In last week’s parsha, Bilaam tried to curse the Jews and was unsuccessful. He came up with a different plan to destroy the Jews: he would have non-Jewish women seduce the Jewish men. At the end of last week’s parsha and the beginning of this week’s parsha, we see how successful Bilaam was because 24,000 Jews died by a plague until the hero, Pinchas, came along and acted with zealousness ending the plague. The question I would like to answer this week is: why did Bilaam choose this plan of seducing the Jewish men and how did he know it would be successful?

I heard an answer to this question from one of today’s greatest speakers: Rav Dovid Orlofsky. He says that the greatest institution in Judaism is NOT the synagogue, as is commonly believed. It is the Jewish home. Bilaam saw this in last week’s parsha when G-d made him say one of the most famous lines, “Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov” – how pretty are your tents, Yaakov. Bilaam saw that the Jewish home was the strongest thing the Jews had and realized that is why G-d forced him to utter this praise. Therefore, Bilaam realized that if he could destroy the Jewish homes, he would be able to destroy the Jews. This is why he tried to seduce the men so it would cause strife in the homes.

Unfortunately, the numbers of broken houses in our generation is enormous. Some are saying that the divorce rate on current marriages is 66% – 2 our of 3 people get divorced. I’d like to share with you an idea that I once heard that will help keep marriages from falling apart. It is a story from the Gemara.

A heretic once came to a great Sage and asked him about G-d. The heretic agreed that the world is an amazing place and said that it could have been G-d that created it. But what has G-d been doing since that time? Where’s G-d been all of these years? What’s He doing now? The Sage answered the heretic by saying that G-d is now playing the role of matchmaker. G-d matches together a man with a woman to be husband and wife. The heretic laughed and said that he could do the same thing. The next morning, he lined up 200 of his male servants and 200 of his female servants. He pointed to one male and then one female. He wished them “Mazel Tov” and they were married. He continued down the line till all 400 single servants were now 200 couples. The next morning, 400 single servants appeared at his doorstep with bruises begging for divorce. The heretic then realized how much it took to be able to be a matchmaker.

There’s a great lesson for us to learn from this story and if we constantly keep it in mind when we speak to our wife husband, divorce rates will shrink rapidly. G-d is the Matchmaker of all marriages. G-d knows best and He decided that the two of you were meant for each other. He knows everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen, and therefore, he made your lives come together because it is the best for both of you. By remembering this story, especially when you are about to explode at your spouse, Jewish homes can be kept together in peace. Bilaam knew that if the Jews were living in harmony inside their homes then he had no power. Let’s not give Bilaam nor any of enemies any power over us by destroying our homes ourselves.

Good Shabbos!
-yes
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