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June 4-5, '21 • `"tyz'd oeiq d"k Yerushalayim in/out for Shabbat Parshat SH'LACH M'vorchim 4 7:07PM Plag 6:14PM • %32 8:24PM R' Tam 9:00PM Marcheshvan: ALWAYS B'reishit. Kislev: Mostly Chayei Sara; KAF SIVAN sometimes To-l'dot Tevet: Mostly Vayeishev; sometimes See last week's CALnotes Mikeitz (same year-types as Kislev) The first link in the grid of The Previous Week's Files Sh'vat: Va'eira; but often Sh'mot SHABBAT M'VORCHIM Adar: Mostly Mishpatim; rare Yitro Adar Rishon: same - Mostly Sivan has 30 days, so Rosh Chodesh Mishpatim; rare Yitro Tamuz has a two-day Rosh Chodesh - which will be Thursday and Friday, Adar Sheini: Usually Vayakhel; once June 10, 11. in a while P'kudei fEOY© yc¤Ÿg W`Ÿx Nisan: 12-month year - Mostly iW¦ X¦ d© mFia© E iW¦ in¦ g£ mFiA§ di¤d§ i¦ Vayakhel-P'kudei; rare P'kudei :da¨ Fhl§ l`¥ x¨U§ i¦ lM¨ lr© e§ Epi«l¥ r¨ `A¨ d© 13-month year - mostly Sh'mini; sometimes Tazri'a The molad of Tamuz is on Thursday Iyar: 12-month year - always Sh'mini; morning (June 10th) at 9h 15m 8p 13-month year - Acharei or K'doshim zFwc© dx¥U§ r¤ Wn¥ g¨ ,iW¦ in¦ g£ mFiA§ di¤d§ i¦ cl© FOd© and sometimes Acharei in Chul and .xw¤ FAA© rW© Y¥ ix¥g£`© miw¦ l¨g© dp¨ŸnW§ E K'doshim in Eretz Yisrael

Time of the molad is always Sivan: B'har-B'chukotai or Bamidbar; announced in Jerusalem Solar Time, sometimes Bamidbar in Israel and which translates (this month) to B'chukotai outside. Rarest: B'har- 9:54am Israel Summer Time. B'chukotai in Chul; B'chukotai alone in Israel. The 9h 15m 8p is announced the same everywhere in the world. The 9:54am Tamuz: Sh'lach or Korach; or Sh'lach should be adjusted to local time. It in Chul and Korach in Israel. need not be announced, but it can be Av: usually Matot-Mas'ei; sometimes added to the regular announcement Pinchas; rare Matot or Masei; some- of the molad. times Pinchas in Chul - Matot in Israel For the statistically-minded Elul: mostly R'ei; rarer, Eikev Sedra for Shabbat M'vorchim: Numbers in [square brackets] are the Sh'lach Mitzva-count of Sefer HaChinuch AND Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvot. A=ASEI; L=LAV 37th of the 54 sedras; (prohibition). X:Y is the perek & pasuk from 4th of 10 in Bamidbar which the mitzva comes. Written on 198 lines, ranks 25th 10 Parshiyot; 7 open, 3 closed Kohen - First Aliya 119 p'sukim, ranks 21, 6th in Bamidbar 20 p'sukim - 13:1-20

1540 words, ranks 27, 5th in Bamidbar [P> 13:1 (43)] G-d tells Moshe to send 5820 letters, ranks 27, 4th in Bamidbar "people” to "scout out" the Land. (“People” is in quotes because com- Sh'lach has shorter than average mentaries point to the word p'sukim, which explains the drop in rank ANASHIM and say that it means for words and letters, yet the rise in people of high calibre and repute - rank within Bamidbar indicates that except that we know how it turns there are sedras in Bamidbar with even out...) The emphasis in the wording of shorter p'sukim. the pasuk is on Moshe being the one sending the Meraglim, not at G-d's MMMIIITTTZZZVVVOOOTTT command nor by His "desire". 3 mitzvot - 2 positives - Challah & The representatives of each tribe are Tzitzit, and 1 prohibition, not to follow named and the Torah, further testifies the temptations of your heart and eyes. to the high caliber of each man. As we point out often, the distribution SDT: Back in Bamidbar, when the of mitzvot in the Torah is very uneven. Tribal leaders were named, Efrayim and With only 3 mitzvot, there are 25 sedras Menashe were identified as the sons of with fewer mitzvot than Sh'lach and 26 Yosef - within the same pasuk. Here, with more. 3 is the median number of only Menashe is identified with Yosef, mitzvot per sedra in the Torah. T'ruma and Efrayim's scout, Yehoshua, is listed and Chukat also have 3 mitzvot each. 3 p'sukim earlier, without reference to his father. Commentaries note that Aliya-by-Aliya Yosef had been involved in "negative reports" (against his brothers), as was Sedra Summary the scout of Menashe involved in negative reports on the Land. Yehoshua [P>] and [S>] indicate start of a parsha remained clear of the taint of DIBA RA'A p'tucha or s'tuma. X:Y is Perek:Pasuk of the and is therefore not mentioned together beginning of the parsha; (Z) is the number of with Yosef, in this context. p'sukim in the parsha. (It is interesting to note that the words not join the "evil advice" for any reason, immediately before 'for the tribe of even one to benefit Moshe himself. Efrayim...' are BEN YOSEF, in this case, Moshe gives the scouts instructions the father of Yig'al, the scout for and an itinerary, hoping that they will Yissachar. Nonetheless, it is interesting return with an encouraging report for that Efrayim is juxtaposed to a different Bnei Yisrael. It was the time of the Yosef even though he is 'distanced' ripening of the grapes, Bikurei from his own father's name.) Anavim. And Moshe called Hoshea bin Nun, Yehoshua. As long as this box was devoted to the correct pronunciation of the sedra's SDT: Rashi says that by adding a name last week, let's sharpen our YUD to Hoshea's name, he was giving pronunciation of SH'LACH (and other him a bracha that he should be saved similar words. from the group attitude of the other The first letter is SHIN with a SH'VA Meraglim. Question: MIMA NAFSHACH NA under it. SH'VA NA is a very weak (whichever way you want to look at vowel sound - somewhere between no things) - Why did Moshe not “bless” the sound at all and the sound of a SEGOL. others scouts similarly? And why would People whose mother tongue is Yehoshua need a bracha when Kalev English, tend to drop the vowel sound apparently did not? to zero and blend the letter with the following letter. SHLACH. BRACHA. Whether a Scout will come back with SHNAYIM. Not the best way to write the proper attitude or not was based on these words. But neither is SHELACH, each individual's personality, per- BERACHA, SHENAYIM. No vowel ceptions, and conclusions. That was up sound; too strong a vowel sound. Using to each of the 12 individuals. That's not an apostrophe is the best way to why Moshe gave a special bracha to present such words in transliteration. Yehoshua. Moshe had a separate fear concerning Yehoshua. He could imag- Other sedra names: B'REISHIT, LECH ine Yehoshua joining the ten Meraglim in L'CHA, SH'MOT, B'SHALACH, T'RUMA, T'TZAVEH, P'KUDEI, SH'MINI, discouraging the People from entering M'TZORA, K'DOSHIM, B'HAR, the Land so that Moshe's life would be B'CHUKOTAI, B'HAALO-T'CHA, prolonged. Eldad and Meidad had D'VARIM, R'EI, V'ZOT HAB'RACHA prophesied that Moshe would die and (that's 18 sedra-names, including Yehoshua would lead the people into the SH'LACH). Land, Yehoshua heard that and was quite agitated. Moshe's bracha to Not the name of a sedra, but it is Yehoshua was to keep Yehoshua important that we say SH'MA - not SHMA and not SHEMA. honest, so to speak, so that he would Levi - Second Aliya witnessed so many miracles performed on our behalf), we should not have 20 p'sukim - 13:21-14:7 viewed ourselves that way. And, how The Torah describes the 40-day "tour" others perceive us is their problem, not of the scouts. When they returned, ours. (In fact, it should often be an asset they reported to the People about the for us.) Sadly, each of these attitude truly beautiful land to which they had problems exists in our own time. been sent. They showed the samples • Notice how the first time the Meraglim of the fruits they brought back with spoke to the people, they did not say them. They described the apparent that we shouldn’t go into Eretz Yisrael. strength of the inhabitants (in an They “just” described some of the attempt to scare the people). And they difficlties we would face and apparently mentioned Amalek and other nations hoped that their report would scare off (knowing it would have a discourag- the people. After Kalev took the ing effect). microphone, so to speak, and gave a Kalev silenced the people and told brief but enthusiastic “Aliya pep-talk”, them that they should go to the Land; the Meraglim dropped the subtle "We can do it!" The other ten scouts approach and spoke out openly against objected and spoke further against the going into Eretz Yisrael. This is what the Land, causing wide-spread panic Torah described as DIBA AL HA'ARETZ, among the people. Moshe, Aharon, Lashon HaRa against the Land. Kalev, and Yehoshua are greatly troubled by the words of the It might be said that people who tell Meraglim and by the reaction of the other Jews about terror attacks and people. Kalev and Yehoshua proclaim other difficulties that we face in Israel the goodness of the Land. are “guilty” of “first-stage” Meraglim- talk. Those who add “you gotta be crazy SDT: ...and we were in our eyes like to live there” or words to that effect, grasshoppers (compared to the giants are repeating and perpetuating what is of Canaan) and so we appeared to them. maybe the greatest communal sin in the The Kotzker Rebbe and others define history of the Jewish People. The sin of two components of the Sin of the Spies the Meraglim created the blackest day from this part of the pasuk. First, that on our calendar, Tish’a b’Av. The we saw ourselves as small and destructions of the two Batei Mikdash insignificant, compared with the nations and the various causes of the CHURBAN in Eretz Yisrael. Second, that we were were “merely” add-ons to Tish’a b’Av. concerned about how others perceived When we totally repudiate - by action, us. With G-d obviously on our side (we not just by word - the Sin of the Spies, knew what happened to Egypt and we and embrace - by action, not just by word - the righteous behavior of Kalev men of this generation will not enter and Yehoshua, then we can hope for the the Land - except Kalev (& Yehoshua). fulfillment of the prophecy of Zecharya The People are told that Amalek and that will see Tish’a b’Av and the other the Canaanites occupy the valley and three Churban-related fasts become that they (the People of Israel) will Yamim Tovim. have to divert towards the Midbar. Shlishi - Third Aliya Compare & Learn 18 p'sukim - 14:8-25 Towards the end of last week's sedra, we have the episode of Miriam's talking “If G-d wants us to go there, then we about Moshe and her punishment for will obviously be able to prevail. Just her relatively mild transgression of don't rebel against Him.” The people LASHON HARA. Commentaries point wanted to stone Kalev and Yehoshua for those words. out the juxtaposition of the episode of the spies. And sadly, there are many Jews There is more to this than "simply" two today who still don't hear - or examples of Lashon HaRa, one about a want to hear Kalev's words. person and one about Eretz Yisrael. [P> 14:11 (15)] G-d is "angered" by the There are important elements and people and "suggests" to Moshe that details to be learned one from the other. He will destroy them. Moshe argues For example, it is not just the speaker of on behalf of the people. His (main) Lashon HaRa that transgresses. Those argument is that other nations will say who listen to LH passively, without that G-d did not have the ability to objecting, those who accept the LH as bring Bnei Yisrael into K'na'an, so He truth - they too transgress. The Sin of killed them in the wilderness. This the Spies was not restricted to 10 would be a Chilul HaShem. Moshe people. Thousands of those who heard then invokes a modified version of the what was said and accepted it, and Divine Attributes and pleads for panicked because of it, they too were forgiveness for the people. (Part of guilty. And they were punished, as we Moshe's words at this point have been know. incorporated into our davening.) G-d agrees to Moshe's pleas. (G-d's Translate this into our time. It is not response to Moshe also becomes part enough for one to refrain from of the Yom Kippur davening.) G-d bad-mouthing Eretz Yisrael, one cannot declares that this is the tenth time that stand by idly when others do it. Kalev the People have "tested" His patience jumped up as soon as he heard what the (so to speak). He promises that the Meraglim said. He did his best to repudiate the words of the Meraglim not to, because G-d no longer wants and then made his own impassioned them to do so (at this point). Some of pitch for Aliya. the people went anyway - without the protection of the Aron, so to speak - We must not "put down" Israel, its and are defeated and repelled by people, life here, etc. We must object Amalek and K'na'an. when others do. And one should avoid saying something negative even in a [P> 15:1 (16)] The Torah next sets joke. (Just as, "I was only joking" does down the details of the flour and oil not mitigate Lashon HaRa about offering and libation of wine that are another person.) to accompany most korbanot. It is important to note the context of R'vi'i - Fourth Aliya these laws. Right after being told that 27 p'sukim - 14:26-15:7 the older generation (males) will not enter the Land, G-d comforts the people [P> 14:26 (20)] The Torah elaborates by teaching procedures that will apply in upon the devastating pronouncement Eretz Yisrael, specifically mitzvot that by G-d. The People shall roam in the are to be "pleasing to G-d" (and even Midbar for a number of years equal to though they are commanded the number of days of the spies' trip. elsewhere). It is as if G-d says, "Don't be too dismayed; your children will live in Clarification: The Sin of the Spies Eretz Yisrael and will serve Me in the occurred on Tish'a b'Av 2449, more than Beit HaMikdash" in this special way. a year out of Egypt. Total time in the Midbar from Exodus to entry into the Note also that the Aliya-break comes in Eretz Yisrael is 40 years (less five days). mid-topic, leaving us, at the break, to So the punishment is really for less than ponder and savor the fact that we will 39 years. But look at things this way: yet bring about 'dl gŸgip gix. The Sin of the Spies was the culmination of the "angering" of G-d. We can say Chamishi 5th Aliya that it began back at the Sin of the Golden Calf (or even before that - we 9 p'sukim - 15:8-16 "complained" when were hardly out of The details of the MINCHA & NESECH Egypt). We might say that the 40-year are completed in this portion, punishment is retro-active to include finishing with a reiteration and Cheit HaEigel (or earlier). emphasis on the equality of Torah law The people deeply regret their for all Jews. behavior and NOW decide to enter the Furthermore... It seems obvious that Land immediately. Moshe warns them this area of mitzva was purposely put here in the aftermath of the Sin of the tables, as well as washing for bread, Spies. There are at least two other HaMotzi, Birkat HaMazon... and more. places in the Torah where the topic is Secondly, the fact that we are to give presented, where the mitzva is counted, Challah to a Kohen - specifically after and where it fits well in the context. It most of the work has been done, seems superfluous here except as a meaning that we give Challa from message for the aftermath of the ready-to-pop-into-the-oven dough and Meraglim. Note also, that it is not not the raw produce, as with other gifts merely a mitzva that will apply in Eretz to the Kohen - indicates that it is not Yisrael, but one that is part of the Beit merely the gift that is significant, but HaMikdash service. the service to the Kohen that we Shishi - Sixth Aliya perform that is important as well. Challah is one of the mitzvot that our 10 p'sukim - 15:17-26 Sages have kept active by rabbinic [P> 15:17 (5)] Mitzva of Challa is decree since the destruction of the Beit presented [385, A133 15:20]. HaMikdash, so that its practice and lessons should not be lost to us. Foithemore, Challah is rabbinically MMMIIITTTZZZVVVAAAnotes required in Chutz LaAretz, although the Torah introduces the mitzva with, "with Two major aspects of this precious your coming to the Land". This too helps mitzva are: keep "Torat Challa" alive among the Jewish People and show us how very It is performed with THE essential food special this mitzva is. of humans - as in, Bread is the staff of life. This elevates the physical necessity [S> 15:22 (5)] Next the Torah presents of food to a spiritual level. the details of the Chatat (sin offering) of the community (in cases where the Which, by the way, fits the idea of "Man leaders of the community inadver- does not live by bread alone." This idea, tently misled the people (in Avoda presented in the beginning of Parshat Zara related matters.) Here again it Eikev, referred to the Manna as that seems obvious that this topic is which indicated to the People that it is brought up because of the Sin of the "by the mouth of G-d, that man lives". Spies. This mitzva is not counted here, That being so during the years of but it certainly conveys G-d's attitude wandering in the Midbar, the concept (so to speak) about Cheit HaMeraglim. continues in perpetuity via the mitzva of We recognize that sometimes our CHALLA and the other mitzvot leaders must bear the responsibility of associated with bringing bread to our leading us astray (but not always - often we must be accountable and not to how a public desecrator of Shabbat claim that we were just following is to be executed. (That it is a capital orders). The ideas (and text) here are offense was already known.) part of Yom Kippur davening. [S> 15:35 (2)] G-d's command was to Sh'VII Seventh Aliya stone the violator. And so it was done. [P> 15:37 (5)] The final portion of the 15 p'sukim - 15:27-41 sedra is the third passage of the Sh'ma [S> 15:27 (5)] On the other hand, - the portion of Tzitzit. It contains the many times each individual must be mitzva to put Tzitzit on the corners of accountable for his own actions; we a four-corner garment [386, A14 cannot always blame our leaders. [This 15:38] and that one of the strings of fits, as we mentioned before, the each corner should be dyed t'cheilet, culpability - albeit different - of the the special blue dye. (Some say half a population in addition to the Meraglim string, which becomes one of 8; some themselves.] The Torah in this portion say one string, which becomes 2 of 8; discusses the Chatat of the individual. and some say 2 of the 4 strings, which These offerings are appropriate only become 4 of 8 when tied.) for inadvertent violation; intentional Our Sages went out of their way to violation (idolatry is implied) is involve us in the mitzva of Tzitzit - with punishable by KAREIT (excision, being Talit Gadol and Talit Katan - although cut off...), and is atoneable by other we could technically not be required to methods. fulfill this mitzva because our regular Following Cheit HaMeraglim and clothing (today) does not usually have preceding the episode of the wood- four corners. Perhaps they did so gatherer, the Torah presents us with because Tzitzit is not merely a mitzva both types of Chata’ot - communal and that we "perform", it is a mitzva that we individual. These topics are dealt with wear. It is an integral part of our (and counted among Taryag) else- everyday lives. It is part of our Jewish where. Again, we are seeing (probably) uniform (for males). What a shame to be an example of repeating something in a without this inspirational mitzva specific context or juxtaposition to a because the style of clothing has story in order to make a point and changed and we no longer wear deliver an important message to us. 4-cornered garments.

[P> 15:32 (3)] The Torah next tells us To clarify: If a man wears a four- of the wood-gatherer (Tradition cornered garment, he is required by identifies him as Tz'lofchad) who was Torah law to tie tzitzit on the corners - locked up pending details from G-d as however, the Sages require us to wear a four-cornered garment in order to be Haftara 24 p'sukim obligated to fulfill the mitzva of Tzitzit. In other words, "officially", TZITZIT is a - Yehoshua 2:1-24 MITZVA KIYUMIT. Our Sages changed it Paralleling and contrasting with the into a MITZVA CHIYUVIT. sedra, the Haftara tells us of two other Furthermore, the Torah links the spies (Kalev and Pinchas, according to mitzva of tzitzit with all the mitzvot of Tradition - they are not named in the the Torah; tzitzit (and/or the P'til text) who were sent by Yehoshua into T'cheilet) serve as a reminder of the Yericho. Rachav, who had heard of the Jew's all-encompassing commitment wonders that happened to the People to G-d. This is followed by the of Israel, protects the spies from the warning not to follow the evil men who are searching for them. In temptation of the eye (mind) or heart exchange for her protection, Rachav (emotion) [387, L47 15:39]. The Torah receives a promise that she and her then reiterates the importance of family will be spared when the belief in G-d in general, and in His Israelite army attacks the city. having redeemed us from Egypt, in Tradition tells us that Rachav particular. Thus, the twice daily subsequently became a sincere recitation of the Sh'ma constitutes the convert and the wife of Yehoshua. In fulfillment of the mitzva to remember one case, Spies were our undoing. In the Exodus "all the days of your life", the other, they served a very positive in addition to its own mitzva, the function. Ironic. saying of Sh'ma. It follows that when one recites the Sh’ma, one should have Editor's note: specific KAVANA at the end of the 29 years ago, June '92, the then third passage to fulfill the mitzva to director of the Israel Center was Shai remember the Exodus all the days of Solomon. I was his associate director our lives (which, if you remember the and educational director. At the time, Mishna borrowed by the Hagada - or our activities were listed weekly in the vice versa - KOL Y'MEI CHAYECHA Jerusalem Post or the In Jerusalem. teaches us that the mitzva applies in Shai ask me to print up a weekly the daytime and at nighttime. The schedule of activities to be distributed Hagada uses this Mishna to explain the in shuls with English speakers, some fact that the mitzva of Hagada is at of whom don't read the Post. I didn't night. But the Mishna was discussing like the idea of giving out a weekday the third passage of Sh'ma and schedule in shul on Shabbat, so I justifying its being recited at night suggested putting a D'var Torah on too, even though Tzitzit is a day one side of a sheet of paper with the mitzva.) Parshat Tzitzit is reread as schedule on the other side. "Go for it", Maftir. was Shai's reply. [We had previously used the name and poisoned a generation against Torah Tidbits on a few weekly Divrei going into Eretz Yisrael with their Torah that shared a shelf with flyers for scare-tactics and negative comments. our activities. They were not distrib- The Bikurim-bringer opens his mouth uted, just picked up at 10 Straus, our in thanks and praise to G-d for His first home. We also packed with having brought us to this place. The lunchboxes for Nitzotz kids in Gush Meraglim said, "It's a beautiful country Katif for Project Nissan, Torah Tidbits but we don't want to live there; we To Go, with divrei Torah on the won't survive there. The Bikurim- Hagada.] bringer is thrilled and delighted to have actualized the purpose of our We made 60 two-sided A4 photo- existence as a Nation and as Jews. He copies of the new Torah Tidbits. 30 recites about our ancestors going went to our shul in Ramot Eshkol and down into Egypt, what happened 30 went to Shai's father's shul in there, how G-d took us out, and how Nayot. He brought us to Eretz Yisrael. The left side of the front of the first G-d says that He is taking us out of TT dealt with the details and stats of Egypt in order to give us the Torah Israel and Chutz LaAretz getting out and bring us to the place He promised of sync with Parshat HaShavua, as to the Avot and to us. The Meraglim happened that year. said - no! The Bikurim-bringer says, On the flip side, as we called it, we had YES! upcoming events at the Center. Rav Menachem Zemba HY"D (of the The main part of the front page was a Warsaw ghetto) beautifully points out d'var Torah from Maayana shel Torah. that the three fruits that the Meraglim brought back with them - grapes, figs, Here is the gist of the first Torah Tidbit: and pomegranates are exactly the The ARI Z"L says that the mitzva of three fruits that the Mishna (Bikurim BIKURIM is a TIKUN for the sin of the 3:1) uses as examples for Bikurim. spies. BIKURIM is not just one of the Torah Tidbits has continued since many Mitzvot HaT'luyot BaAretz, the Parshat Eikev last year, without my mitzvot that are connected and input. Since then, a new website, in the dependent upon the Land of Israel - it style of ttidbits.com has been appearing is the perfect counterpoint to the on the internet weekly, with many devastating sin that we read about in features - including some that were Parshat Sh'lach. The Meraglim took dropped from Torah Tidbits. fruits from the Land - the Bikurim bringer takes fruits from the Land. Check it out: www.philotorah.co The Meraglim opened their mouths Find also a link to the 29 29s challenge. Bringing the In response, we can point to the differences between the two Prophets to Life missions. Clearly, this was not Weekly insights into the Haftara espionage for any military purpose, by Rabbi Nachman (Neil) Winkler as was the mission sent by Moshe Author of Bringing the Prophets to Life (Gefen Publ.) Rabbeinu. In the haftara, we find no This week's haftara is taken from the doubt in the people's belief in second perek in Sefer Yehoshua Hashem's promises. Yehoshua never which, interestingly, relates events asked his spies to report upon the that took place before those found in size of the armies or their relative the first chapter. The first chapter strength nor did he tell them to bring includes the commands that proof of the land's fertility or the Yehoshua gave to B'nei Yisra'el to cities' fortifications. Similarly, these prepare for entering Eretz Cana'an spies were sent CHERESH, within three days. The story of the clandestinely; it was a secret mission spies related in the second perek, sent by Yehoshua, and therefore the however, reports that the spies spies reported to Yehoshua alone. stayed in the house of Rachav and, Moshe, however, felt constrained to subsequently, were forced to hide for send his spies as a result of the three days in the mountains. Only people's doubt in Hashem's promise then did they cross back over the of victory. They were sent with the Yarden to rejoin their people who had knowledge of the entire nation and not yet crossed the river, clearly delivered their report publicly, in indicating that the spies were sent front of the entire people. even before Yehoshua's pronounce- Our meforshim point to other ments in the first perek. differences as well, differences which But far more essential to understand- would avoid the pitfalls and mistakes ing the haftara is answering the made by the first set of spies. But all question as to why Yehoshua sent of these approached do not answer them at all. Yehoshua himself was the basic question: Why did one of the spies sent by Moshe and Yehoshua send the spies at all? What knew quite well the terrible sin that was his reason? And what was their led to the 38 year delay in entering purpose? the land. Why would he, of all people, The Ralbag takes an interesting repeat the same mistake? Why would position on this matter and proposes he decide to send spies? that Yehoshua's purpose in sending the spies was not a military one but a psychological one. Pointing to the story found in Sefer Shoftim (ch 7) when Hashem built up Gid'on's confidence by sending him to the Midianite camp to listen to their growing fear of Israel's army, so too, the Ralbag argues, Yehoshua wanted to build up the confidence of his people by sending these meraglim to witness the growing panic amongst the local population. How important it is for a nation facing war to be united in their confidence in victory! We must realize that when there is division among the people - even the greatest leader will not succeed; when there is harmony and accord even a new leader will succeed. Solutions of last week's Unexplaineds We, perhaps more than other genera- tions, must learn this important B'HA-ALO-T'CHA lesson. o  and three (I think) Unexplaineds  Miriam watching over baby Moshe was rewarded by the entire encamp- ment waiting for her to finish her 7-day isolation. Mida K'neged Mida, in a good way.  U.S. Dept. of Defense is known as the DOD. To and from give us ELDAD and MEIDAD.  tiny word Pesach for Pesach Katan, the Mishna's name for Pesach Sheini. SH'LACH A classic and very busy ParshaPix  Mad Magazine's Spy vs. Spy, which we York Giants football team  The large can apply to the 10 black Meraglim vs. YUD is from the word YIGDAL in the 2 white ones.  The author of Spy Bamidbar 14:17  Laurel and Hardy, vs. Spy signed his name in Morse code. known in Hebrew as HaShamein Here we have Kalev's call in Morse - ALO V'haRazeh, the fat and the thin - part of NA'ALEH and the 10 meraglim saying: Moshe's instructions to the Meraglim NO WAY  6 and the i need to be read in was to check out the land...  Levi Hebrew and English respectively - Eshkol - Eshkol in the sedra refers to the SHEISH-AI, one of the Y'LIDEI ANAK cluster of grapes the Meraglim brought who lived in Hevron  The grapes refer back with them and to the name of place to the timing: "...And the days were the they got it from  Rubeus Hagrid (from days of the ripening of the grapes."  Harry Potter) is the son of a giant (from Next to the grapes is the logo of the his mother's side) - he is one of the IDF's NACHAL unit - with the grapes it Y'LIDEI HAANAK  Heart with the gives NACHAL ESHKOL  See if the letters Ca on it. Ca is neither Calcium Land has trees, IM AYIN, or not. Switch nor California - rather, it is a syllable to the initial ALEFs of IM AYIN to AYINs be followed by the Hebrew for heart, and the question becomes: Is there a making CaLev  municipal seal of the tree with an eye?  Emblems of the city of Yericho (haftara)  Rimonim, as Ministry of Tourism  the logo of they took from the rimonim...  And two Carmel-Mizrachi Wines  Flour (flower), Unexplaineds Olive Oyl, and wine (R' Wein) are for the MENACHOT and N'SACHIM presented in p"rl the sedra  Challah stands for the mitzva of CHALLAH  Tzitzit with dix` cec x"a iav awri axd T'cheilet  Murex Trunculus, most likely l"f the source of T'cheilet...  Right above MT is Perry White, editor of the Daily Rabbi Jonathan Sacks l"f Planet. Here he represents the white strings of Tzitzit  window with red ribbon hanging from it is the sign for Confidence Yehoshua's army to spare the lives of It was perhaps the single greatest Rachav and her family (from the haftara)  Emblem of Hebrew Scouts (Be collective failure of leadership in the Prepared), sort of a description of the Torah. Ten of the spies whom Moshe Meraglim...  The letter i inside another i had sent to spy out the land came back stands for AYIN B'AYIN  Steam shovel with a report calculated to demoralise is a play on LACHPOR HAARETZ, to the nation. "dig" the land, also to scout it out (as in the haftara)  SF, the logo of the San "We came to the land to which you sent Francisco Giants. The meraglim us. It flows with milk and honey, and this reported that they had seen giants in is its fruit. However, the people who the Land  So too the logo of the New dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large… We have heard how the Lord dried up the are not able to go up against the people, water of the Red Sea before you when for they are stronger than we are… The you came out of Egypt, and what you did land, through which we have gone to spy to the two Kings of the Amorites who it out, is a land that devours its were beyond the Jordan, to Sichon and inhabitants, and all the people that we Og, whom you devoted to destruction. saw in it are of great height… We seemed And as soon as we heard it, our hearts to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so melted, and there was no spirit left in any we seemed to them" (Bamidbar 13:27-33). man because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and This was nonsense, and they should on the earth beneath. (Yehoshua 2:9-11) have known it. They had left Egypt, the greatest empire of the ancient world, Only Yehoshua and Kalev among the after a series of plagues that brought twelve showed leadership. They told the that great country to its knees. They people that the conquest of the land had crossed the seemingly impenetrable was eminently achievable because God barrier of the Red Sea. They had fought was with them. The people did not and defeated the Amalekites, a listen. But the two leaders received ferocious warrior nation. They had even their reward. They alone of their sung, along with their fellow Israelites, a generation lived to enter the land. More song at the sea that contained the than that: their defiant statement of words: faith and their refusal to be afraid shine The peoples have heard; they tremble; as brightly now as it did thirty-three centuries ago. They are eternal heroes Pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia. of faith. Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed; One of the fundamental tasks of any Trembling seizes the leaders of Moab; leader, from president to parent, is to All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away. give people a sense of confidence: in (Sh'mot 15:14-15) themselves, in the group of which they They should have known that the people are a part, and in the mission itself. A of the Land were afraid of them, not the leader must have faith in the people other way round. And so it was, as they lead, and inspire that faith in them. Rachav told the spies sent by Yehoshua As Rosabeth Moss Kanter of the forty years later: Harvard Business School writes in her book Confidence, "Leadership is not I know that the Lord has given you the about the leader, it is about how he or land, and that the fear of you has fallen she builds the confidence of everyone upon us, and that all the inhabitants of else." Confidence, by the way, is Latin the land melt away before you. For we for "having faith together." The truth is that in no small measure a way of achievement, correction, law of self-fulfilling prophecy applies in improvement, and success. Educated, the human arena. Those who say, "We eyes-open optimism pays; pessimism cannot do it" are probably right, as are can only offer the empty consolation of those who say, "We can." If you lack being right. confidence you will lose. If you have it - I prefer the word "hope" to "optimism". solid, justified confidence based on Optimism is the belief that things will preparation and past performance - you get better; hope is the belief that will win. Not always, but often enough together we can make things better. No to triumph over setbacks and failures. Jew, knowing Jewish history, can be an That, as mentioned in our study of optimist, but no Jew worthy of the parshat B'shalach, is what the story of name abandons hope. The most Moshe's hands is about, during the pessimistic of the Prophets, from Amos battle against the Amalekites. When the to Yirmiyahu, were still voices of hope. Israelites look up, they win. When they By their defeatism, the spies failed as look down they start to lose. leaders and as Jews. To be a Jew is to That is why the negative definition of be an agent of hope. Jewish identity that has so often The most remarkable by far of all the prevailed in modern times (Jews are the commentators on the episode of the people who are hated, Israel is the spies was the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi nation that is isolated, to be Jewish is to Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He refuse to grant Hitler a posthumous raised the obvious question. The Torah victory) is so misconceived, and why emphasises that the spies were all one in two Jews who have been brought leaders, princes, heads of tribes. They up on this doctrine choose to marry out knew that God was with them, and that and discontinue the Jewish journey. with His help there was nothing they Harvard economic historian David could not do. They knew that God would Landes, in his The Wealth and Poverty not have promised them a land they of Nations, explores the question of why could not conquer. Why then did they some countries fail to grow economic- come back with a negative report? ally while others succeed spectacularly. His answer turns the conventional After more than 500 pages of close understanding of the spies upside down. analysis, he reaches this conclusion: They were, he said, not afraid of defeat. In this world, the optimists have it, not They were afraid of victory. What they because they are always right, but said to the people was one thing, but because they are positive. Even when what led them to say it was another wrong, they are positive, and that is the entirely. What was their situation now, in the space for God in the midst of this wilderness? They lived in close and physical world that He created and continuous proximity to God. They seven times pronounced good. That is drank water from a rock. They ate what ten of the spies failed to manna from heaven. They were understand, and it was a spiritual failure surrounded by the Clouds of Glory. that condemned an entire generation to Miracles accompanied them along the forty years of futile wandering. way. The Rebbe's words ring true today even What would be their situation in the more loudly than they did when he first land? They would have to fight wars, spoke them. They are a profound plough the land, plant seed, gather statement of the Jewish task. They are harvests, create and sustain an army, an also a fine exposition of a concept that economy and a welfare system. They entered psychology only relatively would have to do what every other recently - fear of success. We are all nation does: live in the real world of familiar with the idea of fear of failure. It empirical space. What would become of is what keeps many of us from taking their relationship with God? Yes, He risks, preferring instead to stay within would still be present in the rain that our comfort zone. made crops grow, in the blessings of No less real, though, is fear of success. field and town, and in the Temple in We want to succeed: so we tell Jerusalem that they would visit three ourselves and others. But often times a year, but not visibly, intimately, unconsciously we fear what success miraculously, as He was in the desert. may bring: new responsibilities, This is what the spies feared: not failure expectations on the part of others that but success. we may find hard to fulfil, and so on. So This, said the Rebbe, was a noble sin but we fail to become what we might have still a sin. God wants us to live in the real become had someone given us faith in world of nations, economies and armies. ourselves. God wants us, as He put it, to create "a The antidote to fear, both of failure and dwelling place in the lower world". He success, lies in the passage with which wants us to bring the Sh'china, the the parsha ends: the command of tzitzit Divine Presence, into everyday life. It is (15:38-41). We are commanded to place easy to find God in total seclusion and fringes on our garments, among them a escape from responsibility. It is hard to thread of blue. Blue is the colour of the find God in the office, in business, in sky and of heaven. Blue is the colour we farms and fields and factories and see when we look up (at least in Israel; in finance. But it is that hard challenge to Britain, more often than not we see which we are summoned: to create a clouds). When we learn to look up, we overcome our fears. Leaders give people the Sea. Total belief in G-d and in Moshe confidence by teaching them to look up. His servant. We are not grasshoppers unless we Three days later - complaining about a think we are. lack of water to drink. Understandable, but where is the VAYAAMINU? QUESTIONS (around the Shabbat table) Doing a thorough survey of the negative (1) How are tzitzit the antidote to the episodes is too exhausting and depres- fears discussed in this study? sing. Let's keep it short.

(2) Can you see the appeal of the The golden calf fiasco, only 40 days lifestyle that the ten spies feared after Revelation at Sinai. leaving behind? Fast forward to the end section of B'ha- (3) How can we bring the Sh'china into alo-t'cha. Complaining. Complaining our everyday, practical lifestyle? against the manna. Demanding meat. Remembering the good old days in jexa exkf idi Egypt? You gotta be kidding. But they weren't. They were serious.

Let's get down to the business of Parshat Sh'lach. In just about every PT-DT other situation listed above or not, we Philo-Torah D'var Torah can see the different events as things that occurred over 3000 years ago. To Tragically, Timeless be sure, there are lessons and messages for all of the situations described - Bnei Yisrael started complaining way otherwise they wouldn't be included in back when they first left Egypt. Par'o the Torah. changed his mind and pursued the But CHEIT HAMERAGLIM - the sin of the People with an elite military force. The spies (or scouts, if you prefer) - is people saw them coming, panicked, different. Maybe from all the rest. cried out to G-d. So far, understandable and not terrible, yet. Then we read what Because we cannot say - dare not say - they said to G-d. Not enough graves in that this happened a long time ago. Egypt that You took us into the Midbar Cheit HaMeraglim is sadly 'alive and to kill us... Terrible. And this was only a well' today. We haven't learned the few days after witnessing all the lessons we must learn from the Torah. wonders and miracles in Mitzrayim. "It is easier to raise a son to be a Then the WOW events of the splitting of religious Jew in New York than in Israel." I heard that with my own ears. the old country. Do you bring up the Exactly what the 10 meraglim said all topic of Aliya or is it too sensitive and those years ago. Their New York was the politically incorrect? Midbar. Such a wonderful Torah The bottom line is that we all need to be environment and all the comforts - food encouraged and strengthened in our from the Heavens, miraculous water to belief that there is a great mitzva to live drink, heavenly clouds protecting and in Eretz Yisrael. That it doesn’t matter providing climate control. Clothes that whether the mitzva is chiyuvit or grew with you. Shoes that never wore kiyumit or any other those lame out. The 10 meraglim discouraged (to arguments you hear from visitors who say the least) the people from wanting try to justify their being just visitors. to go to the Land of Israel. Some say The real bottom line is that G-d's their motives were for the people's best original plan - which He has never interests. Some attribute darker abandoned, is to take us out of Egypt motives. Either way - THEY WERE and bring us to the Land flowing with WRONG! Terribly wrong. And many, milk and honey... It is R'TZON HASHEM, many, otherwise fine Torah observant G-d's Will, that His people live in His Jews, haven't learned the lessons of the Land by His Torah way of Life. meraglim episode. Fellow Jews who honestly lament that "We have everything we need to live a they are not living in Israel - due to complete Torah life here in Monsey." parnasa issues, family issues, or other Heard that with my own ears, too. You 'good' reasons - are one type of Jew. At can substitute many other places for least they can feel sad that they haven't Monsey, because the same or similar been able to make the move. statement is made about Boro Park, Teaneck, Crown Heights, Flatbush, the Other Jews who consider Aliya to be a Five Towns... and many other Midbar crazy idea and who are content (that's locations. mild) or complacent and smug about their continued existence in galut... they But wait. Am I speaking only to my are another story. fellow Jews who have not yet made the commitment to living in Israel? No. There is a minhag to not call a lame person to the Torah for a portion that There are plenty of us who have come speaks of a lame kohen being invalid for on Aliya - many for the right reasons - most Avoda in the Mikdash. And similar and yet, what are we doing to stand at situations where the portion read would the side of Kalev ben Yefuneh who tried be particularly embarrassing or uncom- to repudiate the words of the meraglim? fortable for a specific individual to be Many of us have relatives and friends in called to the Torah for that specific aliya. This is one of the reasons given for (Bamidbar 12:13). In Hebrew that's the lopsided aliya lengths in Parshat Ki also five words, a total of six Tisa. It is specifically a Levi that gets the syllables. Wow, that's succinct. So, aliya of Cheit HaEigel, since his tribe is one might conclude that prayers the only one that can hold its head high must be very short. However, that when the golden calf story is read. person obviously never opened a So who is called to the Torah in Chutz SIDDUR. Why are our prayers so LaAretz for the first few aliyot of long? Simply because we spend most Parshat Sh'lach? of our time getting us in the proper state of mind to address God. Moshe was already there. Walk through the Parsha In this week's parsha, Moshe again with Rabbi David Walk gets right to the point: And now, please, magnify the power of God HOW DO YOU TALK TO GOD? (14:17). This is the core statement in a No one in history had a more intimate longer request for God to forgive the relationship with God than Moshe sin of the scouts and the reaction of Rabbeinu. He spoke to our Creator the nation to their report. This pithy face to face, a unique connection. statement shares one element with Usually, prophets get murky last week's prayer for Miriam, and messages in the middle of the night that is the word NA or please. or in some sort of trance. Not Moshe What is so important about the word Rabbeinu! He was in close contact NA? Saying 'please' is an act of with God for 40 years, a remarkable, humility. Unlike when my children unique feat. So, I believe strongly were young and they used the word that if we want to figure out how to 'please' like a bludgeon to beat me address our Maker, we must follow into submission. The word NA and its the example left to us by our teacher more poetic ANA mean 'I'm begging and guide, Moshe Rabbeinu. for something which you have the Moshe addressed God both in last power to grant, but I have no right or week's Torah reading and again in power to demand it.' Remember, as this week's, and these two Joyce Carol Oates said, 'When you statements are very revealing. First said 'please' to those who had no of all, they are very short. Last week option but to obey, what were you we read, 'God, please, heal her, now' really saying?' But what else is going on in this heaven to receive the Torah while the curious request of God? How can God Jews are below surrounding Har 'magnify' that which is infinite? The Sinai. God is attaching the crowns Ohr HaChayim suggests that the onto the letters in the Sefer Torah. increasing of God's power means in After a short exchange, God says to the minds of the observers. Moshe Moshe, 'You should assist Me!' Then, has just pleaded with God not to completely out of context in this destroy the Jews, because the world story from the time at Har Sinai back might perceive God's 'inability' to in Sh'mot, Moshe says his line from bring the Jews into Eretz Yisrael as a here in Bamidbar, 'And now, please, lack of Divine power. But bringing the increase the power of God.' What's Jews successfully into Israel now going on? that the Canaanites are considered According to this story, presented by very powerful would greatly enhance Reb Yehoshua ben Levi, the power of the perception of God's power. God is increased in this realm when There is another approach, also in the the Jews participate in the promulga- Ohr HaChayim. The true power of tion of Torah in our world. The infinite God is seen in the realm of T'SHUVA. doesn't increase, but more of this Since even a perfect TZADIK can't unlimited power can be perceived in stand where a BA'AL T'SHUVA this realm if the Jews do their part stands, then by God granting making the Torah manifest in the forgiveness to the generation of the world. We're not quite God's junior desert, BA'ALEI TESHUVA have been partners, but we can do our bit to produced and much greater spiritual make Torah more visible in this realm. power has been spread throughout I love that last approach because now the world. Many of us have experienced how difficult it can be to in Moshe's plea to God we have a beautiful paradox. Moshe says forgive. So, we see a concrete 'please!' to God, because we are example of God's great power nothing compared to the infinite manifest in our world. power of God. We can only beg for There's one more way of looking at God's gracious assistance in our the problem which I want to discuss. problems. On the other hand, we can This verse appears in a fascinating bring Godliness into this realm, and, AGGADATA, Talmudic story, Tractate in some feeble way, grow God's Shabbat 89a. Moshe ascends to Presence and power in this world. Amazing! Moshe was able to do was delay the punishment for forty years. So, how do we talk to God? 1. politely with 'please' and 'thank you', 2. Rav Kook wrote that even today we clearly with a succinct statement of still suffer the consequences of this our need, and 3. with humble catastrophic error. The root cause for recognition of our role to play in the exiles and humiliations of the God's plan for this world. Moshe Jewish people, throughout the taught us that God listens to us and generations, is due to our failure to sees us as Divine representatives. It correct the sin of the spies. is simultaneously daunting and exhilarating, and just a little cool. p How can we rectify the sin of the spies? Rav Kook To repair this national failure, a Torah T'SHUVAT HAMISHKAL is needed, a by Rabbi penance commensurate with the sin Chanan Morrison • www.ravkooktorah.com which will “balance the scales”. The spies defamed the Land of Israel, as it Repairing the says, “They despised the desirable Sin of the Spies land” (T'hilim 106:24). We must do the opposite and show our unwavering One of the greatest tragedies in the love for the Land. long history of the Jewish people occurred when the spies sent by “[We must] declare to the entire Moshe returned with a frightening world [the Land’s] magnificence and report about the Land of Israel. Their beauty, its holiness and grandeur. If dire warnings of fierce giants and a only we could express (with what may “land that consumes its inhabitants” appear to us to be greatly convinced the people that they would exaggerated) even a ten-thousandth be better off returning to Egypt. of the desirability of the beloved Land, the splendorous light of its Unlike other incidents in which the Torah, and the superior light of its Israelites rebelled against God, on wisdom and prophecy! this occasion, Moshe was unable to annul God’s decree. The entire The quality of wonderful holiness generation died in the desert, never that Torah scholars seeking holiness reaching the Promised Land. The best may find in the Land of Israel does not exist at all outside the Land. I Rabbi Abba cherished the intrinsic myself can attest to this unique holiness of Eretz Yisrael. He quality, to a degree commensurate recognized that the special qualities with my meager worth.” (Igrot of the Land of Israel, such as its HaRe’iyah, vol. I, pp. 112-113) receptivity to prophecy and enlightenment, go far beyond those For Rav Kook, this recommendation mitzvot connected to agriculture. on how to address the sin of the spies Therefore, he made a point of kissing was not just a nice homily. Stories its barren rocks and stones. abound of his burning love for the Land of Israel and his indefatigable 'God Willing' attempts to encourage fellow Jews to move to Eretz Yisrael. During a 1924 fundraising mission in America, Rav Kook tried to convince Kissing the Rocks of Acre a wealthy Jew to immigrate to Eretz Yisrael. The man gave various The Talmud in Ketuvot 112a records reasons why he could not yet leave that Rabbi Abba would demonstrate America, but concluded, “God willing, his great love for the Land of Israel by I too will soon make Aliyah to Israel.” kissing the rocks of Acre as he returned to Israel. What was so Rav Kook responded: “God is special about these rocks? certainly willing. After all, settling Eretz Yisrael is one of His Rav Kook explained that if Rabbi commandments. But you must also Abba had bent down and kissed the be willing...” soil of Eretz Yisrael, we would understand that his love for the Land Without Calculations was based on the special mitzvot that are fulfilled with its fruit — tithes, Once, a Jewish tourist visited Rav first fruits, the Sabbatical year, and Kook in Jerusalem, seeking advice as so on. The soil, which produces fruit, to the possibility of living in Eretz signifies the importance and holiness Yisrael. During the discussion, the of the Land through the MITZVOT visitor calculated the pros and cons HAT'LUYOT BA'ARETZ. of moving to Israel; and in the end, he decided that it was not worthwhile. But Rabbi Abba’s love for the Land was not dependent on any external Rav Kook told the man: factors — not even the Land’s special “Before the Israelites entered the mitzvot (see Avot 5:16; Orot, p. 9). Land in the time of Moshe, they first and hold the Holy Land - but Greatness. needed to kill Sichon, the king of The Spies used the wrong measuring Cheshbon. This teaches us that one rod of Bigness, and that was their tragic should come to the Land of Israel B'LI and fatal error. However, G-d desires CHESHBON - without making calcu- Greatness NOT Bigness. lations.” This view of Bigness vs. Greatness is expressed in many places in Tanach. Sapphire from the Land of Israel. Adapted from Yitzchak referred to Eisav as B'NO Malachim Kivnei Adam, pp. 221, 222, 237 HAGADOL (his big son) (B'reishit 27:2). And the Talmud comment, G d said to Yitzchak, "By your standards Eisav may be Big; but by My standards Eisav is a dwarf among dwarfs" (B'reishit Rabba 65:11).

In the 16th chapter of Shmuel Alef we are given a beautiful description of the Were the Spies Justified Biblical concept of Greatness, as in Fearing the Giants? opposed to the popular concept of Bigness. The prophet Shmuel is sent to Guest article by Beit Lechem to select a successor to Rabbi Ephraim Sprecher Shaul HaMelech in the kingship. One by Are we able to defeat the Giants? The one, Shmuel looks upon the sons of Torah tells us that the inhabitants of Yishai and thinks that this one or that Eretz Yisrael were Y'LIDEI HA'ANAK, one is the anointed of G d, but G d says remnants of a race of Giants. When the to him: "Look not on his countenance, or Meraglim returned with their report, on the height of his stature… for it is not they announced: "The people that dwell as a person sees; for a person looks on in the land are fierce, and the cities are the outward superficial appearance, but fortified and very great, moreover, we G-d looks into the heart of a human saw the children of Giants there" being" (16:7). (Bamidbar 13:28). And so it is Little David, though short in And again (13:32,33), reference is made stature, who is selected, not by the to the ANSHE MIDOT, the men of great standard of Bigness, but by the stature, and the N'FILIM, the primeval measuring rod of Greatness. Giants. Bigness is measured from the chin The Torah wants to impress upon us the down, but Greatness is measured from fact that not Bigness was to conquer the chin up. A person may be the biggest and tallest player in the NBA that the blue Techelet of Tzitzit is a and still be a mental midget. symbol that all events in life are as profound and mysterious as the deep The Greatness of a People is no more blue sky. The Talmud in Menachot determined by their number than the states that the blue Techelet of Tzitzit Greatness of a person is determined by reminds us to look up at the blue his height. This is certainly true in the heavens and admire the incredible, vast case of Israel. As the Torah says: "For expanse of endless space, leading to its you are a Holy People to your G-d… G-d Source, the EIN SOF - G-d. did not choose and desire you because you were more in number than any As T'hilim 19:2 states, "The Heavens tell people, for you are the fewest of all the glory of G-d's Greatness." By nations…" (D'varim 7:6,7). admiring and appreciating G-d's Greatness and Goodness, we can We were selected because of achieve and attain our own greatness Greatness, because of being an AM and goodness as well. KADOSH (a Holy People) and not for our size and numbers. When we are counted it is from the chin up that we are CHIZUK ! IDUD counted - KI TISA ET ROSH - "when you Divrei Torah from the weekly sedra raise up the head…" (Sh'mot 30:11). The with a focus on living in Eretz Yisrael Torah also says NASO ET ROSH, "When Chizuk for Olim & Idud for not-yet-Olim you lift up the head…" (Bamidbar 4:22). Sh'lach 2016 Judaism is a religion which does not stress Bigness. For Bigness, a key word I recently visited the new exhibition in our society today, is very often at Beit Hatfutsot in Tel Aviv which is bought at the expense and pain of dedicated to the story of the others. However, true Greatness is absorption of Ethiopian Aliyah in attained by developing the best talents Israel, from Operation Moses in 1984 within ourselves. up until the present. This exhibition was of particular interest to me as it That is why the AM KADOSH (the Holy brought back many fond memories. People) never had to fear the B'NEI When our family made Aliyah 33 ANAK - the Giants. For ultimately our years ago, our first home was at the spiritual Greatness will triumph over the Absorption Center in Mevasseret Giants mere Bigness. Zion right outside of Jerusalem. Not Thus, the end of the Parsha of the Spies long after we arrived, a large group of deals with the Mitzva of Tzitzit. Rav unexpected neighbors moved in as Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt"l explains Operation Moses got underway and the Jews of Ethiopia began arriving in certain Roshei Yeshiva. Their position Israel en masse. was based upon the fear that the new surroundings might lead their Walking through the exhibition one students to abandon the Yeshiva small vignette that caught my eye lifestyle. "I strove to rescue the lives retold the story of a certain Ethiopian of these yeshiva students", Kess (religious leader) who, when Warhaftig writes, "While the Roshei offered the opportunity to escape Yeshiva were concerned with Ethiopia and come to Israel turned rescuing the Yeshivot." One of the down the offer. "How can I choose to few exceptions was Rav Eliezer Finkel leave when members of my commun- of the Mirrer Yeshiva who agreed to ity will be left behind?", he explained. relocate to Israel and both his "A shepherd must first make sure yeshiva and his students ultimately that his entire flock is safe." survived the war.] This was reminiscent of the stories Returning to the storyline of this told of many Roshei Yeshiva and Ethiopian Kess, the ending was Rabbis in Europe who followed this surprisingly a rather bittersweet one. very same sentiment in deciding to One the one hand, a number of years stay behind with their students and after the rest of his family made congregants. Rav Meir Simcha of Aliyah, after having been detained by Dvinsk was quoted as having the Ethiopian secret police, he was exclaimed: "As long as nine Jews will allowed out and rejoined his family in be left, I will remain here to make a Israel. However, when questioned in Minyan." regard to the familial situation some Rav ElchananWasserman was visiting years down the road, the wife America in 1939 and returned to described her husband's deep sense Europe just as WWII was breaking of disillusionment seeing as he was out. When asked how he could return unable to retrieve the prestige and to face such great danger, he status that he had held back in provided a simple reply: "How can I Ethiopia. leave my students?" This possible unwelcome outcome of [As a historic aside, Rabbi Zerach making Aliyah can easily be imagined Wahrhaftig writes in his memoirs by many Western spiritual leaders (p.138) that as he strove to obtain contemplating Aliyah: After having visas for Yeshiva students in order to invested so much of their energy in allow them to flee to Eretz Yisrael, he order to nurture communities and met up with the strong resistance of religious institutions in the Diaspora; after having reached a high level of made easy due to the direct Divine personal accomplishment in their guidance and sustenance from the respectable positions, would Aliyah Manna, while life in Israel would be not jeopardize the spiritual career exceedingly challenging. One could they have built for themselves? Could seemingly legitimately conclude that they continue to hold a similar job in the desert existence was akin to a Israel or would it be like "bringing spiritual olam haba, whereas life in coals to Newcastle"? the Land of Israel which would subject the people to the harsh While it may be wrong for us to realities of olam hazeh would project such selfish motivations on necessitate lifestyle changes which current leaders, the Zohar has no would negatively impact upon the qualms about doing this vis-à-vis the people's spiritual level. ten Meraglim who returned to spread the evil report about Eretz Yisrael. What can one say - it seems that the more things change, the more they The Torah tells us that they were all stay the same... distinguished heads of tribes, and yet according to the Zohar (Sh'lach p. Rabbi Yerachmiel Roness 158b) these leaders were deeply Ramat Shiloh Beit Shemesh troubled by the prospect that once the people would enter Eretz Yisrael, they - the leaders - would lose their positions. They might be highly capable guides while in the desert but, no doubt, life in Israel would require leaders possessing a Excerpted from Living the Halachic Process different skill set. Thus, self-interest by Rabbi Daniel Mann - Eretz Hemdah, with would seem to dictate that they do all their permission [www.eretzhemdah.org] in their power to dissuade the Jewish People from entering the Land. Changing Family Traditions 1 Another perspective suggested by of Pronunciation the commentators as to why these leaders weren't about to encourage Question: I have moved to a the People to enter the Land was that community where people pronounce they may have honestly felt that from Hebrew differently from the minhag on a religious perspective it was best to which I was brought up. How should I remain put. Life in the desert was act privately and publicly?

1. Based on BeMareh HaBazak III:1 Answer: The great majority of It is widely cited in the name of the poskim agree that it is preferable to Chazon Ish that an Ashkenazi who maintain the style of pronunciation that pronounces Hebrew like a Sefardi 2 one ‘inherited’ from his father. This is should pronounce HaShem’s name, at based on the concept “do not forsake least, like an Ashkenazi. However, it 3 the Torah of your mother.” One should appears preferable to recite the entire maintain his family minhag even if he tefilla in a uniform manner, and, regularly prays in a shul where people furthermore, there is no unanimity on use a pronunciation different from his; what exactly the Chazon Ish’s opinion even if one already switched, it is best was. to switch back. The above applies to a person’s private Exceptions to the rule pertain to some reading, including his quiet davening in specific pronunciations about which all a group setting. However, if he is experts agree; in those cases, it is serving as a chazan or ba’al korei, it is proper to use the accurate proper, if he can, to read according to pronunciation. This applies, at least, to the local minhag.4 This ruling takes on the letters AYIN and CHET and the even greater weight if one’s failure to vowel CHOLAM, which are all conform to the local minhag is apt to pronounced correctly by the Sefardic confuse the tzibbur or, Heaven forbid, community. One should exercise cause machloket. The need to preserve caution before making such changes, communal peace overrides the however, as it is better to use his aforementioned concept of “the Torah previous pronunciation than to be of your mother.”5 inconsistent and inaccurate in the new, improved one. Regarding other changes, This response is for one’s personal the purported experts do not always knowledge. In regard to displeasure with agree unanimously. When reciting Kri’at someone else’s lack of compliance with Sh'ma, one should take care to stress this or other related rulings, one should the appropriate syllables, in accordance realize that, b’di’eved, one fulfills the with the rules of Hebrew grammar, and mitzvot with any discernable 6 as found in precise siddurim and sifrei pronunciation, as the gemara says, Tanach. “one who reads and is not exact in his pronunciation fulfills the mitzva.”7 Certainly, one should not actively

2. See Rav Kook’s Orach Mishpat 16-18; Igrot Moshe, Orach Chayim III:5. 3. Mishlei 1:8; see Chulin 93b. 4. Igrot Moshe, Orach Chayim IV:23. 5. Orach Mishpat 18. 6. Ibid. 7. Berachot 15b. promote machloket in the name of The story could have ended here on a preventing possible machloket, unless tragic note except for the fact that his position (rabbi, or possibly, gabbai) there is a little known continuation not justifies his sensitive intervention. recorded in the Chumash which permits us to close this episode with the words "and they lived happily ever after".

The gemara in Pesachim tells us of the great Tana, Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira, who lived in the city of Netzivim near the Euphrates River. A gentile once informed him that on Pesach he had gone up to Yerushalayim dressed as a Jew and brought the korban Pesach, which the kohanim had unwittingly offered up; and the gentile added that it Rabbi Nachman Kahana was his intention to do so every year. Yehuda ben Beteira, who did not Living The Miracle partake in the mitzva of korban Pesach, laid a trap for the perpetrator. Before In the wake of the tragic episode of the the next Pesach the rabbi asked the meraglim (spies), who roused the nation gentile if he had received a piece of the to mutiny against Eretz Yisrael and the ALYA from his korban (the fatty tail of leadership of Moshe and Aharon, there the sheep), to which the gentile replied arose a group of people who declared in the negative. R. Yehuda then said, "If their readiness to go up to the land and you didn't get the ALYA you missed the liberate it for the Jewish Nation. tastiest part of the Pascal lamb."

Moshe attempted to dissuade them The gentile went up to Yerushalayim from this futile act since all matters with his lamb and requested the dealing with Eretz Yisrael are mirac- officiating kohen to give him a piece of ulous in their nature, and what they the ALYA. The kohen looked incredu- wanted could not succeed because lously at him because every school child HaShem will not be aiding them. The knew that the ALYA was burned on the group known as the MAPILIM (those MIZBEI'ACH. The man was taken into who rise up in strength) were steadfast custody and his true identity became in their intention to come up to the land, known. The man had perpetrated a and tragically they were all killed by the grave sin by posing as a Jew and Canaanites and Amalekites. causing a defiled animal to be burned on shall again live. The problem posed in the altar. He was summarily killed. the yeshiva was, did these bones which came alive as people return to their The rabbis of the Sanhedrin then wrote graves after the prophecy or did they to R. Yehuda ben Beteira, "Although continue to live? your place is in Netzivim in Bavel, your net is spread over all of Eretz Yisrael." The gemara relates that our own R' Yehuda ben Beteira stood up and Tosafot asks why did R' Yehuda ben displayed a pair of t'filin saying, "My Beteira not himself go to Yerushalayim grandfather was one of the living of the to keep the mitzva of ALIYA L'REGEL dry bones, and the proof of their contin- and the korban Pesach? To which they uing existence are my grandfather's explain that these mitzvot are meant t'filin which he wore for many years only for people whose ancestors until his death." received a landholding in Eretz Yisrael when arriving here with Yehoshua bin The gemara in Sanhedrin relates that Nun. the "dry bones" were those of the tribe of Efrayim, who were the MAPILIM we This answer of Tosafot is seemingly spoke about previously who were killed inappropriate because every Jew has a while attempting to conquer the land, piece of Eretz Yisrael, which he and since they died before entering the inherited from his ancestors who land with Yehoshua bin Nun they did not entered the land with Yehoshua bin Nun. receive a portion of it. Hence, R' Yehuda And even though he may not know ben Beteira, being a descendant of them where his land is, the fact is that he did not receive a portion of the land and legally owns that land. In that case how was exempt from going up to does Tosafot say that R' Yehuda Ben Yerushalayim for the korban Pesach. beteira did not have land in Eretz Yisrael? And as said above, the story of the MAPILIM has a happy ending for they I suggest: lived again. The gemara in the last chapter of The episode of the dry bones is Sanhedrin records a discussion historically true as brought down in the centering around the great miracle of book of Yechezkel. But that was a long the Dry Bones. The prophet Yechezkel time ago - approximately 2500 years was told by HaShem to go out to a ago; however, we in our generation have certain valley which was filled with also witnessed a miracle of dry bones. countless numbers of dry bones. One who is acquainted with the history Yechezkel did so, and was then told by of our people after the Sho'ah knows HaShem to prophesy that these bones that the Jewish nation could have been identified by the term "dry bones". The together to create here in Eretz Yisrael designation of the nation as God's the greatest Torah "empire" since the Chosen People was put into question by early days of the Tana'im. the mass murder of one third of our In the 73 years of Medinat Yisrael, the people, and the life force of Torah in Torah world grew from a hand-full of Eastern Europe was no longer. In its people to tens of thousands whose sole stead very dead bones spread out over occupation is the study of Torah; with the face of the globe, hundreds of thousands of people - men And then came the prophecy as cited in and women - studying in shiurim in the Yechezkel 37: thousands of batei knesset and batei medrash all over the country. "Thus says the Lord God unto these bones, behold I will cause breath to We here in Eretz Yisrael think that we enter into you and you shall live. And I are witnessing a great miracle, this is shall lay sinews upon you and will put not entirely accurate - we are not flesh upon you and cover you with skin witnessing a miracle - we are the and put breath into you... and behold a miracle. great commotion and the bones came Larger than Life together bone to its bone. Thus says the The epithet "larger than life" is attached Lord God: Come from the four winds to to people whose influence extends breath, and breathe upon these slain farther after their demise than it did in that they may live. Then He said to me their lifetime. "Son of man these bones are the whole house of israel...". In keeping with this, there is a group of In Eretz Yisrael, the dry bones of the illustrious rabbis, far more eminent in Jewish nation came together - bone to Torah scholarship and closeness to the its bone - Jew to Jew - a Jew from Almighty than even the great Rabbi Germany embracing a Jew from Yemen, Akiva and the five Tanaic rabbis to a Jew from Morocco holding the hand of whom he granted s'micha: R' Meir, R' a Jew from Poland. And HaShem caused Yehuda, R' Yosi, R' Shimon and R' Elazar them to live again in Eretz Yisrael where ben Shamoa (Yevamot 62b). we shall live forever as did the bones of The influence of this group grows the vision of Yechezkel. stronger as time passes, so they When Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira stood certainly deserve the appellation "larger up to prove that his ancestors lived, he than life". brought out a pair of t'filin. Today, this But don't try to find their names in the too is the living proof of our being God's various name books that expectant Chosen People. These dry bones came parents search through, because these names are a bit old fashioned: Shamua, The limited liability operation which the Shafat, Yigal, Palti, Di'el, Gadi, Amiel, meraglim established in the far-away S'tur, Nachbi and Ge'u'el. Sound desert has grown to be a multi-national familiar? If not, then listen closely to the conglomerate as befits this globaliza- Torah reading of Sh'lach - they are the tion era. names of the ten meraglim (scouts) sent by Moshe to report on the land. They But we live in an ever-changing, returned with a report which appears as unpredictable world. We have a spin on variations on a theme in contemporary the first mitzva in the Torah: "So a man Torah journals, magazines, speeches, shall leave his father and mother and etc. The message is: Don't go to Eretz cling to his wife to become as one Yisrael. flesh", whereby we leave 'our father' - the Torah, and 'mother' - Eretz Yisrael, These ten rabbis, each one a leader of and cling to our shiksa lands of the galut his tribe, never imagined that their to become one with her. teachings would be alive and well after One of the lands which we love so much 3300 years of Jewish history. is Ukraine, the land which brought us The meraglim loved the desert. The Chmielnicki in the 17th century, Babi Yar vegetation; the ever-shifting sand and John Demjanjuk in the 20th dunes in a variety of colors and century, and in between, countless formations, the free hand-outs of meat ferocious acts of murder and terror and manna, and above all they loved the against our people. status of "tribal head" afforded them by virtue of being a nomadic people. As an example of what I mean by our obsessive love for the galut, take the They taught us to love the galut, and we classy, glossy magazine - impressive took their teachings to heart to the and quite expensive - which found its extent that they became an obsession. way (I don't know how) to my desk. We love the mountain flora and fauna of the Catskills, the mighty George The color pictures just scream out to be Washington and Verrazano Bridges, the framed and hung in the living room near green playing field which fills one's eyes the ornate chandelier and Shabbat when stepping out from the underpass candelabra. on the way to the box seats. On It opens with a scene at an airport Shabbat, the Jews of Paris love to strut crowded with frum Jews of all kinds. down the Champs Elysees as much as There is a picture of happily singing British Jews love to saunter along the people in one of the many planes flying streets of Golders Green; not to the faithful "on the wings of eagles" to mention the Jews of Antwerp, Berlin the "gateway to heaven". The centerfold and Zurich. is an impressive, wide angle-shot of a from many countries travel to Ukraine shul with thousands of Jews deeply rather than to Eretz Yisrael. engrossed in the Rosh HaShana prayers, If I wanted to be brutally frank, I would with a subscript "photographed by a bring up the matter of the many millions gentile". of dollars which change hands and There are kitchen scenes where the eventually find their way into the preparation of the yom tov food for so coffers of the Ukrainian treasury and many hungry mouths is in process, as into some private pockets - but I don't well as an emotional scene of a want to open that eerie door. seemingly never-ending crowd of Now it's meaningless to be critical sinners encircling a huge lake quickly without suggesting corrective alterna- being filled up with their dispatched sins tives. Therefore, I wish to make the in keeping with the custom of tashlich. following promise. According to the It was published by the World Center for magazine, the basis for this (strange) Bratslav and describes the Jewish conduct of many well-meaning people is invasion of the beach heads of Ukraine an unrecorded promise made by Harav on Rosh HaShana. Nachman ben Feiga in the presence of two disciples and transmitted from I have a soft spot in my heart for the person to person "to do an eternal favor Bratslaver, not only because the for anyone visiting the gravesite in Rebbe's name is Nachman ben Feiga and Uman and reciting the ten designated mine is Nachman and my wife is Feiga, Psalms." but because my connection with Rav Nachman of Uman began long before I This Nachman, the husband of Feiga, met my wife. The greatness of the promises that anyone coming to Rebbe comes through in his illustrious Yerushalayim on Rosh HaShana, or any work Lekutei Maharan and as a great day in the year for that matter, will story teller, which are the avenues for receive from me (and my fellow his profound ideas to be understood by Kohanim) a Kohanic blessing which was even the uninitiated, in addition to other promised by HaShem before millions of interesting customs. Jews at Mount Sinai to "do an eternal favor" for all those who receive the I feel profound pity for this great man blessing. when I see what has been done in his name. The Rebbe had a great love for The transfer of many thousands of Jews Eretz Yisrael. He said, "Wherever I go, I from the "happening" in Ukraine to am going to Eretz Yisrael", and in his Yerushalayim would certainly be a move name thousands of well-meaning people towards sanity and an appropriate answer to the call of the meraglim and their contemporary dedicated disciples but rather life in Eretz Yisrael as seen to love and cling to the Galut. through my eyes.

In the name of fairness, the Bratslaver The following is an excerpt which is group does not have a monopoly on compatible with the parsha of the manipulating simple Jewish minds to meraglim. act irrationally. The teachings of the "AND SHE (the wife of lot) LOOKED meraglim have sunk deep into Jewish BACK AND WAS TURNED INTO A consciousness among many other sects PILLAR OF SALT" (B'reshit 19:26) and groups who find comfort in the galut. And it is because of their On the 26th of Sivan, in the year 5722 aloofness and elitism which prevent (the 24th year of my life), my wife and I their accepting responsibility beyond left two thousand years of exile to the four amot of their peers, that we return home to Eretz Yisrael. have today in Eretz Yisrael political Feiga was already in the car, waiting leaders who act like meraglim. with my parents. I am perfectly aware that what I write As I descended the stairs of my parents' cannot counter the irresistible force of apartment in the Flatbush section of the ten meraglim to love the galut. Brooklyn to begin the greatest odyssey However, if my words produce an even of my life, I looked back at what had fleeting uncomfortable feeling, I will been my home for over twenty years. have done much. The home of HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Looking Back and Sara Chana Kahana was not an This coming Sunday, the 26th of Sivan, ordinary one. It was the home of the my wife and I will celebrate 59 years community Rabbi, where matters big since HaShem granted us the privilege and small were dealt with and where I to come up to the land that even Moshe was privileged to see the living Torah Rabbeinu did not merit. applied to communal and personal affairs - marriage, divorce, conversion, After experiencing so much in those financial and social disputes, etc. years , I am in the process of writing an autobiography from the time we "How many challenges will we descended from the "wings of eagles" experience?", I asked myself. "How and kneeled to kiss the holy ground of many dangers and wars will we endure Eretz Yisrael. before I see this special home again?" I turned slowly away to enter the car. The "hero" of the book is not the author, which by definition is an autobiography, I began driving. My jacket! I left it on the porch. Four left turns and in less than two minutes, I was again standing in "We can surely take possession of front of the house. the land!"

As I ran up the stairs, I heard a voice. It But all they had done was to carry out was not from an external source, but instructions. They were told to report from deep within me: "Nachman, if you on the strength of the Canaanite long so much for your galut home, go inhabitants and the nature of the back. Eretz Yisrael will get along fine land, and they did both things. Why without you. A Jew returning to Eretz cut their observations short? Why Yisrael does so with pride and infinite gratitude to HaShem - he does not look stop them speaking? back." The Lubavitcher Rebbe notes that I ran down the stairs without looking they changed the order of the two back. items on which they were meant to report. To this day, we have never looked back." Moshe had told them to assess first Remember the three Bs: the strength of the Canaanites and B careful • B healthy • B here then the quality of the land; the Nachman Kahana purpose of the operation was to work out a strategy for the conquest of the country, because this was the land promised to them by God. The ten spies, however, first reported KALEV'S PROBLEM on the material benefits that the land The story of the twelve spies is a would bring, and then they made tragedy. their negative observations on the conquerability (or otherwise) of the Apart from Yehoshua and Kalev, they country. all came back from the Promised Land with an unpromising report. It Kalev had a truer order of priorities. was a fertile land, they agreed, but The crucial thing to him was not how the Israelites would never be able to rich the land would make its conquer it. inhabitants, but how to implement the Divine imperative to go up and Kalev, however, had a different view. settle the land. No sooner had they given their report than he tried to silence them, saying, The important thing is to decide to do God's will. Whether any material CHEIT HAMERAGLIM, the sin of the benefit results is a side issue. Even spies and the community that without milk and honey it is still followed them. He thus called on G-d God's chosen land. The spiritual who was "slow to anger, showed quality of living there is what more kindness than was due", and matters. would, with due repentance, "forgive sins committed willfully (AVON), and Maybe this explains why people who even out of spite" (PESHA). Chizkuni make Aliyah know they will not be as stresses that he did not ask for well off financially as they were in the EMET, true justice, under which the Diaspora. But spiritually and people would have been entirely culturally they will feel fulfilled. unworthy to continue, possibly because unlike CHEIT HA'EIGEL, CHEIT HAMERAGLIM did not happen CCCCCHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNHIZKUNIIIII out of intellectual error (Sh'mot 32:1, - Jacob Solomon Rashi), but out of a becoming-well- established culture of finding fault, After the near-rebellion following the grumbling, and com plaining. Instead, spies' adverse reports on the Holy Moshe asked for RAV CHESED, Land, Moshe's appeal to G-d not to showing more kind ness than was wipe out the Israelites with plague due, and acting LIFNIM MISHURAT concluded with the words: HADIN, with more generosity than the strict letter of the law required. "Forgive now the iniquity (AVON, sin done on purpose) of this people Yet with the CHEIT HA'EIGEL, Moshe according to the greatness of Your concluded praying to G-d persuading kindness, as you have forgiven this Him not to totally annihilate the people from Egypt until now" (14:19). Israelites in a very different way. There, Moshe implored G-d to Moshe appealed to G-d in the remember His promise to the language that He had taught him forefathers - Avraham, Yitzchak, and after the CHEIT HA'EIGEL, the sin of Yaakov: the golden calf. Yet, as the Chizkuni observes, he did not invoke all the 13 Remember for the sake of Avraham, midot, the 13 attributes of G-d's Yitzchak, and Yisrael (Ya'akov) Your interaction with His people. He used servants… to whom you swore… "this only those that were relevant to entire land I will give to your children and it will be their heritage forever" passing, in order to reinforce His (Sh'mot 32:13). promise that they would eventually get the Land, whatever. With the golden calf, Moshe invoked the merits of the Avot With the spies, G-d's not answering Avraham directly Moshe did not. may be understood as a mild rebuke to Avraham (the Ramban seems to Rabbeinu B'Chayeh explains that imply this point). Moshe only referred to the fore- fathers when their merits were Avraham's faith in G-d over idolatry relevant to the situation. It would not never wavered. Therefore G-d could have fitted into the sin of the spies, invoke the Patriarchs after the sin of as their reports encouraged the the golden half. However, his looking Israelites to reject the very Land, at the gift of the Land with "In what with: "Let us appoint a leader and way will I know that I will inherit it?" return to Egypt" (14:4). instead of instant gratitude (c.f. B'reishit 12:7) meant that there was a In addition, it may be suggested that tiny element, a very tiny element of Moshe did not refer to the Avot ambivalence, which was to find itself because the first of them, Avraham, in hugely magnified form with the sin appeared to have acted with less of the spies. So for that reason, than total enthusiasm when G-d Moshe focused on the present promised him the Land; with the generation and did not invoke the words "In what way shall I know that I merits of the Avot on that occasion.I will inherit it?" (B'reishit 16:8)

Both the Ramban and S'forno An MP is a member of the British Parliment interpret Avraham's question to Our MP is also originally from England - imply "Maybe my descendants will sin and become unworthy of inheriting Menachem Persoff the land?" Or, as the Ramban Watchfulness continues (based on B'rieshit 15:16) "Perhaps the current inhabitants will is the By-word repent and therefore be worthy of Parshat Sh'lach brings us back to the remaining in the Land." Indeed, G-d thorny question of when our actions did not answer Avraham's question can be considered performed directly, but performed the Covenant unwittingly (Bishgaga) and when they of the divided animals and the fire are to be reckoned as purposeful behaviors (B'meizid). On the surface, "went up to the mountain" to fight the distinction appears clear. In the enemy in the aftermath of the practice, however, the difference debacle of the spies. Their intentions between the two approaches is by no were good, but they were at fault means obvious. (14:40-45). The Torah teaches us that if the Freudians will argue that we act nation sins unintentionally because unconsciously; behaviorists will claim the court ruled erroneously, then the that we picked up bad habits. We are court must bring a burnt-offering and subject to peer pressures of which a sin-offering as atonement. we are possibly unaware; we Similarly, an individual who errs rationalize that what we do is within accidentally is to offer up a the purview of Jewish ethics. The sin-offering. Paradoxically, one who Torah, nevertheless, is the guiding light. As the Ramchal writes so sins brazenly, in defiance of Hashem, eloquently, we should excel in the does not fall under the jurisdiction of trait of watchfulness. the court and will be excised divinely from his people (Bamidbar 15:24-31). The Torah narrative begins with unwitting sins and rounds up with the Why would a person who sinned affair of the individual who unwittingly be subject to atonement? audaciously collected wood on the Perhaps, we might better ask, what Shabbat. It appears, then, that we are the circumstances under which bring the sin-offering for our that kind of behavior occurs. Our "accidental" actions because our lack commentators suggested, for of watchfulness ultimately leads to example, that one brought up by wilful and intentional misdeeds. MP non-Jews or believed that the Torah, qua Torah, was no longer relevant, fit into that category (Steinsaltz). The Daily Portion In truth, we are exposed to many - Sivan Rahav Meir distractions and ideologies in today's free society. No wonder we can be Not to Be Wicked fooled into thinking that our actions Translation by Yehoshua Siskin are in order, conforming to current notions of propriety that, in essence, We are living in a reality that tosses contradict Torah values or Halacha. us from side to side. We got over a We rationalize, as did those who pandemic, are in the midst of frustrating political turmoil, have just Our commentators write that this been victimized by self-inflicted lesson can be applied everywhere, all catastrophes, and have withstood a the time. It's simply a matter of furious rocket attack. What is a looking at events not only in order to reasonable person supposed to do in express an opinion, but rather to the face of such events? draw personal and purposeful conclusions. When we get angry at A moment after Miriam the the current behavior of politicians, prophetess speaks lashon hara about we must at the same time check if we her brother Moshe and is afflicted behave in a similar manner in our own with tzara'at (a leprosy-like skin lives, heaven forbid. Instead of just condition), the spies in this week's rejoicing that the coronavirus is over Torah portion speak lashon hara in Israel, we need to check what we about the Land of Israel. Rashi learned from it for the future. explains that the Torah coupled these Everyone is invited to add examples two incidents together on purpose, in of what can be learned from these order for us to notice that the spies and other events in order not to allow saw what happened to Miriam, but reality to pass by us without did not learn a lesson from it. In his changing us. words: "and these wicked people witnessed it, but did not learn their lesson." Dvar torah on Parshat HaShavua by This is a completely new definition of Rabbi Chanoch Yeres the word "wicked". According to this to his community definition, a wicked person is Graciously shared with Philo-Torah someone who witnesses a dramatic What is the goal of a name? We are all event and yet continues as though given a name, we all use one - but is nothing had happened. In this case, there a deeper purpose for having a Miriam spoke lashon hara and the specific name? entire nation waited for her to heal from tzara'at before continuing on "And Moshe called Hoshea the son of their journey. Yet no one contem- Nun; Yehoshua" (Bamidbar 13:16) plated the meaning of what had just We read in our Parsha how the twelve transpired. No one really paid representatives of Israel are going to attention or drew useful personal scout out the land. Specifically at this conclusions from the tragic affair. time, Moshe renames his loyal student from Hoshea to Yehoshua. dialogue between Moshe and Rashi explains the need for adding a Yehoshua, the message is given that letter to his name at this particular a leader may hear the problems we moment since Moshe wanted to save face, the dangers, risks, and the him from evil advice from the other obstacles involved in coming to live in scouts whose intentions were already the Land of Israel and have an in question. adverse effect on him. Hearing all these setbacks and worries can Moshe had given equal instructions cause one to fall into the mistake of to all the Israelite scouts, yet Moshe the spies. was still very concerned with the outcome, so much so that he Moshe is teaching Yehoshua not to changed Hoshes's name. Why? diagnose these symptoms as an untreatable terminal illness. Do not Perhaps one can explain that after all let these obstacles or difficulties the scouts received the same bring upon despair. Rather, Yehoshua instructions to evaluate personally receives an extra letter to his name the Land, the agriculture, the to be different and to seek out in strongholds and the spirit of the these issues and opportunities to people, this may lead to a certain strengthen those around him and not tendency to believe in his own to weaken. capabilities and the power of his evaluations, that one can even This is the important idea that predict the future. Therefore, Moshe Yehoshua receives with his new is telling Yehoshua that the Land of name, as there is in the words of his Israel and the History of the Israelites partner, Kalev quoted in the Parsha are unpredictable. By changing his (13:30) name, Moshe is warning Yehoshua "We will surely go up and take hold of from attaining arrogance that allows this Land, because it is indeed within one to make such predictions. our grasp." Moshe seems only to pick Yehoshua Kalev preaches this idea, that we will to change name because he is definitely fulfill the Divine promise in destined to be the next leader and history in our time. Moshe implies successor to Moshe. The weight of this concept to Yehoshua in an leadership might frighten and scare. important way. This way of thinking The fear can cause one to seek out should become internal to you, counsel even if its evil counsel. In this incorporated in your name. We can lamented. Rav Tzvi Yehuda responded succeed through our own actions and by telling over the following parable, in our own time. Even now, when we one he had heard in the name of Rabbi see the numerous challenges facing Shmuel Mohilever, the rabbi of us as a people, we should still look for Bialystok, and one of the renown the positive and rely on our belief pioneers of Religious Zionism. that we hope all the G-d will continue There was once a wealthy man who to protect us and allow us to succeed sought the hand of a certain young lady. in all our endeavors. She was the most beautiful girl in town and was blessed with many talents and a truly refined character. Her family was The Weekly 'Hi All' by not well-off, so they were eager about a possible match with the prosperous Rabbi Jeff Bienenfeld fellow. The young woman, however, was This week, I share a wonderful essay not interested in the match. Rich or not, about Israel as it relates to the Parsha. the prospective suitor was known to be The piece is adapted from Simcha Raz's coarse and ill-mannered. She refused to Melachim Kivnei Adam, pp. 227-78, 230 meet with him. The father asked her to by Rabbi Chanan Morrison as it at least meet with the young man in appeared in Torah Tidbits. their home, so as not to embarrass him. "After all, one meeting doesn't obligate "And [the spies] began to speak badly you to marry him!" To please her father, about the land that they had explored" the young woman agreed. (Bamidbar 13:32). A dispirited discussion took place at Beit HaRav, Rav Kook's The following Shabbat afternoon, the house in Jerusalem, not long after the fellow arrived at the house as arranged, end of World War II. The Chief Rabbi had and was warmly received by the father. passed away ten years earlier; now it Shortly afterwards, his daughter made was his son, Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, her entrance. But her hair was who sat at the head of the table. One uncombed, and she wore a faded, participant at the Shabbat table had crumpled dress and shabby house brought up a disturbing topic: the slippers. Appalled at her disheveled phenomenon of visitors touring Eretz appearance, it did not take long before Yisrael and then criticizing the country the young man excused himself and after returning to their homes. "These made a hurried exit. "What everyone visitors complain about everything: the says about this girl - it's not true", heat, the poverty, the backwardness, exclaimed the astonished young man to the political situation - and discourage his friends. "She's hideous!" Rav Tzvi other Jews from moving here", he Yehuda stopped briefly, surveying the guests seated around the table. seeing 'the goodness of Jerusalem'. "Superficially, it would appear that the Many people visit Jerusalem. But how brash young fellow had rejected the many of them merit seeing the inner young woman. But in fact, it was she goodness hidden in the holy city?" "And who had rejected him." that", he concluded, "is God's special blessing from Zion." "The same is true regarding the Land of Israel", the rabbi explained. "Eretz My own postscript: Yisrael is a special land, only ready to In Rav Soloveitchik's Kol Dodi Dofek accept those who are receptive to its (pp.43-46), he makes this incredible unique spiritual qualities. The Land does observation. On the verse, "I shall lay not reveal its inner beauty to all who desolate the Land" (Vayikra 26:32), visit. Not everyone is worthy to perceive Rashi, quoting the Midrash, states: "This its special holiness." "It may appear as if is a boon to Israel, that its enemies will the dissatisfied visitors are the ones not find tranquility in its Land when it who reject the Land of Israel", he shall be bereft of its true inhabitants." concluded. "But in fact, it is the Land The Land of Israel cannot - and has not - that rejects them!" A thoughtful silence been built and cultivated by any other pervaded the room. Those present were nation or people. Like a magnet, the stunned by the parable and the rabbi's Land attracted many nations - both impassioned delivery. Then one of the Christians and Muslims, but they did not guests observed, "Reb Tzvi Yehuda, succeed in properly settling the Land. In your words are suitable for a son of your the Rav's own words: "Only the Jewish eminent father, may his memory be a people have it within their power to blessing!" settle the Land and make its desolation Rav Tzvi Yehuda's response was indeed blossom. The Land of Israel did not appropriate for Rav Kook's son. When betray the Jewish People. It was loyal to visitors from outside the country would them, awaiting [its] redemption [by approach the Chief Rabbi for a blessing, them] throughout the years." Rav Kook would quote from the Book of When, in the wake of the sin of the Psalms, "May God bless you from Zion" Spies, the People were denied entry into (128:5). Then he would ask: What exactly the Land, they spent the next 39 years is this "blessing from Zion"? In fact, the internalizing the message that indeed, content of the blessing is described in "[the Land] … is an exceedingly good the continuation of the verse: "May you Land" (14:7). If we are worthy - "If see the goodness of Jerusalem." The HaShem desires us …" - then the Land rabbi would explain: "The verse does not will yield its bounty, both material and say that one should merit seeing spiritual. It happened once; it is, B"H, Jerusalem; but that one should merit happening now; and may we merit in our humans different from animals. But it lifetime the witnessing and experienc- also makes Jews different from other ing of the final fruition of this humans. magnificent and wondrous blessing. Food is a necessity of all living creatures. A physical necessity. How- ever, it is our challenge to inject and Pirkei Avot invest in things as basic as eating, Perek Gimel, Mishna Dalet with a spiritual dimension. lr© Elk§ `¨ W¤ dW¨ŸlW§ :xn¥ F` oFrn§ W¦ iA¦ x© ,dx¨Fz ix¥a§ C¦ eil¨ r¨ Exn§ `¨ `Ÿle§ cg¨ `¤ og¨ l§ Wª Let's take bread as an example. It is iM¦ :xn© `¡P¤W¤ ,miz¦ n¥ ig¥ a§ G¦n¦ Elk§ `¨ EN`¦ M§ the Staff of Life. True. But Man does .mFwn¨ il¦ A§ d`¨Ÿv `iw¦ E`l§ n¨ zFpg¨ l§ Wª lM¨ not live by bread alone... Also true. cg¨ `¤ og¨ l§ Wª lr© Elk§ `¨ W¤ dW¨ŸlW§ la¨ `£ Therefore, Torah and Mitzvot guide Elk§ `¨ EN`¦ M§ ,dx¨Fz ix¥a§ C¦ eil¨ r¨ Exn§ `¨ e§ us in the growing of crops - no xA¥ c©i§e© :xn© `¡P¤W¤ ,mFwn¨ lW¤ Fpg¨ l§ Xª n¦ melacha on Shabbat; no plowing with .'d ip¥t§ l¦ xW¤ `£ og¨ l§ Xª d© df¤ ,il© `¥ an ox and a donkey together; no muzzling an animal when it is working R. Simeon said, If three have eaten at a table and have spoken there no words of with food; the care for the less Torah, it is as if they had eaten of fortunate in our society with several sacrifices to dead idols, of whom it is gifts to the poor from our fields. said, For all their tables are full of vomit T'ruma for the Kohein; Maaser for the and filthiness; the All-present is not (in Levi; Maaser Ani for the poor; Maaser their thoughts). But if three have eaten for us to eat in holiness... We process at a table and have spoken there words our grain into flour, mix it with water of Torah, it is as if they had eaten at the and other ingredients - take challa table of the All-present, to which the from the dough, then bake it. Scripture may be applied. And he said unto me, This is the table that is before Done? Not even close. Wash for the Lord. HaMotzi, b'racha. B'racha on the bread. Benching after a meal. Spiritual is spiritual and physical is physical - right? WRONG. Not in All this is the spirituality we add to Torah Judaism. Physical is also the physical act of eating. spiritual. Or maybe a better way to Not to eat gluttonously. Strict adher- put it is, Physical is physical AND ence to the laws and practices of spiritual. kashrut. Even table manners are part That idea is certainly what makes of halacha. And the Divrei Torah at a meal rounds :g© A«¥ f§O¦ A© li¦­`© e¨ x¬R¨ lr© ²`© e¨ out our challenge to raise the mere "God appeared to Bil'am. 'I have set up act of eating into a way to serve seven altars,' said [Bil'am] to [God], 'and HaShem. ANd enjoy our food, too. I have sacrificed a bull and ram as a burnt offering on each altar.'" SH'LACH Bil'am and Balak did this more than once, with the goal of gaining G-d's okay I have always considered my for them to 'bless' the People of Israel. searches for GMs to be like walking on the beach with a metal detector in hand. What is our greatest protection for It beeps and I eagerly sift through the those who seek to harm us - physically sand to see what was found. Sometimes or spiritually? Take a look at Bamidbar it is the pop-tab of a can of soda 15:40 - a pasuk and concept which we (remember them from before the are well acquainted. companies made them stay attatched?). Not exciting. Many other not exciting i®z¨Ÿev§ n¦ ÎlM¨ Îz`¤ m­z¤ iU¦ r£e«© Ex½ M§ f§Y¦ or© n´© l§ finds. But sometimes, things get :mk«¤ id¥Ÿl« '`l¥ miW­¦ Ÿcw§ m¬z¤ ii¦d§ e«¦ interesting. "You will thus remember and keep all My The theme (if you can call it that) of commandments, and be holy to your several GMs that I have found over the God." years, deals with the threat from Bil'am There is no stronger protection that (and Balak) and what we can call our Bnei Yisrael as a people and each of us antidote, vacination, or words to that as members of Klal Yisrael, can have effect. than Torah and Mitzvot. There are five such GMs under Prshat These two p'sukim share a gimatriya os Balak - you can find them at the end of 3707. the whole GMs file, since the file was started last year in the week of Parshat No connection except numerically, but Balak. what was going on in the year 3707 from Creation? Here's another one, connected to Parshat Tzitzit, from the end of Parshat Hillel and Shamai were the active 'ZUG' - Sh'lach. the fifth of the five pairs of rabbanim who headed the Sanhedrin and the Let's start with the threat. Bamidbar Yeshiva, between Antignos Ish Socho 23:4 (in Parshat Balak) - and Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai (non-in- xn¤ `ŸI´e© mr®¨l§ A¦ Îl`¤ mid­¦Ÿl'`¡ xT¬¨I¦e© clusive). The second Beit HaMikdash was towards the end of its tenure. iY¦ k§ x½©r¨ ÆzŸgA§ f§O¦ d«© zr³©a§ W¦ Îz`¤ eilÀ¨ `¥