Parshat Shelach Lecha 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha that Hashem commanded Moshe to send out spies to scout the land. The people sent out were leaders and the pasuk says about them (Chapter 13, Pasuk 3), Kulam Anashim Rashei Bnei Yisrael Heimah. They were all men who were the leaders of Bnei Yisrael. Rashi comments on the use of the term Anashim, that it indicates that these men were men of significance. We learn from here, comments Rashi, that when they were appointed to scout out Eretz Yisrael they were righteous.
We read later in the parsha when they come back and give a negative report (Chapter 13, Pasuk 26), Vayeilchu Vayavo'u el Moshe v'el Aharon. They came back and reported to Moshe and Aharon. Rashi comments on the fact that the previous pasuk already told us they returned. Why is this pasuk repeating a mention of their return? Rashi answers that the pasuk is coming to indicate a comparison between their leaving and their returning; just as their return was with a negative report, so too their leaving was with negative intention.
The Maharal asks that we seem to have a contradiction between the two statements of Rashi. First the pasuk tells us that the Meraglim were kosher, upstanding leaders of the community. Then Rashi comments that even when they left they had an evil intent. Which one is correct?
The Maharal answers that certainly when they were appointed to be the Meraglim they were righteous men as the Torah testifies, Kulam Anashim Rashei Bnei Yisrael Heimah. However, once they were appointed to be the messengers of Bnei Yisrael they became evil. This is because we have a principle in the laws of being a messenger, Shlucho shel Adam Kemoso. This means that when a person is sent out on a mission, he becomes that person when fulfilling the task. When Reuven asks Shimon to be mekadesh a woman for him, Shimon loses his own personal identity and becomes Reuven in the act of the Kiddushin. Similarly when the Meraglim accepted the task, they became the messengers of Bnei Yisrael and immediately became just like them. As a result of the principle of Shlucho shel Adam Kemoso, they lost their righteousness and their original intent was evil just as the intent of Bnei Yisrael was evil and without faith in Hashem.
The Ohr Gedalyahu teaches that this was the first mistake of the Meraglim. They had the option of choosing to represent Moshe Rabbeinu in their scouting mission. But instead they chose to represent their tribes. And since the intent of the tribes was for evil, they took on the identity of those sending them and their mission became filled with negative intent.
When Moshe gave instructions to the Meraglim, he told them to see what the land was like and whether there were trees (Chapter 13, Pasuk 20), HaYeish Bah Eitz Im Ayin. The Chidushei HaRim brings in the name of the Zohar Hakadosh that the Eitz that Moshe Rabbeinu was referring to was the Eitz Chayim of Torah. He wanted them to look at the land of Eretz Yisrael with the perspective of Torah. He didn't want them to report about the physical landscape. He wanted them to see the Kedushah of Eretz Yisrael and report back to the people about that. He wanted them to praise the holiness of Eretz Yisrael and encourage the people about the great merit in settling there.
This was the downfall of the Meraglim. Rather than choose to represent Moshe Rabbeinu who wanted Bnei Yisrael to learn about the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, they chose to represent the masses, the people who questioned the viability of the land. They were only interested in looking at the physical characteristics of the land and didn't have trust in Hashem. And by representing the masses they became just like them.
This was the tragedy of the spies; by aligning themselves with the evil intent of the tribes and ignoring the request of their leader Moshe Rabbeinu, they went from being leaders to causing an entire generation to be wiped out in the desert. This is a major lesson for all of us. Who we align ourselves with can have a tremendous impact on our spiritual well-being and have consequences for generations.
Good Shabbos
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