual lapses. This requires restricting the desire for growth, so that these ambitions do not overextend the soul's natural capacity.



Both the tent ("ohel") and the dwelling ("mishkan") are types of temporary shelter. Both relate to the soul's upwards journey. However, there is a difference between them. The tent is inherently connected to the state of traveling. It corresponds to the aspiration for continual change and growth. The dwelling is also part of the journey, but is associated with the rests between travels. It is the soul's sense of calm, resting from the constant movement, for the sake of the overall mission.



Surprisingly, Rabbi Kook wrote that the second function is loftier than the first. The desire to grow reflects a lower-level fear, lest we decline and deteriorate. Therefore, the verse mentions tents first, together with the name Jacob, the first and lesser name. The need to stop and rest, on the other hand, stems from a higher-level fear, lest we over-shoot the appropriate level for the soul. Thus, the verse mentions dwelling second, together with the name Israel, Jacob's second and more elevated name.



In any case, both aspects are required in order to achieve stable spiritual growth. The verse praises the balanced union of "How goodly are your tents, Jacob" - symbolizing the longing to grow and change - together with the higher level of "your dwelling places, Israel" - the restriction and cessation of growth, to avoid excessive advancement, and properly absorb the sublime enlightenment.



[Based on Olat R?iyah I, pp. 42-3]

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Chanan Morrison, of Mitzpeh Yericho, runs a website (RavKook.n3.net) dedicated to presenting the Torah commentary of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, first Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael, to the English-speaking community.