Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Shelach Volume VI/Number 37 (271) 26 Sivan 5752/June 27, 1992 "Bayamim Hahem, Bazaman Hazeh" 29 Sivan 2449 On this day Moshe sent spies to Eretz Yisrael as described in our Parasha. The Torah says before dispatching them, Moshe changed the name of one of them - Hoshea bin Nun - to "Yehoshua." This, Rashi explains, was a way of praying that he should be protected from the other spies. Why did Moshe pray for Yehoshua and not for the other righteous spy, Calev? It is interesting to note that although both Yehoshua and Calev opposed the spies' evil report, they do not seem to have worked together. Calev went to "Me'arat Hamachpelah" to pray for strength to oppose his colleagues, and only he is praised by Hashem after the incident for having a "different spirit." Only Yehoshua, on the other hand never appeared to go along with the spies. (Calev did; see Rashi 13:30.) Yehoshua and Calev represent two approaches that one can take when caught in the company of wicked people. One can use every opportunity to speak against their evil plans or one can pretend to go along with them and foil their designs later by showing the public that even one of their own [i.e. the evildoers] disapproves of their actions. Yehoshua's nature was to adopt the former approach; Calev's, the latter. Each method has its own dangers. Yehoshua's approach presents primarily physical danger; the evildoers who outnumber the righteous person may kill him. Moshe thus prayed for Yehoshua to be saved from the spies' designs. Calev's approach presents primarily spiritual danger; he appeared to be one of the wicked [thus Moshe could not pray for him], and if he let down his guard, he might indeed learn from them. [Thus, Calev particularly is praised by Hashem for maintaining a "different" (Rashi: "a second") spirit with him.] (R' Yisrael Meir Hakohen: Shmirat Halashon, II. p.23) ************************************ Parasha Overview The Parasha begins with the failed mission of the spies to Eretz Canaan. The name "Shelach" - meaning "send" or "extend" - implies that the spies were to reach to a higher spiritual level in order to find the holiness hidden in the land. The Parasha concludes with the Mitzvah of Tzitzit, the commandment to wear a "religious garment" even while engaged in one's daily pursuits. Doing so demonstrates that one is capable of living on a higher plane while extracting that which is good and holy from the mundane world. Bnei Yisrael's impending entry into Eretz Yisrael required them to merge the spiritual and material realms of existence, and thus this Parasha teaches the Mitzvah of "Bikkurim" - setting aside the first fruits of each year as a sacrifice to Hashem. Also, this Parasha tells of a person who violated the Shabbat, a day which is completely spiritual and must remain. (Bedibur Echod) ************************************ Pirkei Avot If three people ate together and did not say Divrei Torah, it is as if they ate from sacrifices to idolatry. (Ch.3) R' Ovadiah of Bartenura states that one fulfills this obligation by reciting "Birkat Hamazon", which contains many verses from the Torah. The Magen Avraham disagrees and states that one must actually study Torah at the table. Perhaps, said the first Gerrer Rebbe, they do not argue. It all depends on how a person eats. If he is constantly conscious of the fact that Hashem gives him his food, and his "Bentching" is said with full awareness of that fact, his "Bentching" is a perfect expression of the Torah's teachings. Otherwise, however, a person had better study Torah at the table. Based on this idea, the Sefat Emet explains an apparent contradiction between two verses. One (Devarim 8:10) says, "And you will eat and be satisfied and bless Hashem," and the other (Devarim 11:15-16) says, "And you will eat and be satisfied... and worship other gods." It all depends on how one eats. (Mima'ayanot Hanetzach, p.150) ************************************ When Moshe saw Hoshea's humility, he called him Yehoshua. (Targum Yonatan) Why was Moshe more concerned about Yehoshua than about Calev or any of the other spies? Chazal say that the history of the spies is found right after the incident of Miriam's speaking Lashon Hara against Moshe because the spies should have learned from Miriam's punishment, but didn't. This requires clarification. Miriam's punishment is understandable - she spoke Lashon Hara about another person, a being with feelings and emotions. The spies, however, spoke Lashon Hara against a land, a collection of dust and stones. Could the spies really have expected to be punished as Miriam was? In truth, the spies insulted all of Bnei Yisrael, for they implied that Bnei Yisrael were not worthy of Hashem's assistance in conquering the land. Even worse, they insulted Moshe, for if Bnei Yisrael were not worthy, was not Moshe worthy of Hashem intervening in his merit. This is the meaning of the Pasuk (13:30), "And Calev silenced the nation towards Moshe." He pointed towards Moshe as a reason that Bnei Yisrael should not worry. Yehoshua, however, already knew that Moshe would die in the desert and he [Yehoshua] would succeed Moshe. (This was the prophecy of Eldad and Medad in last week's Parasha.) If Bnei Yisrael's merit was not great enough to warrant Hashem's intervention, they would have to rely on Yehoshua's merit. Knowing Yehoshua's humility, Moshe realized that Yehoshua would be unwilling to rely on that merit, and therefore Yehoshua, more than the other spies, was liable to worry that conquering Eretz Yisrael was impossible. Therefore Moshe prayed for him. (R' Chaim Aryeh Lerner: Imrei Chaim) ************************************ R' Avraham Yitzchak Hakohen Kook -- Part IV (R' Reuven Margaliot) Just as R' Kook demanded of a student breadth in his Talmud studies, so he demanded it in one's studies in general. R' Kook encouraged the study of Tanach and Jewish philosophy, as had many "Gedolim" before him, but to this he added the study of history and several other subjects (e.g. botany and geography) which are necessary for proper understanding of the Torah. R' Kook's extensive writings also deal with other educational problems of his time. Unlike most scholars who insisted that Torah study alone would cure the ills of the "Haskalah" - the so-called "enlightenment" - R' Kook saw that the very weapons of the "Maskilim" (proponents of Haskalah) must be turned against them. Thus, for example, R' Kook proposed that talented, Torah-observant writers publish children's books and novels whose characters would be G-d fearing individuals whom readers could emulate. (This idea, vilified at the time, is now widely accepted.) One of the outstanding masters at adapting the tools of the "Haskalah" to genuine Torah study was R' Reuven Margaliot. In the 19th century, a "science" of Judaism arose, which applied the latest linguistic, archaeological and scientific discoveries to undermine the sanctity of the Torah, Prophets, and Talmud. However, R' Margaliot showed how to use these same tools in ways that are consistent with and uphold Torah tradition. He wrote numerous books and essays which offer novel, but true-to-tradition, explanations of many Talmudic statements which had led skeptics to degrade the honor of Torah sages and question the divine origin of Halachic disputes and why "Machloket" suddenly proliferated in the second generation of "Tannaim" (sages of the Mishnah); why one scholar did not want people to lend money to another scholar (see Yoma 9b); why scholars sometimes appeared to speak falsely (see Berachot 27b and 43b; in explaining these, R' Margaliot relies on an insight of R' Kook's); and why sages sometimes ignored questions posed to them. Other works of R' Margaliot discuss nicknames of sages (e.g. Rabban Gamliel = "Ba'al Hachotem") and attempt to identify the authors of hundreds of anonymous Talmudic teachings. Many of these studies are not purely academic, but lead to practical Halachic consequences. R' Margaliot also wrote biographies, as well as "traditional" Talmudic and Halachic works. ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Mishnah Yomit: Negaim 4:11-5:1 (Learn two Mishnayot every day) Halacha Yomit: OC/MB 428:7-429:1 (Learn three paragraphs every day) Daf Yomi: Chagigah 25 (Learn two sides of a page every day) Begin Seder Nashim and Masechet Yevamot on Tuesday Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Sanhedrin Vha'onshin Hamesurin Lahem - Ch. 12 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Mechirah - Chapters 22-24 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:N253; Su:N252; M:N252; Tu:P245; W:P245; Th:P245; F:P245 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this week's Hamaayan is sponsored by: Gil and Faith Ginsburg on their wedding anniversary The Weiser and Klein families on the 3rd Yahrzeit of Lucy Weiser