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Home -> 5758 -> Shelach

Moshe Marcovich
In Shelach, 5758

That you may see it and remember all the mitzvos of Hashem. (15:39)

The Torah reveals to us that by seeing the tzitzis we might  remember all of  the mitzvos. Consequently, we will be inspired to perform them.  How does this transpire?  Rashi explains that the numerical equivalent of tzitzis is 600. In addition,  there are eight threads and five knots, bringing it to a total of 613, the number of mitzvos which we are commanded to observe.  In the Talmud Menachos 43b Chazal comment that the techeilas, turquoise wool, which was the color of one string of each fringe, brings the Almighty to mind.  Techeilas is similar to the color of the…

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Home -> 5758 -> Shelach

Moshe Marcovich
In Shelach, 5758

They ascended toward the mountain-top saying,”We are ready, and we shall ascend to the place which Hashem has spoken, for we have sinned. (14:40)

The people were embarrassed. They sought to compensate  for their sin.  They finally realized that their reaction to the spies’ slander of Eretz Yisrael was terribly wrong.  They were, however,  too late.  Their teshuvah was long overdue.  How many times can a people rebel against Hashem, apologize and proceed with  life as planned? They would not accept a negative response, insisting upon going on to Eretz Yisrael.  They failed; their fate was sealed.  They were attacked and thrown back. Why did  Hashem reject their teshuvah?  They acknowledged, “We have sinned.” What more should they have done?  The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh…

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Home -> 5758 -> Shelach

Moshe Marcovich
In Shelach, 5758

They said to the entire congregation of Bnei Yisrael…the land which we traversed …the land is good, very, very much so…(14:7)

The sin of the meraglim is,  indeed, difficult to understand.  After all, the meraglim did not really tell any lies about Eretz Yisrael.  The testimony that it is a land that “eats up its inhabitants” certainly appeared to be true, considering the many funerals that they had witnessed.  Veritably, they even recounted that it was a “land flowing with milk and honey.”  So, why were they punished to such an extent? The Yismach Yisrael cites his father, who posits that the meraglim were  aware of the superiority of Eretz Yisrael.   They felt the kedushah, holiness, everywhere they travelled.  The…

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Home -> 5758 -> Shelach

Moshe Marcovich
In Shelach, 5758

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the land of Canaan…They brought forth to the Bnei Yisrael an evil report on the Land that they had spied out. (13:2, 32)

One of the most difficult narratives in the Torah to understand is the incident of the meraglim, spies. They  went to Eretz Yisrael on an ill-fated mission, to  slander the land, Moshe Rabbeinu and even Hashem.  The Yalkut Shimoni refers to these meraglim as “kesilim,” fools.  They were actually the nesiim of their respective tribes, men who were gedolim, great leaders, whose reputation until that moment had  remained untarnished.  What happended?  What transpired that suddenly changed a tzaddik into a “kesil“? Chazal cite the pasuk in Mishlei 10, “One who slanders /spreads lashon hora is a fool.”  They say that…

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