Posted on July 11, 2025 by Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
In our parashah this week, Balak, we learn of an enemy king who sends one of his court prophets, Bil’am, on a mission to curse the Israelite People. A wild narrative ensues, complete with talking donkeys, intimidating angels with fiery swords, curses transformed into blessings, and some of the most famous and oft-quoted verses from the Torah. The most famous of these is the set of words that God replaces in Bil’am’s mouth when he attempts to curse us: “Mah tovu ohalecha Ya’akov, mishkenotecha Yisrael!” “How goodly are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel!”
If that line sounds familiar, it’s likely because it is an opening line of liturgy that helps us begin every Shacharit (Morning) service in our tradition. It is also famously a line meant to be said upon entering a synagogue. A brief note on Mah Tovu as we enter Shabbat this week:
There is a widely known principle in Judaism called “minyan.” The word most directly translates to “quorum.” There are certain prayers and traditions we don’t observe unless we have a minyan present. In Jewish tradition you have a minyan if you have 10 adults gathered for prayer–Orthodox Judaism constitutes a minyan as 10 men, while Liberal Judaism has de-gendered this institution. Fun fact: if you’re a person or two short of a minyan, and you happen to be in a room with Torah scrolls, you can count them!
Judaism, however, does not ever want to reduce a human life, the most precious thing in the world, to just a number. We know all too well from our people’s history what happens when human beings are reduced to numbers. So what are we to do? How do we count to see if we have a minyan if we aren’t supposed to count the people in the room “1, 2, 3?” We use words of Torah to count. The phrase “Mah tovu ohalecha, Ya’akov,” happens to have ten syllables! As we look out around the room, we count by saying or even singing “Mah Tovu!”
Tonight, I know that we won’t have to worry about whether we’ll have a minyan, and anyway we aren’t planning to sing “Mah Tovu.” Still, I can’t wait to look out at our sanctuary and see you all smiling back at me as we revel in the preciousness of our community. Thanks for the warm welcome, and Shabbat Shalom.
Rabbi Noah Diamondstein
