B"H

Tuesday, Sivan 22, 5776 / June 28, 2016 - Hakhel year

 

This week’s Parsha, Shlach, begins with G-d’s response to the people’s demand to send spies to scout the land of Canaan (Israel). The Jewish people were now close to the border of Canaan, their promised land. But before entering, they wanted to check out the land and its inhabitants.

 

G-d told Moshe, “Send for you men to explore the land of Canaan which I am giving to the children of Israel. Send one man for each tribe. Each one should be a leader amongst them.”

 

As mentioned yesterday, G-d was not happy in their lack of trust in Him. G-d promised to give them the land. After all the miracles which G-d performed for them in Egypt and in the desert until now, they should have known better and have enough faith in G-d.

 

G-d told Moshe, “If you so desire, you may send the spies.” G-d did not encourage it. In the end, ten of the twelve spies came back with a negative report and the people refused to go into the land.

 

Only two, Calev, of the tribe of Juda and Joshua (Yehoshua), of the tribe of Ephraim, came back with a positive report. But they couldn’t influence the people, who were convinced negatively by the ten spies.

 

The Torah tells us that they cried that night, after hearing the report. G-d punished them that everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty, who refused to go into the land will die in the desert during the next forty years.

 

The Kli Yakar commentary on the Torah explains the words, “Send out for yourselfmen to explore the land..” that G-d told Moshe, “If you want to send men, then send them, but if you send women to scout the land there would be a better chance that they will come back with a positive report about the land.”

 

The women had more of a positive feeling towards the Promised Land. Indeed, when the spies came back with a negative report, only the men were influenced and refused to go. The women still desired to go into Israel and as a result they were not punished like the men, who died in the desert. They ended up going into Israel forty years later.  Also, the tribe of Levi were not influenced.

 

Q.What happened to the ten spies?

 

A.The Torah tells us, “The men who spoke bad about the Land died right away in a plague before G-d.”

 

Q.Who were the two spies, Calev and Joshua, who spoke well about the land?

 

A.Calev was Miriam’s (Moshe’s sister) husband. Betzalel, who was the architect and responsible for the construction of the Mishkan and its contents, was the great grandson of Calev. Joshua was Moshe’s devoted and most trusted student. Joshua went on to become the leader of the Jewish people after Moshe’s passing, thirty eight years later.

 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY