Today's Learning Nedarim 4:4-5 O.C. 199:3-5 Sanhedrin 75 Yerushalmi-- Yevamot 63 Hamaayan/The Torah Spring edited by Shlomo Katz Shelach Vol. IX, No. 37 (421), 26 Sivan 5755, June 24, 1995 We read in this week's parashah of Hashem's "complaint" to Moshe (14:22), "They (Bnei Yisrael) have not listened to My voice." Chazal say that Bnei Yisrael tried Hashem's patience ten times in the desert. It is important, however, to put these ten episodes in the proper perspective, says Rav 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) ************************************ "But the men who had ascended with him said, 'We cannot ascend to that people for it is too strong for us'." (13:31) This verse opens the second part of the spies' report, says Rav Reuven Halevi Horowitz zatz'l. He explains that Moshe and Bnei Yisrael had different intentions in sending the spies. To the masses, the spies' mission was to study whether it was possible to conquer Eretz Yisrael naturally. To Moshe and Aharon, the purpose was the opposite, i.e., to strengthen the Jewish people's faith in G-d. The Torah says (13:26), "They went and came to Moshe and to Aharon and to the entire assembly of Bnei Yisrael . . . and brought back to them the report and to the entire assembly. . ." Rav Horowitz explains that the spies "went and came" simultaneously, an allusion to the fact that they appeared to unite the Jewish people while actually dividing them. This is because when the spies returned, they "played" to both audiences. They "brought back to them [i.e., Moshe and Aharon] the report and to the entire assembly," the unusual syntax being an allusion to fact that they had two reports. The spies said, "The people that dwells in the Land is powerful." To Moshe and Aharon this meant, "The people that dwells in the Land is powerful so let us strengthen our faith." To Bnei Yisrael this meant, "The people that dwells in the Land is powerful so let us give up now." Only Kalev (who had been with them) understood their intention, and he tried to reassure Bnei Yisrael and to turn them towards Moshe's view (13:30). Only then, their ruse discovered, did the spies say explicitly, "We cannot ascend to that people for it is too strong for us." (Dudaim Basadeh) ************************************ Rav Moshe Zvi Neriyah shlita writes: Many years ago, I accompanied Rav Aryeh Levin zatz'l to a shivah house--of a family, incidentally, that Rav 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. Rav 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) ************************************ "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. Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky zatz'l asks: Can we really equate Hashem's not objecting with sending the spies "by word of Hashem"? Also, Rav 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 Gadol'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 it responded, "Yehuda." The Urim V'tumim did not however 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) ************************************ Rav Shlomo Kluger zatz'l 5543 (1783) - 30 Sivan 6629 (1869) Rav Shlomo Kluger was the foremost posek (halachic decisor) in Poland in the middle part of the 19th century. His published responsa number about 8,000 letters; they are collected in two works entitled Tuv Ta'am Vada'at and Shnot Chaim. A significant portion of his responsa deals with questions of agunot (women unable to obtain divorces), usually a sign of the great esteem with which a posek is held in his generation. Rav Kluger held a number of rabbinic posts, including in Brody, where he headed a yeshiva for 50 years. Rav Kluger was a true genius; he was said to be able to dictate four unrelated letters to four secretaries at a time. He wrote in 1854 that he had (up to that time) composed 136 books on various Torah topics, with an average page count of 200. His published works include Chochmat Shlomo and Sefer Hachaim on halachah, a Torah commentary called Imrei Shefer, and commentaries on some Talmud tractates. Rav Kluger's son, Rav Shmuel Binyamin Kluger zatz'l, also was a noted scholar. (Note: Some say that Rav Shlomo Kluger died on the 4th of Tamuz.) In a derashah delivered in 1834, Rav Kluger asked: Why did Moshe tell the spies (in this week's parashah), "Ascend here in the south and climb the mountain"? Was Moshe a tour guide? Rav Kluger asked. He explained as follows: In the third chapter of Pirkei Avot (the chapter traditionally studied this week), Akavyah ben Mahalalel says, "Look at three things and you will not sin: (1) from whence you came--a putrid drop; (2) where you are going--to dust and decay; and (3) before Whom you will give a report and accounting--before G-d." In the second chapter, "Rabbi" also gives a three part formula for avoiding sin. Rav Kluger explains that Rabbi is explaining how to avoid bad deeds, while Akavyah is explaining how do avoid doing mitzvot with only selfish motives. Chazal say that the spies erred because they were selfish; they did not want to lose their positions of esteem. Fearing this, Moshe warned them--according to Akavyah's formula-- not to have selfish motives: "Ascend here in the south"--a euphemism for the 'lower places' from which the baby is conceived. "And climb the mountain"--an allusion to the eyes (which are in the upper part of the body) which must keep man's end squarely in focus. Moshe concluded, "See the land--how is it? and the people that dwells in it--is it strong or weak?" This is an allusion to the report and accounting which man will have to give--a "report" of his deeds (an objective question: "the land--how is it?), and an "accounting" of why he was not influenced by the righteous members of his generation (a subjective question: "the people that dwells in it--is it strong or weak?"). (Magen Avot: Introduction) ************************************ Donations to Hamaayan are tax-deductible.