Overview
of the Weekly Reading
To be read on Shabbat Shelach -26 Sivan 5775 /June
13
Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41; Haftorah: Joshua 2:1-24
(the two spies sent to Jericho)
Pirkei Avot:
Chapter 3
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)
This week’s Torah portion discusses the incident with
the spies who were sent by Moshe to check out the Promised Land.
Moshe instructed twelve leaders of the Jewish people (13:17-20)
to investigate the strength of the people and the quality of the
land. After forty days they returned and began their report (13:27-29)
about the quality of the land. Then they spoke about the strength
of the people. Suddenly Caleb, one of the twelve who went, the representative
of the tribe of Yehuda, silences the people’s murmuring and
says, We can go up and take possession of it! We can do it!
The Lubavitcher Rebbe points out a certain subtlety, which once
pointed out, is difficult to ignore.
What made Calev react so strongly? The spies were only answering
Moshe’s questions? It was only after Calev spoke up that the
other ten spies (Joshua, the eleventh, joined with Calev) said,”
we cannot go up against this people. They are stronger than Him
(then G-d)”.What did Caleb hear that made him react?
On the simplest level, the clue was that in the spies’ answer
they changed the order of the things that Moshe asked them. Moshe
first asked them to check whether the inhabitants were strong or
weak and only after to investigate whether the the land was fertile.
The main part of the mission according to Moshe was gathering information
about how to fight and conquer the nation living in Israel at that
time. Only after that was Moshe interested in what would be the
benefit or profit from the conquest, if the land was rich or not.
But what did Calev hear? He heard them change the order in their
response. They prefaced the report on the land and only after spoke
about the people living there. Thus they demonstrated that their
primary interest was the reward and profit. The mission, the war
to conquer the land to them only came after.
There is a crucial difference when someone does something for the
sake of the reward as opposed to the mission being the focus. When
the reward is the main thing, what you have to do to get that reward
becomes part of the equation. How much am I willing to work, what
effort am I willing to make in order to get such and such a result.
There is a built in limit. in this way a mistake could be made that
too great an effort would not be worth it, because the goal is too
difficult or even impossible to attain. This is the mistake of the
spies who said, we will not be able to conquer. Therefore when Calev
heard in their words that the reward was primary and they were willing
to expend effort only in relation to the return, he right away jumped
in.
So it is exactly with our service to G-d: how much effort do we
put into Torah study and doing His commandments. Really, deep down,
are we doing it for G-d’s sake or for our sake? The person
who is doing it for their own sake, for the sake of the benefit,
he or she is always asking themselves whether or not the amount
of effort involved is worth it. When the mission is primary, when
the reason we study Torah and do the commandments is to make a dwelling
place for G-d in this world, when the mission is about G-d and for
G-d only without ulterior motives, that person will never run out
of energy. His power source is infinite and he will make sure to
get the job done. Shabbat Shalom
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this
week's Reading, see the archive.
____________________________________________
This
week's story from Yerachmiel Tilles, managing editor of ascentofsafed.com
and kabbalaonline.org
From
the Kabbalah Commentaries on the Chumash ("5
Books of Moses")
13th
century - "RambaN"
- Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman
14th
century - "Bachya"
- Rabbi Bachya ben Asher
16th
century - "Alsheich"
- Rabbi Moshe Alshech of Tsfat
17th
century - "Shelah"
- Rabbi Yeshaiya Horowitz
18th
century - "Ohr
HaChayim" - Rabbi Chaim Ben Attar
a sample for this week:
Rabbeinu Bachya
""..and now may the strength of My Lord by
magnified, etc" [14:17]
A kabbalistic approach: The words 'the strength of My Lord
be magnified' mean that the latent power reposing in the
attribute of Mercy should be reinforced so that it will
not escape into the highest regions of the heavens [a withdrawal
from mankind or the people of Israel of that attribute.
Ed]. The whole matter may be understood thus: when the Jewish
people perform the commandments and therefore the will of
the Lord, G-d will "ride the heavens," as Moses
said in Deut. 33:27 "He rides the heavens with your
(Israel's) help." Israel's conduct exerts influence
on the manifestation of G-d's powers. This is the meaning
of Psalms 60:14 "we will perform valiantly for the
sake of the Lord." On the other hand, when the Jewish
people do not observe the commandments He distances Himself
from those of His attributes which are invoked often on
behalf of Israel. This is the meaning of Deut. 33:29: "He
will adopt a haughty attitude by withdrawing to the level
of the celestial domains known as Shechakim."
In other words, Israel's sinful conduct causes the manifestation
of G-d's power to wane. The meaning of the word magnified
in our verse then is that G-d's powers should become manifest
in ever greater measure.
(Selected with
permission from the seven-volume English edition of The
Torah Commentary of Rabbeinu Bachya, as translated and annotated
by Eliyahu Munk. Rabbi Bachya ben Asher [1255-1340] of Saragosa,
Spain, was the outstanding pupil of Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet
(the "Rashba"), a main disciple of Rabbi Moshe
ben Nachman (the "Ramban"). Several books have
been written about the Kabballah-based portions of R. Bachya's
commentary.)
For the rest of "The Masters of Kabbala
and Chumash" on this
Weekly Reading; and on all
the other Readings.
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FROM
THE SAGES OF TSFAT AND GALILEE ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically,
for an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more,
click to Shelach
one sample:
Chasidic Masters
 The
Joining of Spirit to Spirit
From the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov
Caleb went to
Hebron and prostrated himself on the graves of the forefathers,
that he not be persuaded by his fellow spies to participate in their
scheme.
To continue,
click
here.
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