Parshas Shelach 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
היה לכם לציצת וראיתם אתו וזכרתם את כל מצות ה' ... (טו-לט)
MASHAL: Reb Mendel Futerfas z”l, a renowned Lubavitcher Chasid who spent many harrowing years in the Siberian gulags, used to tell a fascinating story. A fellow prisoner had been a world-class tightrope walker. Reb Mendel asked him, “What is the secret? How do you walk on a thin wire so high in the air without falling?”
The man replied, “It’s all in the eyes. Before I step onto the rope, I pick a point at the far end, and I never take my eyes off it. If I look down at my feet, I lose my balance. If I look at the crowd, I can fall. My eyes are fixed on the destination.”
“I asked him,” said Reb Mendel, “what is the hardest part?”
The man replied: “The turn! When you reach the end, you have to turn around to go back. For a split second, you lose sight of the first point, and the new point isn’t yet in focus. That moment of transition is the only time I am in real danger.”
Reb Mendel learned from this that we must stay focused on our spiritual destination. The transitions in a person’s life is the danger. Whether moving through ups and downs or transitioning from a place of inspiration (like Yom Tov) back into the mundane world, those moments of “turning” are when one must hold onto their focus with everything they have.
NIMSHAL: Parshas Shelach concludes with the commandment of Tzitzis. The Torah tells us to “look upon it and remember all the commandments of Hashem,” warning us not to “wander after our hearts and our eyes.” The Tzitzis act as the focal point at the end of the “rope,” keeping our eyes riveted on our spiritual destination so we don’t fall when navigating the dangers of the mundane world.