Shelach – Page 15 – Peninim on the Torah

“Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire congregation of the assembly of Bnei Yisrael.” (14:5)

Moshe and Aharon were no longer able to tolerate Bnei Yisrael‘s invidious behavior. Their ranting and raving, their inane fear and lack of faith, were no longer bearable. Moshe and Aharon gave up in frustration. This defeatist attitude is not typical of Moshe and Aharon’s leadership characteristics. Are these the same individuals who stood fearlessly before Pharaoh and demanded that he release the Jews from slavery? Is this the same Moshe who smashed the Luchos to the ground, when he descended from Har Sinai to witness the decadent behavior of Bnei Yisrael, as they worshipped the Golden Calf? Was he…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5756

“And the entire assembly said to pelt them (Yehoshua and Calev) with stones.” (14:10)

It seems that Bnei Yisrael were acting in a totally irrational manner. Hurling stones is something one might do to punish someone or to protect oneself from a future aggressor. Yehoshua and Calev would not have elicited such behavior for either reason. They were righteous people who had never hurt anyone. What effect could they have on the future of Klal Yisrael? They were only two people. This is, however, the nature of those who have alienated themselves from a Torah lifestyle. The diffidence that permeates their every action is manifest in their attitude towards their more observant counterpart. No…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5756

“I am Hashem your G-d, Who has taken you out from the land of Egypt to be a G-d unto you.” (15:4)

The Torah commands us to remember the exodus from Egypt everyday. The Talmud in Bava Metzia 61b explains the juxtaposition of yetzias Mitzrayim upon the parsha of tzitzis in the following manner. Hashem declared, “I discerned between a drop that was a first born to that which was not. I will in the future punish he who places a kala ilan, thread dyed blue with a cheap dye called indigo, and claims it is techeles.” One of the four threads which are to be doubled over into eight should be colored techeles, a form of blue. This dye is prepared…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5756

“Do not turn after your heart and after your eyes.” (15:39)

This pasuk’s admonishment does not seem consistent with the natural sequence of sin. First, the eyes see something inappropriate. The heart subsequently desires that which the eyes have seen. Only after the eyes have registered that which it should not have seen does the heart lust after it. In a lecture focusing upon the issue of tznius, proper dress, Horav Yehudah Leib Fine, zl, commented that in regard to inappropriate dress, the sequence is reversed. The individual whose heart leads him astray, who follows the blandishments of the yetzer hora, chooses to dress in an improper fashion. Hence, the roving…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5755

“Send forth for you men and let them spy out the land of Canaan.” (13:2)

The narrative of the meraglim, spies, and the ensuing reaction of Klal Yisrael to the unfounded slander against Eretz Yisrael, constitute one of the saddest moments in Jewish history. Twelve great men left for a mission, but only two return with their faith in the Almighty intact. The other ten returned with an account of the land that was, at best, sufficiently ambiguous to dishearten the people. This led to a night of weeping whose sin is still commemorated on Tishah b’Av, our national day of mourning. Why did the scouting mission to Canaan fail so miserably? After all, the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5755

“And Calev silenced the people toward Moshe.” (13:30)

Calev attempted to still the rebellious hysteria of Bnei Yisrael. Confident that he would continue with the same type of slander as the other spies, the people listened to him when he rose to speak. He began his remarks in an inciteful manner by saying, “Is that all the son of Amram has done to us?” Upon hearing this opening statement, the crowd became silent anticipating a vicious censure against Moshe Rabbeinu. Calev, however, sought to attract their attention. He added, “He took us out of Egypt, split the sea, brought us the manna, and gathered together the quail.” Although…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5755

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

The slanderous statements of the meraglim, spies, achieved their intended purpose; Bnei Yisrael believed them and were terrified to enter Eretz Yisrael. That night, which happened to be Tishah b’Av, the people withdrew to their tents and began lamenting the terrible “fate” in store for them. Thus began a night of ceaseless crying, one which would go down in history as a night of unwarranted weeping. The Talmud in Taanis 28a states that Hashem said to Bnei Yisrael, “You wept without reason, I will provide you with a weeping for generations.” This refers to Tishah b’Av when both Batei Mikdash…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Shelach, 5755

“That you do not stray/turn after your own heart.” (15:39)

What does it mean to “stray after one’s heart”? In the Talmud Berachos 12b, Chazal state that this pasuk refers to apostasy. To turn after one’s hearts is to become an apikor’es, a non-believer. Horav Moshe Swift, z.l., expounds upon the remarkable and profound words of Chazal and their application in contemporary Jewish society. The modern trend away from religion is by no means motivated by reason. There is no logic which “inspires” one to leave the fold. Wisdom is not a prerequisite for apostasy, and the agnostic is not necessarily an astute thinker. Those professors and intellectuals whose religious…

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Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5754

“And what the land is that they dwell in whether it is good or bad… whether there is wood (tree) there or not; and you shall be of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land.” (13:19,20)

Rashi explains the concept of .g, wood, as a metaphor for an adam kasher, an honorable, virtuous man, whose merit will protect the pagans. This explanation however, does not seem to fit into the sequence of the pasuk. What is the meaning of “and bring of the fruit of the land”? What relationship is there between the “fruit of the land,” “its trees, and an “adam kasher“? The Satmar Rebbe z.l. suggests the following explanation. It is difficult to ascertain the authenticity of an individual’s virtue. It is possible to “put on a show” superficially, displaying oneself as honorable and…

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Sruly Schnair In Shelach, 5754

“And they (the meraglim) spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out… the land through which we have passed to spy it out is a land that eats up its inhabitants.” (13:32)

Rashi explains the meaning of “a land which eats up its inhabitants.” Wherever the meraglim went, they found the inhabitants burying their dead. They did not realize, however, that this was part of Hashem’s plan to protect them. If the people were occupied with their mourning, they could pay no attention to the strangers. If so, did the meraglim really lie? They did not fabricate any reports which they did not actually witness. Indeed, they related to Moshe and Klal Yisrael only what they personally saw. Why, then, were they punished? The Kotzker Rebbe z.l. explains that “true” and “false”…

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“Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces before the entire congregation of the assembly of Bnei Yisrael.” (14:5)

“And the entire assembly said to pelt them (Yehoshua and Calev) with stones.” (14:10)

“I am Hashem your G-d, Who has taken you out from the land of Egypt to be a G-d unto you.” (15:4)

“Do not turn after your heart and after your eyes.” (15:39)

“Send forth for you men and let them spy out the land of Canaan.” (13:2)

“And Calev silenced the people toward Moshe.” (13:30)

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

“That you do not stray/turn after your own heart.” (15:39)

“And what the land is that they dwell in whether it is good or bad… whether there is wood (tree) there or not; and you shall be of good courage and bring of the fruit of the land.” (13:19,20)

“And they (the meraglim) spread an evil report of the land which they had spied out… the land through which we have passed to spy it out is a land that eats up its inhabitants.” (13:32)

YEARS

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