Zechusamזכותם
Lehavas David · Parshas Shelach · Maamar ו

Sending Away Your Own Opinion: The Spies' Error

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bamidbar 13:20
וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם־רָזָה הֲיֵשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ אִם־אַיִן וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים
And what is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Strengthen yourselves and take from the fruit of the land; and the days were the days of the first ripe grapes.
1“Strengthen yourselves and take from the fruit of the land; and the days were the days of the first ripe grapes.”1 How do the two halves of this verse connect? It reads as if the spies had to strengthen themselves to take from the fruit of the land because the days were the days of the first ripe grapes.
וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים (יג, כ). צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר סְמִיכוּת הַכָּתוּב זֶה לָזֶה, דִּלְפִי שֶׁהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּיכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים עַל כֵּן עֲלֵיהֶם לְהִתְחַזֵּק לִיקַּח מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ.
  1. Bamidbar 13:20. ↩
In shortWhy does the verse tie the spies' duty to bring back fruit to the season of the first ripe grapes?
2At the beginning of the parshah it says, “Send men for yourself.”2 The word lecha, “for yourself,” seems unnecessary; the verse could have said “Send men.” Rashi noticed this difficulty, and the Gur Aryeh and the Maskil LeDavid, two commentaries on Rashi, reject the answer of several commentators that this is simply how the Torah speaks.3
וּבְרֵישׁ הַפָּרָשָׁה נֶאֱמַר שְׁלַח לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים, וְלִכְאוֹרָה קָשֶׁה יִיתּוּר הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳לְךָ׳, דְּהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר ׳שְׁלַח אֲנָשִׁים׳, וּכְבָר הִרְגִּישׁ בָּזֶה רש״י (ועיין עוד בגור אריה ובמשכיל לדוד מה שדחו תירוץ כמה מפרשים שפירשו שכן הוא דרך הכתוב).
  1. Bamidbar 13:2. ↩
  2. Rashi there; Gur Aryeh and Maskil LeDavid there. ↩
In shortWhy does the Torah say “Send men for yourself,” when “Send men” would have been enough?
3Perhaps we can explain this as follows. The holy sefarim teach that the main battle with the yetzer hara is over its counsels and schemes, by which it misleads people into calling a bad path the upright one. And this is chiefly what we pray to be saved from. When the yetzer hara entices a person to an outright sin, no prayer is needed, for that is a matter of free choice. When we pray and ask Hashem, Who is good, to have pity on us and save us from it, what we ask is to be saved from its evil counsels.4
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ, דְּהִנֵּה מְבוֹאָר בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁעִיקַּר הַמִּלְחָמָה עִם הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע הוּא עַל זֶה שֶׁבְּעֵצוֹת וְתַחְבּוּלוֹת מַטְעֶה לַאֲנָשִׁים לוֹמַר עַל דֶּרֶךְ רָעָה שֶׁהִיא הַדֶּרֶךְ הַיְּשָׁרָה, וְעַל זֶה הוּא עִיקַּר הַתְּפִלָּה לְהִנָּצֵל מִיַּד הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע, כִּי עַל מַה שֶׁמְּפַתֶּה לַעֲבֵירָה מַמָּשׁ אֵין צָרִיךְ תְּפִלָּה כִּי זֶהוּ עִנְיָן שֶׁל בְּחִירָה, אֶלָּא מָה שֶׁאָנוּ מִתְפַּלְּלִים וּמְבַקְּשִׁים מֵה׳ הַטּוֹב שֶׁיָּחוּס עָלֵינוּ לְהַצִּילֵנוּ מִמֶּנּוּ, הוּא לְהַצִּילֵנוּ מֵהָעֵצוֹת הָרָעוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ (עיין כיוצא בזה בזוהר ח״א נט, א. וברמב״ם הלכות תשובה פ״ו ה״ד).
  1. See similarly Zohar I 59a and Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 6:4. ↩
In shortThe yetzer hara's real danger, and the real subject of our prayer, is its counsel that dresses a wrong path as the right one.
4Something similar happened with the spies. They were sent only to see the Land and report what they saw. Why, then, did they come back offering advice about how to enter the Land? My holy great-grandfather of Biala, zy"a, explains in the holy sefer Divrei Binah that Moshe Rabbeinu had given them a sign. If the inhabitants live in open camps, that is a sign that they are strong; if they live in fortresses, that is a sign that they are weak.5 But the spies came back and said that even though the people lived in fortresses, they were mighty.6 In this they departed from daas Torah, the Torah's view, though it was by the Torah's view and for its purpose that they had been sent. Those are his holy words.
וּכְעֵין זֶה הָיָה גַּם אֵצֶל הַמְרַגְּלִים, כִּי הִנֵּה הֵם נִשְׁתַּלְּחוּ רַק לִרְאוֹת אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְלוֹמַר מַה שֶׁרָאוּ, וְאִם כֵּן מָה זֶה שֶׁבָּאוּ לָתֵת עֵצוֹת אֵיךְ לְהִכָּנֵס לָאָרֶץ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבֵּיאֵר זְקֵינִי זי״ע מביאלא בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ דִּבְרֵי בִּינָה, דְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ מָסַר לָהֶם הַסִּימָן שֶׁאִם הֵם יוֹשְׁבִים בְּמַחֲנִים סִימָן הוּא שֶׁהֵם גִּבּוֹרִים, וְאִם הֵם יוֹשְׁבִים בַּמִּבְצָרִים סִימָן הוּא שֶׁהֵם חַלָּשִׁים, אַךְ הַמְרַגְּלִים חָזְרוּ וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ שֶׁהֵם יוֹשְׁבִים בַּמִּבְצָרִים הֵם גִּיבּוֹרִים, וְשִׁינּוּ מִדַּעַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁעַל דַּעְתָּהּ וְכַוָּונָתָהּ נִשְׁלְחוּ, ע״כ מִדִּבְרֵי קָדְשׁוֹ.
  1. See Rashi on Bamidbar 13:18. Divrei Binah is by the first Biala Rebbe, the Rebbe's great-grandfather. ↩
  2. See Bamidbar 13:28. ↩
In shortSent only to look, the spies overturned the sign Moshe gave them and offered their own counsel, departing from daas Torah.
5Accordingly, their sin was that they followed an approach that says: “There is daas Torah, but we too may state our own opinion, for ‘a judge has only what his eyes see.’”7 To our great sorrow, some who keep the Torah and mitzvos in our own time follow such a path. This is called “the counsel of the spies,” for the spies gave Israel advice about what to do. But we know that this is a kind of avodah zarah, idolatry, for people like this cut themselves off from Hashem and follow themselves and their own opinions. Instead, we must bend all our thoughts and desires to the honor of the Creator, blessed be He.
וּלְפִי זֶה יְבוֹאַר דְּהַחֵטְא שֶׁלָּהֶם הָיָה שֶׁהֵם הָלְכוּ עִם שִׁיטָה הָאוֹמֶרֶת, דְּאַף דְּיֵשׁ דַּעַת תּוֹרָה אֲבָל גַּם לָנוּ מוּתָּר לוֹמַר אֶת דַּעְתֵּנוּ, וְאֵין לַדַּיָּין אֶלָּא מַה שֶּׁעֵינָיו רוֹאוֹת (סנהדרין ו, ב), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁלְּדַאֲבוֹן לֵב יֶשְׁנָם חֵלֶק מִשּׁוֹמְרֵי תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת בִּזְמַנֵּינוּ הַהוֹלְכִים עִם דֶּרֶךְ כָּזוֹ, וְזֶה נִקְרָא ׳עֲצַת מְרַגְּלִים׳, שֶׁנָּתְנוּ עֵצָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מָה לַעֲשׂוֹת. אֲבָל כַּיָּדוּעַ שֶׁדָּבָר זֶה הוּא מֵעֵין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, שֶׁבְּנֵי אָדָם אֵלּוּ נִפְרָדִים מֵה׳ וְהוֹלְכִים אַחַר עַצְמָם וְדַעְתָּם, אֶלָּא אָנוּ צְרִיכִים לְשַׁעְבֵּד כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתֵינוּ וּרְצוֹנֵינוּ לִכְבוֹד הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ.
  1. Sanhedrin 6b. ↩
In shortThe spies' sin was setting their own opinion beside daas Torah, a separation from Hashem that is a kind of avodah zarah.
6This lets us explain the words shelach lecha: you must send away your own opinion and fulfill the Torah with simple wholeheartedness. Along these lines my holy father and teacher, zt"l, found an allusion in Rashi's words “if you wish, send”:8 send your own wish away from you. Let your thought be only to serve Hashem and to do what is written in the Torah, not to follow your own wishes.
וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ מַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב ׳שְׁלַח לְךָ׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁאַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִשְׁלוֹחַ אֶת דַּעְתְּךָ הָעַצְמִית וּלְקַיֵּים אֶת הַתּוֹרָה בִּתְמִימוּת. וּבְדֶרֶךְ זֶה פֵּירֵשׁ כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה בְּדֶרֶךְ רֶמֶז אֶת דִּבְרֵי רש״י ׳אִם תִּרְצֶה שְׁלַח׳, הַיְינוּ שֶׁתִּשְׁלַח מֵאִתְּךָ אֶת רְצוֹנְךָ הָעַצְמִי, אֶלָּא תִּהְיֶה מַחְשַׁבְתְּךָ רַק לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ וְלַעֲשׂוֹת מַה שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה וְלֹא לֵילֵךְ אַחַר רְצוֹנְךָ.
  1. Rashi on Bamidbar 13:2. ↩
In shortShelach lecha means sending away one's own opinion, and Rashi's “if you wish, send” hints at sending away one's own wish.
7aThis explains why the verse mentions that the days were the days of the first ripe grapes, bikkurei anavim. It hints at the mitzvah of bikkurim, the first fruits, whose whole essence is bending one's mind to the service of Hashem. As the Alshich, the Pri HaAretz and the Maor VaShemesh explain, this is the reason for the mitzvah of bikkurim.9 After a person has toiled all year long with his own hands in the field, reason says that “he who tends the fig tree shall eat its fruit.”10 But the holy Torah tells him that he must first consecrate the very first of his first fruits and bring them to the Beis HaMikdash, to the Kohanim, in honor of Hashem, blessed be He.
וּלְפִי זֶה מְבוֹאָר מַה שֶׁהוּזְכַּר בָּזֶה דְּהַיָּמִים הָיוּ יְמֵי בִּיכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים, דְּבָא לְרַמֵּז עַל מִצְוַת בִּיכּוּרִים, שֶׁכָּל עִנְיָנָהּ הוּא שִׁעְבּוּד הַדַּעַת לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, דְּנוֹדַע (אלשיך. פרי הארץ, מאור ושמש, בפרשת כי תבוא) דְּטַעַם מִצְוַת בִּיכּוּרִים הִיא, שֶׁלְּאַחַר שֶׁעָבַד הָאָדָם מִתּוֹךְ קוֹשִׁי רַב בְּמֶשֶׁךְ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה בַּעֲבוֹדַת כַּפָּיו בַּשָּׂדֶה, אָז הַדַּעַת נוֹתֶנֶת שֶׁנּוֹצֵר תְּאֵנָה יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ (משלי כז, יח), אַךְ הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה אוֹמֶרֶת לְהָאָדָם שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה הוּא צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּישׁ אֶת רֵאשִׁית הַבִּכּוּרִים וְלַהֲבִיאוֹ אֶל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים לִכְבוֹד ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
  1. Alshich, Pri HaAretz and Maor VaShemesh, Ki Savo. ↩
  2. Mishlei 27:18. ↩
7bTwo holy sefarim, the Otzar HaChaim [of Komarna] and the Shifsei Tzaddikim, find a hint of this in the words of the Mishnah.11 “How are bikkurim set aside? A person goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened first, a cluster that has ripened first, a pomegranate that has ripened first; he ties a reed around it and says, ‘These are bikkurim.’”12 The letters of gemi, “reed,” are the initials of Gedolim Ma'asei Hashem, “Great are the works of Hashem”:13 in everything a person must see only the greatness of Hashem, and not his own greatness. This is what Moshe told the spies: they must strengthen themselves to take from the fruit of the land, and learn the lesson of the mitzvah of bikkurim. A person must not follow his own opinion but must bend his mind to the Creator, blessed be He.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁרָמְזוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (אוצר החיים [קאמרנא] משפטים, שפתי צדיקים כי תבוא) עַל דִּבְרֵי הַמִּשְׁנָה (בכורים ג, א) כֵּיצַד מַפְרִישִׁין הַבִּכּוּרִים יוֹרֵד אָדָם בְּתוֹךְ שָׂדֵהוּ וְרוֹאֶה תְּאֵנָה שֶׁבִּכְּרָה אֶשְׁכּוֹל שֶׁבִּיכֵּר רִמּוֹן שֶׁבִּיכֵּר קוֹשְׁרוֹ בְגֶמִי וְאוֹמֵר הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בִּכּוּרִים, דְּ׳גֶּמִי׳ רָאשֵׁי תֵּיבוֹת גְּדוֹלִים מַעֲשֵׂי ה׳, שֶׁבְּהַכֹּל צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לִרְאוֹת רַק גְּדוּלַּת ה׳ וְלֹא אֶת הַגַּדְלוּת שֶׁלּוֹ. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה שֶׁעֲלֵיהֶם לְהִתְחַזֵּק לִיטּוֹל מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְלִלְמוֹד מִמִּצְוַת הַבִּכּוּרִים שֶׁאֵין לוֹ לְאָדָם לֵילֵךְ אַחַר דַּעְתּוֹ, אֶלָּא לְשַׁעְבֵּד דַּעְתּוֹ אֶל הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ.
  1. Otzar HaChaim, Mishpatim; Shifsei Tzaddikim, Ki Savo. ↩
  2. Bikkurim 3:1. ↩
  3. Tehillim 111:2. ↩
In shortThe first ripe grapes hint at bikkurim, giving Hashem the first fruits against one's own logic; Moshe urged the spies to learn this.
8We know that of Eretz Yisrael it is said, “The eyes of Hashem your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.”14 For Eretz Yisrael is a kind of palace of the King, and there one always feels the reality of Hashem's kingship. Outside the Land one does not feel this so strongly. That is why only outside the Land is it possible, Heaven forbid, to err and think as the spies did, following their opinion and not the daas Torah that Moshe Rabbeinu had given them. Not so in the Holy Land: there everyone feels the holiness of the Land, so the spies' approach has no foothold. This explains the words of the holy Zohar that the spies feared they would lose their positions as princes once they entered the Holy Land:15 Bnei Yisrael would no longer follow the spies' opinion and counsel.
וְהִנֵּה יָדוּעַ כִּי בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל ״תָּמִיד עֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָה״ (דברים יא, יב), כִּי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִיא בְּחִינַת פַּלְטְרִין שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, וּמַרְגִּישִׁים שָׁם תָּמִיד אֶת מְצִיאוּת מַלְכוּת ה׳ יִתְבָּרַךְ, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ שֶׁאֵין מַרְגִּישִׁים בָּזֶה כָּל כָּךְ. וְעַל כֵּן רַק בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ אֶפְשָׁר ח״ו לִטְעוֹת לַחְשׁוֹב כְּמוֹ הַמְרַגְּלִים וְלָלֶכֶת אַחֲרֵי דַּעְתָּם וְלֹא אַחַר דַּעַת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁמָּסַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן בְּאֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מַרְגִּישׁ אֶת קְדוּשַּׁת הָאָרֶץ וּמִמֵּילָא אֵין אֲחִיזָה לַשִּׁיטָה שֶׁלָּהֶם. וְזֶהוּ בֵּיאוּר דִּבְרֵי הַזּוֹהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (ח״ג קנח, א) שֶׁהַמְּרַגְּלִים חָשְׁשׁוּ שֶׁבְּעֵת שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ לְאֶרֶץ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ יַעַבְרוּ מִנְּשִׂיאוּתָם, וְהַיְינוּ שֶׁלֹּא יֵלְכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחַר דַּעְתָּם וַעֲצָתָם.
  1. Devarim 11:12. ↩
  2. Zohar III 158a. ↩
In shortIn the Land, the King's palace, Hashem's kingship is felt so plainly that the spies' approach has no foothold; so they feared losing leadership there.
9This lets us explain the Gemara's statement that the verse found fault with Yehoshua for not praying for mercy that avodah zarah be abolished.16 The verse did not find fault with Moshe for not praying for this, since he did not have the merit of Eretz Yisrael. This is difficult: what does the merit of Eretz Yisrael have to do with avodah zarah? Does a person who does not enter Eretz Yisrael no longer need to pray that avodah zarah be abolished? Perhaps we can say that the Gemara means the offshoots of avodah zarah. As we saw with the counsel of the spies, joining one's own opinion to daas Torah is a kind of avodah zarah, and only in Eretz Yisrael does one feel most strongly that there is no room to join one's own opinion to daas Torah. Since Moshe did not bring Israel into the Land, he did not see fit to pray about these offshoots. Only Yehoshua, who took possession of the Land, was held to account for not subduing this kelipah, this husk of impurity, at the time of favor that came when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael.
וְעַל פִּי זֶה אֶפְשָׁר לְבָאֵר דִּבְרֵי הַגְּמָרָא (ערכין לב, ב) שֶׁהִקְפִּיד הַכָּתוּב עַל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁלֹּא בִּיקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁתִּבָּטֵל, וְעַל מֹשֶׁה לֹא הִקְפִּיד הַכָּתוּב לְפִי שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה לֹא בִּיקֵּשׁ מִשּׁוּם שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה לוֹ זְכוּת שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְקָשֶׁה מַה עִנְיַן זְכוּת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְכִי בְּאִם אֵין נִכְנָס לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבָר אֵין צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ שֶׁיְּבוּטַּל הָעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְשֶׁמָּא אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר דְּהַכַּוָּונָה לַאֲבִיזְרַיְהוּ דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל דִּכְשֶׁמְּצָרְפִים דֵּעָה עַצְמִית לְדַעַת תּוֹרָה הוּא בְּחִינַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְנִתְבָּאֵר דְּרַק בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל מַרְגִּישִׁים בְּיוֹתֵר הָעִנְיָן שֶׁאֵין מָקוֹם לְצָרֵף דֵּעָה עַצְמִית לְדַעַת תּוֹרָה, וּמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה לֹא הִכְנִיס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאָרֶץ, לָכֵן לֹא רָאָה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל עַל אֲבִיזְרַיְיהוּ הָאֵלּוּ, וְרַק עַל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁיָּרַשׁ הָאָרֶץ הָיָה תְּבִיעָה שֶׁלֹּא הִכְנִיעַ קְלִיפָּה זוֹ בִּזְמַן הָעֵת רָצוֹן שֶׁהָיָה בְּעֵת שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
  1. Arachin 32b. ↩
In shortPerhaps the Gemara means avodah zarah's offshoot, joining one's opinion to daas Torah; only Yehoshua, who took the Land, was faulted for not subduing it.
10May Hashem, blessed be He, help us serve Him wholeheartedly, as it is written, “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God.”17 As Chazal said, “Chavakuk came and based them on one: ‘The righteous man shall live by his faith.’”18 Through this may we be privileged to hear the voice of the herald of redemption, for Chazal teach that Israel is redeemed in the merit of faith.19 Amen.
ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ יַעֲזוֹר לָנוּ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ בִּתְמִימוּת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב ״תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם ה׳ אֱלוֹקֶיךָ״ (דברים יח, יג), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (מכות כד, א) בָּא חֲבַקּוּק וְהֶעֱמִידָן עַל אַחַת ״וְצַדִּיק בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה״ (חבקוק ב, ד), וּבָזֶה נִזְכֶּה לְקוֹל מְבַשֵּׂר וְאוֹמֵר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז״ל (מדרש תנחומא בשלח י) שֶׁבִּזְכוּת הָאֱמוּנָה יִשְׂרָאֵל נִגְאָלִין, אָמֵן.
  1. Devarim 18:13. ↩
  2. Makkos 24a; Chavakuk 2:4. The Gemara describes how the prophets based the 613 mitzvos on ever fewer principles, and concludes that Chavakuk based them all on one. ↩
  3. Midrash Tanchuma, Beshalach 10. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we serve Hashem wholeheartedly and with faith, in whose merit Israel will hear the herald of redemption.
Takeaway

The yetzer hara's most dangerous weapon is not the open invitation to sin but the reasonable-sounding counsel that dresses our own opinion as the right path. The spies set their own opinion beside the Torah's, and that is a kind of avodah zarah. Like the farmer who brings his first fruits and sees in everything “Great are the works of Hashem,” we can send away our own will and serve Hashem wholeheartedly, with the faith in whose merit Israel is redeemed.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

All of Lehavas David

English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.