In this week's Torah portion, the gentile prophet Bilaam is hired to curse the Jews, but is compelled by G-d to bless them instead.
One of his statements were: "How good are your tents, Jacob; your dwelling places, Israel!" (Recited in our daily morning prayers: "Mah Tovu Ohalecha Yaakov, Mishkenotecha Yisrael").
Bilaam, standing on a mountain overlooking the Jewish encampment, was struck by the modesty in the way the camp was set up. He observed how the Israelites had taken pains to ensure that -- out of a concern for privacy -- neighbors' tent openings never faced one another.
Since the days of our early ancestors, the Jewish people have always held dear the value of modesty. Bilaam noticed this and saw it as one of the secrets of Jewish strength and success both materially and spiritually. Modesty and discreetness helps in the formation of strong and healthy family units, which in turn, create the bedrock for a robust and enduring nation.