Weekly Shabbat Parsha Thoughts – Shelach Lecha – 6.4.2010

This week contains the famous story of the 12 spies. These spies go to visit Israel and come back with reports of both a land of milk and honey, and of a difficult land to conquer. With this information the Israelites become disheartened and begin to complain. At one point HaShem is ready to wipe out the entire nation and start over with Moses. The result of this is that the Jewish people were sentenced to 40 years wandering the desert.

The events of this week’s parsha remind us that we (and our mindset) play a part in our success and failure. And this is just as true when it comes to our Jewish and spiritual lives as it is anywhere else. Simply because the Jewish nation had been freed from Egypt, seen the revelation of the Ten Commandments and endless miracles did not mean that they were ready to become the chosen people and enter the promised land of Israel.

In the day to day lives we all lead there are options and opportunities that are presented to us every single day. We are only able to take advantage of those that we are ready for. And we must approach our spiritual lives with the same mindset. We must be ready for the paths we are hoping to take in our lives. Nothing ever will simply be given; we must be ready and be willing to be an active player in making these opportunities happen.

This week’s torah portion reminds us that this lesson is at the core of us being chosen. That in order to realize that destiny we must choose. Choose to be “chosen” with our words, our frame of mind and our actions. As a Jewish people we will, over time, reach our destiny. But that each of us, as a Jewish person, must reach out ourselves and actively become a part of our “chosen” destiny. HaShem is able to wait for us to be in the right frame of mind, we are the ones who should not and cannot wait. This power and option is in our heads, hearts and hands which is a very comforting and inspiring place for us to be when it comes to our goals and destiny.

Shabbat Shalom.

Parsha Summary




General Overview: Moses sends scouts to Canaan and all of them -- except Joshua and Caleb -- bring back frightening reports. The people react fearfully and rebelliously. G d decrees a forty year delay until theIsraelites will enter Canaan, during which time all males between the ages of twenty and sixty will perish. Many Israelites then attempt to unilaterally proceed to Canaan, but are cut down by the Canaanites. Various laws are discussed: libations, giving part of the dough ("challah") to a Kohain(Priest), certain sin sacrifices, and the mitzvah of tzitzit. A Jew is found desecrating the Shabbat and is executed.
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First Aliyah: G d allows Moses to send scouts to reconnoiter the land of Canaan in preparation for their anticipated invasion of the land. One member of every tribe -- with the exception of the tribe of Levi -- was chosen for this task. Moses instructed the scouts to bring back a report regarding the nature of the land; its strengths and weaknesses. He also instructed them to bring back samples of the land's produce.
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Second Aliyah: The scouts spent forty days reconnoitering the land. They returned to the Israelite encampment with specimens of Canaan's produce, and with an ominous report. They conceded that the land flowed with milk and honey, but they warned that its population was mighty and the cities well fortified and impossible to conquer. Only Caleb and Joshua, the scouts representing the tribes of Judah and Ephraim, dissented. They argued that the land was magnificent, and there was no reason for concern because G d could surely bring the Israelites victory in battle. The Jewish people spent that entire night wailing, expressing their preference to return to Egypt rather than be defeated in battle by the Canaanites.
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Third Aliyah: The Jewish people rejected the pleas of Joshua and Caleb, and decided to stone them. G d intervened, His glory appearing over theTabernacle. G d informs Moses of His decision to instantaneously wipe out the Israelites in a massive plague due to their persistent lack of faith. Moses successfully invoked G d's mercy and pointed out that this mass execution will cause a mammoth desecration of G d's name. "People will assume that G d lacked the power to defeat the Canaanites in battle, so He instead slaughtered His people," Moses argued. Although G d agreed not to immediately wipe out the Israelites, that generation would not enter the Land. G d instructs the Jews to reverse course, and to head back to the desert.
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Fourth Aliyah: The details of the punishment are now revealed. The Israelites will wander in the desert for forty years. During that time, all males over the age of twenty -- with the exception of Joshua and Caleb -- would perish. The next generation would enter the Promised Land. The ten scouts who brought back the frightful report died immediately. When the Jews were informed of G d's decision, they lamented and grieved. A group of people awoke the next day and decide to "go it alone," and enter the Land of Israel -- this despite Moses' warning that their plan would not succeed for it was not sanctioned by G d. This group is cut down and massacred by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
The Jews are told that upon entering Israel an individual who pledges to bring a sacrifice must also bring an accompaniment consisting of a wine libation and a flour offering mixed with olive oil.
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Fifth Aliyah: This section continues with the rules of the aforementioned sacrifice accompaniments -- detailing the quantities of wine, flour and oil to be brought with various species of livestock.
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Sixth Aliyah: The mitzvah of challah is contained in this section: when one kneads dough, a portion must be taken and given to the priest. If theSanhedrin (rabbinic supreme court) erroneously permits an act of idolatry, and the community acts upon this permission, the Sanhedrin must bring a special sin-offering, detailed in this section.
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Seventh Aliyah: We now learn the rules regarding an individual who is guilty of an idolatrous practice -- whether inadvertently or intentionally. A man is found desecrating the Shabbat, and is executed. The last part of this week's reading discusses the commandment of putting tzitzit (fringes) on four-cornered garments. When looking at the fringes we remember all the commandments and refrain from following the temptations of the heart