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Parshas Shlach
A Powerful Message about Our Power!
Moshe sent them to scout the Land
of Canaan, and he said to them, "Go up this way in the south and climb
up the mountain. You shall see what [kind of] land it is, and the people
who inhabit it; are they strong or weak? Are there few or many? And
what of the land they inhabit? Is it good or bad? And what of the cities
in which they reside are they in camps or in fortresses? What is the
soil like? Is it fat or lean? Are there any trees in it or not? You
shall be courageous and take from the fruit of the land." It was the
season when the first grapes begin to ripen. (Bamidbar 13:17-20)
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Parshas Shlach
Internal Injury
"Send forth men..." (13:2)
This week's parsha introduces the episode of the spies who spoke
disparagingly concerning Eretz Yisroel. As a result of the spies'
actions the entire generation of Bnei Yisroel who accepted their evil
tidings were doomed to die in the desert[1]. Rashi explains that the
reason why this parsha is juxtaposed to the story of Miriam's affliction
with tzora'as recorded at the end of last week's parsha, is that the
spies should have taken a lesson from Miriam regarding the consequences
of speaking Loshon Horah[2]. The prohibition of speaking Loshon Horah is
amongst the most severe offenses recorded in the Torah.
The Chofeitz Chaim enumerates the many positive and negative precepts
violated when engaging in Loshon Horah[3]. Why did the spies, who where
the greatest leaders of the generation, require the incident with Miriam
to teach them a precept which is clearly delineated in the Torah?
So that through them TheהאורLight, רפואהThe Healing and TheואהבהLove ofישועת יהוהYeshuath YHWH may come back toהארץThe Land of Israel?
Rabbi Yissocher Frand
Parshas Sh'lach
These divrei Torah were
adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter
Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 773, Kavanah When Wearing
Tzitzis. Good Shabbos
One Can Recognize His Own Greatness Without Being Arrogant
The final statement the Meraglim [Spies] made concerning their report
regarding what they saw in the Land of Israel was: "There we saw the
Nephillim, the sons of a giant from among the Nephillim; we in our eyes
like grasshoppers; and so too were we in their eyes." [Bamidbar 13:33]
We have commented in past years – how did the spies know how they looked
to the Canaanites? They were, after all, not mind readers. The answer
we have given is that if one perceives himself as a grasshopper then
that will be how others perceive him as well! To put it colloquially,
"if you think you are a shmateh [rag], then that is how others will look
at you as well."
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Parshas Shlach
Two Halachic Highways1
Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moshe and Aharon...
What were they thinking? With all due respect to Aharon, did anyone
believe that if Moshe could not provide an answer, that Aharon would?
Note how they are ordered in the pasuk, with Moshe listed first. The
plain reading is that they turned to them in sequence.