The Spies' True Mission: Sanctifying the Land
From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 13:2
שְׁלַח־לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים וְיָתֻרוּ אֶת־אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִי נֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ אֶחָד אִישׁ אֶחָד לְמַטֵּה אֲבֹתָיו תִּשְׁלָחוּ כֹּל נָשִׂיא בָהֶם
Send men for yourself, and let them scout the land of Canaan which I am giving to Bnei Yisrael; one man each for his father's tribe shall you send, every one a leader among them.
1“Send men for yourself, and let them scout the land of Canaan which I am giving to Bnei Yisrael.”1 Why send spies at all before entering Eretz Yisrael? Spying is a way of learning how to conquer a place, and that matters only when a land is to be taken by war, in the natural way. But here Hashem, blessed be He, had made a covenant with Avraham Avinu to give the land to his descendants,2 and He would certainly help them conquer it even beyond the natural order.
שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים וְיָתוּרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (יג, ב). יֵשׁ לְהָבִין מָה שַׁיָּיךְ עִנְיַן שְׁלִיחַת מְרַגְּלִים קוֹדֶם הַכְּנִיסָה לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַהֲלֹא רִיגּוּל עִנְיָינוֹ לֵידַע אֵיךְ לִכְבּוֹשׁ הַמָּקוֹם, וְזֶה שַׁיָּיךְ רַק כַּאֲשֶׁר בָּאִים לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶרֶץ בַּמִּלְחָמָה בְּדֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע, אֲבָל כָּאן מֵאַחַר שֶׁה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ כָּרַת בְּרִית עִם אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ לָתֵת אֶת הָאָרֶץ לְזַרְעוֹ, וַדַּאי שֶׁיַּעַזְרֵם אַף שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ.
In shortIf Hashem had promised Avraham the land and would help beyond nature, why send spies, whose purpose belongs to natural conquest?
2We must also ask about the words “which I am giving to Bnei Yisrael,” which seem unnecessary. We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us Eretz Yisrael, so what is the verse telling us? A further question: why was a spy needed from every single tribe? Two or three would have been enough to spy out the land. Notice, too, the wording: the verse says veyasuru, “and let them scout,” and not viyraglu, “and let them spy.”
עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק אוֹמְרוֹ ׳אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ שֶׁהוּא כִּמְיוּתָּר, דְּהַדָּבָר יָדוּעַ שהקב״ה נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמָה כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ בָּזֶה. עוֹד צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מֶה הָיָה צוֹרֶךְ לִשְׁלוֹחַ מְרַגֵּל מִכָּל שֵׁבֶט וְשֵׁבֶט, וַהֲלֹא בִּשְׁבִיל רִיגּוּל הָאָרֶץ הָיָה דַּי בִּשְׁנַיִם אוֹ שְׁלוֹשָׁה מְרַגְּלִים. עוֹד יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳וְיָתוּרוּ׳ וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר ׳וִירַגְּלוּ׳.
In shortThree more questions: why “which I am giving,” why a spy from every tribe, and why veyasuru rather than viyraglu?
3The Midrash Rabbah opens this parshah by speaking of emissaries sent on a mitzvah and of how greatly they are praised. It says: “There is nothing as beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He, as an emissary sent to do a mitzvah who gives his soul so that he will succeed in his mission.” And it concludes: “But the emissaries whom Moshe sent were wicked. How do we know? From what we read in the passage: ‘Send men for yourself.’”3 But what have emissaries on a mitzvah to do with the spies, that the Midrash should open with them here and dwell on them at such length? Sending the spies was a sin for them, not a mitzvah.
וְהִנֵּה הַמִּדְרָשׁ רַבָּה (טז, א) מַתְחִיל בְּכָאן בְּעִנְיַן שְׁלוּחֵי מִצְוָה וּבְגוֹדֶל שִׁבְחָם, וְאָמְרוּ שָׁם אֵין לְךָ חָבִיב לִפְנֵי הקב״ה כְּשָׁלִיחַ שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה וְנוֹתֵן נַפְשׁוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּצְלִיחַ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, וּמְסַיֵּים אֲבָל שְׁלוּחִים שֶׁשָּׁלַח מֹשֶׁה הָיוּ רְשָׁעִים, מִנַּיִן מִמַּה שֶׁקָּרִינוּ בָּעִנְיָן ״שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים״. וְצָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר, מֶה עִנְיַן שָׁלִיחַ שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּלֵּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה לַמְּרַגְּלִים, שֶׁפָּתַח וְהֶאֱרִיךְ בָּזֶה הַמִּדְרָשׁ כָּאן, אַחַר דִּשְׁלִיחַת הַמְּרַגְּלִים חֵטְא הָיָה לָהֶם וְלֹא מִצְוָה.
- Bamidbar Rabbah 16:1. ↩
In shortThe Midrash opens the spies' story by praising emissaries of a mitzvah; but what has that to do with a mission that ended in sin?
4Let us begin with the words of my holy father and teacher, zt"l, who explained the sin of the spies this way. Eretz Yisrael is a place of very great holiness, as the verse says, “The eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it …”4 So the spies feared that if Bnei Yisrael, Heaven forbid, sinned in Eretz Yisrael, they would never be able to set it right: the land would at once vomit them out and drive them far away.5 But the truth is otherwise, for a person can always return to Hashem in a single moment. That is what the spies meant when they said, “We cannot go up”:6 if we fall from our level, we will not be able to go up again. But Kalev answered them, “We shall surely go up,”7 meaning that even in the Holy Land a fall can be set right. Those are his holy words.
וְנִפְתַּח בְּדִבְרֵי כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, שֶׁאָמַר לְבָאֵר עִנְיַן חֵטְא הַמְּרַגְּלִים, שֶׁבִּהְיוֹת שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֶשְׁנָהּ קְדוּשָּׁה מְרוּבָּה מְאֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יא, יב) ״תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ״ וְגוֹ׳, חָשְׁשׁוּ הַמְּרַגְּלִים כִּי בְּאִם יֶחֶטְאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ח״ו בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְתַקֵּן, כִּי מִיָּד תָּקִיא אוֹתָם הָאָרֶץ וּתְרַחֲקֵם, אֲבָל הָאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ כֵּן, כִּי אֶפְשָׁר תָּמִיד בְּרֶגַע אֶחָד לָשׁוּב אֶל ה׳. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ הַמְּרַגְּלִים (יג, לא) ״לֹא נוּכַל לַעֲלוֹת״, הַיְינוּ דִּבְאִם נִיפּוֹל מִמַּדְרֵגוֹתֵינוּ לֹא נוּכַל שׁוּב לַעֲלוֹת. אֲבָל כֶּלֶב הֱשִׁיבָם (שם, ל) ״עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה״, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ בְּאֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ אֶפְשָׁר לְתַקֵּן, עכד״ק.
In shortThe spies feared a fall in the Holy Land was irreparable, the Rebbe's father taught; Kalev's “We shall surely go up” says it can.
5To explain all this more fully, we may say the following. When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moshe to send spies, it was really a mission in spiritual matters above all; the physical spying was only secondary. The land of the Canaanites called for great strength to subdue the powerful kelipos, the forces of impurity, that were there, as the verse says, “Like the practice of the land of Canaan … you shall not do.”8 Hashem wanted the spies' mission to be like the charge given to Avraham Avinu: “Go out and pave the way before your children.”9 The spies were to pave and prepare the way by purifying the land of all its abominations. That is why the men sent were princes, heads of the congregation and tzaddikim, people with the power to work in the spiritual realm and purify the land. As Chazal said on the words “all of them were men,” at that time they were tzaddikim.10 But here they erred. They gave their main attention to physical matters, such as whether the land was good or not, though these were only secondary. That was the spies' blemish.
וּבִכְדֵי לְבָאֵר כָּל הַנִּזְכָּר בְּיֶתֶר בֵּיאוּר אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת עִיקַּר מַה שֶׁאָמַר הקב״ה לִשְׁלוֹחַ מְרַגְּלִים הָיָה זֶה שְׁלִיחוּת לְעִנְיְנֵי רוּחָנִיּוּת, וְעִנְיַן הָרִיגּוּל בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת הָיָה רַק טָפֵל לָזֶה. וְהַיְינוּ לִהְיוֹת שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי הָיָה צוֹרֶךְ לְהִתְגַּבֵּר מְאֹד לְהַכְנִיעַ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ויקרא יח, ג) ״וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וְגוֹ׳ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ״, וַה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ רָצָה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה שִׁילּוּחַ הַמְּרַגְּלִים בִּבְחִינַת מַה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע״ה (בראשית רבה מ, ח) צֵא וּכְבוֹשׁ אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לִפְנֵי בָּנֶיךָ, שֶׁהַמְּרַגְּלִים יִכְבְּשׁוּ וְיָכִינוּ אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְטַהֵר אֶת הָאָרֶץ מִכָּל הַתּוֹעֵבוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהּ, וְלָכֵן שָׁלַח דַּוְקָא נְשִׂיאִים רָאשֵׁי הָעֵדָה וְצַדִּיקִים, אוֹתָם שֶׁהָיָה בְּיָדָם כֹּחַ לִפְעוֹל בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת לְטַהֵר הָאָרֶץ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז״ל (במדבר רבה טז, ה) ״כּוּלָּם אֲנָשִׁים״ (יג, ג ורש״י שם) בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה צַדִּיקִים הָיוּ. אֲבָל הֵם טָעוּ בָּזֶה וְנָתְנוּ עִיקַּר דַּעְתָּם עַל עִנְיְנֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת, לִרְאוֹת אִם טוֹבָה הָאָרֶץ אוֹ לֹא וְכַדּוֹמֶה וְזֶה לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא טָפֵל, וְזֶה הָיָה פְּגַם הַמְּרַגְּלִים.
- Vayikra 18:3 (the sefer has 18:2). ↩
- Bereishis Rabbah 40:8 (in standard editions 40:6). The Midrash's word for “pave,” kevosh, also means “conquer.” ↩
- Bamidbar Rabbah 16:5; Bamidbar 13:3 and Rashi there. Rashi explains that “men” in Scripture always denotes people of importance. ↩
In shortThe spies' real mission was spiritual, to pave the way by purifying Canaan; they erred by attending mainly to the land's physical qualities.
6aThis is the meaning of the words “which I am giving to you.”11 Hashem is telling them: “It is not you who will conquer Eretz Yisrael; I am giving it to you as a gift, above the natural order.” And the purpose of giving Israel the land is the one Dovid HaMelech stated: “He gave them the lands of nations … so that they might keep His statutes and guard His teachings.”12 So the conquest of the land rests on a spiritual foundation: conquering the land and living in it depend only on whether Bnei Yisrael can keep and guard His statutes. Their main task, then, is to purify the land, so that they will not fall into any of the abominations of the nations that lived there.
וְזֶה בֵּיאוּר לְשׁוֹן הַכָּתוּב ׳אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לָכֶם׳, שֶׁמֵּאַחַר שֶׁאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אַתֶּם כּוֹבְשִׁים אֶלָּא אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לָכֶם בְּמַתָּנָה לְמַעְלָה מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע, וְתַכְלִית נְתִינַת הָאָרֶץ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה (תהלים קה, מה) ״וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אַרְצוֹת גּוֹיִים וְגוֹ׳ בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמְרוּ חוּקָּיו וְתוֹרוֹתָיו יִנְצוֹרוּ״, וּמִמֵּילָא יְסוֹד כִּיבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ הוּא רוּחָנִיּוּת, שֶׁכִּיבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ וְהַיְּשִׁיבָה בָּהּ תָּלוּי רַק בָּזֶה שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לְקַיֵּים וְלִשְׁמוֹר חוּקָּיו, אִם כֵּן הָעִיקָּר הַמּוּטָּל עֲלֵיהֶם הוּא לְטַהֵר אֶת הָאָרֶץ שֶׁלֹּא יִפְּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל תּוֹעֲבוֹתָם שֶׁל הָאוּמּוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם.
6bThe same idea is hinted at in the verse's choice of veyasuru rather than viyraglu. Veyasuru is related to mosaros, “excess” or waste matter. Hashem was telling them that they did not need “to spy,” that is, in the physical sense. The main reason they were sent was to fight the kelipos and to clear away all the “nakedness of the land”13 and all its waste. That is “veyasuru the land of Canaan”: they were to purify the land of all these things, much as the body rids itself of waste. This also explains why the wording changes in Parshas Devarim, where the people say, “that they may search out the land for us,” veyachperu.14 The verse is telling us that when Bnei Yisrael asked to send spies, they did not mean veyasuru, a mission for the spiritual purpose we have described, but a mission for a physical purpose. That is veyachperu, related to cherpah, “disgrace.” It was a disgrace for Bnei Yisrael to set their minds on the physical and not on the spiritual, which was the true purpose of the spies' mission.
וְזֶה גַּם הָרֶמֶז בַּמֶּה שֶׁנָּקַט הַכָּתוּב לְשׁוֹן ׳וְיָתוּרוּ׳ וְלֹא ׳וִירַגְּלוּ׳, דְּ׳וְיָתוּרוּ׳ הוּא מִלְּשׁוֹן מוֹתָרוֹת, וְאָמַר לָהֶם בָּזֶה שֶׁאֵין צְרִיכִים ׳לְרַגֵּל׳ דְּהַיְינוּ בַּגַּשְׁמִיּוּת, אֶלָּא עִיקַּר מַה שֶׁנִּשְׁלַחְתֶּם הוּא בִּכְדֵי לִלְחוֹם עִם הַקְּלִיפּוֹת וּלְהוֹתֵיר וּלְהוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם כָּל עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ וְכָל הַמּוֹתָרוֹת, וְזֶהוּ ׳וְיָתוּרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן׳, שֶׁיְּטַהֲרוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ מִכָּל אֵלֶּה, וּכְעִנְיָן הַפְרָשַׁת הַמּוֹתָרוֹת. וְזֶהוּ בֵּיאוּר שִׁינּוּי הַלָּשׁוֹן, שֶׁבְּפָרָשַׁת דְּבָרִים נֶאֱמַר (דברים א, כב) ״וְיַחְפְּרוּ לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ״, דְּמוֹרֶה הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה דְּמַה שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּקְּשׁוּ לִשְׁלוֹחַ מְרַגְּלִים לֹא הָיָה זֶה בִּבְחִינַת ׳וְיָתוּרוּ׳ שֶׁהִיא לְצוֹרֶךְ הָרוּחָנִי כַּנִּזְכָּר, אֶלָּא לְצוֹרֶךְ הַגַּשְׁמִי שֶׁהוּא בִּבְחִינַת ׳וְיַחְפְּרוּ׳ מִלְּשׁוֹן חֶרְפָּה, כִּי זֶהוּ חֶרְפָּה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנָּתְנוּ דַּעְתָּם עַל הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת וְלֹא עַל הָרוּחָנִיּוּת שֶׁהִיא עִיקַּר תַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֵית שֶׁל שְׁלִיחוּת הַמְּרַגְּלִים.
- The phrase comes from Bereishis 42:9, where Yosef accuses his brothers of coming as spies “to see the nakedness of the land.” ↩
- Devarim 1:22. ↩
In shortSince the land was given for keeping the Torah, the spies were sent to clear out its impurity (veyasuru), not to search it physically (veyachperu).
7[To explain this more fully, we may say that this is why spies had to be sent into the land of Canaan ahead of Bnei Yisrael:15 to prepare the land so that Hashem could be served there. Then, when Bnei Yisrael entered, they would be able to serve Hashem, blessed be He, with ease, even through physical matters. It is like the words of Chazal that the Tur quotes in the name of a Midrash:16 when Israel enters the land, “this one will turn to his vineyard and his olive tree, and that one to his field, and the Torah, what will become of it?” We may say that this means the very act of turning, one to his vineyard and another to his field, must itself hold something of the Torah. Holiness must be brought into the work of the soil, so that the holiness of the Torah is present even there. This is a very difficult avodah, in the spirit of “Know Him in all your ways.”17 This was the purpose of sending the spies into the land.]
*[וּבְיֶתֶר בֵּיאוּר יֵשׁ לוֹמַר, דְּזֶהוּ הָעִנְיָן שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִים לִשְׁלוֹחַ מְרַגְּלִים שֶׁיַּקְדִּימוּ לָבוֹא בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן קוֹדֶם כְּנִיסַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאָרֶץ, בִּכְדֵי לְהָכִין וּלְהַכְשִׁיר אֶת הָאָרֶץ שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲבוֹד שָׁם אֶת ה׳, בִּכְדֵי שֶׁבִּזְמַן שֶׁבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ יוּכְלוּ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּנָקֵל גַּם בְּעִנְיָנִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים. וְהוּא כָּעִנְיָן מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (הובא בטור סימן רצ בשם מדרש), שֶׁבְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאָרֶץ יִהְיֶה זֶה פּוֹנֶה לְכַרְמוֹ וּלְזֵיתוֹ וְזֶה לְשָׂדֵהוּ וְתוֹרָה מָה תְּהֵא עָלֶיהָ, וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁהַכַּוָּונָה בָּזֶה הִיא, שֶׁבָּזֶה עַצְמוֹ שֶׁיִּפְנוּ זֶה לְכַרְמוֹ וְזֶה לְשָׂדֵהוּ נִצְרָךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּחִינַת הַתּוֹרָה, לְהַכְנִיס קְדוּשָּׁה בְּתוֹךְ עֲבוֹדַת הָאֲדָמָה, שֶׁאַף שָׁם תִּהְיֶה קְדוּשַּׁת הַתּוֹרָה, וְזוֹ הִיא עֲבוֹדָה קָשָׁה בְּיוֹתֵר, בִּבְחִינַת בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָּעֵהוּ, וְזֶה הָיָה תַּכְלִית שְׁלִיחַת הַמְּרַגְּלִים בָּאָרֶץ.
In shortThe spies were to prepare the land so Israel could bring the Torah's holiness into its fields and vineyards, “Know Him in all your ways.”
8[In the same way, the purpose of the spies' mission was to prepare and refine the very air of Eretz Yisrael, so that the Creator could be served there. By serving the Creator when they came there and sanctifying physical things, the spies would leave a flow of holiness in the place, and that would make it easy for the whole Jewish people to become holy and serve Hashem when they arrived. This is what Bnei Yisrael asked for when they said, “Let us send men ahead of us,”18 in the spirit of “And he sent Yehudah ahead of him.”19 The men were to prepare the place and sanctify it for holiness and for avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, so that once the people entered the land they could serve Him even through physical things. And this is the meaning of “Send men for yourself,” shelach lecha anashim. The holy sefer Divrei Binah teaches that the initials of these words spell eshel, which alludes to achilah, eating, shesiyah, drinking, and linah, lodging.20 These are physical matters, and the purpose of the spies' mission was to prepare and purify them.]
וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה הָיָה תַּכְלִית שְׁלִיחוּתָם שֶׁל הַמְּרַגְּלִים, לְהָכִין וּלְזַכֵּךְ אֲוִיר אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּכְדֵי שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲבוֹד שָׁם אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא, כִּי בָּזֶה שֶׁיַּעַבְדוּ הֵם אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא בְּבוֹאָם שָׁמָּה וִיקַדְּשׁוּ אֶת עִנְיְנֵי הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת, תִּשָּׁאֵר הַשְׁפָּעַת קְדוּשָּׁה בַּמָּקוֹם, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיֶה נָקֵל לְכָל עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהִתְקַדֵּשׁ וְלַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ בְּבוֹאָם שָׁמָּה. וְהוּא מַה שֶׁבִּיקְּשׁוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל (דברים א, כב) ״נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ״, עַל דֶּרֶךְ ׳וְאֶת יְהוּדָה שָׁלַח לְפָנָיו׳, לְהָכִין וּלְקַדֵּשׁ הַמָּקוֹם לִקְדוּשָּׁה וְלַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ גַּם בִּדְבָרִים גַּשְׁמִיִּים כַּאֲשֶׁר יִכָּנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ. וְזֶהוּ עִנְיַן ׳שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים׳, דְּאִיתָא בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה שֶׁרָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת אֵלּוּ עוֹלֶה אש״ל הָרוֹמֵז עַל אֲ׳כִילָה שְׁ׳תִיָּה לְ׳ינָה, שֶׁכֵּן אֵלּוּ הֵם עִנְיְנֵי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת, וְזֶה הָיָה תַּכְלִית הַנִּרְצֶה שֶׁל שְׁלִיחוּת הַמְּרַגְּלִים, לְהָכִין וּלְטַהֵר אֶת עִנְיְנֵי הַגַּשְׁמִיּוּת.]
- Devarim 1:22. ↩
- Bereishis 46:28. Chazal explain that Yaakov sent Yehudah ahead to set up a house of study in Goshen (Rashi there). ↩
- Divrei Binah is by the first Biala Rebbe, the Rebbe's great-grandfather. The word eshel recalls the tamarisk, or inn, that Avraham planted in Be'er Sheva (Bereishis 21:33). ↩
In shortBy sanctifying physical life in the land, the spies would leave holiness for all Israel; shelach lecha anashim spells eshel: eating, drinking, lodging.
9This answers our question about the Midrash, which links emissaries sent on a mitzvah with the spies. As we have explained, the spies' task truly was a mitzvah mission, “Go out and pave the way” in a spiritual sense. But they erred and turned it into a different kind of mission, a physical one. That is what the Midrash means by an emissary who “gives his soul” to succeed in his mission. The spies needed to give their souls, that is, to make the spiritual the main thing, and so bring to their task the mesirus nefesh, the readiness to give one's life, that a mitzvah mission calls for. They did not do so; to them it was simply an ordinary errand in physical matters.
וּבָזֶה מוּבָן שַׁיָּיכוּת הַמִּדְרָשׁ הָעוֹסֵק בְּעִנְיַן שְׁלִיחוּת מִצְוָה לְעִנְיַן הַמְּרַגְּלִים, כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת לְפִי הַמְּבוֹאָר הָיָה תַּפְקִיד הַמְּרַגְּלִים עִנְיָן שֶׁל שְׁלִיחוּת מִצְוָה, בִּבְחִינַת צֵא וּכְבוֹשׁ הַדֶּרֶךְ בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת, רַק שֶׁהֵם טָעוּ וְהָפְכוּ הַשְּׁלִיחוּת לְעִנְיָן אַחֵר שֶׁל גַּשְׁמִיּוּת. וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְנוֹתֵן ׳נַפְשׁוֹ׳ לְהַצְלִיחַ בִּשְׁלִיחוּתוֹ, כִּי הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לָתֵת נַפְשָׁם דְּהַיְינוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת הָעִיקָּר מֵהָרוּחָנִיּוּת, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ יִהְיֶה לָהֶם בָּזֶה מְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ שֶׁל שְׁלִיחוּת מִצְוָה, וְהֵם לֹא נָהֲגוּ כֵּן אֶלָּא הָיָה זֶה לָהֶם כִּסְתָם שְׁלִיחוּת שֶׁל גַּשְׁמִיּוּת.
In shortThe spies' mission truly was a mitzvah calling on them to “give their souls” to its spiritual purpose; they made it an ordinary physical errand.
10This is also the meaning of the verse “But My servant Kalev, because a different spirit was with him and he followed Me fully …”21 Kalev and Yehoshua rightly understood what the mission was for, and they truly gave their souls for it: the whole congregation wanted to pelt them with stones.22 That is what the Midrash means when it speaks of giving one's soul: they saw the spiritual side of the mission. And that is “a different spirit was with him.” The verse testifies that for them the mission was a matter of ruach, “spirit,” something spiritual. They gave their souls to carry out Hashem's will completely, and that is “he followed Me fully.”
וְזֶה גַּם כַּוָּונַת הַפָּסוּק ״וְעַבְדִּי כָלֵב עֵקֶב הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ וַיְמַלֵּא אַחֲרָי״ (יד, כד), כִּי כָּלֵב וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הֵבִינוּ כָּרָאוּי מַטְּרַת הַשְּׁלִיחוּת, וּבֶאֱמֶת מָסְרוּ נַפְשָׁם עַל הָעִנְיָן כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ (יד, י) שֶׁרָצוּ לִרְגּוֹם אוֹתָם בָּאֲבָנִים, וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן ׳וְנָתְנוּ נַפְשָׁם׳, שֶׁרָאוּ עִנְיָן הָרוּחָנִי שֶׁל הַשְּׁלִיחוּת. וְזֶהוּ ׳הָיְתָה רוּחַ אַחֶרֶת עִמּוֹ׳, שֶׁהַכָּתוּב מֵעִיד שֶׁאֶצְלָם הָיָה עִנְיַן הַשְּׁלִיחוּת בִּבְחִינַת ׳רוּחַ׳, דָּבָר רוּחָנִי, וְנָתְנוּ נַפְשָׁם לְמַלֹּאות רְצוֹן ה׳, וְזֶהוּ ׳וַיְמַלֵּא אַחֲרָי׳.
In shortKalev and Yehoshua saw the mission as spiritual and gave their souls for it: that is the “different spirit” and following Hashem “fully.”
11We know that every person comes into this world on a special mission, to fulfill Hashem's mitzvos. We ask Hashem to keep us from erring, Heaven forbid, and to grant that we be privileged to fulfill our mission completely, and through this bring the redemption near. Amen, may it be His will.
וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ אֲשֶׁר כָּל אֶחָד בָּא לָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לִשְׁלִיחוּת מְיוּחֶדֶת לְקַיֵּים מִצְוֹות ה׳, וּבַקָּשָׁתֵינוּ שֶׁיַּעֲזוֹר ה׳ שֶׁנִּינָּצֵל שֶׁלֹּא נִטְעֶה חָס וְחָלִילָה וְנִזְכֶּה לְקַיֵּים שְׁלִיחוּתֵינוּ בִּמְלוֹאָהּ, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה לְקָרֵב הַגְּאוּלָּה אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortMay we, each sent on a mission of mitzvos, be kept from erring and fulfill it completely, bringing the redemption near.
Takeaway
Each of us comes into the world on a mission from Hashem, and the spies show how a holy mission can shrink into an ordinary errand when we look only at its physical side. The spies were sent to bring holiness into eating, drinking and working the field, so that the Torah would be present even there. Like Kalev, we can give ourselves to the spiritual heart of our mission, and if we fall, we can always rise again in a single moment.
Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›
English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.