Shlach
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week's parsha the story of the Meraglim, those sent to scout out the land of Israel, and their subsequent negative report to Moshe Rabbeinu. After this difficult episode, the Torah continues with certain mitzvoth, including the prescribed "Nisuch Hayayin", the wine libations for the sacrifices, and the mitzvah of Chalah. Why does the parsha continue with these mitzvoth after the episode of the Meraglim?
The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha (17, 2) quotes a pasuk from Koheles (Chapter 9, Pasuk 7), Lech Echol B'Simcha Lachmecha, U'Sheseiy V'Lev Tov Yaynecha, Ki Kevar Ratzah HaElokim es Ma'asecha. Go and eat your bread in joy, drink your wine with a good heart, for Hashem has already accepted your deeds. The Medrash states, Echol B'Simcha Lachmecha, this is a reference to the parsha of Chalah, U'Sheseiy V'Lev Tov Yaynecha, this is the parsha of Nesachim, Ki Kevar Ratzah HaElokim es Ma'asecha, this is a reference to entering Eretz Yisrael.
The Sfas Emes explains that when Adam HaRishon sinned, he was told (Bereishis, Chapter 3, Pasuk 17), Arurah Ha'Adamah Ba'avurecha, B'Itzavon Tochlena Kol Yemei Chayecha. The land will be cursed on your account and you will eat in sorrow all the days of your life. Bnei Yisrael were chosen to be the ones to rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon, and Eretz Yisrael is the place where this will take place. The words in the pasuk in Koheles, Lech Echol B'Simcha Lachmecha, Eat your bread in joy, are the opposite of the curse to Adam, B'Itzavon Tochlena. This pasuk represents the mitzvah of Chalah which is taking what we have from Hashem and lifting it up and returning it to its source. And the ultimate joy is when we are connected to our source. This is also the idea behind the pouring of the wine on the Mizbeach. Nisuch Hayayin represents returning the bounty of Hashem to the source as part of the Avodah. And this is why the Shirah is done over the libations, as Chazal teach Eiyn Omrim Shirah Elah al HaYayin. As we said, the ultimate joy is returning to the source.
This process of rectifying the sin of Adam HaRishon is done in Eretz Yisrael. The generation in the desert was known as the Dor Dei'ah, the generation of knowledge. They received the Torah and had Hashem come down to our world and reveal Himself to Bnei Yisrael. And they ate mahn, which was Lechem min Hashamayim. It was Divine food, making even the physical spiritual. In Eretz Yisrael, their mission became to move in the other direction; to take the physical and make it spiritual by returning it to its source. The mitzvah of Chalah is commanded as (Chapter 15, Pasuk 19) Tarimu Serumah, you should lift it up. The mitzvah in Eretz Yisrael became Lechem min Ha'Aretz; we now take the bread from the ground and through the mitzvah of Chalah lift it up to the heavens. This is also done through the mitzvah of washing before bread, Netilas Yedayim, lifting up our hands before eating, and Chazal teach in Chulin 106A that we wash specifically before bread because of Srach Terumah, lest we render Terumah impure. All of our eating is geared to lifting up the physical world to its source, to the Creator.
The Ohr Gedalyahu explains that this is also the meaning in the end of the pasuk of Ki Kevar Ratzah HaElokim es Ma'asecha. The word Kevar means already, and this represents the notion of going back in time. When the pasuk says that Hashem has already accepted your deeds it is the notion of Teshuva, of returning to the situation before the sin, of Kodem HaCheit. After the sin of the Meraglim, the following generation is allowed to enter Eretz Yisrael and begin the process of rectifying the sin of Adam HaRishon.
This is also why the Rema paskens in Siman 624 that after Yom Kippur one should eat and drink with joy based on the Medrash which brings the same pasuk to apply to Motzei Yom Kippur. This is because after the Teshuva of Yom Kippur we have achieved the status of Kevar, of the joy of returning back to the situation before sin. And this is why the pasuk also refers to entering Eretz Yisrael. After the sin of the Meraglim, we need to enter Eretz Yisrael precisely to perform mitzvoth in which we return everything to its source and acknowledge Hashem as being the Creator and source of all. And this is ultimately achieved in Eretz Yisrael, the place where we transitioned from Lechem min HaShamayim to Lechem min Ha'Aretz.
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