Parshat Shelach 5781
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha the sin of the Meraglim, the spies sent by Moshe Rabbeinu to scout out Eretz Yisrael. Rashi comments in the beginning of the parsha on the words (Chapter 13, Pasuk 3), Kulam Anashim, that when they were appointed with the task, the Meraglim were upstanding leaders, part of the generation that stood at Har Sinai and received the Torah. How could it be that they ultimately expressed such a lack of Emunah and caused such a tragedy for the whole nation?
The Medrash Rabbah on Bereishis teaches (3,5) that the word Ohr appears five times by the creation of light, each one corresponding to a different one of the five books of the Torah. When the pasuk says (Bereishis, Chapter 1, Pasuk 4), Vayavdel Elokim Bein Ha’Ohr U’Vein Ha’Chosech, this is a reference to sefer Bamidbar which separated between Yotzei Mitzrayim, those who left Mitzrayim, and Ba’ei Ha’Aretz, those who entered Eretz Yisrael. According to the Medrash, the light is a reference to life in the desert while the darkness is a reference to Eretz Yisrael. Why is the Holy Land of Eretz Yisrael considered a place of darkness, while the starkness of the desert implies great light?
The answer is very simple. The life Bnei Yisrael experienced in the desert was an idyllic one of direct connection to Hashem. They received the Torah at Har Sinai, ate the “mahn” which came from the heavens, and had Moshe Rabbeinu, who had a direct connection with Hashem, as their leader. They constantly experienced miracles from Gd and consequently had a rock solid Emunah in Him. Their life was one of great light like the light of the sun.
The Chidushei HaRim teaches that this is not real Emunah. The Gemara in Shabbos 31A brings a pasuk from sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 33, Pasuk 6), V’Hayah Emunas Itecha Chosen Yeshuos Chachmas V’Da’as, Yiras Hashem He Otzaro. The Gemara explains that this pasuk contains references to the Shisha Sidrei Mishnah, the six orders of the Mishnah. The word Emunas, faith, corresponds to seder Zeraim which deals with agricultural laws. The person who plants and knows that Hashem will provide for him is a man of faith. The one who doesn’t see the Hand of Gd directly, but understands and senses Hashem’s presence in the world is the true believer. And this is the real intent of the world’s creation. The word for world is Olam which means hidden, He’eleim. Our relationship with Hashem is meant to be more like the moon at night as opposed to the sun during the day; our life, our true Chiyus, is a reflection of the great light of Hashem.
This is why the Medrash refers to those who entered Eretz Yisrael as entering darkness. They were entering Eretz Yisrael where their relationship and faith would have to be developed and nurtured; they would need to experience the light of Hashem as the reflected light of the moon. Though they would be involved in the physical, their Emunah in the Chai Olamim, seeing the life force of Hashem in the hidden,would still be strong. They needed to come to the realization that Hashem’s presence and control over the physical world is a greater miracle than the miracle of changing nature.
This was the challenge of the Meraglim. The word Meraglim itself comes from the word Regel which means leg, the part of the body on the physical earth. They were meant to enter with their legs and become inspired in their minds and hearts. This was the request of Bnei Yisrael, as recorded in sefer Devarim (Chapter 1, Pasuk 22), Nishle’cha Anashim Lefaneinu V’Yachparu Lanu es Ha’Aretz; let us send out people to scout out the land. The word V’Yachparu literally means to dig. As the song of the well of Miriam states (Chapter 21, Pasuk 18), Be’er Chafaruha Sarim. Moshe and Aharon dug wellsprings of Torah. The digging of wells as we see here and by the Avos in sefer Bereishis, represents the digging in the physical world and finding Be’er Mayim Chayim, the holy waters of Torah, of Hashem’s presence in the world. This was the job of the Meraglim; V’Yachparu Lanu es Ha’Aretz.
But the Meraglim failed in this task. They immediately fell from their status they had in the desert. And this is the meaning of the Zohar Hakadosh which states that the Meraglim were concerned that in the desert they were leaders, Roshim, but in Eretz Yisrael they wouldn’t be leaders. It wasn’t a matter of honor; rather it was that they couldn’t achieve this level of finding the Kedushah, the holy waters, in the natural landscape of Eretz Yisrael. They lost the rock solid Emunah easily felt in the desert. And if they failed, they reasoned, how much more so would the average Jew in the desert not be able to achieve this faith in Eretz Yisrael.
This was the tragedy of the Meraglim. And our task is to always find the means to light up the darkness of the world. This is accomplished for us through Torah Shebe’alpeh. After experiencing the direct contact with Hashem of Torah Shebichsav in the desert, Bnei Yisrael needs to light up the darkness with Torah Shebe’alpeh. Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun, so too Torah Shebe’alpeh receives its light from Torah Shebichsav. This was represented by Aharon HaKohen and the light of the Menorah in the Mishkan. And this idea is stressed in the Medrash Tanchuma in parshat Noach which quotes the pasuk from sefer Yeshayahu (Chapter 9, Pasuk 1), Ha’Am Ha’Haholchim Ba’Choshech Ra’u Ohr Gadol. The nation which walks in the darkness was nonetheless able to see the great light. And who are these people? The Medrash says, these are Ba’alei Talmud, those who study Torah Shebe’alpeh. Torah Shebe’alpeh enables us to light up the darkness and have great faith in Hashem, and understand that the greatest miracle of all is how Hashem controls and runs the physical world.
Good Shabbos
Print this article