I have a dear friend whose name is almost exactly the same as mine. 
Our first names are off by one letter and our family name is the same. 
We travel in similar circles and shop in the same stores.
Over the years we have experienced some funny incidents of mistaken identity. 
I once got a text from a friend telling me she would meet me in 15 minutes on a street in New York’s neighborhood of the Five Towns. 
Being in Georgia, I told her it would take me more than 15 minutes to get there. 
Another time I received a UPS shipment. In the delivery box, enshrined in tissue paper, lay a stunning dress. 
It was lovely, my size and very much my taste. 
The box originated from the same area in New York. 
It only took a moment. 
I overcame my evil inclination and reluctantly called the dress shop, of which I am an occasional patron,  and suggested this garment must belong to my alter ego. 
Indeed!
(Shame I wouldn’t have minded keeping it!)
Lately the confusion is worsening. We are both in the computer system of a vendor where my friend is trying to make a major purchase. 
I receive frequent emails on the progress of this transaction. 
Despite repeated attempts, I can’t make it stop. 
It’s starting to feel voyeuristic. 
I am getting too much of a sneak peak into my friend’s personal life. 
It’s very uncomfortable. 
It is as if I’m being given a front row view on an aspect of her private life. 
This week is a double Torah portion of Chukat - Balak. 

Balak is the king of the country of Moab. He is afraid of the Jewish people who are on the path to the Land of Israel. He summons a man by the name of Balak who is a powerful prophet. He requests that Balak curse the Jewish people, in the hope that the Jewish people will be defeated and stopped in their tracks by such a curse. 
There are many lessons to be gleaned from this unusual story. 
The Torah paints a vivid picture as Bilaam began his quest to curse the Israelites, 
“When he arose in the morning, Bilaam saddled his donkey and departed”. 
Why is it necessary to share the details of the time of day Bilaam left? 
What is significant about the detail that he saddled his own donkey?
Every word in the Torah is carefully measured. 
All this seems superfluous. 
Our Sages teach us that we can learn a lesson in priorities from Bilaam. 
While he initially protested against the mission to curse the Jews, we learn from his behavior how he really felt. 
He got up, bright and early, with alacrity, eager to fulfill the task. 
He was so eager in fact, that he saddled the donkey himself. 
Despite the fact that Bilaam was a person of note who could have servants do the menial task of saddling the donkey, he couldn’t wait even a moment, and just did it himself. 
There is a similar story narrated at the beginning of the Book of Genesis. 
When Abraham went to do Gd’s bidding, the Torah records the exact same details. 
Abraham woke early in the morning and, despite being very wealthy with many servants, saddled his own steed. 
Our Sages conclude that 
“Ahava mekalkelet et ha-shura” which means that love upsets the norm. When you want to do something so badly, out of deep love, you will jump over all the obstacles to make it happen as quickly as possible. 
Our Sages teach us that love has another side of the coin of passion. 
Just as love can disrupt the norm, so too, hatred or sinaa , mekalkelet et ha-shura. The hatred for the Jews made Bilaam abandon the proper protocols. 
It clouded his vision. 
We can learn a great deal about ourselves when we stop to see what drives us. 
When we are ready to throw caution to the winds in a fit of anger we can derive an insight into what fuels us. 
If we are driven to do something, no matter the lack of dignity to oneself, then we have come upon a glimpse of our true essence. 
Seeing the true essence is something Bilaam affords us. Because in his passion to curse us he was only able to utter blessings. 
When Bilaam viewed the camp
If the Israelites upon which he was supposed to inflict his vitriol, he was overtaken by awe and was unable to utter anything but blessings. 
What was the sight that Bilaam’s sorry eyes beheld?
He saw the encampment of the Jewish people and he could not hold back the words
“How lovely are your tents Jacob, your dwelling places Israel”. 
Doesn’t sound like much of a curse!
It is indeed a blessing. 
Was Bilaam taken with the interior design capability of our People? What was so lovely? 
On a much deeper level, Bilaam noticed a usual pattern in the Israelite encampment. The tents were carefully arranged so that it was not possible for one family to look directly into the home of the neighbors. 
This extreme expression of appreciating boundaries and respecting privacy, even in a close and tight knit community, took Bilaam’s breath away. 
We recite these words of blessing every morning in our prayers. 
These powerful words that came out of the mouth of a non-Jew , set our intentions every day. 
No matter how close we feel to our neighbor and no matter how large a window into her life we are afforded, it is our responsibility to protect and respect one another’s privacy. 
This prayer reminds us that the way we behave serves as an example to those around us. 
Bilaam teaches us that the world notices us and gleans lessons from our behavior. 
My dear friend and I often have a good laugh when we share the funny anecdotes that arise from our shared names. But even though we may be provided a glimpse into one another’s lives, we have to keep those windows  in proper alignment to maintain the privacy which is our Nation’s hallmark. 
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!