Parshat Balak gives us a rare glimpse into the enemy’s war room. Balak, king of Moav, is terrified. Not because Bnei Yisrael attacked. They didn’t. But because he saw their strength. He felt their moral clarity. And that frightened him more than any army.

So he hires Bilam, a world-class prophet with a twisted heart, to curse the Jewish People. But each time Bilam opens his mouth, Hashem flips his words into bracha. No plan, curse, or hatred can touch Am Yisrael without Hashem’s permission.

“Ma Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov, Mishkenotecha Yisrael” “How great are your tents…” 

These aren’t just poetic words. Chazal explain that “tents” refer to our batei midrash and batei knesset, our homes of Torah and tefillah. “Mishkenotecha” refers to the Mishkan and the Beit HaMikdash, our national home with the Shechina. Even when the Mikdash was destroyed, Rashi says it still atones for us. The Shechina never fully left.

What did Bilam see that inspired such praise? Our modesty. The way our tents were arranged with care. He saw deep respect for dignity, space, and kedusha. That was our strength. We weren’t just an army. We were a people defined by spiritual clarity.

But Bilam also knew something else. If he couldn’t break us from the outside, he’d corrupt us from within. So he advised sending in the daughters of Midian. It worked, briefly. Until Pinchas stood up for Hashem and turned the tide.

The world is still trying to twist us, tempt us, confuse us. But we are not just survivors. We carry light. Kedusha. Truth. Even without the Beit HaMikdash, we carry its essence. Every act of modesty, every step of integrity, every choice for Torah over trend brings the Shechina closer. Every home built with kedusha becomes a miniature Mikdash. Every Jew who walks with clarity becomes a living reminder of what the world was created for. We are not waiting for geula. We are building it.

The Beit HaMikdash was never just a building. It was a beacon. And when our homes, actions, and values reflect Hashem’s will, we rebuild that beacon, piece by piece. When we show the world true morality. When we raise children who know their worth. When we live with quiet dignity and humility. When we walk in truth, even when it’s hard. Then, even in exile, the Shechina finds a home. And soon, with Hashem’s help, it won’t just be a spark. It will be an eternal flame.

Balak feared our greatness. Bilam tried to stop it. But what they saw then, the world is about to see again, only greater. Let’s be the moral clarity the world needs. Let’s light the way back to Hashem. 

Hashem’s Got Us. Now let’s bring Him home.