Negative Commentary

Weekly Torah Lesson

Parasha: Shlach lecha – Send for yourself
Torah: b’mid’bar 13:1 – 15:41

** We all know several people who see everyone and everything through a negative lens. Their negative words follow their negative thoughts and they poison the atmosphere that they live in. This week’s lesson is a great example of how the negative perspective of a few can pollute the minds and actions of many.  

B’mid’bar 13:1  And Avinu spoke to Moshe, saying, 2  Send you men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man, every one a ruler among them. 3  And Moshe by the commandment of Avinu sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel.

** Ten leaders out of the twelve didn’t believe in Avinu and Moshe’s plan to bring them into the land of Canaan. Imagine if fourty out of the fifty governors of this nation would revolt against the Federal Administration.  

B’mid’bar 13:17 And Moshe sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: 18 And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwells therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; 19 And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; 20 And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be you of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. 21 So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, as men come to Hamath. 22 And they ascended by the south, and came to Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Mitzryim.) 23 And they came to the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it between two on a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. 24 The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from there. 25 And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. 26 And they went and came to Moshe, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them, and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, and said, We came to the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

** So far, so good.  Here comes that famous word.

B’mid’bar 13:28 But the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

** Nobody asked them for their opinion about whether the land could be conquered or not. These ten leaders  felt that it was their “duty” to express their unsolicited negative perspective.

B’mid’bar 13:30 And Calev stilled the people before Moshe, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. 31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. 32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched to the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. 33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. 14:1 And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moshe and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Would Avinu that we had died in the land of Mitzryim! or would Avinu we had died in this wilderness! 3 And why has Avinu brought us to this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Mitzryim? 4 And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Mitzryim. 5 Then Moshe and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Calev the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: 7  And they spoke to all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. 8 If Avinu delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only rebel not you against Avinu, neither fear you the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and Avinu is with us: fear them not.

** The ten leader / spies have ignited the rebellion and the words of Kalev are falling on ears of stone. 

Here are a few Scriptures that shed a little more light on this rebellion:

for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against Avinu, then how much more after my death? (De 31:27 )

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Avinu, He also has rejected you from being king. (1Sa 15:23 )

They refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them. (Ne 9:17 )

Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion, As in the day of trial in the wilderness, (Ps 95:8 )

15  while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. 16  For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? 17  Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? 18  And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? (Heb 3:15-18 )

For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. (Heb 4:2 )

36 And the men, which Moshe sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander on the land, 37  Even those men that did bring up the evil report on the land, died by the plague before Avinu. 38  But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still. (Nu 14:36-38)