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Lehavas David · Parshas Balak · Maamar י

In the Eyes of Hashem: Blessing Through Guarded Eyes

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 24:1
וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־הָלַךְ כְּפַעַם־בְּפַעַם לִקְרַאת נְחָשִׁים וַיָּשֶׁת אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּר פָּנָיו
Bilam saw that it was good in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisrael, and he did not go, as at the other times, toward divinations, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
1“Bilam saw that it was good in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisrael.”1 What does “Bilam saw” mean here? That he now saw that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want Israel cursed? He had already heard and seen before this that Hashem did not want, Heaven forbid, to curse, only to bless.2 We must also ask why “the eyes of Hashem” are mentioned here in particular. After all, the Rambam explains that one must not make the mistake of thinking that Hashem has any form or limb.3 When the verses sometimes speak of “the hand of Hashem” or “the eyes of Hashem,” it is all a figure of speech, suited to human understanding. Hashem has no likeness or form at all, since He is without limit. So the verse would not use the expression “the eyes of Hashem” without good reason.
וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל (כד, א). יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַהוּ ׳וַיַּרְא׳, שֶׁרָאָה עַתָּה שֶׁאֵין הקב״ה רוֹצֶה בְּקִלְלָתָם, הֲרֵי כְּבָר לִפְנֵי זֶה שָׁמַע וְרָאָה שהקב״ה אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה ח״ו לְקַלֵּל רַק לְבָרֵךְ. וְעוֹד לָמָּה הוּזְכַּר דַּוְוקָא כָּאן ׳עֵינֵי ה׳׳, הֲרֵי מְבוֹאָר ברמב״ם (יסודי התורה א, ז ח ט) שֶׁאֵין לִטְעוֹת שֶׁשַּׁיָּיךְ אֵצֶל הקב״ה שׁוּם דְּמוּת אוֹ אֵבֶר, וְכָל מַה שֶּׁנִּמְצָא לִפְעָמִים בַּכָּתוּב יַד ה׳ עֵינֵי ה׳ הַכֹּל מָשָׁל לְפִי דַּעְתָּם שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם, אַךְ הקב״ה אֵין לוֹ שׁוּם דְּמוּת וְצוּרָה, בִּהְיוֹתוֹ בִּלְתִּי בַּעַל גְּבוּל. וְאִם כֵּן לֹא הָיָה לְהַפָּסוּק לִכְתּוֹב לְשׁוֹן עֵינֵי ה׳ לְלֹא צוֹרֶךְ.
  1. Bamidbar 24:1. ↩
  2. See Bamidbar 22:12; 23:20. ↩
  3. Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 1:7–9. ↩
In shortWhat new thing did Bilam see, and why does the verse speak of “the eyes of Hashem” when Hashem has no form?
2Let us first explain the verse “And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem,”4 where we again find the words “in the eyes of Hashem.” The holy sefer Kedushas Levi explains that the tzaddik of the generation always rectifies and raises up the very thing in which the people of his generation are blemished.5 In Noach's days the blemish lay in chein, charm and beauty, which had sunk into ugly things, as it is written, “The sons of the nobles saw the daughters of man, that they were fair.”6 The blemish, then, was in the seeing of the eyes, and so Noach came and rectified it. From that very thing he drew a kal vachomer, an argument from the lesser to the greater, for matters of holiness: how much more must they be done with fiery enthusiasm! This is the meaning of “And Noach found favor in the eyes of Hashem.” He took the chein, the charm and beauty, that he “found” among the people of his generation, and raised it up into avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem. He learned from it for himself: if evil desires hold such charm, how much more must a person yearn to find favor “in the eyes of Hashem.” That is the gist of his holy words.
וְנַקְדִּים בֵּיאוּר הַפָּסוּק (בראשית ו, ח) ״וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳״, שֶׁגַּם כָּאן מָצִינוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, וּבְסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ קְדוּשַּׁת לֵוִי אִיתָא בָּזֶה, כִּי צַדִּיק הַדּוֹר תָּמִיד מְתַקֵּן וּמַעֲלֶה אֶת אוֹתוֹ הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאַנְשֵׁי דּוֹרוֹ פְּגוּמִים בּוֹ, וּבִהְיוֹת כִּי בִּימֵי נֹחַ הָיָה הַפְּגָם בְּעִנְיַן חֵן וְיוֹפִי שֶׁנָּפַל לִדְבָרִים כְּעוּרִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״וַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלוֹקִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טוֹבוֹת הֵנָּה״, שֶׁהַפְּגָם הָיָה בִּרְאִיַּית הָעֵינַיִם, עַל כֵּן בָּא נֹחַ וְתִקֵּן אֶת זֶה, עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמִּזֶּה עַצְמוֹ לָמַד ק״ו לִדְבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדוּשָּׁה, כַּמָּה יֵשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹתָם בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת. וְזֶהוּ ״וְנֹחַ מָצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳״, שֶׁאֶת מִידַּת הַחֵן וְהַיּוֹפִי שֶׁמָּצָא אֵצֶל אַנְשֵׁי הַדּוֹר, הֵרִים וְהִכְנִיס לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, שֶׁמִּזֶּה לָמַד לְנַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁאִם יֵשׁ חֵן לְתַאֲוֹת רָעוֹת, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתּוֹקֵק לִזְכּוֹת לְחֵן בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, עכתד״ק.
  1. Bereishis 6:8. ↩
  2. Kedushas Levi, Noach. ↩
  3. Bereishis 6:2. “The sons of the nobles” follows Rashi there. ↩
In shortNoach's generation was blemished through the eyes, the Kedushas Levi teaches, and Noach turned their charm into yearning for favor “in the eyes of Hashem.”
3To explain all this, we may say the following. The verses speak of several ways in which Hashem's blessing flows from Him. One is by way of action, as in “Hashem will give” and “I will give your rains.”7 Some blessings are stated in terms of speech, such as “Hashem will command …”8 And there is a way greater than these: sight. Through sight the blessing comes in complete fullness, meeting every need, as it says here, “it was good in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisrael,” and as it says, “the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it,”9 and “Look down from Your holy dwelling.”10 The Holy One, blessed be He, acts measure for measure. When Bnei Yisrael rectify the way they use their eyes, Hashem's blessing comes to them through His own seeing. That is what is meant here. Earlier the verse says, “He saw Yisrael dwelling according to its tribes,”11 and Rashi explains: “He saw that their entrances were not aligned, so that no one would peer into his fellow's tent.”12 So we find that Bnei Yisrael had rectified the guarding of their eyes, and that is why they were privileged to receive an abundance of blessing from Hashem by way of sight.
וּלְבָאֵר כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּהִנֵּה בְּעִנְיַן בִּרְכַּת ה׳ הַנִּשְׁפַּעַת מִמֶּנּוּ יִתְבָּרֵךְ מָצִינוּ כַּמָּה דְּרָכִים שֶׁל הַשְׁפָּעָה שֶׁנִּזְכְּרוּ בַּכְּתוּבִים, הָאֶחָד הוּא בִּבְחִינַת מַעֲשֶׂה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ׳יִתֵּן ה׳׳, ׳וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם׳, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן דִּיבּוּר, כְּגוֹן ׳יְצַו ה׳׳, וְיֵשׁ גַּם בְּחִינַת גְּדוֹלָה מִזֶּה וְהוּא רְאִיָּה, שֶׁבִּבְחִינַת זוֹ בָּאָה הַבְּרָכָה בְּכָל הַשְּׁלֵימוּת כְּפִי כָּל הַהִצְטָרְכוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן ׳כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל׳, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יא, יב) ׳תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ׳, ׳הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ׳ (דברים כו, טו). והקב״ה נוֹהֵג מִידָּה בְּמִידָּה, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מְתַקְּנִים עִנְיַן רְאִיַּית הָעֵינַיִים, עַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּא בִּרְכַּת ה׳ עַל יְדֵי בְּחִינַת רְאִיָּיתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ. וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה כָּאן, דְּהִנֵּה נֶאֱמַר לְעֵיל (במדבר כד, ב) ״וַיַּרְא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שׁוֹכֵן לִשְׁבָטָיו״, וְאִיתָא ברש״י רָאָה שֶׁאֵין פִּתְחֵיהֶם מְכוּוָּנִין שֶׁלֹּא יָצִיץ לְתוֹךְ אֹהֶל חֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה מְתוּקָּן אֶצְלָם עִנְיַן שְׁמִירַת הָעֵינַיִים, וְלָכֵן זָכוּ לְשֶׁפַע בְּרָכָה מֵאֵת ה׳ בִּבְחִינַת רְאִיָּה.
  1. Vayikra 26:4. ↩
  2. Devarim 28:8: “Hashem will command the blessing for you.” ↩
  3. Devarim 11:12, said of Eretz Yisrael. ↩
  4. Devarim 26:15. The verse continues: “and bless Your people Yisrael.” ↩
  5. Bamidbar 24:2 (the sefer has 24:7). ↩
  6. Rashi there. ↩
In shortBlessing through Hashem's sight is the fullest, and it comes measure for measure to those who guard their eyes, as Bnei Yisrael did.
4This is the meaning of “Bilam saw that it was good in the eyes of Hashem.” Once Bilam saw that Bnei Yisrael had rectified the way they used their eyes, he understood that it was good in the eyes of Hashem to bless Yisrael: they would receive the abundance of blessing in the great way of “in the eyes of Hashem.” Along the same lines we can explain “the eyes of Hashem” in the verse about Noach. Since Noach had rectified his eyes and kept them guarded in holiness, he brought it about that the eyes of Hashem would shine upon him to bless him and all that was his. The abundance would flow by way of sight to him and to all who joined him. This is what the words “in the eyes of Hashem” mean there: the abundance of Hashem's blessing that comes by way of sight.
וְזֶהוּ ׳וַיַּרְא בִּלְעָם כִּי טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳׳, דְּמֵאַחַר שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּקְּנוּ עִנְיַן רְאִיַּית הָעֵינַיִם, הֵבִין שֶׁטּוֹב בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ שֶׁפַע הַבְּרָכָה בִּבְחִינָה גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁל ׳בְּעֵינֵי ה׳׳. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה יֵשׁ לְבָאֵר גַּם עִנְיַן עֵינֵי ה׳ הָאֲמוּרִים בְּנֹחַ, דְּכֵיוָן שֶׁנֹּחַ הָיָה מְתוּקָּן וְשָׁמוּר בִּקְדוּשַּׁת עֵינָיו, בָּזֶה פָּעַל שֶׁיָּאִירוּ עֵינֵי ה׳ אֵלָיו לְבָרְכוֹ וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ, וְשֶׁיּוּמְשַׁךְ הַשֶּׁפַע לוֹ וּלְכָל הַנִּלְוִים אֵלָיו בִּבְחִינַת רְאִיָּה, וְזֶה הַכַּוָּונָה בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳בְּעֵינֵי ה׳׳ הָאָמוּר שָׁם, הַיְינוּ שֶׁפַע בִּרְכַּת ה׳ הַבָּא עַל יְדֵי בְּחִינַת רְאִיָּה.
In shortBilam “saw” that Israel's guarded eyes would bring blessing “in the eyes of Hashem,” just as Noach's guarded eyes drew that blessing to him.
5In fact, this was Bilam's counsel: to take from Bnei Yisrael the guarding of their eyes. So the holy Ohr HaChaim writes on the verse “Yisrael dwelt in Shittim.”13 He asks why we need to be told that Bnei Yisrael dwelt in Shittim, and explains that the Torah is teaching us a great lesson. How did Bnei Yisrael come to so grave a sin as immorality? It began when they started going out to stroll idly, with no need. This is the meaning of “Yisrael dwelt baShittim”: the word speaks of strolling, as in the verse about the manna, “The people went about,” shatu,14 where Rashi explains, in these words: “Shayit is nothing but a term for strolling.”15 And this was the cause of “and the people began to commit immorality.” Those are his holy words.
וּבֶאֱמֶת זֶה הָיָה עֲצַת בִּלְעָם לִמְנוֹעַ מֵהֶם עִנְיַן שְׁמִירַת הָעֵינַיִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַב הָאוֹר הַחַיִּים הַקָּדוֹשׁ עַל הַכָּתוּב (כה, א) ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁיטִּים״, וּמַקְשֶׁה מַה צוֹרֶךְ לְהוֹדִיעַ שֶׁיָּשְׁבוּ בַּשִּׁיטִּים. וּמְפָרֵשׁ כִּי הַתּוֹרָה מוֹרָה לָנוּ עִנְיָן גָּדוֹל, מִנַּיִן בָּאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעָוֹן חָמוּר כָּזֶה שֶׁל זְנוּת, זֹאת עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ לָצֵאת לְטַיֵּיל סְתָם בְּלִי נְחִיצוּת, וְזֶהוּ וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁיטִּים לְשׁוֹן טִיּוּל, כְּדֶרֶךְ אוֹמְרוֹ (במדבר יא, ח) ״שָׁטוּ הָעָם״, וּפֵירֵשׁ רש״י וז״ל אֵין שַׁיָּיט אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן טִיּוּל, וְזֶה סִיבַּת ״וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת״, עכד״ק.
  1. Ohr HaChaim on Bamidbar 25:1. ↩
  2. Bamidbar 11:8. ↩
  3. Rashi there. ↩
In shortBilam's counsel aimed to break that guard: idle strolling in Shittim, the Ohr HaChaim explains, led Bnei Yisrael into immorality.
6This gives us a great lesson for the summer months: to keep away from unnecessary outings and excursions, and to sit instead in the tents of Torah. We should also keep young people from going off on all sorts of excursions, for this is where our generation is blemished. In this merit may we be privileged to receive Hashem's blessing in the way of “in the eyes of Hashem,” until the coming of our righteous Moshiach. Amen.
יוֹצֵא לָנוּ מִכָּאן לִימּוּד גָּדוֹל לִימוֹת הַקַּיִץ, לְהִמָּנַע מִיְּצִיאוֹת וְטִיּוּלִים לֹא נְחוּצִים, רַק לָשֶׁבֶת בְּאָהֳלֵי תּוֹרָה, וְלִמְנוֹעַ גַּם מִבְּנֵי הַנְּעוּרִים מִלָּצֵאת לְטִיּוּלִים לְמִינֵיהֶם, מַה שֶׁהַדּוֹר פָּגוּם בָּזֶה, וּבִזְכוּת זֶה נִזְכֶּה לְבִרְכַּת ה׳ וּבִבְחִינַת בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, עַד בִּיאַת מָשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ, אָמֵן:
In shortIn summer we should avoid needless outings and stay in the tents of Torah, guarding our eyes to receive blessing “in the eyes of Hashem.”
Takeaway

Hashem's fullest blessing comes “in the eyes of Hashem,” and He gives it measure for measure to those who guard their own eyes. Like Noach, we can take the pull that draws others after what they see and turn it into a yearning for favor in Hashem's eyes. Especially in summer, when idle outings beckon, staying in the tents of Torah, and keeping our young people close to them, guards what we see and draws down Hashem's blessing.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.