Parshas Shlach – Named to Fame

The penultimate subject of Parshas Shlach Lcha begins with anonymity. “And it was that when Bnei Yisrael was in the Wildreness, and they came upon a man gathering wood on Shabbas” (Bamidbar 9:32). While the Midrash provides details on the who, where, when, and even why, the fact that it is written in such an ambiguous and anonymous manner communicates in itself something profoundly meaningful.

Before exploring the wood-gatherer further, however, let us look at the very beginning of the parsha. “These are their names: For the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zakkur. For the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori. For the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jepphunneh. For the tribe of Issachar, Yigal the son of Joseph.  For the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun. For the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.     For the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi. For the tribe of Joseph, for the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi. For the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli. For the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael. For the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi. For the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi. These are the names of the men Moses sent to scout the Land…” (13:4-16).

 

The parsha starts out with recounting the journey of the spies, how they went into the Promised Land, looked around, and declared that the land was too difficult and dangerous for them. Ten of these 12 men led Bnei Yisrael into despair, into crying out that they were being led to their death. Their behavior effected not just Bnei Yisrael in the Wilderness, but every generation since.

 

Parshas Shlach highlights two places where people did wrong, where there were actions and punishments and significant consequences. Their crimes were very different, but it is interesting to note that whereas the wood-gatherer is given anonymity, the spies are listed by name. This leads us to two interesting and opposing questions. What is similar about these two situations? What is the difference between them?

 

The two main narratives of Parshas Shlach are connected in a very subtle way. According to tradition, had Bnei Yisrael entered the Promised Land at that time, they would have done so with Moshe as their leader, and they would have been given a situation much as we imagine the forthcoming days of Moshiach (bimhairah b’yameinu). But with all the blessing that includes, it also precludes spiritual growth, and Bnei Yisrael really weren’t ready for that. Similarly, it is a well-known statement that if Klal Yisrael keeps two consecutive Shabbasim, they will bring Moshiach, and, again, they weren’t ready for that. In fact, several commentaries assert that the wood-gatherer acted deliberately in order to break the second Shabbas and to teach his brethren about the true significance of guarding Shabbas because they were not yet spiritually strong enough.

 

Both actions had dire consequences for Klal Yisrael, so why are the spies named but the wood-gatherer left anonymous?

 

The wood-gatherer was a man who sinned. Whether he sinned on purpose, as some commentaries say, or by accident, whether he chose to ignore the warning he received or didn’t understand the consequences of his actions, he was just a member of the kehilla. His transgression was grave. And while there is an idea that except for him Klal Yisrael would have kept a perfect Shabbas, that is also not a foregone conclusion. Someone else might have erred.

 

The spies, on the other hand, were not just members of Klal Yisrael. The Torah wants it made clear that they were men of significance, that they were leaders of their tribes. Interestingly, the Torah describes the wood-gatherer’s actions from the point of being caught, after the act is done; the narrative of the spies, on the other hand, is related from before they acted.

 

The actions of Shammua, Shaphat, Yigal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and G’uel were compounded by their name. They had influence. They knew that their brethren would listen to them, would follow them. They are named because they were significant people to others.

 

We live in an era where celebrity comes and goes, where too many people are pushing for their five minutes of fame, where everyone and their brother seem to think that if they have a smartphone with a camera they can be touted as experts on something or other. But being known, being famous, being a person people immediately think of and turn to, means that one’s every action has a greater impact on other people.

 

The Torah doesn’t name the wood-gatherer because who he is is not important, and he has the right to privacy and respect. His actions are significant and so must be publicized, but his name does not have to be. Who the spies were, on the other hand, had a direct connection to the impact of their actions, and they cannot be shielded from being named and connected to the great travesty that sent Bnei Yisrael back into the Wilderness.

Parshas Behaaloscha: A Day or Two, a Decade or a Millenia

 We all know that history repeats itself. We all know that there are few constants in world history as anti-Semitism. We all just didn’t expect to be living through the end  of such a short period of a golden age, an era when Jews are able to flourish and thrive. And this golden age has been particularly significant after the drastic devastation of the Holocaust.

 

It is fair to say that while there are other nations who have a history of being oppressed, there is no nation on earth that has experienced anything resembling the cycle of success and persecution as the Jewish people. But even with the knowledge of this history of the world, we, as individuals, are still trying to understand why now – why so soon – and why here.

 

The world is a journey, a march through time. When Hashem made us a nation and set in motion our journey from Mitzrayim, Hashem knew that it would be a long path ahead of us. Hashem told us that we would come into the Promised Land and that we would mess up and be kicked out. Hashem told us that we would transgress and lose our way and that we would face devastating punishment, persecution and exile. The warnings are not subtle.

 

But in His Torah, and in His relationship with the Dor HaMidbar, Hashem also provided the guidance for us to build our Emuna and Bitachon that would allow us to survive thousands of years of challenge. Hashem provided us with all of our needs, our sustenance, our clothing, etc. We wanted for nothing, not even water. Understanding Hashem’s capability to give everything a person needs reassures us in every generation that Hashem does give each person what he needs, on an individual level rather than just on a national level. The key is maintaining Emuna and Bitachon (no easy task).

 

The unceasing cycle of Jewish history, so prominent in our perception right now as we try to understand the seemingly sudden and rampant anti-Semitism, is part of the journey and the unknowable pattern of exile and movement. It is also something we can find allusion to (and take comfort from) in Bamidbar 9:22 - “Whether it was two days or a month or a year—however long the cloud lingered over the Mishkan—the Israelites remained encamped and did not set out; only when it lifted did they break camp.”

 

The Dor HaMidbar did not move through the Wilderness at a steady pace. They did not know how long they would be on the move before they stopped and encamped, and once they encamped, they did not know how long they would stay. They knew only one thing – that Hashem would let them know what they were to do.

 

It is interesting to note the Ohr Hachaim’s commentary that explains, in summary, that Bnai Yisrael were not “anxiously awaiting instructions to move.” The verses in perek tes are meant to demonstrate how the Dor HaMidbar “completely assimilated themselves to what appeared to them to be G'd's wishes in the matter….[they] did not pre-empt G'd's instructions when it came to making or breaking camp…” (as translated by Sefaria).

 

Bnei Yisrael in the Wilderness did not go forward and look at every rock and crag and wonder if this was where they would camp. They didn’t harass Moshe with “Are we there yets?” When they were moving, they were moving with purpose, and when they were told to settle, they settled completely. They were aware that they might have to move, but it did not stop them from unpacking, so to speak. They were not anxious because they understood that everything was up to Hashem.

 

Right now, it feels like an appropriate time to be anxious. However, when we reflect on the core traits of emuna and bitachon that our ancestors fostered in the Wilderness, we realize that anxiety serves no purpose. There are challenges, very real and very scary challenges, as we journey forward. We must, however, be like the Dor HaMidbar and know that our way in this world is all Yad Hashem.