Overview of
the Weekly Reading Shelach is the 4th Reading out of 10 in Numbers and it contains 5820 letters, in 1540 words, in 119 verses Overview: Shelach begins by relating how Moshe sent the 12 spies to explore the Promised Land. Ten of the spies subsequently gave an evil report which influenced a majority of the people. Because of the Jews’ apparent disbelief in G-d’s ability to conquer the Land, the adult men of that generation were decreed to perish in the desert during the next 38 years (see the Book of our Heritage for a detailed account). Despite the decree, a group of Jews defiantly attempted to enter the Holy Land but were defeated by Amalekites and Canaanites. The next section describes the details of meal and dough offerings, and communal and individual sin offerings for committing idolatry inadvertently. Next is the story of a man caught gathering sticks in violation of Shabbos and his death as consequence. The Reading concludes with the mitzva to separate challah from dough, to wear fringes (tzitzis) with a special strand of blue on four cornered garments and not to be drawn after your heart and eyes.  An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent (for a free weekly email subscription, click here)
What was unique about the spies? First, they were chosen by Moses.
Moses' most unique quality was that, while he was the greatest prophet of all
time and spoke face to face with What was the spies' mission? To strengthen themselves by scouting out the Land. Even more important was the task of taking fruits of Canaan (the future Land of Israel) and making them Jewish fruits. This process would break the impurity of Canaan, preparing it for the Jewish conquest. Just imagine how the members of each tribe would feel when they heard how the spies performed G-d's command, even at the darkest time, when Canaan was not yet under Jewish rule, how they traveled through Canaan gathering the required fruit. Everyone would come to realize how easy it would be for them to successfully conquer the Land. This teaches us that when a person takes stock of his surroundings, and sees that it is like the land of Canaan, unconquered territory filled with spiritual dangers, it may appear out of his grasp. But on the other hand, a person must know that it is his purpose to make even the distant and hostile into a dwelling place for G-d, transforming it into a place of spirituality and truth. A person could think, "It's beyond my capabilities," or "Someone has made a mistake," or "I might be ready for the mission soon, but certainly not yet." The answer to this person is in this week's portion. Just as Moses chose twelve leaders, so too, in each and every Jew there is a leader with leadership qualities. The most important and powerful quality of a leader is faith - faith that when a mission presents itself, it is because G-d gave him the ability to overcome the obstacles and succeed. What is so powerful about this quality of faith is that we have it as an inheritance. When a person receives an inheritance, regardless of whether he wants it or not, he becomes the owner of that legacy. Receiving an inheritance does not depend on a person's preference, logic, or perception. Just by virtue of being the child of a certain person, he becomes the inheritor. So it is with our faith that we received as a legacy from our forefathers. This is a legacy, and we have no choice about it. With this faith, we have what it takes to overcome any obstacles and fulfill our mission. The challenges we experience are sent to us so that we may prove to ourselves and to others that we are fit for this great responsibility. When we understand this, nothing can stop us. The accounts of the Torah are not just tales, but come to teach lessons. The
lesson here is that each person is placed in a certain environment, within which
he works, eats, sleeps, makes a living, etc. Suddenly, one morning he sees that
there is a certain aspect of holiness missing. Even if his first reaction is
"I am the last one to be able to transform this situation", he must
remember the teaching of the portion, "Send the people…". Remember
that you have the ability to transform your environment, no matter where you
are or what personal obstacles you think you have. Joshua and Caleb showed us
the way. They said, "G-d is with us, let us rise and conquer." Shabbat Shalom, Shaul FROM THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org Specifically, for an overview
of the recommended articles in the columns: one sample:
The Ari explains that the intake of food enables the soul to remain attached to the body, although the soul, by definition, does not need to eat for food is something both physical as well as spiritual. The soul can benefit from those spiritual ingredients in food, just as the body derives strength from the foods' nutrients. To continue, click here.
|
|||
