From TorahVort.com
Shlach
We left off in last week’s parshah with the Jews travelling though the wilderness. We learn at the start of this weeks reading that the Children of Israel were situated in an area named ‘Kadesh Barnea.’ They knew at this point in time that they would shortly ascend the mountain at the border of the land of Israel. The Children of Israel, requested off Moshe to ask Hashem for few of the leaders to go in and check out the land, in respect to finding out different facts about the land. This already showed a lack of trust in Hashem as they had already been promised to enter a land flowing with milk and honey, however they wanted proof! Twelve men were selected to enter the land as Israel as spies, one leader from each tribe respectively. Among the 12 leaders were two men that became very famous in the Torah when entering the land of Israel. Joshua, from the tribe of Ephraim and Calev who descended from the tribe of Yehudah. In fact all 12 spies entered into the land as worthy and righteous individuals. Moshe instructed the spies to investigate on the lands fertility and productivity. He also wanted to know if the righteous gentile Iyov (Job) was still alive, as his merit could be a protection for the enemy. In fact just before the spies went in, Iyov passed away, that is why it was a period of mourning in the land of Israel and people were upset, in turn none of the inhabitants noticed the spies coming in. The 12 spies entered the land of Israel and spent a total of 40 days wandering around the land. Unfortunately 10 of the 12 spies became more and more corrupt during their stay in Israel. They became corrupt as they knew that if they brought back a favourable report, it would result in an immediate entry into the land of Israel, they knew that after Eldad and Maidad prophesized that Moshe would die and Joshua would lead them in to the land of Israel, when the time was to come, that they would potentially lose their jobs as the leaders, so they devised this plan during the 40 days, to bring back a bad report, which would mean they could stay in the wilderness as opposed to entering the land of Israel. This teaches us that one should not always try and acquire too much power in life. In the book of Kings, we learned how Yeravim Ben Nabot became corrupt and instituted a Golden Calf as he became head of the 10 tribes, in turn stopping the members of his kingdom to go to the Temple. As the spies explored the land, they saw gigantic fruits and some of the Giants from the generation of the flood; however they did witness a most spectacular fertile and productive land. Joshua and Calev refused to go with the other spy’s slanderous plan on bad mouthing the land. Calev even went to pray at the Cave of Machpaila, in Chevron, a place that the forefathers were buried with their wives along with Adam and Chava. The giants did notice the spies in the land; however they did not abuse any of the spies. The Giants were rewarded by Hashem for this as many Canaanim stayed in the land even until the era of the destruction of the second temple, around 1300 years later!!! The spies returned to the wilderness, on the eve of the 9th Av (Tisha B’AV). The spies went on to deliver a carefully prepared speech which was given over to all the Jews and the mixed multitude in the wilderness. They started off by relating over a bit of truth about the land, being followed up by much slanderous information. This teaches us that if someone is a compulsive liar they should always add a little but of truth in what they say, because if they do not, no one would believe them. However one should never be in the habit of lying! The spies related that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, they then went on to relate how many giants lived there, relating how the size of the fruits were monstrous sized, they cried out how the land was unconquerable and how the inhabitants were much mightier than the Jews. This constituted a slanderous and bad report. They also did not learn about the sin of Miriam, which was Lashon Hara, which we learned at the end of last weeks reading of Behaalotacha. The spies even screamed out that they were like grasshoppers in comparison to the Canaanites. This was a very negative attitude. In life, a Jew should never look at themselves as they are a nobody, we are Hashem’s chosen people and should strive for great goals while keeping to the Torah!! The evil report in the land was given over by 10 of the 12 tribes, however, heroically, Calev came in and defended the land, stating how amazing it was and how they should have total faith in Hashem and Moshe and come in and conquer the land! The Jews did not listen and started crying with fear, they even had the cheek to complain and cry that they wanted to go back to Egypt. In turn Hashem got very angry and condemned the 10 spies to an instantaneous death penalty. The rest of the Jews were also punished, most notably all males aged between the ages of 20 -60 at the time they had entered the wilderness. However Joshua, Calev and all the Levites were not included in the decree. Furthermore, all the Jews had to spend 40 years now in the desert! All this took place on the 9th of Av, a day that later on became a day of sorrow in Jewish history. A verse in Chapter 1 from the book of Aicha (Lamentations) states ‘She (the Jewish people) will weep and weep in the night. This verse is referring to the tragedies that occurred on the 9th of Av. The first and second Temples were both destroyed on the 9th of Av. Bar Kokhba's revolt against Rome occurred on this day. Shimon bar Kokhba was killed and the city of Betar was destroyed. Also this day commemorates the Spanish Inquisition as there was the expulsion of the Jews from Spain. Hashem wanted to destroy all the Jews after the sin of the spies, however once again Moshe begged and prayed in behalf of the Jews, resulting in Hashem showing mercy. We also learn in Parshah Ki Sisa how Moshe prayed for the Jews after the sin of the Golden Calf. All the resulting decrees had been instituted for the Children of Israel’s benefit. In fact, after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, they entered under Joshua’s leadership in to a well prepared, fortified land. The Jews repented and even several members insisted upon entering the land of Israel without permission, resulting in their deaths as some of the Amalekim and Canaanim attacked them. After discussing in part one of the Dvar Torah about the transgression of the spies. Hashem told Moshe to instruct all the Jews about the flour offerings and the libations (poured wine) offerings. The poured wine offering consisted of a measure of wine, varying with the type of animal sacrifice that was offered with it, either in the form of a peace offering or elevation offering. This wine was poured into the drainage holes at the base of the alter. While they were pouring the wine, the Levites would be singing at the same time. The Torah then progresses and instructs us on the mitzvah of ‘Challa,’ the law of separating a portion from the dough. They actually only became obligated in this mitzvah when entering the land of Israel years later. The mitzvah requires one to separate part of dough that could be made from 5 different kinds of grains, wheat, barley, spelt, oats or rye. A measure of an ‘Omer’ had to be separated and then given to the Koehn as a gift. We learn in parshat Pinchus that the Kohen was given a total of 24 different gifts from others. The Mitzvah of Challa is actually to fix the transgression of Adam’s wife, Chava. This mitzvah has the potential to bring back the purity of spirit that was lost through Adam’s sin. The Torah then goes on to relate the ramifications if one accidentally worshiped idols. If one by mistake worshiped idols, they would have to bring an ox as an elevation offering and a he- goat as a sin offering. Despite it being done accidentally, we learn in Parshat Yisro that Idol worship is forbidden from the second of the Ten Commandments that states, ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’ The Parshah then relates the story about a man who desecrated Shabbat during the first year in the wilderness. Rabbi Akiva has the opinion that the man who desecrated this precious commandment was named ‘Tzelafchad.’ We learn much about this man’s daughters in Parshat Pinchus. He desecrated Shabbat with good intentions, to teach everyone in the wilderness, if they were to desecrate Shabbat after being warned, they would be punished by the death penalty of ‘stoning.’ So he purposely desecrated Shabbat to teach this lesson to all the people at the wilderness. The Parshah then relates the mitzvah of ‘Tzitzit.’ The word ‘Tzitzit’ means ‘fringes.’ Referring to the threads that must be made knotted according to halachic specifications, and attached to a four cornered garment. The aim of Tzitzit is that a Jew should look at it, remember Hashem and desist from sin. The Hebrew numerical value of the word ‘Tzitzit’ is 600 and furthermore if we add this number to the 8 threads it features and the 5 knots in each corner, we equate to the total number of 613. This alludes to the fact that wearing this precious garment, testifies the 613 mitzvot. The four corners on the garment allude to the four stages of redemption that we learned about in parshat Vaera. They were And I shall bring out/ And I shall deliver/ And I shall redeem/ And I shall take. It is said, whoever is careful to observe the mitzvah of Tzitzit will in the future have 2800 servants at his command, as the prophet Zecharia stated in the book of Zechariah (8.23), ‘In those days, ten men of all the seventy languages shall hold onto him and serve for each corner.’ We also learn in the book of Samuel, that when the future King David cut off part of King Saul's Tzitzit garment, he felt much remorse for preventing him in fulfilling this precious easy mitzvah of wearing Tzitzit. This weeks Haftorah is taken from Chapter 2 of the book of Joshua. The Haftorah relates how, before the Jews entered the land of Israel, they sent out spies, in a mission that was much more successful than what took place in this Parshah. Since Joshua was one of the scouts dispatched by Moshe to check out the land, he was very aware of consequences of the first mission, 39 years prior. He implemented a similar plan to gain information about the land. Joshua’s spying mission was much different to that of the spies in this weeks reading. He intended to rectify Israel’s past error and to inculcate the Jews with the proper attitude towards entering the land – an attitude of total trust in Hashem. By bringing spies in to the land of Israel, he intended only to ascertain whether the proper moment had arrived for Israel’s entry into the land. The spies in this Haftorah, were Pinchus and Calev. They stayed in the house of Rachav; she told the spies that the hearts of the Canaanites were melting with fear with the arrival of the Jews impending. The Jews entered the land of Israel under Joshua, and after 7 years of successful war, they were victorious and the Jews settled in the land.
