Parshas Shelach 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 19
- 2 min read
ויספרו לו ויאמרו באנו אל הארץ אשר שלחתנו וגם זבת חלב ודבש הוא וזה פריה ... (יג-כז)
The meraglim returned from scouting Eretz Yisroel with a troubling report. Klal Yisroel cried and we are still paying for that sin years later. Yet, as many Rishonim point out, it is not immediately clear what exactly they said that was so wrong. After all, they even acknowledged the land’s goodness: "וגם זבת חלב ודבש היא". So what exactly was the lashon hara?
Based on the Ramban, the Chasam Sofer offers a penetrating insight. Moshe had told the people that Eretz Yisroel was a unique land, so spiritually elevated that it could not tolerate sin or evil. A place under Hashem’s constant scrutiny, "עיני ה' אלקיך בה". The meraglim sought to undermine this. “The land is full of powerful, wicked nations and yet they prosper! There are beautiful and large fruits, and it is flowing with the Berachos promised to us!” "ארץ אוכלת יושביה" means the land is יכול - it is able to handle its current dwellers. Their argument was subtle; if such sinners are thriving, clearly the land is not as spiritually sensitive as Moshe claimed. In essence, they were attacking not the fruit, but the very holiness of the land. Calev responded with faith: "עלה נעלה" - “We will surely ascend!” He reminded the people that the coming battle would not be won by military might, but by Hashem’s presence. This was not a physical conquest, but a divine mission. Hashem Himself would lead them.
The Chasam Sofer offers another angle. The spies warned that with the blessings of prosperity and abundance in the Land, the people would forget Hashem. It is better, they argued, to return to the Land of Egypt with its suffering and oppression, which at least forced them to pray and turn to the Almighty. But this argument, too, was flawed. Hashem does not want us to choose suffering to stay connected. He wants us to live in Eretz Yisroel, to receive His blessings, and to remember that He is the source of our success. Whether facing open war in Eretz Yisroel or the relative comfort in America, we must never forget: It is Hashem Who fights our battles, and it is Hashem Who fills our tables.