Of the blessings conferred by Bilaam in his ill-fated effort to curse Klal Yisrael none is more stirring, evocative, or resonant than "mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael"(Bamidbar 24:5). It is unsurprising that Chazal applied this laudatory, though initially ambiguous depiction, to core institutions of halachic life. While one passage (Bava Basra 60a) perceives a reference to structural requirements of domestic privacy and tzeniut - the foundation of refinement and of family life - another (Sanhedrin 105b) accentuates the indispensable central role of the twin pillars of communal life: the beit hakenesset and the beit midrash. The Talmud notes that Bilaam specifically targeted these crucial institutions-"mibirchato shel oto rasha atah lameid mah hayah be-libo...bikesh she-lo yihiyeh la-hem batei keneisiyot u-batei midrashot..." Undoubtedly this initial plan reflects his acute awareness that these constitute the Achilles' heel of Klal Yisrael, that they are existentially indispensable to a flourishing Jewish life in all eras. Moreover, the Talmud proceeds to further accentuate the enduring quality and impact of these essential foundations of Torah life when it declares that even as other foci of Bilaam's pernicious intentions eventually - at some point in Jewish history - were vulnerable to Bilaam's curses, the beit haknesset and beit midrash remained impervious to any undermining effort - "kulam chazru le-kelalah chutz mi-batei kenesiyot u-batei midrashot"! Rashi adds that these institutions will endure under all circumstances ("she-lo yifseku mi-Yisrael le-olam").
The special status of batei midrash and batei knesset certainly derive from the central and inimitable role that tefillah and talmud Torah occupy in Jewish life. Torah study is the premier mitzvah and the basis for the knowledge, principles, and values that underpin all mitzvot ("ve-talmud Torah keneged kulam"- Peah 1:1). Tefillah, avodah she-belev (Rambam, Sefer Hamitzvos, number 5), is foundational for man's direct, daily bond with Hashem ("amidah lifnei Hashem"). It is noteworthy that Rambam formulates the mitzvah that is exemplified by prayer as the imperative of avodat Hashem (Divine service). In that context, he cites the view of the midrash halachah that avodah is manifest both through tefillah and Torah! It is no coincidence that these two mainstays of halachic life constitute two of the three world pillars (Avot 1:2 - "al sheloshah devarim ha-olam omed- Torah, avodah, gemilut chasadim"; see R' Yonah and other mefarshim). The timeless and enduring quality of Torah and tefillah is axiomatic.
However, the focus on the institutional venues of these twin "avodot" in Bilaam's blessing implies a significant additional dimension. The halachic principle and the normative details of the sanctity of batei knesiyot and batei midrash, possibly also alluded to in the phrase "mah tovu", attests to the transcendent impact of Torah and tefillah. The capacity to transform eitzim ve-avanim, brick and mortar, into a spiritually suffused framework endowed with independent value, a "mikdash me'at" (Megillah 29a), patterned after the beit ha-mikdash, underscores that these avodot are not merely informative, reflective, instrumental, and meritorious, but also spiritually transformative. Thus, even the venues in which halachic personalities are cultivated become infused with halachic stature and integrated into the experience and process of spiritual growth. [Thus, destruction of the eitzim ve-avanim of the mikdash constitutes an appropriate punishment, but also kapparah for Klal Yisrael. See also Rashi on this very verse.] Bilaam targeted shuls and yeshivot because he well understood that neutralizing the venues, and especially the very notion and implications of transcendent sanctity they embodied, endangered the nation, by subtly but effectively undercutting the wider impact and extensive aspirations of Torah and tefillah, the spiritual life-blood of Klal Yisrael.
The Seforno develops a further facet of the importance of batei midrash and batei keneisiyot. He first allusively reinforces the theme that these institutions-venues facilitate the forming and shaping of halachic personalities by connecting "ohalecha Yaakov"("ish tam yoshev ohalim") and "mishkenotecha Yisrael" ("ki sarita im ha-Elokim ve-im ha-anashim va-tuchal") to the various phases of Yaakov-Yisrael's paradigmatic personal development. He subsequently asserts that the impact of these institutions transcends those who frequent them, as it imprints itself upon the entire character and soul of Am Yisrael: "ki lo bilvad heim metivim le-oskim bam, aval metivim le-kol ha-umah." This remarkable insight highlights the fundamental collective-national character of both talmud Torah and tefillah that is consistent with the status of each and both as a prime manifestation of avodat Hashem. Each relates to, incorporates, and integrates both individual and collective expression, insight, and experience.
The synagogue and the yeshiva are, by definition, community and national institutions that embody constancy, consistency, idealistic aspirations, maximalist standards, and an appropriate range in avodat Hashem. They link and unite diverse individuals and populations, and they connect the present generation and its challenges and opportunities with the vast mesorah of Klal Yisrael in the realm of avodat Hashem. The halachah recognizes the importance and special status of talmud Torah de-rabim u-detzibur, and, of course, the singular stature of tefillat hatzibur, that enables but is much more than simply the basis for devarim she-bikdushah. In this respect, both beit hakenesset and beit ha-midrash truly qualify as "mikdash me'at", the locus for avodat ha-yachid and avodat ha-am, as well as their convergence (and beyond, "ki beiti beit tefillah yikarei lekol ha-amim"). The presence of shuls and yeshivot is a sine qua non for Jewish communal life that should garner comprehensive support and the identification of the entire tzibur. Small wonder that Bilaam sought to render Klal Yisrael vulnerable by eliminating the fortresses of an expansive and enduring avodat Hashem. That he was thwarted, that the intended kelalah was converted into a berachah that also hinted at the timeless, and irrevocable status of batei keneisiyot and batei midrashot, was an abundant blessing, indeed.
As we emerge from a very challenging year and a quarter in which our access to the central institutions that define avodat Hashem has been significantly curtailed, we should revisit the principle of "mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov" with ever greater appreciation and commitment. Typically, the most essential and ubiquitous institutions in our lives are also under-appreciated; they come over time to be perceived more narrowly and more pragmatically, and often are just taken for granted. Ironically, though understandably, separation acutely underscores their indispensability and multidimensional impact. The fact that batei keneisiyot and batei midrashot provided the leadership and infrastructure that creatively sustained and nurtured tefillah and talmud Torah during this challenging period by an array of mechanisms reaffirms their central and essential role, even as these very efforts also conclusively confirmed that maximal avodat Hashem in all of its dimensions is and will remain anchored in fully functional, accessible, and irreplaceable mikdeshei me'at. The havtachah that these core and essential pillars of avodat Hashem are a protected permanent part of Jewish life is a stirring berachah for all generations that should engender confidence and joy: "mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishkenotecha Yisrael."