Parshat Shlach
by Rabbi Avi Billet
In his opening comment on the Parsha, Kli Yakar notes how Moshe describes the events of the sending of the Spies in Devarim as if an initiative from the people saying “We will send men in front of us to check out the land, and to give us a full report.” (נשלחה אנשים לפנינו ויחפרו לנו את הארץ) In our Parsha, the initiative seems to come from God when he told Moshe – שלח לך אנשים – send men FOR YOU.
Why would the Torah report both ways – coming from God (for Moshe), and coming from the people, as their own initiative?
His answer is a bit surprising, but nonetheless powerful.
When the people asked ויחפרו לנו את הארץ, they thought this was to be good “for us – for our good and for our benefit.” After all, isn’t it strategic to know what you’re getting into? Isn’t it helpful to know what to anticipate?
Kli Yakar says God told Moshe שלח לך, because God KNEW Moshe would not be around when the people entered the land. This had already been determined at the time of Moshe’s appointment at the burning bush, if not earlier, and certainly affirmed at the end of Parshas Shemos. See Rashi on the last Pasuk in Shemos. [See here for more on that subject!]
God’s message to Moshe was that this will be to YOUR benefit (שלח לך אנשים) but not to the benefit of the people, because the spies going on their mission is going to doom EVERYONE (above the age of 20) to die in the wilderness rather than enter the Promised Land. But in your case, Moshe, you will end up living another 38+ years (extra, more than you should have) on account of their blunder.
This insight suggests several things.
1. Everything depends on perspective. The 40 years of wandering and non-entry was frustrating and difficult for those now blocked from entering the land [this will become a major issue in the beginning of Parshat Korach, as part of the argument of Dasan and Aviram]. But for those who might have been slated to die earlier, this extension may have given them extra years. Certainly it gave extra years (even decades!) to Moshe Rabbenu
2. Life is precious, no matter who you are. Several times, whether in a class or at a funeral, I heard different rabbis speak and address the following idea. If we believe that the goal of life is to get to “Olam Haba” (the world to come), why are we sad when someone dies? If the world to come is the “Olam HaEmes” (the world of truth), and the soul who goes there now understands everything that we always questioned and never understood, why would we be anything but joyous over their having arrived at that amazing place?
The answer is a combination of a number of simple answers, and some that are more profound than we have the time and space for here.
a. We miss the person, and so we are sad. The age of the person will likely be an additional and contributing factor to how sad we are.
b. We are also sad because we are selfish. We wanted the person to remain with us. We wanted to enjoy the person’s presence more.
c. We also know and appreciate the value of life, and that absent life, a Jew is unable to fulfill the unique kind of life of Torah and Mitzvos that is only available in this world, to people who have a body united with a soul. That the person’s life has come to an end - along with their ability to serve God as a human being - is an additional reason to be sad.
3. We don’t understand the ways of God. Why did God not want Moshe to enter the land? Did He originally plan for Bnei Yisrael to wander for 40 years? How did He orchestrate that 10 spies – Kosher people! – would go in one direction, while 2 would go in a different direction? Were the destructions of both Batei Mikdash also part of God’s plan? Was an almost 2,000 year exile, leading to the establishment of the State of Israel, also the plan? Was every devastation facing our nation – Exile, Oppression, Statelessness, Homelessness, Crusades, Expulsion, Inquisition, Pogroms, Holocaust, Terrorism, October 7, being looked down upon by the world in our weakest state, and being looked down upon by much of the world in our strongest state – also the plan? What is the plan now?
Kli Yakar’s comment reminds us that one person’s setback is another’s forward position. Hopefully, for ourselves, we can maintain a perspective that sees the positivity in every situation.
Perhaps for those who left Egypt, they needed to come to learn that they weren’t ready to start a nation in the promised land. It was only those born in Freedom who would have the strength and wherewithal to fight for their right to have a homeland.
That is the story of the Jewish people. And is particularly the story of the Jewish people in Israel today. Those of us who are not there should be in awe, and filled with gratitude, to those who are on the front lines in a dangerous and volatile region. May we come to see that the negative path of some is positive for others. And all of us are being watched through the eyes of the Master of the World.
What is our place in His plans? I don’t know. May we come to know it soon, when He makes everything clear to all.
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