25 Jun SHELAH: WHAT ONE DAY CAN MEAN!

Parashat Shelah tells the
tragic story of
the meragelim – the
spies who were sent to
see the Land of Israel
before the Jewish People
journeyed there. The spies conspired to
bring back a frightening report about the
land and the strength of the nations who
lived there, in order to convince the
Jewish People to refuse to go into Eretz
Yisrael.
The plan, unfortunately, worked, and
the people decided they didn’t want to
go.
Hashem punished the people by keeping
them in the desert for another 39 years –
so that they would be in the desert for a
total of 40 years. These 40 years, Hashem
said, were a punishment for the 40 days
the spies spent in their mission
scouting Eretz Yisrael. The people would
stay in the desert one year for every day
spent by the spies in the Land of Israel.
What kind of equation is that? Why
should the people stay in the desert ONE

ENTIRE YEAR for every day spent by
the spies in the land?
The answer might be that Hashem was
teaching the people an important
lesson: every single day is HUGE. Every
day can mean so much – for good, or, as
in the case of the spies, for the opposite.
The Gemara in Masechet Hagigah tells
of a certain Rabbi who had a most
peculiar schedule. He would travel three
months each way to yeshiva, and stay
there for… ONE DAY!!!
Imagine – six months of travel for one
day of learning!
The other Rabbis in the yeshiva called
him the “one-day yeshiva student.”
This might sound like they were poking
fun of him, but they weren’t.
The Gemara tells us about this Rabbi to
make us think about what that one day
looked like – so that we could imagine
the kind of rigor and passion he learned
with on that one day. After spending
three months to get there – he must have

put his all into that one day, and used
every minute!!
And this is how we are to approach
every day. Every day can be so
valuable. We can change the entire
trajectory of our lives in just one day.
This was the message to the scouts –
each and every one of those 40 days
mattered. Every day they spent plotting
to instigate the people to rebel against
G-d mattered. Each of those days was a
catastrophe, because it was used for
something terrible.
But this means that the opposite is also
true. Every day can be a priceless gem.
This is a scary thought. It’s much easier
just to go about our business without
thinking about how significant today can
be. But we are to strive to look at every
day like the “one-day yeshiva
student.” looked at his day in yeshiva –
as an inestimable opportunity for us to
take full advantage of!
Today we can change somebody’s life
by making a phone call, having a friendly

conversation, paying a visit to a shivah or
in the hospital, offering to help with
something, or bringing a gift.
Today we can bring ourselves inspiration
by attending another class or reading a
Torah book.
Today we can drastically enhance our
relationship with our spouse, or with our
child, through a meaningful conversation,
a smile, a gift, a drive, or an evening out.
One day can make a world of
difference. Let’s not be frightened by this
concept – but energized by it, and do
what we can to live every day to the
fullest!!!!!