Shelach - June 13, 2026 / 28 Sivan 5786
This week’s parsha deals with the story of the spies sent to scout out the land before going in to conquer it. The term used is actually translated as “send for yourself” which Rashi described as it not being a commandment. G-d is telling Moses, if you want to send the spies send them. This is our first indication that the mission is going to go off the rails. Yet it seems like such a great idea to send spies! In fact, years later even having been a part of this disastrous mission, Joshua decides to do the same thing by sending spies to Jericho, though that time successfully.
Another indication of concern is that Moses changes the name of his apprentice Hoshea by adding a “yud” giving him the blessing of G-d’s name, calling him Yehoshua (Joshua). Caleb, the other righteous spy who refuses to lose faith, travels to Hebron to invoke the merit of his forefathers. We would think the names of each of the ten spies who brought the evil report about the land are unimportant, but not so. In fact, the Torah describes them using the term “men” indicating that they were deemed worthy.
This invokes two questions – first, if these were good people and sending spies was a good idea, then where did it go wrong? Second, why would Moses put his apprentice at risk, knowing that things were going to go wrong?
One answer to the first question is that the spies were not evil, they just were not ready. They had to believe in both themselves and G-d to the extent that they “who saw themselves as grasshoppers” could defeat giants. This is a challenge we face in our daily lives. How many times do my kids bring me a math problem that they say they can’t do? My first response is, have you tried? Let’s work it through together. Having faith means believing in ourselves as well. Sometimes we need that extra external boost for which Moses gave Joshua and Caleb sought in Hebron. Today, as Jews face numerous enemies in Israel and the world, we again need that faith in ourselves and most importantly in G-d, to recognize that the land promised to us, is ours and is worth fighting for on all fronts.
Now why did Moses put Joshua in the mix? Negative thinking is contagious, but so can be positive thinking if the audience is receptive. Moses was hoping that with Joshua and Caleb there as positive influences, there was a chance the mission could still pull together. In fact, Joshua sends just two spies to Jericho, the Midrash says it was Pinchas and Caleb (again) two righteous individuals who would obviously succeed. While Joshua and Caleb counter the words of the other spies, they are not receptive to the message and the majority of the Nation do not merit to enter the land. We can learn from this as well. Positive and negative messages are everywhere – the Internet, social media, television, even newspapers for us ancient people. Some of those messages are from the mainstream media, bloggers, scammers, and all sorts of regular people with a selfie stick and an app. And there are also messages from the Torah and the Rabbis and messages you can hear every Shabbat in shul. What are you listening to?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
Another indication of concern is that Moses changes the name of his apprentice Hoshea by adding a “yud” giving him the blessing of G-d’s name, calling him Yehoshua (Joshua). Caleb, the other righteous spy who refuses to lose faith, travels to Hebron to invoke the merit of his forefathers. We would think the names of each of the ten spies who brought the evil report about the land are unimportant, but not so. In fact, the Torah describes them using the term “men” indicating that they were deemed worthy.
This invokes two questions – first, if these were good people and sending spies was a good idea, then where did it go wrong? Second, why would Moses put his apprentice at risk, knowing that things were going to go wrong?
One answer to the first question is that the spies were not evil, they just were not ready. They had to believe in both themselves and G-d to the extent that they “who saw themselves as grasshoppers” could defeat giants. This is a challenge we face in our daily lives. How many times do my kids bring me a math problem that they say they can’t do? My first response is, have you tried? Let’s work it through together. Having faith means believing in ourselves as well. Sometimes we need that extra external boost for which Moses gave Joshua and Caleb sought in Hebron. Today, as Jews face numerous enemies in Israel and the world, we again need that faith in ourselves and most importantly in G-d, to recognize that the land promised to us, is ours and is worth fighting for on all fronts.
Now why did Moses put Joshua in the mix? Negative thinking is contagious, but so can be positive thinking if the audience is receptive. Moses was hoping that with Joshua and Caleb there as positive influences, there was a chance the mission could still pull together. In fact, Joshua sends just two spies to Jericho, the Midrash says it was Pinchas and Caleb (again) two righteous individuals who would obviously succeed. While Joshua and Caleb counter the words of the other spies, they are not receptive to the message and the majority of the Nation do not merit to enter the land. We can learn from this as well. Positive and negative messages are everywhere – the Internet, social media, television, even newspapers for us ancient people. Some of those messages are from the mainstream media, bloggers, scammers, and all sorts of regular people with a selfie stick and an app. And there are also messages from the Torah and the Rabbis and messages you can hear every Shabbat in shul. What are you listening to?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Josh
