Shelah: Entering the Promised Land

By Rabbi Yehiel Grenimann on June 8, 2007 - כ"ב סיון תשס"ז

In this week’s parasha the main story is of the 10 spies` failure (“Haeda Haraa Hazot” – that evil group), the sin of the people, the threat of Divine retribution and Moshe’s intervention which reduced their punishment to only 40 years` wandering in the desert instead of being wiped out and replaced by Moshe’s descendents. The story echoes earlier stories of the stubbornness of the people of Israel (“You have tried me ten times!), particularly the story of that other major sin – the golden calf. Moshe`s prayer asking for mercy here is another version - without the word truth/ Emet! - of his revelation of G-d’s merciful nature (13 midot which is so basic in our Yom Kippur liturgy.) in that earlier story.

It`s first few words, the source of its name reflect an earlier story still – the Akeda of Isaac. There it was “lech lecha” (go you forth..), here it is “shlach lecha” (send you forth…). There it was a call for personal commitment and devotion, here it expresses hesitation and uncertainty.

Rashi comments on the use of “lecha” here by saying it means “as you wish. If you want send spies, but I don’t require it of you”. In other words Rashi understands this as expressing lack of faith of Moshe and the people. Yet in the story of the Akedah, the same lecha, which also earlier begins Abraham’s journey to Canaan is an indication of deep intimate faith in G-d, a faith whose promise is supposed to be fulfilled in this week’s story.

The story, however, is not only one of failure, sin and lack of faith. The subsequent commandments which follow and open with “When you come into the land…” indicate this, being stated as the 40 years’ punishment begins, and showing G-d’s trust and faith in the people, here renewed.

Furthermore, there are some well-known verses in the prophet Jeremiah, also familiar from the Yom Kippur liturgy, which express this, leading to a different way of seeing the episode of the 40 years in the desert. Jeremiah praises the people for following G-d in the wilderness for 40 years.

He says: “Zacharti Lach Hesed Neurayich, Lechtech acharay BeEretz Lo Zaruah”

I remember your love of youth, your wandering after me in a land not sown.

We, too, have been wandering in a wilderness these past 40 years, a wilderness of bloodshed, repression and hatred, trying nevertheless to remain faithful to our original ideals of 60 and more years ago. We have been deeply disturbed and traumatized by the harsh and complex reality we found ourselves in, after the initial shock of seemingly miraculous victory in June 1967 ( in only six days!). What followed were our terrible sins of pride, chauvinism and greed, not to speak of violence and repression of others, which followed in subsequent decades.

It is now time for change, time to renew “Hesed Neurim”, to finally enter the land promised in the ancient Biblical story – a land of milk and honey, a land of peace, justice and basic human decency.

Rabbis for Human Rights recommends that you read these articles in Shelah

Shelah: Human Rights in a lush and bountiful land - June 15th, 2008
Shelah: Entering the Promised Land - June 8th, 2007
Shelah: Eyes and Vision - June 24th, 2005

Categories: Shelah
Tags: Bo, human rights, ISM, palestinians, peace, settlers, truth