Parshas Shelach- Generational Teachings

The story of the “meraglim”, the spies, is a black mark on Jewish history. It contains destruction and tragedy, but also a tremendous lesson about children and parents, as well the significant impact one can have when taking responsibility for others. 

The Jewish people approached Moshe, intent on sending spies to investigate the Land of Israel prior to their eventual conquest. They wished to receive a report about the land to reassure them that they would be able to conquer it. Although Hashem was not supportive of the idea, he told Moshe that “you may send for yourselves spies”. Hashem had already told the Jews that they would succeed in conquering the land, and this was an unnecessary, and faulty mission. Hashem knew that this could easily lead to a historic tragedy, causing the imminent entry to Eretz Yisrael to be pushed off significantly, and the generation to die out throughout their extensive wanderings (Rashi on 13:1). Moshe was not excited about this mission as well. He hoped that his willingness to fulfill their request would exhibit confidence, and they would ultimately agree not to send spies (Rashi on Devarim 1:23). However, the people persisted, and the spies were sent off on their infamous mission. 

Unlike other sins that were spur of the moment inappropriate decisions, this had an entire backstory. The idea of sending spies was considered, discussed, and ultimately not discouraged. If Hashem and Moshe knew that this was a negative idea, and the potential repercussions could be disastrous, why didn’t they directly and overtly reject the desire to send spies? 

The spies set off and the Torah relates that they traveled for forty days, traversing the land of Israel. In reality, it should have taken double that amount of time to travel the breadth of Israel, but Hashem caused them to journey with supernatural speed. Rashi (13:25) explains that Hashem knew that for each day of their spying they would be punished and forced to wander in the desert for an additional year. In order to limit the harshness of the decree, He caused their journey to be hastened. In the end, forty days of spying became forty years of wandering.

The spies were sent in the second year after leaving Egypt. According to the above calculation, the Jews should have wandered forty years from the date of the sin of the spies, resulting in an extra year. However, ultimately they wandered in the desert for forty years total. Why does the decree seemingly begin prior to the date of the sin that triggered it? Furthermore, in addressing this issue, Rashi (14:33) notes that the count of forty years had a different basis altogether. Hashem was considering this decree from the time of the eigel hazahav that occurred in the first year, but only enacted it following the meraglim. All the Jews counted in year one (from the age of twenty) were to die, but only after reaching the age of sixty. Thus, the decree had to be a total of forty years of wandering, so that the entire generation would live until sixty, and then pass away in the desert. Only then could the next generation enter the land of Israel. According to this reasoning, the new generation were never considered to be included in the decree. If so the above logic of speeding up their journey seems unnecessary, as the wanderings had to be forty years total anyhow? 

Following their return, the spies spoke gossip about the land of Israel. This triggered national hysteria, and the Jews rejected Hashem’s plan, wishing to instead return to Egypt. The two righteous spies were shunned, and Hashem’s response was swift and intense. He initially desired to destroy this wicked nation, and replace it with the worthy Moshe and his descendants. Moshe prayed on behalf of the Jewish people, claiming  that this would result in a desecration of Hashem’s Name, and his pleas were answered. Hashem decreed that the entire generation would die out over forty years, but the new generation would then merit to enter Eretz Yisrael. 

It would then emerge that initially the people under twenty were to be killed, and Moshe saved them through his defense. Why was the younger generation salvaged but not the prior one? Why was the natural consequence of this sin that the generation needed to die out altogether?

It would appear that the underlying lackings of the generation who left Egypt was such that they would not succeed in living in Eretz Yisrael properly. This shortcoming was highlighted in year one through the eigel hazahav, and ultimately concretized with the sin of the spies in year two. Barring their entry to the land was a punishment that reflected the reality of the nature of this lack. Initially, Hashem considered the fact that the next generation may have absorbed the same character defects as their parents, making them unworthy of entry as well. However, Moshe defended the new generation, as they would learn from the mistakes of their predecessors and choose to be different. They would have the makeup fitting to conquer and live successfully in the land of Israel. Thus, initially the Jews may have had to wander for more than forty years, had the spies traveled for more than forty days, as the next generation would have been included in the decree. Only after the defense of Moshe was the decree set at forty, based on the exclusion of the younger generation. The decree began in year one though, as this was the point that the negative, unworthy nature of the people began to be exhibited. The Jews were not discouraged from sending the spies, as their choices would ultimately highlight if they were altogether fitting to enter the land. Unfortunately, their behaviors reflected this lack, and they lost this great opportunity. 

My dear brother, Harav Pesach Shlit”a added a final note. The change to exclude the new generation from the decree was triggered by the defense of Moshe. Moshe said that he would take responsibility to educate the new generation to be different, and they would not reflect the negative characteristics of their unworthy parents. With this, Hashem agreed that they were to be spared, and therefore ultimately worthy of entering Eretz Yisrael. Moshe’s direction guided the new generation to learn from the past, and not replicate their unfitting behaviors. His understanding and leadership provided a continuum for the Jewish people. Having a proper guiding force in one’s life can be the distinction between continuing to follow in negative ways without even realizing, and learning from the negativity to act differently. 

In the merit of this Torah study, may Hashem protect all of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world. Please email yshifman1@gmail.com with questions, comments, or to be added to the mailing list.