The Chidushei Hari"m says that if the spies had seen themselves as Moshe's emissaries, they would have succeeded in their mission, for his merit would have given them the strength to strengthen themselves in their faith. Instead they saw themselves as the emissaries of the people, and so they were only able to see the concealment of nature and not beyond the concealment. By connecting ourselves to Hashem and to the tzadikkim and seeing ourselves as their emissaries in this world, we will merit completing our life   goals and missions successfully.

SEEING THE GOODNESS OF ERETZ YISRAEL: CALEV AND YEHOSHUA

"The land which we traveled through, 'latour ohtah' to spy it out, tovah ha-aretz m'od m'od, the Land is very very good."    Calev ben Yefuneh and Yehoshua ben Nunn  (Bamidbar 14:7)

Calev and Yehoshua were the only two spies who saw that "the Land is very very good." Reb Leibeleh Aiger zt"l explains that though they were the only two whose eyes were open to seeing what this mission was all about, nevertheless, they were the 'good root' of the entire group and of the entire nation, since the twelve spies represented the whole nation.  Two people can look at the same thing and yet each one sees it and comprehends it differently. Ten of the spies looked at Eretz Yisrael from their own personal perspectives. But Yehoshua and Calev who retained their attachment to their root and essence, were able to see the truth of truth.

The Zohar says that Yehoshua had 'supernal help'. Reb Leibele explains this to mean that he took the attitude that no matter how big and powerful the people of the land may be, all this is of no consequence for nothing can get in the way of Hashem's will.
Calev, although he did not receive any special blessing from Moshe, as Yehoshua had, nevertheless was able to see the truth of the truth, because at each step along the way he was praying to Hashem to enlighten his eyes and to keep him focused on the real purpose of this mission. He prayed to see only that which Hashem wanted him to see, and to understand what Hashem was showing him and why He was showing it to him. And even when he did not understand he did not for one moment forget that he was that he was an emissary on a Divine mission.

Reb Leibeleh says something awesome. As we all know this story of the spies is in a sense the most tragic story of the Jewish people, and to this very day we are still suffering because of it. Yet, says Reb Leibeleh there is something very great in this story of the sending of the spies- who were after all sent by Hashem's command to send them. Yes, it's true that this command differs from all others in that it was not as direct- still it says in the Torah "Hashem spoke to Moshe saying: Send unto yourself men that they should scout the land which I Am giving to the Children of Yisrael..." The rebellion was tragic. Great men, 'tzaddikim' turned away from Hashem and inspired a rebellion. Yet Hashem ultimately responded to Moshe Rabbeinu's prayer , saying, "I have forgiven as you spoke." [Bamidbar 14:20]

The awesomeness of this story says Reb Leibeleh, is that Hashem was appeased to forgive the nation, because at the root we remained connected to holiness. As much as we may mess up, and even when we mess up badly, so long as at our roots we remain somehow connected to 'kedusha' it is possible to 'fix' and to 'sweeten' the judgment. Calev and Yehoshua were the 'good root' that maintained our connection to 'kedusha'.  [Toras Emes parshas Shlach]

TOVAH HA-ARETZ M'OD M'OD - M'OD M'OD HEVEI SHFAL RUACH

The holy Lechovitcher Rebbe said that the phrase "Tovah ha-aretz m'od m'od - the land is very very good," alludes us to the teaching in Ethics of The Fathers [chap. 4], "M'od m'od hevei shfal ruach - very very much be of humble spirit." This means to say that Eretz Yisrael belongs to those who are humble. One who is haughty and boastful cannot see how precious Eretz Yisrael truly is. This is the land in which the Shechinah dwells. Sadly, since the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash, may it be rebuilt quickly in our days, the Shechinah is also in exile; yet here in Israel a Jew can experience and see Godliness more so than anywhere else even today, provided that he is humble.

Mar Ukvah teaches that concerning the one who speaks 'lashon harah', G-d says, "Ein ani v'hu yecholin ladur ba-olam - he and I cannot live together in the world." Some say that it is concerning the haughty person that G-d says this. (Erchin 15b)

"R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: Every man in whom is haughtiness of spirit is as though he worships idols; it is written here, Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord,  and it is written elsewhere, Thou shalt not bring an abomination into thine house." (Sotah 4b)

ON SEEING

Our master the holy Baal Shem Tov taught: A man can see awesome things in this world, but he himself blocks his eyes from seeing, with his little hand.

On another occasion the Baal Shem Tov explained to his students, just like a tiny coin held close to the eye, can entirely block out your view of the enormously huge sun, similarly your view of the physical world can block your view of the spiritual world. The Raabad in his sefer "Ba-alei Hanefesh" says, "Open your eyes and see the image of your Creator."

Reb Shlomo ztz"l, once taught us:
"The Talmud teaches: "Said Rabbi Binyamin, everyone is considered blind until Hashem opens their eyes." Everybody is blind until G-d makes you see, you can stand next to the thing you are looking for all your life... all your life, [but] you don't see it unless Hashem opens your eyes.

You can stand next to your soul mate for 100 years and unless Hashem opens your eyes... it is possible to stand next to the person who loves you the most, and you don't even know it.

What'll happen when Mashiach is coming? You know what'll happen when Mashiach is coming... G-d will open our eyes... G-d will open our eyes... G-d will open the eyes of nations, and they'll look at each other and they'll say, "Crazy... you're my best friend.... you're my best friend...you're my best friend."

Opening up eyes, gevalt is that deep... gevalt is that deep! You know you can go to Yerushalayim, you can stand by the gates of heaven, you can stand in the place where G-d's presence is shining in the deepest deepest way, more than in Paradise, and unless G-d opens your eyes you don't see anything... you don't see anything."

Reb Shlomo also taught that there is an enormous difference between seeing with 'prophetic eyes' and seeing with 'Moshiach eyes'. To see with prophetic eyes means that you are looking at someone and gathering information about them, you are discerning who they are, what they are, you are evaluating them and making predictions based on the information. Seeing with Moshiach eyes means to look at a person and to see their depths without being distracted by what you see on the exterior. You can see your soul mate, but if you are not looking at him or her with Moshiach eyes, you won't realize that you are looking at your soul mate.

"LIR'OT" TO SEE VS "LATOUR" TO SPY, TO SCOUT, TO EXPLORE

What do we see? How do we perceive? What is the difference between seeing and spying? How are we being perceived in the eyes of the world, and most importantly in the eyes of Hashem? How do we see ourselves? What do we see when look at ourselves and at each other? Would that we have good eyes and good vision, b'ezrat Hashem. Would that we understand the power of sight and seeing, would that we see with holy eyes.

Twice in our parsha it says "U're'eetem" and you shall see. Moshe Rabbeinu instructs the spies, "U're'eetem et ha-aretz" and you shall see the land." At the end of the parsha in the mitzvah of tzitzit it says "U're'eetem oto u'zechartem et kol mitzvot Hashem va'aseetem otam, and you shall see it [the blue thread] and you shall remember all the mitzvot of Hashem and you shall do them."

We also find the use of a related verb in this week's Parsha, "latour" to spy, to scout. In the parsha of the 'meraglim', the spies, we find: "Hashem spoke to Moshe saying. Send forth men, if you please, "ve-yatouru" and let them spy out the Land of Canaan, that I am giving to the Children of Israel." [13: 1-2]

In the portion at the end of our parsha, in the mitzvah of "tzitzit" -- the fringes that we are to attach to the four corners of our garments, [that have four corners or more], we once again find the verb "latour" -- to spy, as it says:
"And you shall see it [the blue thread] and you shall remember all the mitzvot of Hashem and you shall do them. "Ve'lo tatouru acharei levavchem ve'acharei eineichem... and you shall not explore after your hearts and after your eyes, after which you stray... and you shall be holy unto Hashem your G-d." [15: 39]

Our eyes are very precious and sensitive organs that according to the Kabbalists were given to us to help us see inside our selves. Just like we need to protect our eyes physically, so too we need to protect them spiritually. I once heard in the name of the Ramcha"l that it is in our eyes that are souls are most visible. If we are not mindful, our eyes can easily become the 'spying instruments of the yetzer-harah. As Rashi says, "the eyes see and the heart desires and then the body acts." One can go astray ever so subtly.

Being aware of how you are looking at people and at your daily surroundings is a good indicator of your spiritual condition at any given moment. When you walk down the street do you readily make eye contact, or do you avoid it? Do you notice if you are looking with love, acceptance and blessing in your eyes, or is there pain, jealousy and anger in them? They say, "Looks can kill." Or, "If looks could kill I'd be dead by now." We say, "Looks can give and restore life!" Yes we really do need to protect our eyes. This is the concept of "Shmirat ha-Eynaiim - guarding the eyes."

CONNECTING DEEEPLY WITH ERETZ YISRAEL

The essence of this week's parsha and the coming month is about connecting deeply with our holy land, Eretz Yisrael, both physically and spiritually. In the midst of all the concern pertaining to Eretz Yisrael, surely everyone is asking, "Is there anything I can do about it?" The answer is YES!

First and foremost, we all have to affirm our trust and faith in Hashem and that we care deeply about this holy land that Hashem promised our ancestors and that it is His will that we should live in and serve Him here in this holy land.
Our survival and success here in Eretz Yisrael is in Hashem's hands, but we have to do all that we can do- tshuva, prayer, tzedakkah, and 'gemilut-chassadim' - acts of loving kindness and active involvement on behalf of Eretz Yisrael.

We need to sincerely express our concern to Hashem for the well being of Eretz Yisrael. Pray for Hashem to inspire us and our leaders with the necessary knowledge and wisdom to do what is right. Seeing that we love Eretz Yisrael and care deeply for her will arouse the nations to respect Hashem's gift to His people, and our special relationship to Eretz Yisrael. May Hashem answer all our prayers l'tovah. Amen.

THE SIN OF THE MERAGLIM

The children of Israel had approached Moshe Rabbeinu and expressed a desire to send spies, "v'yachperu -- and they shall spy out [literally...dig] the Land of Canaan" before entering the Holy Land*. Hashem granted permission for this expedition, but as we learn in this weeks' parsha, the outcome was and still is tragic. *[See Deut. 1: 22-46, which complements the two chapters devoted to this event in our parsha, Bamidbar 13-14]

Forty days later the spies returned. Ten of the twelve spies presented a report that incited panic and rebellion. The remaining two spies, Calev and Yehoshua tried to reassure the nation that we can get the land, that we do not have to fear the nations inhabiting the land, because no matter how strong they may be, "for their protection has been removed... and they said to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, the land which we traveled through, latour ohtah-- to spy it out, the land is very very good." But the people did not listen to them and instead were swayed by the lashon harah of the spies. They cried and they mourned and they went into a panic even unto wanting to go back to Mitzrayim. They aroused Hashem's wrath and brought down dire consequences upon themselves their children and upon all future generations. That night was the "Tisha b'Av", the ninth of Av. The 9th of Av came to be the most tragic date of Jewish history.

The commentators ask how did such a terrible tragedy come about? What is even more puzzling is that the spies, as explained in Rashi, were actually 'tzadikkim' - holy and righteous people. Who would expect that 'tzadikkim' would foment such a tragic rebellion against Hashem's plan? What was their mistake?

The spies were holy tzadikkim, righteous people, until they committed this grave sin and they certainly had great faith in Hashem. Strangely, their sin came about because of the righteousness and wisdom.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that the spies erred because of their desire to always be close to Hashem. They knew that upon entering Eretz Yisrael, life was going to change radically, that our supernatural heavenly existence in the wilderness would not continue.

In the wilderness we lived around the Mishkan - the dwelling place of the Shechinah. The Presence of the Shechinah was evident both in the Pillar of Fire and the Pillar of Cloud. The 'clouds of glory' surrounded us. Even the food we ate was heavenly - 'mannah' from heaven. Hashem was our focus of attention while our physical needs were taken care miraculously, and thus we were able to spend our days in prayer, study of the Torah and devotion to Hashem.

However upon entering Eretz Yisrael all this would change; we would now have to plough, plant, sow and reap; we would have to get very involved with the 'eretz' - matters of earthly existence. Eretz Yisrael was and is a very blessed land, its fruits and produce were extraordinarily large and there was great abundance and we were going to be very wealthy.

The spies were fearful that because of our involvement with the physical and the mundane we would lose our spiritual connection with Hashem; they were fearful that we might come to think that we are mature and independent beings, no longer in need of Hashem. Better, they thought, that we don't enter the Holy Land, for the physicality of the land consumes the spiritual life of its inhabitants. And so, they reasoned, Hashem did not really want us to get involved with 'the land', with the physicality of life? And so they chose to speak lashon harah against Eretz Yisrael.

But that is exactly what Hashem wanted and desired. It is Hashem's will that we make this world into a dwelling place for Him. Our task is to bring heaven down to earth and to raise our earthly existence to heaven, to reveal the Divine in the physical [which is even greater than the revelation of the supernatural] and thereby elevate it. Though their understanding was great, the spies nevertheless made the mistake of not realizing that this was not the place for rational understanding. When connecting to Hashem's 'ratzon', to His will, we are entering into a deeper than mind connection with Hashem, for 'ratzon' will, is deeper much deeper than that, deeper than all of one's rational understandings of Hashem and His Mitzvot.

The miracle of Israel is that this is the place where Hashem wants us to be and to live together with the Shechinah. Here in this land Hashem wants us to do our part in revealing the Presence of Hashem in this world, the lowest of all worlds; to reveal that this world is nothing but the outer manifestation of the ever present Divine words of creation.

ENTERING INTO ERETZ YISRAEL - AND THE PERFORMANCE OF ALL MITZVOT

The Lubavithcher Rebbe zt"l often taught that the essence of each parsha, is contained in the name of the parsha. Although the name of each parsha is always taken from the first or second opening verse, these names were not chosen randomly and merely for convenience of reference, they actually do contain the essential teaching of the parsha that relates to every other part of the weekly parsha. For example, said the Rebbe, just like the entire ocean is present in each drop of water, so too the entire parsha relates to the name of the parsha. Thus the Rebbe asks, 'what is the relationship between the story of the meraglim [the spies] entering the Land of Israel and the rest of the parsha which contains a number of mitzvot.' The mitzvot, after all are meant to be kept through the generations, while the story of the meraglim is seemingly just an episode in the history of the Jewish people!

The Rebbe explains that this story, which is the story about entering into Eretz Yisrael - the 'land' of Israel, contains essential teachings that pertain to the performance of all mitzvot.

A basic concept in fulfilling Hashem's commandments is the knowledge that, since the mitzvot are Hashem's mitzvot, then it is a sure and certain thing that it is in our capability to fulfill them, for Hashem does not ask of us anything that is beyond our capabilities. Hashem gives us the strength to fulfill the mitzvot.

In addition to knowing this we are taught, "Ain somchin al haness," we do not to rely on miracles, even in the fulfillment of mitzvot. Indeed, an essential aspect in the fulfillment of the mitzvot is to do them in as natural a manner as possible, for in this way we are accomplishing G-d's Will that we "make for Him a dwelling place in the lowest of all worlds." Therefore it was necessary for [and G-d allowed] us to send the spies into the Land, to discover the 'natural' ways of ascending to, and acquiring the Land of Israel. [I.e. it would not be right to have said simply, "G-d told us to go into the Land, so then let's just go and G-d will take care of everything!" It was important that we should send the spies to discover the 'naturally' best entry points, to know where the water and food supplies are to be found, which cities are the strongest, which are the weakest etc. etc... This is the process of drawing G-dliness into the physical realm - making a dwelling place for Ha
shem in the physical world.]

The story of our entering into the "Holy Land" - pertains to the fulfillment of all mitzvot, in general. Concerning the awesome greatness of Eretz Yisrael, the Torah tells us that it is the "Land that Hashem your G-d cares for, the eyes of Hashem your G-d are always therein, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." (Devarim 11:12.) The supernal Divine Providence in Eretz Yisrael is exceptional, it is both inner and revealed - G-dliness can be 'felt' even within the 'physicality' of the Land, in a more revealed manner than anywhere else in the world. Our purpose in entering Eretz Yisrael is to draw revealed holiness and G-dliness into the physical Land. And this too is our underlying task in every mitzvah, to make for Him a dwelling place in this lowest of all worlds. Therefore, though Hashem is beyond all 'worlds', beyond time and space, He nevertheless, so to speak lowered Himself to us and gave us mitzvot that are performed in time and space. In this way we are enabled to elevate ourselves and the 'world' to G-d.

This also explains the choice of the ambiguous phrase "Shlach lecha" - send unto/for yourself, which implies as Rashi says, that Hashem was not commanding us outright to do so. Given that we are not to rely on miracles, should Hashem then not have commanded us outright to send the spies? The Rebbe explains, that this aspect of service - elevating the mundane to Hashem, in order for it be accomplished in a complete manner, requires that we should have the space to come forward to Hashem in doing something that we were not commanded to do. To reach beyond the level of 'mekabeyl' - the level of being a receiver only, and to reach the level of 'mashpiah' - the of being a giver as well, requires that we should be able to something in the fulfillment of the commandments, that we were not actually commanded to do.

Now we understand not only why the story of the spies entering into the Land of Israel precedes the mitzvot in the parsha; we also understand why this instruction was given such an ambiguous manner! Entering the Land is to draw the kedusha of Hashem into the 'land', into the physical. Sending the spies, is to seek out the ways of drawing this holiness into the most 'natural' ways of this world. The sending of the spies without formally being commanded to do so, represents the goal of Torah and mitzvot - to elevate the lower realms to the supernal.

ENTERING ERETZ YISRAEL AND ENTERING SHABBOS:
THE SECRET OF KABBALAT SHABBAT

Entering into Shabbos is similar to entering into Eretz Yisrael. Just like we had to leave the wilderness and enter into the Holy Land, so too each week we leave the existence of the weekdays and enter into the holiness of Shabbos. By observing Shabbos we are witnesses proclaiming that there is a Creator, who created the world which belongs entirely to Him, and that He is ever present and watching over His creation. The question arises; how do we get out of the consciousness of weekdays into the holiness Shabbos, especially if we have already gotten trapped in the weekday life?

This is the secret of the Kabbalat Shabbat services. After we finish the last Mincha Service of the week before sunset on Friday afternoon, we start Kabbalat Shabbat. This service consists of seven Psalms: first we sing [and dance] the first six of these, which correspond to the six days of the week. Then we sing "lecha dodi', and this is followed by the seventh Psalm: Mizmor shir l'yom haShabbat, the song of the Sabbath day.

The first of these, Psalm 95, begins with an invitation to dance and sing unto Hashem: L'chu N'rannenah L'Hashem, and it ends with a warning not to repeat the mistakes that our ancestors made the wilderness, for it caused them to be stuck there for forty years and never making it into Eretz Yisrael. . Why do we start the Kabbalat Shabbat in this way, and why do we encounter this admonition just as we are about to enter into Shabbos?

Do you think that you are trapped in weekday consciousness? You think you can't get away from it? There is only one-way Reb Shlomo zt"l used to say. Get up and dance, sing and sing and dance your way into Shabbos for the Gates of Song are next to the Gates of Tshuvah; this the way home, back into the Holy Shabbos. You think you can't sing and dance? Ask a friend to bless you and connect you to the World of Neginah song. See yourself in the World of Song and SING! But remember entering Shabbos is like entering Eretz Yisrael, it requires faith in trust in Hashem. It requires a willingness to leave the familiarity and spirituality of our wilderness existence, a willingness to leave the world of doing and to enter into the world of being.

 

May all of Am Yisrael be blessed to have deep faith in Hashem and in his tzaddikim and tzaddkanios and in the coming of Moshiach and the 'geulah shleimah, bimheira' Amen.