“We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes – and so we were in their eyes” (Numbers 13:33).

After 40 days of scouting the promised land of Canaan, a covenant that spanned hundreds of years at the time, how did the scouts know the Canaanites’ perception of them? Parshat Shlach explores the fact that they didn’t. 

They were projecting their own perceived inferiority, and they became inferior.

In Parshat Shlach, Moses sends twelve spies to scout Canaan. Ten return, saying that conquering the land is impossible after seeing giants and fortified walls, and people beg to return to Egypt. They are punished by being forced to wander in the desert for 40 years where they will die, and their children will enter the land. 

Who were the spies?

The Torah is explicit that each spy was a prince, leader, or some form of distinguished figure in the community. 

These spies saw the ten plagues, the sea split, and Sinai. Also, they already knew that the people of Canaan were afraid of them; a year before, they sang about the Canaanites’ dread. So, as I was reading this parshat, I was curious why twelve distinguished figures that had seen some of the most miraculous events in the Torah and knew that their enemies were afraid of them returned saying that they could not conquer the land.

Their Fear

The spies did not have faith that G-d would honor His promise and the covenant. 

Additionally, with further research, I believe it can be argued that they were afraid of trial. In Egypt, they were given manna, water from rocks, and everything they needed to sustain themselves. Everything they could ever need came from above, and they just had to follow G-d.

Canaan likely meant that they would have to farm, govern, and build cities, and their responsibility in Canaan is likely a reason that the spies perceived themselves as weak. 

Maybe they weren’t grasshoppers because of the giants or challenges of conquering Canaan. Maybe they perceived themselves as grasshoppers because of the responsibilities they were asked to step into.

Caleb and Joshua

12-10=2

The other two spies were Caleb and Joshua, and they saw the giants and walls, but their report was simple: “We can surely go up and take possession of [Canaan], for we are well able” (Numbers 13:30). While the other spies were afraid of responsibility and lacked faith, Caleb and Joshua simply thought about what G-d asked them to do and promised. 

Caleb and Joshua were not well-received; nobody listened, people wept, but the Torah still edifies them. The edification aligns with the Talmudic stance that faith is virtuous even when others do not agree.

The Punishment

Again, the punishment is to wander and die in the desert one day, never entering the promised land. 40 years of wandering probably marks one year for each day of scouting. 

The punishment is also very fitting. Much of the Torah and faith highlights the fact that following G-d provides meaning, and here, those that do not follow G-d must spend the rest of their lives without meaning.

The Ending (Surprising)

The Parashat ends on the mitzvah of tzitzit. 

“You shall see them and remember all the commandments of G-d and do them, and you shall not follow after your own heart and your own eyes” (Numbers 15:39).

The spies saw through their own eyes and perceptions of insignificance, while the mitzvah of tzitzit is a reminder of G-d above. 

Summer

We read this parashat at the start of summer, and there’s something fitting about that. Summer simply looks like freedom and leisure (Egypt) from the outside. 

However, summer is also a threshold. We’re between grades, sports seasons, BBYO terms, and more. So, as we begin the summer, we also stand at the edge of Canaan, and we have a choice: 

We can rest and rot through the summer, or we can step up and try new things.

To the person reading this, I hope you have a summer of scouting well: Seeing whatever giants stand in your way, and going forward anyways.

Shabbat Shalom,
Jesse Vaytsman
Ohio Northern Region

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Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series

Interested in listening to this week's parsha? Check out Macacbi Tzair: Israel's take on Parshat Shlach as a part of the Simchat Torah Challenge Podcast Series. The Simchat Torah Challenge is a yearlong journey where teens from around the Order are exploring the Torah, one parsha at a time. Teens are connecting with the text, sharing their thoughts, and exploring how it relates to their own lives.