Shelach – Page 13 – Peninim on the Torah

Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

This parsha follows immediately after the incident in the previous parsha, in which Miriam’s criticism of Moshe Rabbeinu led to her punishment. Rashi explains that the meraglim should have learned the effects of malicious gossip from Miriam. Regrettably, they did not, and they returned to Moshe with vicious slander of Eretz Yisrael. It would seem from Rashi’s explanation that the primary fault of the spies was that they neglected to take heed of what had happened to Miriam. Their error was not their disregard of the general laws of lashon hora, slanderous speech, but rather that they did not derive…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5759

We arrived at the land…And indeed it flows with milk and honey…But the people that dwell in the land are powerful. (13:27,28)

Realistically, did the meraglim really lie? They simply recounted what they saw. If they related the truth, why were they punished? The Kotzker Rebbe, zl, explains that the fact that a statement is not a lie does not necessarily validate it as the truth. Just because one does not actually lie, he is not necessarily a man of integrity. Truth and faith emanate from the deep recesses of the heart. One does not acquire the truth by looking at it. He must conjure up courage from within to look beyond that which he sees visually. The meraglim saw a powerful…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5759

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we were in their eyes…the people wept that night. (14:12)

The Kotzker Rebbe, zl, explains that this was one of their sins. It is one thing to be bothered by their own lack of self-image, but why should they care what the pagans thought of them? This criticism remains with us to this very day. We are bothered by what others think of us. Why? We have a mission to accomplish in this world – to serve Hashem and be His emissaries to the world community. This position demands that we act in a manner becoming Hashem’s People. Why would we be concerned with what others think of us –…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5759

In this wilderness shall they cease to be, and there shall they die. (15:35)

The final punishment was death in the wilderness. There was no reprieve, no suspension of sentence; they were simply not leaving the midbar. For every other sin, Hashem forgave them. When they rebelled with the Golden Calf, He forgave them. When they complained for no reason, Hashem forgave them. When they sinned when they followed Korach in contesting Moshe and Aharon’s leadership, Hashem forgave them. The only sin for which there was no room for forgiveness was the chet ha’meraglim, sin of the spies. They slandered; they were punished. Why? They cried that night, a weeping that was called a…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5759

Speak to the Bnei Yisrael and say to them that they shall make tzitzis on the corners of their garments. (15:38)

There is an inconsistency regarding the manner in which the mitzvah of tzitzis is introduced. The term “dibur,” speak, is lashon kasheh,strong form of the verb, while “amirah,” saying, is lashon racah, the soft form. Why would the mitzvah of tzitzis be presented through two opposite expressions? Kol Yehudah explains that there are two aspects to the mitzvah of tzitzis. First, there is one who wears a four cornered garment. He must put tzitzis on the four corners of his garment. Regarding him, the Torah speaks – “You must put on tzitzis.” There is another situation which is what we…

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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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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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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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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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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5757

Send forth men, if you wish, and let them spy out the land…see the land – how is it? And the people that dwells in it – is it strong or weak? And how is the land in which it dwells – is it good or is it bad? And how are the cities – are they open or are they fortified? And how is the land – is it fertile or is it lean? Are there trees in it or not?…But the people that dwells in the land is very powerful…we cannot ascend to that people. (13:2, 18,19,20,28,31)

One of the most tragic incidents in Jewish history, the cheit ha’meraglim, the sin of the spies, played a prominent role in altering the course of history. The fact that the spies were virtuous men, leaders of the nation, when they left on their ill-fated mission magnified this tragedy. In the end, this incident effected ruin upon the entire nation. When all is said and done, a number of issues should be addressed regarding their sin. First, what really was their sin? They were sent on a mission to determine the land’s strengths and weaknesses – which they did. They…

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Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan. (13:2)

We arrived at the land…And indeed it flows with milk and honey…But the people that dwell in the land are powerful. (13:27,28)

We were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we were in their eyes…the people wept that night. (14:12)

In this wilderness shall they cease to be, and there shall they die. (15:35)

Speak to the Bnei Yisrael and say to them that they shall make tzitzis on the corners of their garments. (15:38)

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)

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

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)

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

YEARS

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