By Rabbi
Yisroel Shusterman
This
week’s Parsha Perspective is dedicated by Mr. Binyomin Philipson in memory of
his late mother Mrs. Ellen (Elka bas Zisel) Philipson OBM
Some conclusions are
more obvious than others. Sometimes the most obvious conclusion isn't
necessarily correct. Drawing our own conclusions can often be a risky business.
Take the case of
this week’s Torah portion Shlach (Bamidbor [Numbers] 13:1-15:41).The spies sent
by Moses return from their reconnaissance mission of the Promised Land with a
frightening report about the fierce, warrior nations of Canaan. The Jewish
People are dejected, frightened, and even weep at the thought of their
impending invasion, convinced it can only be a suicidal mission impossible. The
Almighty is angered, the people are punished for their lack of faith in His
promise and the spies go down in history as the villains in the story.
But why? What, in
fact, was their sin? Moses asked for a report of the land. They came back and
reported exactly what they had seen. They told no lies. The land was
formidable. The inhabitants were huge and powerful. The fruits were
extraordinarily large. They even brought back samples to prove it. So if it was
all true why were they punished?
The answer lies not
in the report but in their conclusion. The facts as the spies presented them
were entirely accurate. The sin was their conclusion, "We will not be able
to go up to that people, for it is too strong for us." Moses had sent them
on a fact finding mission. Their job was to bring back information. Nobody
asked them for their personal opinions. The whole point of their mission was to
gather the data necessary for the Israelites to find the best way of conquering
the land. That they would do so was a given. G-d had promised them the land,
told them of its natural beauty and assured them of success.
The same G-d who
just miraculously delivered you from Egypt, the mightiest superpower on earth,
split the sea for you and revealed Himself in all His glory to you at Sinai has
now said that the Promised Land is there waiting for you. And after all He has
done for you; you turn around and publicly doubt His power to help you succeed?
This is not only a mistake in judgment. This is shameful, sinful and faithless.
The spies' report was correct but their conclusion was disastrous.
A high school
teacher decided to demonstrate to his class the dangers of alcohol abuse. So he
conducted an experiment. He took one glass of water and one glass of whisky. He
then took a little worm and dropped it in the glass of water. The worm had a
nice swim and then the teacher removed the worm unharmed. He then dropped the
worm into the glass of whisky. In no time at all, the worm was dead. He then
turned to the class and asked them what the experiment proved. Whereupon one
wise guy at the back piped up and said, "Sir, it proves conclusively that
if you drink enough whisky you will never suffer from worms!"
The facts are there
for all of us to see. The question is how to interpret them. If we have a
preconceived position and then manipulate the data to draw conclusions that
suit us, we may come off clever at first but in the end we may well go the way
of the spies. Without faith, even the most accurate information can lead to the
wrong conclusion.
(Excerpts
from Chabad.org - by Rabbi Yossy Goldman)
May you have a meaningful and uplifting
Shabbos
