Parashat Sh'lach

June 20, 2025
24 Sivan 5785
Parashat Sh'lach
Numbers 13:1 - 15:41

Dear Friends,

I am reminded again and again of the kindness and caring that exists in the world. At times it is hard to grab hold of, but the light is there. Our community has shown itself to be one of caring, compassion, and kindness again and again over the past year. The ability to be there for others in the midst of the chaos of this moment is a sign of strength.

Sadly, this week’s Torah portion gives us a clear example of those blinded by their own fear and assumptions and unable to make the best, albeit difficult, decision to go forward. This week’s Torah portion Sh’lach, "send" (Numbers 13:1-15:41), tells the story of the twelve chieftains sent out by Moses to spy out the land. Caleb and Joshua saw one thing; for the rest of the chieftains, it is not so much what they saw but how they reacted to what they saw.

Interestingly, the Torah portion only gives us a report of how exploring the land made them feel. Ten of the twelve felt like grasshoppers in relation to those who lived in the land. Their filter was a negative one. They saw the lush produce of the land, but responded negatively; after all, the people in the land were giants and they were but grasshoppers. They were unable to understand that the strong fortifications of the inhabitants was a sign of fear. Thirty eight years later, when Joshua sent his spies, they are told that the people have been in fear of the Israelites for the past forty years.

When we look at these twelve leaders, chosen especially to spy out the land, we see ten individuals who are taken over by groupthink. Their individuality is lost. The fear of going forward spreads among them. They do not believe in the power of the Divine, power that they have previously witnessed.

We can work together without being the same. If ever there was a moment when this needs to resonate with us, it is now. Through diversity, the people will then be better insulated from the groupthink that gripped the spies. Diversity and difference is the key to survival; homogeneity is a recipe for the downfall of a society. Without question, the Book of Bamidbar is a text for today. We too are in the wilderness without a clear sense of where things will end. The choice of how to engage in this moment is ours.

Parashat Sh’lach is a warning about the dangers of too much unity of thought and too great a fear of moving forward. Let us work on coming together and be reminded that we too were once slaves and strangers in a strange land. The moment feels almost hopeless. The people were almost destroyed, except for the intervention of Moses. Instead of destruction, they will wander for thirty-eight more years.

There seem to be two different codas to this Torah portion, each of great importance. The first is where we are once more reminded in Chapter 15:14: “There shall be one law for you and the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time through the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before the Divine.” Our relationship to the other should be one of inclusion and acceptance, not fear.

But the Torah portion goes on concluding with the following injunction: Adonai said to Moses as follows:

“Speak to the people of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes, tzitzit, on the corners of their garments throughout their generations; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner. That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all of Adonai’s commandments and observe them so that you do not follow your heart and eyes and be seduced or led astray. Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments.and to be holy to your God. I, Adonai, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, Adonai your God.” (Numbers 15:37-41)

What is it about these fringes? How can they be a source of support at this the biggest failure of the people? The fringes of the tallit with their strand of blue are a potent reminder of the importance of bringing our best selves forward. But it is more than that. After the abject failure of the spies, we are given hope. We are enjoined to look and see before the heart enters the picture. We are enjoined to be clear eyed and not be afraid and not be led astray by imagining the worst, as the spies did. It is good advice.

After this abject failure, we need a number of ways to get beyond this moment. We are supplied with two different complementary approaches, one dealing with ourselves and the other dealing with those among whom we live. It gives us a way forward in these times as well.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn