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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5752

“And you should not go after your heart and your eyes after which you use to go astray.” (15:39)

Rashi explains that the heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body, for they are the agents for its sins; when the eye sees and the heart desires, the body of the person eventually performs the transgression. Rashi’s statement, although technically correct, does not seem to conform with the order of the text, in which Torah precedes the “eyes” to the “heart”. If the heart’s desires are preceded by the vision of the eyes, the Torah should have clearly stated that reality.   Horav A. Mishkovsky Z”l explains that Rashi’s order and the Torah‘s order are consistent with…

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Home -> 5752 -> Shelach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5752

“And the people wept in this night.” (14:1)

The Talmud in Taanis 29a comments that “this” night was Tisha B’av, the ninth day of Av, which was to witness Klal Yisrael’s most tragic events. Hashem said to the people, “you wept without a reason, I will cause you to weep in the distant future.” The people’s unjustified desperation in reaction to the alarming report of the spies instigated severe misconduct which, in turn, caused death of that generation in the desert. Moreover, the consequences of that misconduct plague us to this very day. This unwarranted form of depression has been the source of significant problems for Bnei Yisrael….

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Home -> 5752 -> Shelach

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Shelach, 5752

“And they went and came to Moshe and Aharon and to all the congregation of Israel… and they brought back word unto them and to all the congregation.” (13:26)

We may question the redundancy of this pasuk. It should have been sufficient to simply state, “and they brought back word unto them,” why does does the Torah add the phrase “and to all the congregation?” We may suggest that the Torah chose to emphasize the misconduct of the meraglim even in the manner in which they communicated their message. Moshe sent them to investigate the land. Therefore, upon returning from their mission, they should have reported directly to Moshe himself. This may be inferred from the opening pasuk of this parsha, which states, “send for yourself men.” Hashem was…

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