Parashat Shelach, Numbers 13:1-15:41

This week’s parasha is in memory of my father, Morris Browns, who passed away last week.
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We go as far as we can, and then leave the job to the next generation.

Study with Baruch Sienna

This week's portion, Shelach, or Shelach Lecha, (not to be confused with the Exodus parasha, Beshalach) tells the story of an expedition sent to scout out the land of Israel. Because the portion opens with 'Send [for yourself]' (shelach lecha) the Rabbis conclude that God didn't think this was such a good idea in the first place (Numbers Rabbah). This story's description of an enormous grape cluster carried by two men has become a familiar image as it is the logo for Israel's ministry of tourism, and Carmel wines. The parallel haftarah portion does describe two actual spies (meraglim) sent by Joshua, and in comparing the two, it becomes clear that our passage (which uses anashim- men) is not about spies, (one wouldn't send twelve men if one wanted to be surreptitious), and as clan heads, our story in Numbers is more about a fact-finding delegation than a secret espionage mission.

A few weeks ago, when I introduced the book of Numbers, I made the point that time in the Torah is not evenly distributed, so the 39 years that transpire over the course of the book of Numbers are not equally divided with just a little over one year for each of the 36 chapters. It is only in this week's parasha that the Israelites are 'sentenced' to 40 years of wandering, and after next week's disaster with Korach which takes place a few days later, the Torah then skips 38 years and Parshat Chukat is in the fortieth year after the exodus. The 40 year wandering in this week's parasha lends itself to two jokes. One, Moses really wanted to go to Canada, but because of a stutter, when he tried to say, 'Can a na an anana an' God thought he meant, Canaan (one of the biblical names for the land of Israel). (This joke assumes Rashi's interpretation that Moses stuttered, however other commentators suggest other speech impediments). The other joke answers the question, 'Why did we wander for forty years?' Because Moses refused to ask for directions!

What was the real reason? A lot of people think that one of the results of the Golden Calf was the punishment that we would have to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. But that is not correct. It is true that the Golden Calf was a great disaster and caused a serious break in God's relationship with the people of Israel. Many future tragedies are linked to the Golden Calf and the breaking of the Tablets which according to the Rabbis fell on the 17th of Tammuz- a fast day that marks the breaching of the walls of Jerusalem. This week's calamitous episode falls on the following date of Tisha b'Av that marks the destruction of the Temple. But as of this week, the Israelites camped in the Paran wilderness are still on schedule to get to the land of Israel within just a few more weeks. If the events of this week hadn't happened, the Israelites would have arrived in Israel a whole lot faster.

What did happen was that, although God had tolerated all the kvetching and complaining up until now, when the Israelites displayed this lack of faith in God and in themselves, and expressed the wish that it was better to return to Egypt, or to die in the wilderness, rather than attempt to move forward, God knew that it was game over for the slaves. They would never make it- and God decreed that that generation would die, and only the new generation not born into slavery would inherit the land of Israel. The Israelites from Egypt were 'stuck' in yesterday's reality. Even though God took the Israelites out of slavery, God couldn't take the slavery out of the Israelites.

Like the Israelites, we can only go so far, not only because we only live so long, but because eventually we encounter obstacles that we cannot overcome. The Israelites were unable to 'see themselves' in the land of Israel. That is why it was their children who were to continue their sacred journey. I think it was a good idea then that they sent out some individuals to see that future that they couldn't imagine. This is the connection between the generation that died and the portion's opening verse, "Send men to scout the land of Canaan..." We must send out the next generation to 'scout out' the land even before we realize that the previous generation will not make it to the promised land.

Many of us with children and aging parents are in what has been called the sandwich generation. With the recent passing of my father coinciding with sending off my eldest son to his first year at university this summer I am feeling that I am in the middle of this sandwich. So this week's story of the death of the old generation, and sending off 'scouts' to see the future seems fitting. We go as far as we can, and then leave the job to the next generation. As Kahlil Gibran wrote about children,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children
as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite,
and He bends you with His might
that His arrows may go swift and far.

This week's portion is about the Israelite's loss of courage, and falling into despair. If we continue the memory of our loved ones through our own lives, and through the lives of our children, then we can move forward and in the words of Joshua, 'we shall surely overcome' (13:30).

Shabbat Shalom

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