Shlach L'cha: Seeing & Believing More info ❯ Sh'lach L'cha contains two key ideas: the sending of the spies to Canaan and their subsequent report to the people, and the mitzvah of tzitzit, "fringes." What connection can be found in the juxtaposition of these two concepts? (by Rabbi Alan Cook, 2006, in V oices of Torah page 402-403) במדבר י״ג:א׳-ל״ג Numbers 13:1-33 (א) ַו ְי ַד ֵ֥בּר יהוה ֶאל־ ֹמ ֶ ֥שׁה ֵלּא ֹֽמר׃ (ב) ְשׁ ַלח־ ְל ֣ ,Excerpted: (1) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying (2) “Send men to scout the land of Canaan, which I ֲא ָנ ִ֗שׁים ְו ָי ֻ֙תר ֙וּ ֶאת־ ֶ ֣א ֶרץ ְכּ ַ֔נ ַﬠן ֲא ֶשׁר־ ֲאִ ֥ני ֹנ ֵ֖תן ִל ְב ֵ֣ני am giving to the Israelite people; send one man ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ֑אל ִ ֣אישׁ ֶא ָח ֩ד ִ֨אישׁ ֶא ָ֜חד ְל ַמ ֵ֤טּה ֲא ֹב ָתי ֙ו ִתּ ְשׁ ֔ ָלחוּ from each of their ancestral tribes, each one a ֹ֖כּל ָנ ִ ֥שׂיא ָב ֶֽהם׃ (ג) ַו ִיּ ְשׁ ֨ ַלח ֹא ָ ֥תם ֹמ ֶ ֛שׁה ִמ ִמּ ְד ַ ֥בּר ָפּ ָ ֖ארן chieftain among them.” (3) So Moses, by the ַﬠל־ ִ ֣פּי יהוה ֻכּ ָ ֣לּם ֲא ָנ ִ֔שׁים ָר ֵ֥אשׁי ְב ֵֽני־ ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ֖אל ֵֽה ָמּה׃ LORD’s command, sent them out from the wilderness of Paran, all the men being leaders of (ד) ְו ֵ֖א ֶלּה ְשׁמוֹ ָ ֑תם ... (יז) ַו ִיּ ְשׁ ַ ֤לח ֹא ָת ֙ם ֹמ ֔ ֶשׁה ָל ֖תוּר the Israelites. (4) And these were their names.... (17) ֶאת־ ֶ ֣א ֶרץ ְכּ ָ ֑נ ַﬠן ַו ֣יֹּא ֶמר ֲא ֵל ֶ֗קם ֲﬠ ֥לוּ ֶז ֙ה ַבּ ֶ֔נּ ֶגב ַו ֲﬠ ִלי ֶ ֖תם ,When Moses sent them to scout the land of Canaan ֶאת ָ־ה ָֽהר׃ (יח) ְוּר ִאי ֶ ֥תם ֶאת ָ־ה ָ ֖א ֶרץ ַמה ִ ֑־הוא he said to them, “Go up there into the Negeb and ְו ֶאת ָ־ה ָﬠ ֙ם ַה ֹיּ ֵ֣שׁב ָﬠ ֔ ֶל ָיה ֶה ָח ָז֥ק הוּ ֙א ֲה ָר ֶ֔פה ַה ְמ ַ ֥ﬠט ֖הוּא on into the hill country, (18) and see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong ִאם ָֽ־רב׃ (יט) וּ ָ ֣מה ָה ָ֗א ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁר־הוּ ֙א ֹי ֵ֣שׁב ָ֔בּהּ ֲהטוֹ ָ ֥בה or weak, few or many? ... (25) At the end of forty ִ ֖הוא ִאם ָ־ר ָ ֑ﬠה וּ ָ ֣מה ֶֽה ָﬠ ִ֗רים ֲא ֶשׁר־הוּ ֙א י ֵ֣וֹשׁב ָבּ ֵ֔ה ָנּה (days they returned from scouting the land. (26 ַה ְבּ ַֽמ ֲחִ ֖נים ִ ֥אם ְבּ ִמ ְב ָצִֽרים׃ ... (כה) ַו ָיּ ֻ֖שׁבוּ ִמ ֣תּוּר They went straight to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the ָה ָ ֑א ֶרץ ִמ ֵ֖קּץ ַא ְר ָבּ ִ ֥ﬠים ֽיוֹם׃ (כו) ַו ֵיּ ְל ֡כוּ ַו ָיּ ֹבא ֩וּ wilderness of Paran, and they made their report to ֶאל־ ֹמ ֨ ֶשׁה ְו ֶֽאל־ ַא ֲה ֹ֜רן ְו ֶאל־ ָכּל ֲ־ﬠ ַ ֧דת ְבּ ֵֽני־ ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ֛אל them and to the whole community, as they showed ֶאל־ ִמ ְד ַ ֥בּר ָפּ ָ ֖ארן ָק ֵ֑ד ָשׁה ַו ָיּ ִ֨שׁיבוּ אוֹ ָ ֤תם ָדּ ָב ֙ר them the fruit of the land. (27) This is what they told ְו ֶאת־ ָכּל ָ ֣־ה ֵﬠ ָ֔דה ַו ַיְּר ֖אוּם ֶאת־ ְפִּ ֥רי ָה ָֽא ֶרץ׃ (כז) him: “We came to the land you sent us to; it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its ַו ְי ַס ְפּרוּ־ל ֙וֹ ַו ֣יֹּא ְמ ֔רוּ ָ֕בּאנוּ ֶאל ָ־ה ָ ֖א ֶרץ ֲא ֶ ֣שׁר ְשׁ ַל ְח ָ ֑תּנוּ fruit. (28) However, the people who inhabit the ְ֠ו ַגם ָז ַ֨בת ָח ָ ֥לב וּ ְד ַ ֛בשׁ ִ ֖הוא ְו ֶזה־ ִפּ ְר ָֽיהּ׃ (כח) ֚ ֶא ֶפס country are powerful, and the cities are fortified ִֽכּי ַ ֣־ﬠז ָה ָ֔ﬠם ַה ֹיּ ֵ֖שׁב ָבּ ָ ֑א ֶרץ ְו ֶֽה ָﬠ ִ֗רים ְבּ ֻצ֤רוֹת ְגּ ֹד ֙ת ְמ ֹ֔אד and very large; moreover, we saw the Anakites ְו ַגם־ ְי ִל ֵ֥די ָֽה ֲﬠ ָ ֖נק ָר ִ ֥אינוּ ָֽשׁם׃ (כט) ֲﬠ ָמ ֵ֥לק י ֵ֖וֹשׁב ְבּ ֶ ֣א ֶרץ ;there. (29) Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill ַה ֶ ֑נּ ֶגב ְ֠ו ַֽה ִח ִתּי ְו ַה ְיבוּ ִ ֤סי ְו ָֽה ֱא ֹמ ִר֙י י ֵ֣וֹשׁב ָבּ ָ֔הר ְו ַֽה ְכּ ַנ ֲﬠ ִנ֙י country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along ֹי ֵ֣שׁב ַﬠל ַ־הָ֔יּם ְו ַ ֖ﬠל ַי֥ד ַה ַיּ ְר ֵֽדּן׃ (ל) ַו ַיּ֧ ַהס ָכּ ֵ֛לב ֶאת ָ־ה ָ ֖ﬠם the Jordan.” (30) Caleb hushed the people before ֶאל־ ֹמ ֶ ֑שׁה ַו֗יֹּא ֶמר ָﬠ ֤ה ַנ ֲﬠ ֶל ֙ה ְו ָי ַ ֣ר ְשׁנוּ ֹא ָ֔תהּ ִֽכּי־ ָי ֥כוֹל Moses and said, “Let us by all means go up, and we נוּ ַ ֖כל ָֽלהּ׃ (לא) ְו ָ֨ה ֲא ָנ ִ֜שׁים ֲא ֶשׁר ָ־ﬠ ֤לוּ ִﬠמּ ֙וֹ ָֽא ְמ ֔רוּ ֥לֹא shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.” (31) But the men who had gone up נוּ ַ ֖כל ַל ֲﬠ ֣לוֹת ֶאל ָ־ה ָ ֑ﬠם ִֽכּי־ ָח ָז֥ק ֖הוּא ִמ ֶֽמּנּוּ׃ (לב) with him said, “We cannot attack that people, for it ַויּוֹ ִ֜ציאוּ ִדּ ַ ֤בּת ָה ָ֙א ֶר ֙ץ ֲא ֶ ֣שׁר ָתּ֣רוּ ֹא ָ֔תהּ ֶאל־ ְבּ ֵ֥ני ִי ְשׂ ָר ֵ֖אל is stronger than we.” (32) Thus they spread ֵלא ֹ֑מר ָה ָ֡א ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁ ֩ר ָﬠ ַ֨ב ְרנוּ ָ֜בהּ ָל ֣תוּר ֹא ָ֗תהּ ֶ ֣א ֶרץ calumnies among the Israelites about the land they ֹא ֶ ֤כ ֶלת י ְוֹשׁ ֶ֙ב ָ֙יה ִ֔הוא ְו ָכל ָ־ה ָ ֛ﬠם ֲא ֶשׁר־ ָר ִ ֥אינוּ ְבתוֹ ָ ֖כהּ had scouted, saying, “The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its (לג) ַא ְנ ֵ֥שׁי ִמ ֽדּוֹת׃ ְו ָ ֣שׁם ָר ִ֗אינוּ ֶאת ַ־ה ְנּ ִפי ִ ֛לים ְבּ ֵ֥ני ֲﬠ ָ ֖נק settlers. All the people that we saw in it are men of ִמן ַ־ה ְנּ ִפ ִ ֑לים ַו ְנּ ִ ֤הי ְב ֵﬠי ֵ֙נינ ֙וּ ַֽכּ ֲח ָג ִ֔בים ְו ֵ֥כן ָהִ ֖יינוּ great size; (33) we saw the Nephilim there—the ְבּ ֵﬠי ֵני ֶֽהם׃ Anakites are part of the Nephilim—and we were like grasshoppers to our eyes, and so we were to their eyes.” Rashi on Numbers 13:33:2 SO WE WERE IN THEIR EYES—We heard them say one to another; “There are ants in the vineyards that look like human beings" (Sota 35a). Rashbam on Numbers 13:33:2 .anything low considers itself as like a grasshopper when compared to something much taller ,כחגבים We find proof of this in Is. 40:22, “compared to the One Who is enthroned above the vault of the earth views its inhabitants as if they were grasshoppers.” Daat Zkenim on Numbers 13:33:1 The Nephilim - anyone who took a look at these people would feel wonder. Another interpretation: whoever saw them would feel scared that they would attack him. במדבר ט״ו:ל״ט (לט) ְו ָה ָי֣ה ָל ֶכ ֮ם ְל ִצי ִצ ֒ת ְוּר ִאי ֶ ֣תם ֹא ֗תוֹ וּ ְז ַכ ְר ֶתּ ֙ם ֶאת־ ָכּל־ ִמ ְצֹ֣ות יהוה ַו ֲﬠ ִשׂי ֶ ֖תם ֹא ָ ֑תם ְו ֽלֹא־ ָת ֜ ֻתרוּ ַא ֲח ֵ֤רי ְל ַב ְב ֶכ ֙ם ְו ַא ֲח ֵ֣רי ֵֽﬠי ֵני ֶ֔כם ֲא ֶשׁר־ ַא ֶ ֥תּם ֹזִ ֖נים ַא ֲח ֵר ֶֽיהם׃ Numbers 15:39 That shall be your tzitzit; and you will see it and remember all the mitzvot of the LORD and observe them, so that you do not scout after your heart and eyes since you lust after them. Sforno on Numbers 15:39:1-3 You will see it, and you will remember all the mitzvot - you will be reminded that you are God’s alah) and) אלה servants whose commandments you have accepted reinforced by oaths known as This reminder will be due to your looking at the “fringes” that may be viewed as if .שבועה (shevuah) their king had placed a stamp on your bodies confirming that the wearer is one of his subjects. After your eyes - to object to the urge of which you put your eyes on. That you lust after them - it diverts your rational souls from the paths of life eternal to the paths of destruction and death. Rashi on Numbers 15:39:2 the (מתור) has the same meaning as in (Num. 13:25), “and they returned from searching תתרו The verb land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YOU SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (cf. Berakhot 1:8; Tanchuma). It seems that this sidrah is all about seeing--what we choose to see, and what we ignore. Caleb and Joshua saw the beauty of the land. The remaining spies could see only obstacles that stood in the way of the Israelites taking possession of the land. And the Israelites themselves, who heard the spies' reports, were blinded by their fear of the unknown, rather than being open to the opportunities that would be afforded to them as they enjoyed freedom in the land that had been promised to their ancestors.