"Torah Lights"
 
Video Insights on the Parsha
 
 by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Efrat, Israel: “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Send for yourselves men, who will seek out (Heb, vayaturu) the Land of Canaan’”

Who were the real sinners in the episode of the scouts, what was the exact nature of their transgression, and why did they transgress?

The fact of the matter is that the “sin of the scouts” reverberates throughout Jewish History; the day the nation wept at the negative report, agreeing with the opinion of ten out of twelve not to attempt to conquer the land, is identified as the ninth day of the month of Av, the traditional date of Jewish destruction, exile and persecution. 

But why blame the nation for G-d’s command to scout out the land (Numbers 13:1,2), and for Moses’ immediate acquiescence to carry out that command (13:17)?

Did not G-d, as well as Moses, understand the inherent dangers of sending out an advance team to assess the desirability and feasibility of their project?  Everyone understands that built into every feasibility study is the possibility of rejection.  And as we have seen, it is G-d who suggests the team of scouts in the first place?!

The classical commentary Rashi immediately alerts us to the fact that in the Book of Deuteronomy, wherein Moses recounts the episode of the scouts, the genesis of the idea emanates not from G-d, but rather from the people themselves: “All of you came near to me and said, ‘let us send out men in front of us; let them investigate (vayahperu) the land for us and bring back to us a statement; the path from which we ought enter, and the cities which we ought come into” (Deut. 1:22).  From Rashi’s perspective, the Divine statement at the outset of our Torah reading must be understood to have come after the people insisted on the advance team, and is actually taking issue with it:  “Send in accordance with your will (lecha) the men…” as far I (G-d) am concerned, I have no interest in such a mission!

The Ramban disagrees with Rashi’s interpretation, insisting that it was quite understandable -and even desirable- that a reconnaissance mission be sent in order to determine the best way to approach the land they wish to conquer, and which cities to attempt to take in their initial attack.  Such a request can hardly be called sinful. 

Building on the Ramban (as well as on an interpretation of my rebbe Rav J.B. Soloveitchik zt”l), I would suggest an alternative meaning of our opening verse.  The peoples’ request was legitimate, but it was also ambiguous. They ask for an advance team to “investigate (vayahperu) the land and bring back a report (davar),” continuing with a request for information regarding the best passage of entry and the initial cities of conquest. Does their last request merely elucidate the meaning of their initial words, or are they in fact requesting an investigation of the land itself (its topography, its fertility, its fortifications and the nature of its inhabitants) which will lead to a “statement” not only as to the project’s feasibility but also as to its worthwhileness?

Moses, when he carefully instructs them what to be looking for, clearly understands their mission to be solely one of reconnaissance (the process of obtaining information about an enemy area, Numbers 13:16-20).

And G-d, in His command to Moses as our portion opens, goes one step further:  He uses a totally different -and unique- verb to describe their mission which is vayaturu.  Rav Elhanan Samet, in his magnificent work on the Biblical portions, teaches that the verb tur appears no less than twelve times in our portion, paralleling the twelve tribes and the twelve scouts; he likewise takes the verb to mean to ‘show the way,’ to be the scout leader discovering and uncovering the path to G-d’s Divine resting place (Numbers 10:13 in reference to the ark of the Divine Covenant, which travels a three day distance in front of the Israelites to discover-investigate- for them a resting place, menuchah;  Deut.1:29-33, and Ezekiel 20:6), where the resting place is to be discovered is clearly the Land of Israel: “…On that day I lifted up my hand to them [in oath] to take them out of the Land of Egypt to the land which I investigated [or discovered (tarti)] for them, the land flowing with milk and honey, a hart (tsvi) for all the lands”.

G-d is telling Moses that this must be more than a reconnaissance mission, less of a ‘feasibility’ study and more of a ‘faithfulness’ study.  The advance team with their report must inspire the nation to become emotionally, spiritually and intellectually connected to the Land of Israel before they even get there; they must be moved and directed with passionate love just as the sinner is moved and directed to the prostitute with passionate lust (Numbers 14:33).  Yes, Moses tells them that they must “look at the land, what it is” (13:18).  But in looking, what they should be able to see is G-d, and G-d’s covenant.  And once they’re able to see G-d, then necessarily they will look upon the inhabitants of the land with a different perspective, a different pair of eye-glasses. If only the Israelites had understood that the Land of Israel was to be given to the people of Israel in order for them to fulfill their Divine mission in the world, then they would have seen themselves as giants, as G-d’s emissaries -and the Canaanites as grasshoppers; because they did not look at the land with passionate love, through “Gods eyeglasses,” they saw themselves as grasshoppers and the Canaanites as giants!

Now it becomes eminently clear why our Biblical reading ends with the portion of tzitzit, the white and blue ritual fringes which the Jew attaches to his four-cornered garments which he must “look upon …in order that he remember the commandments and not direct himself towards, nor lust after (taturu) his heart and eyes.”  “And indeed the Hebrews “tzitz” literally means to gaze upon.  Look at your garb, look at the fringes on the corners of your garb, and remember what God wants you to see: the blue and white of the heavens,  “…like the making of the white of the sapphire, the essence of the heavens (blue-white) for sanctity” (Ex 24:10), the blue-white glory of the Divine Presence which is the singular Unity behind all of the superficial colors of the rainbow, the eternal covenant of G-d with His eternal people.  You will then remember the commandments of G-d, you will be adorned with the royal-blue (t’khelet) mitre of the High Priest (tzitz) in the form of your royal blue (t’khelet) ritual fringe, you will understand that G-d took you out of Egypt in order for you to teach the world the message of human freedom and Divine Love, and you will not be seduced (taturu) after the vain and empty lusts of your heart and your eyes. 

G-d wanted the scouts to look at the Land of Israel and see G-d and His commandments just as He wants each of us to look at our garments, and into ourselves, and see G-d and His commandments.  G-d wants us to understand that our unique nation and our unique land exist for the sake of our unique and Divine mission to perfect the world -and with this knowledge and commitment we need fear no human being, no mighty earthly power.

Alas, the “Princes” of Israel did not see it then, and the “Princes” of Israel do not see it now.   

Shabbat Shalom!

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