by Rabbi Yaakov Siegel
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
One of the great beauties of the Torah is that it may be interpreted in different ways, in different times and situations. The Rabbis compare this to a rock being struck by a hammer, throwing fragments in every direction.
In this week’s parashah, we have the incident of the meraglim, the spies sent to investigate the nature of the great gift God is about to give His people: Eretz Yisrael. Amazingly, ten of the twelve tribal heads bring back an evil report. But why? Various explanations are offered.
One is that they were afraid of losing their positions of influence, which they had in the desert. There will be a new order. What would be their place in it? “A land that devours its inhabitants”? Perhaps, they thought, our positions will be devoured!
Another explanation is that they misinterpreted God’s Providence as signs of evil. Wherever they went, they saw funerals. “It’s a land that devours its inhabitants”. Actually, the deaths of prominent Canaanites were to distract the locals from defending themselves against the Israelites.
Yet another interpretation, which I find particularly meaningful, is offered by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov. “A land that devours its inhabitants” – what happens when we devour food? It becomes part of us! What we eat today walks and talks tomorrow. If one walks but four cubits in Eretz Yisrael, one is forever part of the Holy Land. Our deeds, our accomplishments, our failures, even our careers, do not define us; they are merely parts of our lives. We retain our individual identities, for better or for worse, regardless of these things. But to become part and parcel of something greater can indeed be frightening. On the other hand, it can be an incredible opportunity. We all experience a bit of this on our wedding day! The spies were happy being who they were, with all their prestige and power. Now, were they to become “merely” part of something? They found this unbearable. Joshua and Caleb brought back the message “the land that the Lord is giving us is very, very good.” We are about to leave the “prestige” of the wanderer. We are about to become part of something much, much bigger. We are about to become part of the Holy Land, to be a Holy People, to begin a sacred history towards a glorious future. Perhaps it would be easier and safer to remain where we were. We are told that that is a fatal mistake.
This choice is offered to each of us. Yes, life was far easier in the cradle. But is that really life? We are to go forward and become part of our families, our People, our Land, our destinies! We stand at the borders of the loss of our pettiness, the beginning of greatness. The choice isn’t easy. But it is magnificent!
Especially when Israel is demonized everywhere, we can not hide in our tents. Israel devours us – we are part of it. The outside world knows this. Let us not flee or hide, but celebrate our destiny!
Shabbat Shalom!
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Rabbi Jeffrey (Yaakov) Siegel hails from Brooklyn, New York. He is from a traditional, but not halachically observant background. In his teens, his searching brought him to Orthodox Judaism. He had some training in a Hasidic yeshiva, but is mostly self-educated. He studied Hebrew language at Brooklyn College, and Jewish history at Yeshiva University. His rabbinic ordination is from the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. He has occupied rabbinic as well as educational positions in the U.S., as well as having lived for seventeen years in Israel, where he made a name for himself in the area of Scribal Law, as well as serving as rabbi in a settlement in the Shomron. Upon returning to the U.S. in 2001, he again assumed a rabbinical position, from which he is now retired. He found the American Orthodox Rabbinate woefully disappointing after having known the rich plethora of opinions and practices in Israeli circles, and found his home in Morasha, the Rabbinical branch of UTJ. His areas of special interest are Halachah, Kabbalah, and Hasidism, especially the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (Bratzlav). He runs a secret Facebook group, where he offers his views on many controversial topics, as well as teaching online classes in his areas of expertise. His home is in Far Rockawy, New York, where he lives with his wife Sima.