Shlach 2020
Isaac’s Parsha Corner · 2020
This week’s Corner is an edited version of my daughter Rachael’s Bat Mitzvah speech delivered by her in June 2002 at the Women’s Tefillah in Teaneck New Jersey.
This week’s Parsha - Parshat Shlach - contains several different themes. The main theme is the failure of the Jewish people which was brought about by the reports of the twelve spies. This tragedy is considered the mother of all Jewish tragedies. The Midrash points out, “And they cried on that night” –Hashem said “you have cried for nothing I will establish this night as a night of eternal crying”. Tisha Beav was established as an eternal day of mourning. The many tragedies associated with Tisha Beav are connected to the loss of the Holy Temple. This in turn signaled and preceded the exile of from the Holy Land. Tisha Beav is a marker for loss of the land of Israel brought about by a momentous failing of the nation of Israel. The first failing was recorded in our Parsha in the desert and later failings occurred in the times of the Holy Temple.
The Parsha also teaches that Hashem deals with his people “midah keneged midah – measure for measure.” This principal is repeated several times. The spies were guilty of lashon harah – negative or evil speech. The sin was characterizing the land of Israel as being - “unsuited for habitation.” They also referred to the land as– “a land which consumes its inhabitants” -The Chumash commentaries point out the inaccuracy of these words. They spoke of a land harsh and under populated while quite the contrary was true. The land was in fact inhabited by many nations. The second failing was a national one. Upon hearing the report about how the fearsome “sons of giants were there” the Jewish people abandoned their faith and trust in G-d and wanted to return to Egypt. This latter failing seems to be the worst of the two. Because of it the Jewish people were banished to a lifetime of wandering in the desert. I would like to suggest that we should not separate these two failings - for they are connected. It is precisely those words uttered by the spies, “It is a land which consumes it inhabitants”, which, measure for measure, was imposed on the Jewish nation. The Talmud says “Each year on the ninth day of the month of AV the people dug graves in the sand and lay down in these graves. The following morning some woke up and some did not.” It was as though the land had in fact consumed its inhabitants!!
This idea, that Hashem treats us “measure for measure” - is found elsewhere in the Parsha. The opening words of the Parsha “Shlach Lecha” or “Send for yourself”, is similar to the opening words of Parshat Lech Lecha in Genesis. There Hashem instructed Abraham “Lech Lecha” “Go out from your homeland to the land which I will show you.” The term Lecha – for you – means that you will benefit by leaving comfortable surroundings and embarking on a journey into the land of Canaan. In Abraham’s case the promise was made that this land, the land of Canaan, will be yours forever. First, however, your children shall be slaves for 400 years in a strange land. We were fortunate and merited an early release after only 210 years. Unfortunately, following the negative report by the spies the people asked to be returned to Egypt. As a result we forfeited a portion of the early release and were forced to wander for years. There is even a “remez” or hint to this in the words Shlach Lecha. In Gematriah (Numerology) Shlach Lecha is equal to 388, add 12 for the number of spies and you have an even 400. The pasuk hints through Gematriah that the sending of the spies was connected to the number 400 which represented the years of exile decreed to Abraham.
On the other hand, the Parsha delivers a message of hope and forgiveness. Hashem listened to Moshe’s plea. “And Hashem said I have forgiven the Jewish people as you have requested”. The adult Egyptian born Jews were then reassured that their children would enter the Promised Land. Immediately following the story of the spies we read a section about bringing certain sacrifices. The Ramban (15.1) says as follows “When you err” - perhaps the torah places the rules here as opposed to in the book of Vayikra in order to bring comfort to the people. The people were concerned, saying, “who knows what will happen at the end of 40 years, perhaps our children will also sin, and be further precluded from entering the land of Israel” Therefore Hashem saw fit to comfort and assure them that their children would enter into the land of Israel immediately at the end of 40 years”. We learn from this part of the story that despite the banishment there would be redemption.
We learn another valuable lesson in this Parsha. The two spies, Joshua and Caleb went against the others. We learned that it is ok to confront that which is both accepted and popular. This theme is further explored later in the parsha with the mitzvah of the sacrifice brought for a communal error. In that case everybody gets it wrong and has to bring a collective sacrifice. Although it is uncomfortable and sometimes downright dangerous one may and even should stand up for what he or she believes. Because those two stood up against the many they were rewarded with extra portions of land. Furthermore, unlike all their peers, they merited entering the Promised Land.
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