MEVASER TOV

Essays on the weekly parsha by the Biala Rebbe shlita

Rav and Av Beis Din of Lugano, Switzerland

Available at: mevasertovweekly@gmail.com

Shlach, Year 1 (5770) Issue # 33

- SHLACH 5766 -

 THE SPIES’ GREAT CHALLENGE 

“Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: ‘Send for yourself men to inspect the Land of Canaan.’”1
Rashi comments: “Send for yourself – at your own discretion. I (Hashem) do not
command you to do so.”2 If Hashem thus implied that He was uninterested in sending
the spies, why did Moshe decide to send them anyway, and thereby create the potential
for the dissention that indeed occurred?
Rebbe Yitzchak of Vorke zt”l taught that the spies were tzaddikim who sinned with
the noble intent that they would be punished and thereby serve as an example for future
generations never to speak disparagingly of Eretz Yisrael.3 If this was there intent, how
could they speak such terrible blasphemy as the Gemara attributes to them:

“The men who ascended with him (Caleiv) said, ‘We cannot ascend … It is
too hard for us.”4 R’ Chanina bar Papa taught that the spies then said a
terrible thing. “It is too hard for us,” really meant, “It is too hard for
Him.”5 It was as if they had said, “The Master of the house is unable to
remove His possessions.”6

It is furthermore baffling how a generation who witnessed such awesome miracles

as the Ten Plagues and the splitting of the Red Sea could possibly imagine that Hashem
was unable to conquer the Canaanites and settle Bnei Yisrael in their place.

1
Bamidbar 13:1-2
2
Bamidbar Rabbah, Shlach; Sotah 36a
3
Toldos Adam, Shlach
4
Bamidbar 13:31
5
The Hebrew words ‫ חזק הוא ממנו‬can mean either “too hard for us,” or “too hard for him,” depending on the
vowels used.
6
Sotah 35a

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1.
Paths of Nature

While Bnei Yisrael passed through the desert they experienced a journey far beyond
the laws of nature, as the Torah states, “Hashem led you through the vast and terrible desert,
a place of snakes, fiery serpents and scorpions, a parched land without water. He drew for you
water from a stone and fed you manna in the desert.”7 The were constantly surrounded by
Clouds of Glory and saw with their own eyes Hashem’s Presence hovering over the
Mishkan.
However, as soon as they entered Eretz Yisrael they experienced a drastic change of
environment. The miracles to which they had become accustomed instantly ceased and
they were forced to accustom themselves to the laws of nature, with each man earning
his livelihood by the sweat of his brow in his field and vineyard. The Torah itself was
concerned about this change of events, and asked Hashem when Bnei Yisrael would find
time for Torah study. Hashem answered that they would be busy throughout the week,
but would be able to learn on Shabbos.8
The shift into the world of physicality was in fact an ascent for Bnei Yisrael, since the
purpose of creation is not to serve Hashem in a world of pure holiness, like the angels in
Heaven, but to live here in this corporeal world and discover the latent holiness hidden
beneath the surface. While working within the world of nature, we must realize that
Hashem, and only Hashem, orchestrates everything that is, was, or ever will be. This is
the true test of emunah, and is a much higher and greater achievement than recognizing
Hashem amidst a world full of open miracles.
The Gemara thus refers to Seder Zeraim, the Order of Mishna which deals with
agriculture, as “emunah.” Tosefos explains, “One sews the earth and has faith in He
Who gives life to the world.”9 Although the farmer earns his livelihood by the sweat of
his brow, he must still believe that after all his labors it is only Hashem Himself Who
provides for him, by making the crops grow.
The Chasam Sofer writes that when the majority of Bnei Yisrael lived together in
Eretz Yisrael, working the land for its produce was a mitzva no less than wearing
tefillin.10 In the declaration of intent recited before wearing tefillin, we say, “I place
tefillin on my head so that the soul within my brain together with all my senses and
abilities will be subjugated to Hashem’s service.” The comparison between working the
Land of Israel and wearing tefillin is therefore quite astute, since by working the Holy
Land only for the sake of the mitzva we subjugate the physical world to Hashem’s
service, thus joining this lower world to the higher worlds above.

7
Devarim 8:15-16
8
9
Shabbos 31a
10
Chiddushei Chasam Sofer, Sukkah 36a

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2
Overriding Nature with Prayer

When Hashem told Moshe to use his own discretion in sending the spies, He implied
that the era of serving Hashem within the boundaries of nature had begun. Just as Eretz
Yisrael must be settled through physical labor, all the while believing with perfect faith
that Hashem alone is our Provider; so must it be conquered through the conventional
methods of warfare, while believing with perfect faith that Hashem alone fights our
battles. Moshe therefore had to decide for himself whether or not it would be prudent to
send the spies, without relying on a direct commandment from Hashem.
The spies were thus the first to ever be confronted with the great challenge of
balancing hishtadlus (human effort) against bitachon (faith): living in a world of human
effort, while still believing that their success or failure would be orchestrated by
Hashem. This was such a radical change from the world of miracles they had
previously known that they floundered under the emotional burden. They then
concluded that Bnei Yisrael could not possibly survive in Eretz Yisrael, and should best
remain within the miraculous clouds of glory that surrounded them in the desert, since
any foray into the realm of nature would prove too hazardous.
According to the Zohar, the spies feared that upon entering Eretz Yisrael they would
be replaced with other leaders. They therefore discouraged Bnei Yisrael from entering.11
This certainly seems incongruous with the Rebbe of Vorke’s assertion that the spies were
tzaddikim with noble intent. However, perhaps we can explain that each generation is
given a leader appropriate to its needs and abilities.12 The spies therefore felt that if as
the community’s leaders they were unable to serve Hashem within the world of nature,
the community at large would also be unable.
We can now explain the blasphemous complaint of the spies, that Hashem would be
unable to overpower the Canaanites, chas v’shalom. The Midrash states that when
Achashveirosh proposed to throw a party that would be “to the liking of each and every
person”13, Hashem declared that this would be utterly impossible:

“Even I do not fulfill the expectations of My creations, yet you

propose to make a party that will be to the liking of each and every
person?” asked Hashem. “The nature of the world is such that although
two men may wish to marry the same woman, she can only marry one.
Two boats may set sail, one hoping for a northern breeze and the other
hoping for a southern breeze, but the wind can only blow in one
direction.”14

11
Zohar III, Shlach 158a
12
Erchin 17a
13
Esther 1:8
14
Esther Rabbah 2:14

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The assertion that Hashem Himself cannot make everyone happy is quite
astounding, since the belief in Hashem’s omnipotence is the very foundation of our
faith. If Hashem created the entire world as He pleased, why can He not create a
situation in which everyone is happy?
The answer to this question lies in the expression “the nature of the world” used by
the Midrash. True, Hashem could override nature and create a miraculous situation in
which the wind blows every which way at once, to please all the sailors regardless of
their course. But within the world of nature, this is impossible.
So too, although Hashem could certainly override nature to smite the Canaanites
with terrible plagues as He had done to Egypt, this was not His intent. He wanted Bnei
Yisrael to conquer the Canaanites using conventional tactics of warfare, while still
believing that Hashem worked behind the scenes to ensure their success. The spies
concluded that by the laws of nature it would be impossible for Bnei Yisrael to conquer
the monstrous giants they had seen in Canaan, just as it was impossible for the wind to
blow both ways at once.
Whereas the incident of the Golden Calf was an offense against Hashem, the incident
of the spies was an offense against Bnei Yisrael. 15 The spies grossly underestimated the
ability of Bnei Yisrael to rise to meet the new challenge that would face them in Eretz
Yisrael, where they would indeed be able to discover Hashem’s Presence and merit His
assistance even within the laws of nature.
Kalev and Yehoshua alone realized that through prayer and emunah, the impossible
can happen. “We shall surely ascend,” they said, which Rashi interprets to mean, “If
Moshe would tell us to make ladders to ascend into Heaven, we would surely
succeed.”16
Just as miracles exist within the world of nature, by which Hashem fights our battles
and provides our livelihood, the same is true of our spiritual growth. A Jew might
descend into the abyss of decadence, yet rise back up on a ladder of personal growth
that ascends into the Heavens, in the merit of prayer and emunah, and through the
guidance of tzaddikim such as Moshe Rabbeinu. May we all be worthy of seeing such
miracles within nature, until the coming of the Righteous Redeemer soon and in our
days, Amen.

15
Kedushas Levi, Shlach s.v. Erech Apayim
16
Bamidbar 13:30

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