Numbers 13:1–15:41
Parshat Shelach
Moses sends twelve spies to scout the land of Canaan. Ten return with a frightening report and the people weep and refuse to go; only Joshua and Caleb stand firm, and that generation is sentenced to wander forty years in the desert. The portion ends with the laws of challah, the man who gathered wood on Shabbat, and the mitzvah of tzitzit.
Essays
Parsha Shlach – As You Said The word of a tzadik-a righteous and holy person, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak explains, is endowed by G-d with the power to make things happen. Parsha Shlach – Babylonian and Jerusalem Versions of Truth Living as we do in exile, we must appreciate even the modest attempts that one makes to be sincere about his or her Judaism. Once the light of truth shines through the darkness of exile, albeit even for the wrong reason, there is the hope that this light may eventually dispel that darkness. Parsha Shlach – Drawing an Imaginary Line in the Sand Exile and Redemption represent two mindsets. Exile mentality creates dichotomies. To be spiritual, the exile mindset requires separation from the world. The Redemption mindset is one of unity. The same G-d who is supernatural created the natural order as well. Parsha Shlach – G-d’s Ambivalence Is Also a Message A child needs to do things on its own, so that which they do is considered their own effort, not only something they received from someone else. In the words of the Jerusalem Talmud, food obtained unearned is “Shameful Bread.” Parsha Shlach – Having It All It does not suffice to reach perfection by devoting ourselves to exclusive Torah study. One can acquire total mastery of Torah knowledge—and yet not bring Moshiach. We must also recognize that all of the world must be integrated into our spiritual lives. Parsha Shlach – Healthy Milk and Honey Truth can be a formidable and destructive weapon when it is harnessed to untruths. Throughout Jewish history, the greatest threat to Jewish life came more from those who invoked Torah in their deviation from it than from those who renounced Torah and erased it from their lexicon completely. Parsha Shlach – Humble Spies We are living in an age obsessively preoccupied with self- esteem. Our problems will overwhelm us when we fail to grasp that self-esteem must be replaced with G-d esteem. We are the last generation of exile and the first generation of Redemption, chosen by G-d to lead the way into this miraculous Ag Parsha Shlach – Keep Your Eyes on the Ball Each and every one of us was chosen by G-d to perform a mission to refine and sanctify the world. Our talents notwithstanding, we were chosen to represent the interests of G-d, Moses and the people that we were chosen to serve, not our own personal ones. Parsha Shlach – Milk for Diamonds or Diamonds for Milk There are treasures that can be found in great abundance in our life’s experience. These are the moments spent in Torah study, performance of a Mitzvah or heartfelt prayer. Out of necessity we take time away from our precious pursuits to earn money, build a house, clothe our families, etc., just so Parsha Shlach – Minion or Minyan The minyan was not conceived of as an institution for saints, rather a medium for even deficient individuals to uplift themselves by joining a minyan, whose collective nature is far greater than the sum of its parts – it is a reflection of the collective Jewish community. Parsha Shlach – Prison and Chometz Prison is not a suitable punishment because it deprives the person of his or her ability to function as a full-fledged human being. The prisoner cannot express and actualize his or her full potential. Parsha Shlach – Seeing and Desiring We should follow our heart and eyes! Deep down inside, our heart is faithful and truly desires to get close to G-d. To make our heart’s latent good desires surface, we must follow our eyes. We must use our mind’s eye to see the true nature of G-dly energy in everything. Once we “open our eyes” to se Parsha Shlach – Starting on the Right Foot There is a spiritual principle that our success in a holy endeavor is usually determined by the direction we set forth for ourselves at the very outset. When our original thought is positive and holy it is likely that we will succeed in reaching our destination—the Promised Land. Parsha Shlach – Taking Shabbos Seriously Shabbos is the day that we cease from doing those innocuous things simply because G-d told us to. By surrendering our needs, desires and egos–as they are expressed through the actions we do throughout the week– to the will of G-d, we are able to appreciate the value, beauty and meaning in being able Parsha Shlach – Sincerely Wanting Moshiach G-d prefers and demands compliance with His will over courageous actions. Parsha Shlach – The Humble Tree If there would be one individual whose entire life was devoted to providing comfort and spiritual nourishment to others, then Moses knew that this nation will be difficult to defeat. If, however, there were many righteous individuals who kept to themselves and exercised no influence on their fellow Parsha Shlach – Three Forms of Gratitude Even a cursory overview of Jewish history will demonstrate how we owe our very existence to special Divine Providence. A more astute observer of Jewish history will see how every bit of sustenance is a direct blessing from G-d. But even when we act like spoiled children and demand the frivolous, G-d Parsha Shlach – Tourist or Torah-Ist? Our way of preparing for the imminent coming of Moshiach is understandably to strengthen our commitment to the teachings of the Torah. But more specifically, it involves the process of “opening our eyes,” to becoming “Torah tourists”—to see things through the prism of Torah. Parsha Shlach – Tolerance As long as we are in exile, punctuated with and characterized by its imperfection, can tolerance be both a blessing and a curse. The Messianic Age, however, is when all good will be unadulterated good, and our tolerance for others will only lead to the discovery of their inner goodness and holiness. Parsha Shlach – Tzitzis and the Tourism Industry When we take a tour of life, we must know what to look for and how to look for things. Aside from the obvious and literal understanding of not looking at things that G-d forbids us to gaze at, because it can lead us to temptation, the idea of knowing how “to tour” implies the need to see things in t Parsha Shlach – We Are All Giants Galus has imposed a certain measure of self-doubt in us. When we look around the world today we can become apprehensive over the prospects of our being able to “conquer” the land and enter the Messianic Age. While we must be realists and recognize our shortcomings we may not do so by underestimating