From: <havanehama@aol.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 11:04 AM
Subject: Parshat SHLACH: Spies in the Limelight..... Shabbat Shalom!
Parshat SHELACH
The sin of the Spies who spoke ill about the Land of Israel ...
Moshe sent twelve spies to tour Eretz Yisrael. They returned 40 days later, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, pomegranates and figs, and reported they they had seen a lush and bountiful land. But ten of the spies spoke negatively (dibat ha'aretz) about the Land of Israel, warning that the inhabitants of the land were giants and warriors "more powerful than we". Only Caleb and Yehoshua insisted that the land could be conquered, as G‑d had promised.
The people wept that they would rather return to Egypt and considered stoning Caleb and Yehoshua. As a result, Hashem decreed that this generation would wander in the desert for 40 years, during which time they would die in the desert. Only their children would merit to enter Eretz Yisrael.
A group of remorseful Jews stormed the mountain to enter the border of Israel but were defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites. They had lost their opportunity forever to enter the Land of of their fathers.
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The Error of the Spies
How was it possible for the spies to mislead the Jewish people and convince them that even G‑d could not help them, when the Jews themselves had constantly witnessed the miracles performed on their behalf?
The Jewish people experienced supernatural victories over their enemies. When they were pursued by the Egyptians, G‑d Himself split the sea for them. They should have understood that just as G‑d had performed miracles for them in their war with Egypt, He would also perform miracles for them in their battle for Eretz Yisrael.
Mystical sources explain that the spies did not want to enter Eretz Yisrael, preferring to remain in the desert, because they did not want to descend into the realm of the material and occupy themselves with the mundane.
While the Jews were in the desert they were cut off from the material world; even their food and drink transcended materiality, and their clothing grew along with them.
However, upon entry into Eretz Yisrael the manna ceased and they were forced to eat physical bread, which involved physical labor such as plowing and sowing. The spies preferred the wholly spiritual lifestyle of the desert.
Despite their lofty idealism, the spies' aspirations were misguided. The mission of a Jew is to create a dwelling place for G‑d within the nethermost level by transforming the physical into a vessel for G‑dliness. They could only accomplish this in Eretz Yisrael, for it was only there that the primary manner of spiritual service consisted of performing physical mitzvos.
The spies mistakenly thought that only two kinds of conduct are possible — the natural and the supernatural — and that these are mutually exclusive. In truth, G‑d is not bound to these two paths, for He equally transcends both the natural and the supernatural; furthermore, He is capable of integrating Heaven and earth.
Therefore, since G‑d desired that the Jews provide Him a dwelling place by performing physical mitzvos in Eretz Yisrael, the Jews had nothing to fear from the inhabitants; although the world retains its natural characteristics, G‑d would guarantee the Jewish people — as they exist in a natural state — success that is truly supernatural.
The spies mistakenly thought that the Jews' relationship with G‑d was limited to their otherworldly actions — praying, studying Torah and performing mitzvos.
They failed to realize that the Jewish people exist supernaturally even while functioning in the natural world.They also failed to perceive how a G‑dliness that transcends nature exists within nature. (Based on Likkutei Sichos) www.chabad.org/parshah/articl
"The Sefat Emet similarly explains that The Zohar states that the spies thought: 'Here (in the desert,) we are the leaders (of Bnei Yisrael) in the Land (of Israel) we will not merit to be the leaders.'". According to the Zohar, they were concerned about losing their spiritual influence by entering Eretz Yisrael, and therefore decided that for the sake of the Torah, it is better to dwell in the Galut.
Harvesting the Fruit of the Land
Why did Moshe instruct the spies to bring back fruit from the land? Based on the above approach, an interesting answer can be suggested. Moshe was not commanding these spies to merely scout the land. He was commanding them to begin the process of possession. They were to represent the nation and assume ownership of the land. Moshe's instructions to collect a portion of the fruit of the land can be understood in this context.According to Torah law, land can be acquired in three ways. First, it can be acquired through payment. Second, ownership can be transferred through a document. Third, land can be acquired through chazakah. Chazakah means performing an action that demonstrates ownership. If a person wishes to transfer ownership of land to another person, the recipient can establish possession through demonstrating ownership..(Rambam, Mishne Torah, Hilchot Mechira 1:3)How does a person acquire a parcel of land through chazakah? What specific actions are regarded as demonstrations of ownership? One of the forms of chazakah is harvesting the fruit of the land. Through harvesting the fruit the person demonstrates possession (Rambam, Hilchot Mechira, 1:16)
We can appreciate Moshe's instructions. The spies were to initiate the process of possessing the land. He commanded them to perform an act of legal acquisition. They were to utilize chazakah. The harvesting of the fruit was an expression of this chazakah. (Rav Shimon Yosef Miller, Shai LaTorah (Jerusalem 5753)
https://www.ou.org/torah/parsh
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SAYINGS OF OUR SAGES: Eretz Chemda, A Beloved Land
Hashem said to Moshe: "The Land is precious to Me, and the people of Israrel are precious to Me. I will therefore bring a precious people into a precious Land. (Bamidbar Rabba 23)
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It is better to live in the deserts of Eretz Yisrael than in the palaces of other lands (Bereishis Rabba 39)
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Rav Simai taught: Why did Moshe Rabbeinu desire to enter Eretz Yisrael? Did he need to eat its fruit or enjoy its good produce? No, Moshe said, "The Jews were commanded to do many mitzvot, which can only be performed in Eretz Yisrael." (Sota 14)
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Rav Levi said, When Avraham travelled through Aram Naharayim and Aram Nachor he saw people eating, drinking and partying. He said, "I want no part of this land." When he reached the mountains between Tzor and Acco he saw the people working. They were weeding at weeding time, hoeing at hoeing time. He said, "I wish to have a part in this Land!" (Bereishis Rabba 39)
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Light and Dark Spaces
The holier something is, the more darkness it attracts in counterpart.
Because the Land of Israel is so infused with holiness, it attracts such great negativity from every source, Jewish and non Jewish, spanning the gamut from secular liberal leftists to Neturei Karta.
Despite the fact that an entire parsha of the Torah is devoted to the grave sin of speaking lashon hara against Eretz Yisrael, and despite the fact that we are aware of the universal negative reverberations which this sin effected throughout 2,000 years of Jewish exile, the negative yetzer to malign Israel continues to be a powerful one. The power of this sin, which is rationalized in a myriad ways by a myriad of people, seems to have infiltrated every level of Jewish and world consciousness.
Only one fifth of the Israelites left Egypt during the exodus on a journey towards Eretz Yisrael. Only two of the Twelve Meraglim spoke positively of the Land of Israel and merited to enter it.
It is a special merit to love Eretz Yisrael.
May we be blessed with the courage, clarity and spiritual vision to be part of the minority of Caleb and Yehoshua. May it be said of us that we too have a "רוח אחרת" - a different spirit. (Bamidbar 14:24)
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My Hevron
כי לכלב נתתי את חברון, כי רוח אחרת הייתה עימו
Click here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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Wellsprings of Yearning
by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Hacohen Kook זצ״ל
The heart yearns to attain an understanding of Eretz Yisrael
of the faith of Eretz Yisrael
Of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael
I will walk before Hashem
in the land of the living
This is Eretz Yisrael, This is the land of of life
Have mercy Hashem, Have pity God,
Merciful and Gracious
Have mercy and let me merit to return to You with complete teshuva
and return me to the land of Your beauty
to praise Your inheritance
Have mercy, merciful Father
Save us
God of deliverance
click here to hear: The Wellsprings of Yearning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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For Hashem your God is bringing you to a good Land; a land with streams of water,
of springs and underground water coming forth in valley and mountain; a land of wheat, barley, grape, fig and pomegranate; a Land of olives and date honey;
..... A Land whose stones are iron and from whose mountains you will mine copper...
(Devarim Deuteronomy 8:7)
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Promise of the Land of Israel to Abraham (Gen 12:7; 24:7)
כי את כל הארץ אשר אתה רואה לך אתננה ולזרעך עד עולם
לך אתן את הארץ הזו וברך כל מיני תבואתה עד העולם
CLICK HERE to hear Avraham Fried : I Will Give You This Land...":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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LIPA Shmeltzer: From the Four Corners of the World
click here: https://www.youtube.com/
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Robin Ticker
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.
Robin Ticker
Most of these emails are posted on Shemittahrediscovered.blogspot.com
