* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin
When was the last time you shared or posted something personal on social media?
Today, we are all media stars. We live in an overly exposed, exhibitionist and voyeuristic reality, but in this week’s Torah portion we are reminded not to forget the value of privacy.
The wicked Bilam is asked to curse the people of Israel, but when he observes the nation from on high, only blessings come out of his mouth. In one of the well-known blessings, he declaims: “How goodly are your tents, Yaakov, your dwelling places, Yisrael.”
Rashi explains the source of Bilam’s praise: “He saw that the entrances to their tents were not facing each other.” In other words, the entrances were situated in such a way that no one could look into anyone else’s tent.
Bilam comes from a culture without personal boundaries, and suddenly he encounters respect for privacy, intimacy, and a holy space for each family and every individual. Bilam’s blessing has accompanied the nation of Israel for thousands of years and persists despite the challenges of today’s environment — where the line between private and public life is often blurred.
What we read this week about the blessing of privacy, we would be advised to take to heart. Instead of clicking “publish” or “share” with every post, we might want to stop and click “don’t share”, to keep some things to ourselves. Some of our experiences, impressions, and feelings should be ours alone.
May all of us be blessed with the Torah’s blessing of having “tents and dwelling places” where respect for others’ privacy — and for our own — is ever present.
