Hamaayan/The Torah Spring Edited by Shlomo Katz Parashat Shelach Volume VII/Number 33 (320) 23 Sivan 5753/June 12, 1993 We read in this week's Parasha of Hashem's "complaint" to Moshe (14:22), "They (Bnei Yisrael) have now listened to My voice." It is important, however, to put these ten episodes in the proper perspective, says R' Avigdor Miller, shlita. Bnei Yisrael in the desert numbered millions of people living in a small space with no visible sources of food or water. They were also surrounded, and occasionally attacked, by enemies. It is no surprise, therefore, that they complained about having to enter the Red Sea, not knowing that it would split, or that they worried about the futures of their wives and children. Why then does Hashem criticize them? Because after what they had witnessed they could rightfully be expected to be superhuman! For example, in any other generation it would be permitted, indeed required, to send spies to prepare the way for an invasion, but this generation should have trusted completely in Hashem's supernatural abilities. Without the Torah's verdict, we would never know how to place the blame for the subtle sins of our ancestors. Hashem, however, measured them (as he measures all Tzaddikim) by a standard which is beyond our comprehension. (Rejoice O Youth! p.167) ************************************ "Moshe sent them from the Paran Desert by the word of Hashem..." (13:3) Rashi explains: "By the word of Hashem" means that G-d did not object. R' Yaakov Kamentzky, zatzal (1891-1986), asks: Can we really equate Hashem's not objecting with sending the spies "by word of Hashem"? Also, R' Kamenetzky asks, why does the Torah tell us that the spy from the tribe of Ephraim was Hoshea bin Nun and only later tell us that Moshe renamed him Yehoshua. Why not roll all of this information into one verse? This may be explained as follows: In Devarim (1:23) we read, "The matter (i.e. sending spies) was good in my (i.e. Moshe's) eyes and I took twelve men from among you." Why did Moshe approve of sending spies, rather than demanding that Bnei Yisrael place their trust in Hashem? Because trust in Hashem will only carry a person as far as he truly believes it will; once Bnei Yisrael demanded that spies be sent, it was too late to demand that they trust Hashem. Sending spies became required! Even so, Bnei Yisrael still had to ask Hashem who they should send as spies. This they did, and the "Urim v'Tumim" (the oracle on the Kohen's breastplate) responded with twelve names, among them "Hoshea bin Nun." It was only Moshe who called him Yehoshua. This is what our verse means when it says that Moshe sent the spies "by the word of Hashem," i.e., the spies themselves were appointed by the word of Hashem. Why didn't the Urim v'Tumim advise that trust could have taken the place of the spies? Because the Urim v'Tumim answers only the precise question which it is asked. Thus we see in the Book of Shoftim (ch. 20) that the Urim v'Tumim was asked, "Who should lead us into battle?" and the Urim v'Tumim responded, "Yehuda," but did not warn Bnei Yisrael that they would lose the battle. Bnei Yisrael had already decided to go into battle, and had not asked for advice on that point, so Hashem did not "interfere." (Emet l'Yaakov p.431) ************************************ R' Moshe Zvi Neriyah, shlita (Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat haRoeh and founder of Bnei Akiva), writes: Many years ago I accompanied R' Aryah Levin, zatzal (died 1969) to a "Shivah" house -- of a family, incidentally, that R' Aryeh did not know -- and I asked him, "We read in Tehilim (95:10), 'For forty years I was angry with a generation; then I said, "An errant-hearted people are they -- they do not know My ways."' Were the Jews in the desert considered willful sinners or unintentional sinners?" I asked. R' Aryeh replied, "Definitely unintentional sinners! True, forty years is a long time to continue in this way, and the Jews did see wonders in Egypt which no one else has ever seen. However, the education of an entire nation is not easy, and it continues to this day. Even today, most Jews 'do not [yet] know My ways'." (b'Sdeh haRe'iyah p.411) ************************************ The Midrash says that Hashem struck the Canaanaties with a plague coinciding with the visit of the spies, in order that the spies could traverse the land unhindered. Seeing the Canaanites burying and bitterly mourning their many dead, however, the spies concluded that Cana'an was a murderous land. The spies could have arrived at that conclusion, says R' Yaakov Yisrael Kanievski, zatzal, (died 1986; the "Steipler Gaon"), only because they wanted to; Chazal say that a person is led down the path which he has chosen for himself. The spies were determined (for some reason) to come back with a bad report, and they therefore took the very thing which Hashem did out of kindness to them and turned it against Him. Simple logic should have shown them that their conclusion was wrong: If Cana'an was a murderous land, its inhabitants would have been accustomed to it and would have lost some of their sensitivity to death. When a person has prejudged an event, however, logic will not sway him. (quoted in Yalkut Lekach Tov p.134) ************************************ [The Midrash states that as the spies traversed Eretz Cana'an they witnessed numerous people burying their dead. Unfortunately, the spies drew the wrong conclusions from what they saw. This calls to mind the following story:] R' Yosef Kahaneman, zatzal (1886-1969; the "Ponovezher Rav"), was once approached by a man who had just attended a funeral. The man seemed puzzled and asked the Rav, "What is the reason for the custom that one does not return from a funeral using the same route that he took to get there?" (See Ta'amei haMinhagim no.1034; Gesher haChaim 14:20) The Ponovezher Rav pondered for a moment and then, with typical perception, lent a new perspective to the matter. "How can any thinking person go to a cemetery," exclaimed the Rav, "and come back the same as he went?" (reprinted with permission of the publisher from In the Footsteps of the Maggid p.174) ************************************ The learning schedule for this Shabbat is: Pe'ah 7:6-7 O.C. 626:1-3 Nazir 27 Yerushalmi - Shevi'it 9 Rambam Chapter/Day: Hilchot Esurei Beah - Chapter 22 3 Chapters/Day: Hilchot Shechanim - Chs. 13-14, Hilchot Shluchin Vshutafin - Ch. 1 Sefer Hamitzvot Sh:P245; Su:P245; M:P245; Tu:P245; W:P232,N258,N259,N257,N260; Th:P196,N233,P234,P233,N261; F:P235,N254,N255 ************************************ The hard copy distribution of this weeks Hamaayan is sponsored by: Barbara and Michael Hirsh in memory of Nathan Hirsh (Nisan ben Shimon Tzvi (Yahrzeit 16 Sivan) and in honor of Mr. Abraham Friedman in appreciation of his distributing Hamaayan in Springfield, NJ Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Edeson in honor of the birth of a grandson ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax deductible