25 Jun SCOUTING LESSONS

A mission gone awry. In this week’s parsha,
Shelach, we learn of the meraglim, scouts sent
to check out the Promised Land, prior to Bnei
Yisroel settling there.
As Moshe recounts, the people said, “Let us
send men before us, that they may search the
land”. Rashi comments that the nation
approached Moshe, “b’irbuvia”, with
confusion, in a disorderly, disrespectful
manner. The young were pushing the elders,
the elders pushing the leaders. (Devarim 1:22)
Rashi cites a Midrash that Moshe was unsure
how to proceed. He turns to HaShem for
direction. The response was that He already
told Bnei Yisroel that the land was good. Yet,
if they still want to scout out the land,
“shelach, send”. But they should be aware that
such a mission comes with the risk to err
through the words they will hear back from
the meraglim.
Imagine being offered a most precious,
valuable gift from a parent. However, before
accepting, one hesitates, saying, not just
yet…. I have to first check it out, I need to
ascertain its true value.

The generation of the exodus was given the
precious gift of Eretz Yisroel, but they
requested to first scout out the land.
Shelach lecha. Rashi comments, “l’da’ascha,
for your knowledge, for your own interest”.
This is in contrast to HaShem’s telling
Avraham Avinu, “Lech lecha, Go for
yourself”. Rashi on that pasuk explains,
“l’ha’anoscha, for your own benefit,
u’le’tovascha, and for your own good.”
HaShem instructed Avrohom to pick himself
up, to leave the world he knew, his home, his
birthplace, his family, and go “el ha’aretz
asher ar’echa, to the land that I will show
you.”
Avrohom, together with Sora, made the
journey to Eretz Yisroel, sight unseen. A
journey that brought Avrohom and Sora to
great spiritual heights, to becoming patriarch
and matriarch of the Jewish nation.
Two journeys to Eretz Yisroel, lech lecha and
shelach lecha. The first, commanded by
HaShem to Avrohom, the second initiated by
Bnei Yisroel.
Avrohom’s journey ended in greatness. In
contrast, the meraglim’s journey had a tragic
ending. The Torah tells us that the meraglim

were “anoshim”, men of
importance. They were
“neseeim”, each one the leader
of his respective tribe. After
forty days of exploration, they
returned, carrying beautiful,
grand-sized fruits. They
reported to the nation that it was
a land of milk and honey. But
that’s where the good news
ended. They spoke of walled
cities and giants who inhabited
the country. They painted a
picture of despair, saying it was
an “eretz ocheles yoshvehah, a
land that eats its inhabitants”. A
land that would be impossible to conquer and
settle.
How could this have happened? How could it
be that leaders would speak negatively about
Eretz Yisroel? The nation that witnessed the
Hand of G-d, and experienced multiple
miracles, from crossing the sea to receiving
the Torah at Sinai. They were provided with
manna from Heaven, had clouds of glory to
guide them by day, and a fire to protect them
at night – where was their faith and trust in
HaShem?
The meraglim walked in the footsteps of the
Avrohom, but the similarity ended there.
Unlike Avrohom whose heart and soul were
filled with emunah, the scouts allowed
worry and hopelessness to set in.
Until now, life in the desert was one filled
with miracles. They depended on HaShem
for their daily existence. Bnei Yisroel now
feared that upon entering the land,
HaShem’s miracles will cease. How would
they survive the hardships of life without
HaShem’s miraculous hand.
They allowed the “what if” factor to take
over and consume them. Yes, there will be
challenges and difficulties at times, even
dangers and perils in settling the land. But
they failed to have confidence that
HaShem’s guiding hand would always be
with them.
A life lesson for us all. Don’t concentrate on
the “what ifs”. While life comes with its
bumps along the way, we must truly believe
that when HaShem sends messages our
way, it will all work out. That it can’t be any
other way. That HaShem is always with us.
As we recite every day in the Modim prayer,
“v’al neesecha she’b’chol yom imanu, and
for the miracles that are with us each and
every day”.
The Ohr HaChaim explains that it’s easier
to be a believer, to be righteous, when one
sees a nes golui, an open miracle, than when
the daily miracles are hidden from us.

The meraglim assessed the land correctly.
Everything was beautiful and wonderful. The
fruits were large and luscious, the inhabitants
powerful, the cities strong and fortified. But, it
was their perception of themselves that was
lacking. As the pasuk relates, “We were like
grasshoppers in our eyes, and similarly in
their eyes.” (Bamidbar 13:33) A feeling of
insecurity overtook their very being. They
became overwhelmed, filled with fear and
self-doubt. They felt small and insignificant,
undeserving of HaShem’s constant care and
protection.
Only two of the scouts, Yehoshua and Calev,
stood strong and spoke positively, giving the
nation words of encouragement. Yehoshua
received a special bracha from Moshe to be
successful in his mission. Yehoshua’s name
was originally Hoshea, meaning salvation.
This reflected his constant prayers for Divine
protection, and to be shielded from negative
influences. Moshe added a yud to Hoshea,
which is symbolic of HaShem’s name,
transforming Hoshea to Yehoshua. Moshe
assured Yehoshua, that the extra yud in his
name will bring with it all of the blessings
from HaShem, not only in this mission, but in
his future years as the leader of the Jewish
nation.
Calev was married to Miriam, the sister of
Moshe. Miriam was known for her strong
emunah. It was Miriam who prepared
tambourines for the women before the exodus,
knowing in her heart that a great miracle was
about to happen. A miracle worthy of shira,
songs with tambourines.
Calev, as Miriam’s husband, was enveloped
with emunah. It permeated their home day and
night. Calev means ca-lev, like a heart. Calev’s
heart was one with HaShem, and one with His
people.
We need to learn from Yehoshua and Calev to
always have HaShem in our hearts and minds.
To replace worry with emunah, to eradicate
anxiety and despair with bitachon, trust and
faith in HaShem, and in ourselves.