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Marty Teal D'Var Torah Men's Club Shabbat Service - April, 2008
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Matthew Shugart Conversion Speech - May 23, 2007
Freda Heller D'Var Torah - June 9, 2007
Natalie Diamond D'Var Torah - February 2007
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Karina Liker's Bat Mitzvah Speech on Mezuzot
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D'var Torah by Freda Heller - June 9, 2007

Parsha Shelech Lecha

My D’Var Torah, in Shelach Lecha tells the story of the 12 scouts, and why the faithless Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness.

We all start with knowing that God had kept his promise and led the Israelites out of Egypt into safety. But in spite of it all, the people were fearful and apprehensive. They had no great faith in what was to be fulfilled, and no resolve to face bravely God’s will. On the contrary, they thought and acted like children being forced to do God’s will whether they liked it or not. They were truly unsure as to what awaited their future in the promised land.

God watched with apprehension, but kept his anger on an even keel. This seemed like a good time for God to rethink his plan. He tells Moses to send 12 scouts, or we could call them spies, into Canaan to see what they could find.

Each of the chosen from the twelve tribes, were highly respected men. Among the twelve men, were Caleb and Joshua. Moses instructions to them were simple. Inspect the land and the people who dwell there. Learn if they are strong or weak. Find out if the land is really habitable and conquerable.

After 40 days of wandering and searching, the spies returned with a mixed report. They said, the land indeed flows with milk and honey, but then again, they gave a very discouraging argument against moving into Canaan. They said that the cities were fortified with warlike people who seemed very strong and frightening. This was certainly not going to be an easy take. It again brought great fear and uncertainty within the collected tribes.

However, when it was Caleb and Joshua’s time to appear before Moses and Aaron, they seemed to be quite optimistic. They told them, that they were sure that with strength and determination, these warlike people could be conquered, but with some difficulty.

However, we know that fear is a great disseminator, and this is where fear and the lack of faith ruled the day. The faithless demanded that they return to Egypt where they could be on known and familiar ground. Slavery was certainly something they left behind, but that was something, they feared much less.

God is still in an anger mode. God’s decision to deal with these faithless people, is with threats to destroy them. Will God once again destroy a people. Remember, there have been promises made before. For example, way back when Noah took that fateful boat trip.

God still has Moses to deal with, and we know that Moses has a way of arguing and trying God. Moses then proceeds to intercede for his tribes. His arguments are a strong bid for the faithless. Strong enough to give God cause to relent. The most important thought to God is, to keep the peoples belief and trust in Him. However, He still decrees a punishment for their lack of faith in his choice.

These people must wander in the wilderness for 40 years. This 40 year banishment decimates two whole generations. They lost the opportunity to make it into Canaan But there is one redeeming feature of this whole punishment, one that God planned. He Allowed their progeny to enter the promised land, but not without a strong fight. And because Caleb and Joshua displayed their great show of faith, they were allowed to enter Canaan with the younger generation.

The way I see this story of the spies, is truly one of cowardice and hesitation. You can rightfully say, that he who hesitates is lost. So they lost. What I really see in the people, is their fear of the future, fear of something new, and a great fear of the unknown. Truly, this is a natural human factor. These people who showed such trepidation in the move to begin with, were worried. So now, I ask, should they have been thusly punished.

I think I’ll play a little of the Devil’s advocate here. In the case of the spies, the fear they brought to Moses, Aaron and the people was destructive. In the case of Joshua and Caleb, they brought one of hope. And God’s great frustration with the people was of their lack of faith and trust.

We know that God was there for them when they needed him. So where did they really fail. When I think about it, did the punishment fit the crime. And, would they have reached the promised land anyway, if the punishment had not been brought forth. But of course, that is a moot point.

The Shlach Lecha portion in Numbers, has another important message of our Jewish heritage. It is the commandments of the TsiTsi. the fringes of your talit. They are called the fringes of rememberance. Remember all of the commandments of the Lord, and do them. I am your God, who led you out of Egypt to be your God. V’Ahavtah.

However, there is some thought that garments with tassels, or fringes, date back further than the Bible. In Deuteronomy 22:12, fringes were said to be worn in four corners, two in front and two in back. This to show a visible sign of a commitment to Jewish observance.

Thinking about it, we know that God handed down the commandments to Moses, and then reading thru to this part of the whole Parasha, you find that it connects the point.

The people had already been told to obey God. the Talit to be worn to remind them of their duty to have faith and obey. The fringes for the talit had a count of 613 threads, each thread for the 613 commandments.

But yet, in the Wilderness, so near to Canaan the promised land, all observances seemed to fall apart. Even obeying the law of the fourth commandment, the Sabbath. Again, think of the dilemma of the people. And why at that time, with all the promises they made to God to have faith, was the importance of the laws of the Talit far less, then their fear of the future.