Parashas Shelach Lecha
28 Sivan 5769
June 20, 2009
Daf Yomi: Bava Metzia 56
Guest Author:
Rabbi Avraham Avnit
Associate, Council of Young Israel Rabbis in Israel
THE LAND OF ISRAEL AT THE MOST HIGH
In the beginning of Parashat Shelach, HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying, “Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out (ve’ya’tu’ru) the Land of Canaan that I give to the children of Israel, one man each from his father’s tribe shall you send, every one a leader among them” (Bamidbar 13:2). Rashi says that Shelach Lecha means “send forth, for yourself” (Le’daat’cha). G-d gave Moshe permission to send spies, but left the decision up to him whether or not to actually send them and which men to send.
In Devarim 1:22 it is written: All of you approached me and said, “Let us send men ahead of us and let them spy out (Ve’yach’peru la-nu) the Land, and bring word back to us about the road on which we should ascend and the cities to which we should come.” Rashi says the request for spies was not based on a lack of faith, but on a desire for information needed to plan military strategy. The Sifri (see also Rashi) says that when the people came to Moshe they asked to dispatch spies for a military observation of the Land and people.
The Israelites approached Moshe in a disorderly, disrespectful manner, with young people pushing ahead of elders, and older people pushing ahead of leaders (Rashi, Devarim 1:22). Sforno states that such an important proposal should have originated with the leaders and should not have involved the multitude.
Under the circumstances, HaShem said to Moshe, “I have told them the Land is good. But since they question Me, I will let them test My honesty and My verification, at the risk of being misled and losing their chance to enter the Land (Rashi Bamidbar 13:2).” Although Moshe approved their demand for spies, he hoped they would change their mind. Moshe Rabeinu sent twelve men (a’na’shim). Rashi states that the term a’na’shim connotes importance. Moshe chose the head of each tribe and called them ne’si’im (princes, distinguished men), indicating that when they began their mission, all of them were righteous. (However, they were not the actual leaders of the tribes. Some are of the opinion that they were judges of only fifty people (Ba’al Ha’Turim). Others, such as the Chizkuni, say a thousand people) In Sefer Devarim, Moshe again mentions the story of the spies. “The idea was good in my eyes, so I took from you twelve men, one man for each tribe” (Devarim 1:23).
Rashi says that the tribe of Levi was not among them. Moshe took the spies from the unruly crowd, and Levi was not among the large mob that asked for spies.
In our Parashah, HaShem told Moshe to instruct the twelve men, and let them tour (ve’ya’tu’ru) [Bamidbar 13:2] the Land of Canaan; instead, they spied out (ve’yach’pe’ru) [Devarim 1:22].
There is a big difference between touring and spying. When touring, we go on vacation to the best places and sites. We look for nice things. We are not seeking faults. In contrast, a spy seeks faults and weaknesses. Spying is exactly what the men were not commanded to do. Because they changed the focus of their mission, they ended up speaking slander (la’shon ha-ra) against the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Naftali Zvi Yehudah Berlin (Ne’Tziv) recalled that when a me’shu’lach (a messenger or delegate) from Israel came to visit him and spoke badly about the people in Israel, the Ne’tziv refused to listen to him and stopped him, even though the things he said were true.
Another situation happened to Rabbi Yaacov Shim’shon of Shep’tiv’ka after a short visit in the Land of Israel. He did not have much to eat there, and, consequently, he lost weight and looked pale. He left Israel to return to the Ukraine. On his way back, however, he stopped at a village just outside his hometown and went to a hotel, where he refreshed himself with food, drink, and rest. Relatives asked him why he rested in the nearby village. He replied, I did not want people to speak badly about the Land of Israel.
Ten of the twelve spies sinned severely by slandering the Promised Land, even though they spoke the truth. They sinned because they ignored the purpose of their mission. HaShem forgave the Israelites for the Golden Calf, and for their many complaints involving water, meat, and bread. However, when the spies used the word “e’fes” (which means ‘but’) [Bamidbar 13:28] in their report to the Israelites, HaShem changed the verdict against them and their entire generation. He never forgave the spies for slandering the Promised Land.
Only two spies, Calev ben Yeh’fu’neh from the tribe of Yehudah and Yehoshua bin Nun from the tribe of Ephraim, were permitted to enter Eretz Israel. These two men (ne’si’im) spoke very favorably of Eretz Yisrael and strongly disagreed with the other spies’ conclusions.
This Divine decree that fated the Jewish people to wander forty years in the desert was without precedent. The entire generation was punished and not allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael. The people had no chance of changing this decree. In defiance, a group of Israelites decided to enter Israel right away, only to be told by Moshe that HaShem was not with them, and they would not succeed. Moshe gave no advice about what they should do instead. He simply told them that only their children would enter Israel.
Traditionally, Israel received nine of ten portions of the world’s beauty. Israel is the hub and center of the entire world (Ezekiel 38:12). Israel is compared to HaShem, Who spread out the earth over the water (Psalms/Tehillim 136:6).
In the Holy Writings, Israel has numerous names: Eretz Israel - Land of Israel, (I Samuel 13:19 and Ezekiel 27:17); Eretz Ha’Ivrim - the Hebrew Land (Genesis 40:15); Eretz HaShem - Land of G-d (Jeremiah 2:7 and Hosea 9:3); Eretz Chemda - Land of Beauty and Joy (Jeremiah 3:19); Admat HaKodesh - the Holy Land (Zechariah 2:16); Eretz Ha’Tzvi - the Land of the Gazelle and Glory (Daniel 11:16); Eretz - the Land (Talmud Gittin 81b); and Ma’arava - Western Land (by the Babylonians).
In gimatriya the Hebrew letters of Eretz Israel add up to 832, which is equal to the words “lev-kashet” (heart-strength). Israel represents the heart and strength of the entire world.
Israel is the light of the world, and is leading the world’s redemption. May our Mashiach come soon.
Shabbat Shalom!
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