The Hebrew word 'kav' refers to a basic measure of volume, and it also means a wooden leg. These two seemingly disparate meanings merge together in the underlying theme of our Parsha.
As the holy nation came close to entering the promised land and completing the manifestation of Holiness on earth, all the Powers of Profanity congregated in a last futile attempt to foil their intent: Balak and Bilaam set out to curse the Jewish nation. If Bilaam could even temporarily arouse stern justice upon them (kava), causing the Shechina, their connection to the Divine to stop if but only for a moment, he believed they would then be completely subjected to the Forces of Nature. In that moment he would use his powers of sorcery to make them as spiritually cripple as he himself was, to the point that Hashem could no longer have them be His people. During that short moment of Heavenly withdrawal Hashem uses a force called 'kav' that stems from the combination of the letters of the holy names "Ab,Sag,Mah” when devoid of their primary letters, their inner light. This force is like a substitute leg with which He continues to reside in the world minimally; being aroused when the people see themselves as being limited within the measurable constraints of the physical: 'kavim' of time and space. Bilaam's plans were thwarted however, for he didn't realize that our connection to the Almighty is not a conditional one. Parents may get upset with their children but they will never dissociate themselves no matter what puddle they might fall into. Even when the nation stooped to illicit physical pursuit with foreign women, Hashem punished them heavily but did not forsake them. When Pinchas got up and threw off the shackles of personal considerations, putting an end to their physicality ('kubasa' spelt like kav), he brought back the Divine favor and made the Jewish People fully blessed once again.
Based on Rabbi Vali's book on Bamidbar. Questions and subscriptions can be mailed to: the Yeshiva