Dear Friends;

I hope that you’ll enjoy the following Parasha summary followed by a Dvar Torah;

” Parsha in a Nutshell ”

Moshe sends twelve spies to explore the Land of Canaan. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on the land of Israel. But ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors “more powerful than we”; only Caleb and Yehoshua insist that the land can be conquered, as G-d has commanded.  The people weep that they’d rather return to Egypt. G-d decrees that Israel’s entry into the Land shall be delayed forty years, during which time that entire generation will die out in the desert. A group of remorseful Jews storm the mountain on the border of Land and are defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites.  A man violates the Shabbat by gathering sticks and is put to death. G-d instructs to place fringes (tzitzit) on the four corners of our garments so that we should remember to fulfill the mitzvot of Hashem.

” Dvar Torah ”

Do you know what does a tourist and an inspector have in common? Well, they both explore their surroundings with only one difference; one looks to capture the beauty and the perfection of the world, while the other looks for faults and troubles surrounding him! In this week’s Parsha, we read about the very sad story of the spies. An entire generation of the Jewish People perished as the result of the incident of the spies. The Torah says that right before entering the land of Israel, Moshe sent out twelve spies to spy out the land. Hashem didn’t command Moshe to send out the spies, but it was the people who demanded for the land to be checked out first before entering it. So, Moshe picked one from each tribe, all of them Princes, men of renown, G-d fearing people and physically strong. Their mission was, to see the Land — how is it? And the people that dwells in it — are they strong or weak? Are they few or numerous? And how is the Land in which they dwell in it — is it good or is it bad? And how are the cities in which it dwells — are they open or are they fortified? And how is the land — is it fertile or is it lean? ……. and so on! After forty days, the spies returned and ten out of twelve spies, unfortunately, brought an evil report. They said that ” we have no chance in concurring the land. The people that we saw in it were huge! We were like grasshoppers in their eyes. The land that we passed through, inhale its inhabitants “! And the people believed the spies and they wept that night. And they said to one another, ” let us appoint a leader and let us return to Egypt! ” And Hashem got angry at the spies and at the people. All the spies who brought the evil report died in a plague, and all the people who wept that night had to wonder for forty years in the desert and die in the desert. Only their children were allowed to enter the land afterwards What bothers the Chachamim is why were the people punished so harshly? True, the Jewish People showed lack of faith in G-d’s ability to bring them safely intothe Land, but that was only after the spies caused panic amongst the people with their negative report. It’s difficult to reconcile the punishment with the crime. After all, if all of the twelve spies would have brought a good report, the people would have never asked to return to Egypt. So why did Hashem decree such a punishment that everyone who listened to the spies had to die in the desert and could never ever see Eretz Yisrael, the land which was promised to our forefathers as an inheritance?! Well, the answer is quite simple. It was the people who wanted the land to be checked out, not Moshe, nor the scouts! They were not content that the spies be mere day-trippers returning with a few souvenirs and some happy memories. They wanted a thorough inspection! They wanted chapter and verse and an in-depth survey: can we conquer the land? Can we defeat the enemy? Is the land fertile or barren? Is it possible to make a living? Are the locals going to be difficult todeal with? The demands of the nation to find faults set up the spies to stumble and fall. The spies had no chance to succeed. Their mission was to look for troubles only and they found them quite alright! But the inspection wasn’t necessary since G-d had already promised them that the land is good and he wil conquer it for them. That’s why G-d was angry with the entire people and they found themselves on the longest day-trip in history — forty years, each year corresponding to the forty-day trip of the spies. You see, when you want to buy a new house, you need to have it inspected, but when Hashem guarantees you that the house is very good, then you don’t need to hire an inspector! You can just walk through the house and enjoy the good things it has to offer. In principle, G-d was not opposed to the spies entering the Land, as we see later on, about forty years later, that Yehoshua also sends spies before conquering the land. However, the trip of the spies to Eretz Yisrael was supposed to be no more than a “tourism” trip, sufficient to breathe the holy air of the Land, absorb its sanctity, and return refreshed and inspired. Itshouldn’t have been an “inspection” trip, just looking for faults!! Yes my friends, we can go through life as a tourist or as an inspector! We can either enjoy the beauty of our surroundings and appreciate all the blessings that Hashem has bestowed upon us, or we can just look for faults and make our lives miserable. For example, we can either enjoy the companionship of our spouse and appreciate what they do for us, or we can just be an inspectorlooking for faults. Why was the food a little over cooked? Why did you make the same food for Shabbat two weeks in a row? Why didn’t you buy Diet Coke?….. Why? Why? Why? But if we only look at the faults, then we won’t be able to see the good things the spouse has to offer! Then we won’t be any different than the generation of spies. Remember that having a spouse is a blessing from Hashem. Many people dream of having a spouse and have someone to go home to at nights. We should be thankful to Hashem and look to find the good characteristics in each other and not just the faults! So my friends, now that we know the advantage of being a tourist, let’s continue the journey of our lives as if we are on a long vacation. Let’s appreciate the beauties around us and let’s be thankful to G-d for all of his blessings!

Shabbat Shalom & Regards;

Martin