Shelach (send out)
Numbers 13:1 - 15:41

          This week’s Torah portion continues the saga of the journey of the children of Israel from Mount Sinai to the promised land.  Remember that Bamidbar, the book of Numbers, starts out with great hope and anticipation of a quick and victorious march to Canaan and victory in the land. However, throughout the book we read of a downward spiral in the relationship of Israel and God culminating in a 40 year journey and the death of an entire generation. This week, the spies were sent out to investigate the land. When they came back with a negative report the people decided that they should not enter the land. The result is that the whole generation was cursed by God although he did not break his covenant relationship with the nation in that a new generation inherited the land. What does this episode in the history of the Jewish people teach us? 
          The first question one may ask is “why send spies in the first place?”  After all did not God promise them the land and that he would accompany them? I believe that the answer lies in the fact that in the normal course of events in that time, the prudent thing to do when a nation was about to engage in warfare was to spy  out the land. Did not Moshe do the same (38 years later as the people were preparing to enter the territory of the Amorites– see BeMidbar 21:32 )? Didn't Joshua later send spies to pave the way for the attack on Jericho (see Yehoshua 2:1)?  We learn that even though God promises victory, we are not exempt from the responsibility of doing things in the right and prudent way. Although God sometimes may do something supernatural to accomplish his purposes, most of the time He works through the natural course  of responsible human activity. Unfortunately in this case, the people returned with a negative report. I will suggest two possible reasons.  The first reason was that the leaders, followed by the people did not believe that they could overcome the obstacles - even if God promised that He would bring them into the land.  This was a case of not trusting the power and the provision and the promise of God. their eyes were focused on their own resources and deemed it impossible to have victory.
          The second reason may have had to do more with their understanding of themselves rather than their faith in God. They had already heard God promise that if  they were obedient, He would bless them and they would be successful in the land and that if they were disobedient, He would judge them and cause their enemies to triumph over them. (Read  Leviticus 26 for the details.) If this was the case, then it was not their lack of faith but their belief that they themselves could not fulfill their responsibility.  In this case, the leadership truly failed the people.  The leaders of the tribes failed miserably because leaders are supposed to encourage the people and help them to see a vision of the future. Leaders are called to motivate people to do their very best and to overcome obstacles.  The leaders of the tribes should have communicated to the people that although there may be difficulties, they could rise to the occasion.  
          So we see that there may have been two probable reasons for the “bad report”. The first is a lack of trust in the providence of God and the second is a defeatist attitude. It was probably a combination of both. Given the track record of the people until that point, they were not adequately trusting in God and they were not fulfilling their covenant responsibilities.
          God has called us accomplish His will in our personal lives and as a congregation.  Do we believe that God will see us through all of our plans? Do we believe that we are capable of bringing the will of God to pass?  The usual answer is the first one. But down deep inside I wonder if the second one is more often the case. Yes, we trust God but it is me that holds up the plan! Remember that God who calls also supplies the abilities.  He has given us His Holy Spirit to be empowered to complete the task.  Our walk is a walk of faith. There will always be obstacles in the way of success in life.  If we follow the leading of God, we must trust that He will accomplish His purpose in us - and that He gives us the tools for success. So let’s be diligent to  complete the tasks that God has called us to do - being responsible in our execution of the task and trusting God to see it through. The bible says “…for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.” (Phil2:13).  Shabbat Shalom!