[Par-lite] for Parshat Shlach

Fri Jun 4 06:15:13 EDT 2010

**********************************************************
***

     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER [http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem Leibtag

**********************************************************
***

                 PARSHAT  SHLACH

     What was so terrible about the sin of the "meraglim"?

After all, they were instructed to report the facts, and

that's exactly what they did!      Furthermore, even if we

consider their report as deliberately slanted, why was the

entire nation punished so harshly for being misled by a
small

group?

     Finally, even if the people's initial reaction was

improper, immediately afterward they repent by declaring
their

willingness to take the challenge of conquering the Land!

Shouldn't this repentance have been accepted?

     Why then is "dor ha'midbar" [the generation of the

desert] punished so severely? Why must Am Yisrael wander
for

forty years until they perish! This week's shiur examines
this

tragic event in an attempt to understand why.

INTRODUCTION

     Before we begin our study, an important point of

nomenclature.  Although this event is commonly referred to
as

"chet ha'meraglim" - the sin of the SPIES, in Parshat
Shlach

they are NEVER referred to as such!  Nevertheless, for the

sake of convenience, our shiur will continue to refer to
them

as the "meraglim", even though their mission (as we will
show)

involved much more than just 'spying out the land'.

     To understand the 'sin of the spies', we must first

ascertain what their mission was. Therefore, our shiur
begins

with an attempt to identify its precise purpose by noting
how

the Torah describes this mission.

TOURISTS OR SPIES

     In describing the mission of the meraglim, the Torah
uses

the verb "la'tur" (see 13:2,17 & 25). This verb can be

translated as 'to tour' or 'to scout'. However, to arrive
at a

more precise understanding of what they were supposed to
do,

we must take a closer look at the psukim that describe
their

mission:

     "And Moshe insturucted them saying:

      And you shall see the LAND, WHAT IT IS -

   Are the people who live in STRONG or WEAK, FEW or
MANY?

      Is the Land GOOD or BAD?

      Are the towns OPEN or FORTIFIED?

      Is the SOIL RICH or POOR? Are there TREES?

      [if so,] bring back samples of the fruit..
(13:17-20)

     Clearly, these instructions entail more than a spy

mission. Note as well that we find TWO categories of
questions

that the meraglim must answer:

 1) Concerning the NATURE OF THE LAND -

    i.e. to find out whether the Land is good or bad, the
soil

    rich or poor, the trees fruitful, etc.

 2) Concerning the FEASIBILITY OF CONQUEST -

    i.e. to find out if the enemy is strong or weak, if
the

    cities are fortified or open, etc.

     These two categories show how this mission entails
much

more than the collection of military information.  In
fact,

these questions seem to be describing a 'fact finding

mission', much more than a 'spy mission'.  Let's explain
why:

     A 'spy mission' is initiated when a military
commander

needs to acquire information (to prepare a battle plan).
When

doing so, usually a small group of men are sent secretly,
and

hence report back only to the military commanders (and

certainly not to the entire nation).

     Clearly, the mission of the meraglim in Parshat
Shelach

is quite different. These twelve men (a representative
from

each tribe) are sent publicly, by the political leadership
to

gather information for the entire nation.  This
information

will help Bnei Yisrael plan not only the conquest of the
land,

but also how to establish Eretz Canaan as their homeland.

  [To support this point, simply compare Bamidbar 13:1-17
with

  34:16-29, noting the textual similarities!]

REALISTIC NEEDS

  To better appreciate the necessity of this mission,
let's

consider the realities that face Bnei Yisrael at this
time.

     Recall that the nation numbers over two million

individuals.  [This approximation is based on the

extrapolation of the census figure of 600,000 men above
age 20

(see Bamidbar chapter 26).]  This nation, living in camp

formation for the last year and a half, has been able to

survive the difficult desert conditions only with God's

providence, i.e. His miraculous daily supply of food and

water. However, these special conditions were only
temporary.

    Even though God had promised to bring them to a land

'flowing with milk and honey', their existence in this

'promised land' will no longer be supported by God's daily

miracles.  Instead, they will have to till the soil and
work

the land for their food. [See Devarim 8:1-10, re: the
purpose

of the manna!]

     Similarly, when Bnei Yisrael will enter the land,
they

will have to fight their battles through natural means.

Surely, God will assist them; but they will now have to

undertake their own initiatives.  [See Devarim 11:22-25.]

  Therefore, at this time, Bnei Yisrael must not only
prepare

themselves to conquer that land, but they must also make
the

necessary preparations for all aspects of the
establishment of

their new national homeland.

     Taking this into consideration, it only makes sense
that

it would be necessary to send a 'national fact finding'

mission to help plan not only how to conquer the land, but

also how to establish its borders and partition, as well
as

its economy and agriculture etc.  Hence, the meraglim are

instructed to scout the land to determine not only the

feasibility of its conquest, but also how to prepare the
land

for its two million new inhabitants!

     To support this explanation, note how the Torah
describes

a similar 'appointment of officers' (forty years later,
when

the next generation prepares to enter the land):

  "And God spoke to Moshe: These are the names of the men

  through whom the land shall be apportioned - Elazar the

  Kohen and Yehoshua bin Nun. And one NASI, one NASI from
each

  tribe... and these are their names..." (see Bamidbar
34:16-

  29, note obvious parallels with 13:1-16)

UNDERSTANDING THE MISSION

     Based on this introduction, we can better understand
the

opening pasuk of the Parsha:

  "And God spoke to Moshe... send one man from EVERY
TRIBE,

  each one a chieftain among them... all the men being
LEADERS

  of Bnei Yisrael." (13:1-3)

    Due to the nature of this mission, it is necessary to

send a senior representative from each "shevet" (tribe).

Similarly, this explains why the meraglim report back not
only

to Moshe, but to the entire public. [See 13:26.]

     Had they been military spies, they would report ONLY
to

Moshe (or to the military commander), but definitely NOT
to

the entire nation! Furthermore, had they been military
spies,

there would be no reason to publicize their names, and

certainly no reason to send tribal leaders.  Quite the

opposite! It is because they comprise a FACT FINDING
MISSION -

specifically a group of national leaders are sent, who
later

report back to the entire nation (see 13:26).

A PROOF FROM SEFER YEHOSHUA

     To clarify this distinction between 'spies' and a

'commission of inquiry' it is helpful to compare these

meraglim to the meraglim sent by Yehoshua [see this week's

Haftarah]:

  "And Yehoshua bin Nun SECRETLY sent two SPIES from
Shittim

  saying: Go scout out the land and the area of
Yericho..."

  (Yehoshua 2:1)

  "... and the two men returned... and they told YEHOSHUA

  concerning what happened to them."       (2:24)

     Note that in Sefer Yehoshua the spies are actually

referred to as MERAGLIM. These meraglim are sent SECRETLY
(we

are not told their names) to SPY out the city and report
back

ONLY to Yehoshua. Clearly, their mission was purely
military.

     To highlight this contrast, the following table

summarizes the differences between these two missions:

     sent by Moshe       sent by Yehoshua

     ===========         ==============

     12 men                2 men

     Tribal leaders        unnamed

     publicly              secretly

     "la'tur" (to tour)    "l'ragel" (to spy)

     the type of land,     only military information

     [its fruit, its cities etc..]

     Yehoshua's meraglim serve as military spies to help
him

plan HOW to conquer Yericho. Moshe's meraglim serve as an

inquiry commission, sent to provide the people with

information to help them plan the establishment of an
entire

nation with all its institutions.

ONE REPORT / TWO OPINIONS

     Now that we have clarified the nature of the mission
of

Moshe's meraglim, we are ready to evaluate their report in

order to determine what they did wrong.

     Note that when the meraglim return, their report

correlates perfectly with the double nature of their
mission:

  "and they returned to Moshe & Aharon and the ENTIRE

  NATION... and showed them the fruits of the land
saying...

  it is indeed a LAND FLOWING WITH MILK & HONEY.  Alas,
for

  the people who live in that land are MIGHTY, and the
cities

  are FORTIFIED... the Amalekites guard the south, the

  Chittites and Emorites control the mountain range, and
the

  Canaanites command the planes... " (13:26-29)

     Based on their findings, in regard to (1) the nature
of

the land, - the meraglim conclude that the land is SUPERB:

  "and they showed them the fruits of the land saying...
it is

  indeed a land flowing with milk and honey..."
(13:26-27);

     However, in regard to (2) the feasibility of its

conquest, the meraglim conclude that conquering the people
of

Canaan appears to be almost impossible:

  "Alas, for the people who live in that land are MIGHTY,
and

  the cities are FORTIFIED... the Amalekites guard the
south,

  the Chittites and Emorites control the mountain range,
and

  the Canaanites command the planes... " (13:28-29).

     These conclusions reflected the commission's MAJORITY

opinion. However, Kalev and Yehoshua presented an opposite

conclusion.  Based on the same findings, they conclude
that

conquest of the Land is possible: "it is indeed FEASIBLE
to

conquer the Land..." (13:30)

     Up until this point, it appears as though this
commission

is quite objective; they report the facts as perceived.
All

twelve members concur that the land is good, yet the enemy

formidable. However, two opinions exist in regard to the

feasibility of its conquest: The majority opinion
concludes

that it is futile to even attempt to conquer the land (see

13:31), while the dissenting opinion, presented by Kalev,

argues that conquest is achievable (see 13:30).

     The majority opinion appears to be logical and quite

realistic. Why then is God so angered?

     It is usually understood that the meraglim's sin
stems

from their lack of belief in God.  After all, had they

believed in Hashem, they would have arrived at the same

conclusion as Kalev and Yehoshua.  However, this
understanding

may be overly simplistic.  Is it possible that ten out of
the

twelve tribal leaders, after witnessing the miracles of
the

Exodus and their journey through the desert, do not
believe in

God and His ability to assist His nation in battle?

NO FAITH IN WHOM?

     There can be no doubt that the tribal leaders and the

entire nation as well, believe in God and the possibility
of

Divine assistance. Unfortunately, they are also well aware
of

the possibility of Divine punishment.  Let's explain why:

     Throughout their journey, not only had God intervened

numerous times to help them; He had also intervened
numerous

times to PUNISH them. However, the meraglim are also aware

that to be worthy of Divine assistance Bnei Yisrael must

remain obedient at all times. This precise warning had
already

been raised at the conclusion of Parshat Mishpatim:

  "Behold I am sending a 'malach' to lead into the Land...
Be

  careful and listen to his voice, do not rebel against
him,

  FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR SINS, for My Name is with
him.

  For IF you will listen... and do everything that I
command

  you, THEN I will help you DEFEAT and conquer your

  enemies..." (Shmot 23:20-25)

     This warning clearly states that God's assistance is

totally dependent on Bnei Yisrael's behavior. Should they
not

listen, they will fall before their enemies.

  [Note how the story of Achan in Yehoshua 7:1-26 proves
this

  assumption. There we find that the mere sin of one

  individual led to the defeat of the entire nation in

  battle.]

     One could suggest that the conclusion of the meraglim
is

based on their assessment that Bnei Yisrael are not
capable of

retaining the spiritual level necessary to be worthy of

miracles while conquering the Land.  Realizing that the

conquest would only be feasible with Divine assistance,
they

concur that conquest is impossible.  In other words, the

meraglim are not doubting God's ability to assist them in

battle, RATHER they are doubting their own ability to be

WORTHY of that assistance.

     So what's so terrible? Is it not the job of
leadership to

realistically evaluate all of the relevant factors?

DIBAH - THE CHET OF THE MERAGLIM

     It is precisely in this type of situation where

leadership is critical!  Ideal leadership should have

challenged the nation to raise their spiritual level - to

become worthy of Divine assistance - to rise to that

challenge! The meraglim take a very different approach.

Instead of rallying the nation to fulfill its destiny, the

meraglim hide their spiritual cowardice behind a wall of

hyperbole!

  To support this point, note their reaction to Kalev's

'dissenting opinion' (in 13:30), for it sheds light on
their

true character:

  "But the people who went up with him said: We cannot
attack

  that people for it is stronger that we. And they spread

  DIBAT HA'ARETZ among Bnei Yisrael saying: The land which
we

  visited is one that DEVOURS ITS INHABITANTS, ALL the
people

  who we saw there are GIANT... we looked like
GRASSHOPPERS to

  ourselves, and that is HOW THEY SAW US."  (13:31-33)

     These are not the objective statements of a 'fact
finding

mission'! Rather, they comprise a presentation of
hysterical

exaggerations made in a desperate attempt to shape public

opinion. A land does not 'devour' its inhabitants, nor is
it

likely that the Canaanites perceived them as
'grasshoppers'!

It is precisely this rebuttal that the Torah refers to as

"dibah" - SLANDER.  Let's explain why.

     Instead of confessing their true fear and lack of

confidence in the nation's ability, they over-exaggerate
the

seriousness of the situation. Rather than encourage the
people

to prepare themselves for the task, they prefer to utilize

populist politics and create fear in the camp.

     Finally, note how the word "dibah" is central when
the

Torah summarizes their punishment:

  "And those men - MOTZIEY DIBAT HA'ARETZ RA'AH - died in
a

  plague before God." (see 14:37)

     In contrast, Kalev and Yehoshua exhibit proper

leadership, as exemplified in their rebuttal of this
argument.

Note once again how the entire argument hinges on Am
Yisrael's

special relationship with God:

  "im chafetz banu Hashem" - If God truly wants us [to be
His

  nation], surely He will bring us into the land... only
YOU

  MUST NOT REBEL against God, and you should not FEAR the

  people of the land for they are our prey... for GOD WILL
BE

  WITH US - [hence] do not fear them."  (14:8-9)

     Unfortunately, the argument of the meraglim was more

convincing, and the people concluded that attacking Eretz

Canaan at this time would be suicidal (see 14:1-4).

Considering that staying in the desert was no better of a
long-

term option, the nation concludes that their only
'realistic'

option is to return to Egypt (see 14:3-5). The attempt of

Yehoshua and Kalev to convince the people otherwise was
futile

(see 14:6-9). Bnei Yisrael prefer returning to Egypt
instead

of taking the challenge of becoming God's special nation
in

Eretz Canaan.

     Based on our explanation thus far, only the meraglim

should have been punished, for it was they who led the
people

astray. Why does God punish the entire nation as well?

     To answer this question, we must return once again to
an

overall theme in Chumash that we have discussed in our
shiurim

on Sefer Shmot (see TSC shiurim on Va'era and Beshalach)
and

in last week's shiur on Parshat Bhaalotcha.

THE LAST STRAW

     One could suggest that the people's preference of

adopting the conclusion of the meraglim reflected their
own

spiritual weakness as well. Undoubtedly, the slanted
report

presented by the meraglim had influenced their decision.

However, since the time of the Exodus and throughout their

desert journey, the people had consistently shown a lack
of

idealism.  (Review once again Yechezkel 20:1-11 and our
shiur

on Parshat Va'era.)

     Had the Land of Israel been offered to them on a
silver

platter, Bnei Yisrael most likely would have been
delighted to

accept it.  However, once they realize that conquering the

Promised Land requires commitment and dedication, the
nation

declines.  This entire incident only strengthened God's

earlier conclusion that Bnei Yisrael were not yet capable
of

fulfilling their destiny.

  To support this point, note how the Torah describes
God's

decision to punish the nation in both 14:11-12 and
14:21-24:

  "And God spoke to Moshe - 'ad ana y'naatzuni ha'am

  ha'zeh...' - How long will this people continue to defy
Me,

  and how long will they have no faith in Me, despite all
the

  signs (miracles) that I performed in their midst..."
(14:11-

  13)

And several psukim later:

  "For all those men who saw My Glory and My signs in
Egypt

  and in the desert, and they have tested my TEN TIMES,
yet

  they did not listen to My voice. If they will see the
land

  that I promised to their forefathers...  [However] My

  servant Kalev will see the land, for he had a different

  spirit..." (see 14:21-24, read carefully)

     Clearly, Bnei Yisrael's punishment is not based
solely on

this specific sin of the meraglim, but rather on their
overall

behavior since the time they left Egypt.

     This also explains the obvious parallel between
Moshe's

prayer in the aftermath of this event and his prayer in
the

aftermath of "chet ha'egel". Then as well, God wished to

destroy the entire nation, opting to make a nation out of

Moshe instead; but Moshe petitioned God to invoke His
"midot

ha'rachamim" (attributes of mercy).  This time as well,
Moshe

beseeches God in a similar manner; however the sin of the

"meraglim" was more severe, and hence it is impossible to

reverse the "gzar din" (verdict). Instead, it could only
be

delayed over forty years so not to create a "chillul
Hashem".

     Due to "chet ha'meraglim", God is convinced that "dor

ha'midbar" would never be capable of meeting the
challenges of

conquering and establishing a 'holy nation' in the
Promised

Land. They are to perish slowly in the desert, while a new

generation will grow up and become properly educated.

     Based on this interpretation, we can explain why God
was

not willing to accept the repentance of the "ma'apilim"
(see

14:39-45). Even though their declaration of: "we are
prepared

to go up and conquer the place that God has spoken of, FOR
WE

WERE WRONG" (see 14:40) may reflect a change of heart, it
was

too late. Had this been Bnei Yisrael's only sin, then most

likely their repentance would have sufficed. However, "dor

ha'midbar" had suffered from an attitude problem since the

time of the Exodus (see Tehilim 95:8-11, Shmot 6:9-12, and

Yechezkel 20:5-9).

  Even after they received the Torah and built the
Mishkan,

their continuous complaining was inexcusable. "Chet

ha'meraglim" was not an isolated sin; rather it became the

'straw that broke the camel's back'.

     Bnei Yisrael may have been more than happy to accept
the

privileges of becoming an "am segula", yet they were not

prepared to accept its responsibilities. God decided that
it

was necessary to educate a new generation instead.

     It is not often in Jewish History when the
opportunity

arises for Am Yisrael to inherit (or return) to its
homeland.

The implication of such an opportunity is far greater than

simply the fulfillment of "mitzvat yishuv ha'aretz" (the

commandment to settle the Land), for it relates to the
entire

character and destiny of the Jewish people. When such

opportunities arise, spiritual weakness should not be
allowed

to hide behind subjective pessimism. Rather, Jewish
leadership

must gather strength and assess the realities objectively

while rising to the challenges idealistically.

                              shabbat shalom,

                              menachem

==============

FOR FURTHER IYUN

1. Note the parallel account of this event in Sefer Dvarim

(1:22-24). There, they are called "meraglim" and only the

military aspect of their mission is detailed. Relate this
to

the purpose of Moshe's speech in the 40th year and the
fact

that Bnei Yisrael are about to cross the Yarden and begin

conquest of the Land. See also Ramban (Bamidbar 13:1),
note

how he attempts to combine both accounts.

2. All said and done, the obvious question remains, why
does

God command Bnei Yisrael to undertake a mission which may

fail?

  One could suggest that even though God has promised the
land

to Bnei Yisrael, He prefers that its conquest follows a

natural sequence of events. Even though Yisrael enjoyed a

supernatural existence in the desert, as they prepare for

entering the land, they must begin to behave in a natural

manner, as this will be the mode of life once they conquer
the

land. Now there is value in the fact that Bnei Yisrael

participate actively in the process of "kibush ha'aretz",
and

begin to live like any normal nation by making decisions
on

their own.

     This could be compared to a 'first step' towards
national

maturity. Just like a child's needs are first taken care
of by

his parents, and slowly he must begin to take on his own

responsibilities, so too Bnei Yisrael at this stage.

Unfortunately, it seems that this 'weaning' process began
a

bit too soon. Bnei Yisrael were as yet not ready.

3. Recall from last week's shiur that in the overall
structure

of Sefer Bamidbar, parshiot of mitzvot which would appear
to

belong in Sefer Vayikra often 'interrupt' the ongoing

narrative 'challenging' us to find a connection. Review
the

mitzvot in 15:1-41 and try to find a thematic connection
to

the story of the meraglim.

  1) The mitzvah of "minchat n'sachim" to be brought with

  korbanot Olah or Shlamim;

     2) The mitzvah of taking challah;

  Note that both these mitzvot begin with the phrase "ki

  tavou el ha'aretz" (when you come in the Land);

  3) Avodah Zara of the tzibur and the necessary korban
chatat

  (should entire nation sin);

     4) Chilul Shabbat and its punishment;

     5) Mitzvat Tzizit

a. Attempt to relate these parshiot to chet ha'meraglim?

     (Compare both thematically and linguistically.)

b. Where in Sefer Vayikra does each mitzvah belong?

c. Recall the various mitzvot which chazal equate with
keeping

the entire Torah:

     1) Eretz Yisrael

     2) Avodah Zarah

     3) Shabbat

     4) Tzizit

Could you conclude that Chazal based these Midrashim on
the

special structure of Sefer Bamidbar?

4. Note 15:22-23.  Why is this pasuk referring to the

transgression of all the mitzvot of Torah, while the
chazal

explain that it refers specifically to avoda zarah.

     (Relate your answer to the previous question.)

   How is chet ha'meraglim thematically similar?

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mail.atlchai.org/pipermail/par-lite/attachments/20100604/8cf79440/attachment-0001.htm 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: shlach1.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 40808 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mail.atlchai.org/pipermail/par-lite/attachments/20100604/8cf79440/attachment-0001.pdf 