01 Jun SHELACH- GETTING ALONG: LESSONS FROM THE SPIES

In January, 1929, the United States was enjoying phenomenal prosperity. The economy was booming, industry was growing, stock investments were soaring, and many people were getting rich. However, many commercial and economic experts at that time knew that the good times could not last, that big trouble was looming. People were buying for $100 stocks that were worth just $1. They were essentially buying air, and the bubble was growing so fast that a burst was inevitable.

Historians say that the leaders of that time – people such as the president, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the leaders of the Federal Reserve – had a decision to make. They could either implement measures that would bring the economy down in a moderate, controlled fashion, which would have minimized the damage and avoided economic depression, or just allow the situation to continue, and wait for the collapse to occur on its own. In the second scenario, the crash would be devastating and result in a severe financial crisis. However, if they chose the first option, these leaders would be blamed for the downturn, and despite its being relatively mild, they would come under harsh criticism. The latter option, they figured, would yield devastating consequences, but since the collapse would occur on its own, they would not be blamed. As we know, they chose the second option, and by the end of 1929, the U.S. economy had crashed and the country entered the Great Depression.

These leaders faced the most unenviable choice of either saving the country at the expense of their reputation, or sacrificing their reputation for the sake of the country. They needed to decide whether to put their own egotistical concerns ahead of the needs of the country, or to expose themselves to widespread censure for the sake of the greater good.

The Spies’ Dilemma, and Our Daily Dilemma

A similar decision needed to be made millennia earlier by the leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Parashat Shelah tells the story of the meragelim, the spies, the delegation of twelve tribal leaders sent by Moshe Rabbenu to check out Eretz Yisrael and report their findings. Instead of exciting the people by describing to them the land’s unique, outstanding qualities, they did just the opposite – they instilled fear in the people and besmirched the Land of Israel, convincing the people that they should not go there.

The Zohar offers a well-known explanation for why and how these great men made such a grave mistake. They knew that upon entering Eretz Yisrael, they would lose their prestigious positions of leadership. In the desert, they enjoyed honor and power as leaders of the tribes. Once Beneh Yisrael entered the land, however, there would no longer be tribal leaders, and thus they would no longer serve in any distinguished position. This concern led them to conspire to frighten the people so they would not want to enter Eretz Yisrael.

It is easy for us to be smug and criticize the U.S. government in 1929 and the spies for their decisions, for putting their egotistical concerns ahead of the country’s concerns. But let us ask ourselves honestly, are we so sure that we would have acted differently? Would we have been prepared to sacrifice our reputations, or to lose our jobs, for the sake of the general good? Would we be prepared to subject ourselves to criticism and scorn and make unpopular decisions that we knew would be best for the country? Would we really be willing to give up our jobs for the sake of the general public?