The sedra שלח לך consists not only of the very famous incident concerning the מרגלים, the spies, as gone through in detail at the beginning of the sedra, but also a number of other, apparently non related, פרשיות, chapters.
These are as follows (explained in detail below):-
פ' נסכים
פ' חלה
קרבן עבור עבודה זרה
מקושש
פ' ציצית
If, however, one considers matters in depth, I believe that one can ascertain a thread that runs through one parsha after the other, which would explain the order and sequence.
The story of the spies that were sent to investigate the whole land of Canaan was apparently as commanded by Hashem to Moshe. Even if one views it from the commentary of Rashi, namely, that Hashem did not command Moshe to send the twelve spies but that when the Bnei Yisroel requested the investigation, Hashem agreed to it, one has to understand the reasons behind the matter.
I believe that one can explain it as being not only a spying expedition in order to see the physical topography and to gauge the strength of the armies and fortified cities in our Holy Land, but it was also to investigate the spiritual side of the country and its holiness.
Whilst the Bnei Yisroel were in the wilderness they lived on a very high spiritual level. They did not have to worry about physical matters, they ate מן, the manna, which was a spiritual type of food and were surrounded by the ענני כבוד, pillars of glory. They encamped around the Mishkon and were led by Moshe Rabbenu who was always on the spot. However, that was only a passing phase. The ideal situation was not that they should live as angels but as human beings each in their own plot of land and ensure that their spiritual side controlled the physical side, despite them living in the land of Israel, tilling the soil and eating normal food etc. This was akin to the original plan for Odom Harishon in Gan Eden, namely that he should run the physical world in a spiritual way.
Moshe Rabbenu instructed the מרגלים, ולקחתם מפרי הארץ and you shall take from the fruit of the land. That was in order, not only to see the size, texture and appetising nature of the fruit but also in order to ascertain how to spiritually uplift the fruit, this is known as העלאת הניצוצות.
However, ten, at least, of the spies did not merit to understand what Moshe Rabbenu was really driving at. They saw the extraordinary large fruits as showing that the גשמיות, the physical side was extremely strong. The Torah tells us in detail about the אשכול ענבים, the cluster of extraordinary large grapes that they brought back with them. Not only that but the people who were inhabiting the land, including עמלק and the other six nations, were physically strong. They also represented the worst in human nature, in a spiritual way, and were dotted all round the Holy Land.
Therefore, the spies suggested, that not only were the inhabitants of the land of Canaan great warriors, in addition those nations had filled the Holy Land with unholy matters and temptations, including numerous types of עבודה זרה, idol worship etc.
The בני נח had seven mitzvos to keep. The Jewish people were given an extra 606. We find that among the points made about the מרגלים was that they spoke badly about the land, אשר תרו אותה, which they had travelled round and spied upon. The word תרו adds up to 606. What I am suggesting is that this word was used specifically, לרמז, to allude to the effect that the מרגלים suggested in connection with the mitzvos התלויות בארץ, the numerous commandments which are specifically connected with the land of Israel. These include חלה, ביכורים, תרומות, מעשרות, שמיטה, ערלה etc. On the word “הארץ” which the ten spies declaimed about, there is a special note known as a פזר to emphasise that they were worried about the ארציות the physical side of the holy land and yet they continued by saying וכל העם אשר ראינו בתוכה אנשי מדות, and all the people we saw in it people who have bad middos, qualities.
On that basis, the spies concluded that going into the Holy Land was too much of a danger and it would be better to stay in the מדבר, the wilderness. We know that Joshua and Caleb disagreed and the ten spies were, of course, incorrect.
Unfortunately, however, the golden opportunity of going into the land of Canaan immediately was missed and the Jewish people stayed in the wilderness for a further 39 years.
The next parsha in Torah immediately following the whole story is concerning the נסכים, libations.
With every sacrifice brought as a ריח ניחח לה', a pleasant aroma for Hashem, a measure of wine as well as flour had to be brought. The idea behind it all was to elevate the mundane, גשמיות, to a higher level. Therefore the mention of this commandment, at this juncture, came as a sort of antidote to the incorrect ideas of the spies. To the contrary to what the spies thought, the produce of the Holy Land could be utilised in the service of Hashem and in particular as additional presents brought at the time of the sacrifices, the korbonos. Note the אשכול ענבים brought back by the spies. One immediately sees the connection between the two פרשיות.
The next parsha is the commandment to take חלה. This enacted that one had to set aside a portion from bread to be baked which had to then go to the Kohen. This was again to ensure that gluttony should not be allowed to become prevalent and that the physical and mundane foods should be elevated to a higher spiritual level.
In fact, the mitzvah of חלה took place immediately the Bnei Yisroel crossed over the Jordan. It did not have to wait, as most other mitzvos connected with the Land of Israel, until the capture and distribution of the actual land some years later. This was to ensure that there should be a restraint in the use of normal food immediately the Land of Israel was entered. One must bear in mind that for the previous 40 years, the Bnei Yisroel had subsisted on מן, manna and being now enabled to eat normal foods (of which לחם, bread, is the staple diet) they were given a mitzvah to ensure that they would go about it with a spiritual dimension.
The next parsha concerns עבודה זרה, idol worship. As mentioned earlier on, this was one of the major problems concerning the nations who were in the land of Canaan and, therefore, in order to counteract that, special sacrifices had to be brought if (unfortunately) anybody had transgressed in some way by idol worshiping. Those sacrifices would lead to the rectification of the person and the matter.
Hashem wanted to demonstrate that even if the Bnei Yisroel would fall from their high level they could rectify things and improve and bring things back to the correct level. In fact, the Torah tells us ונסלח לכל עדת בני ישראל etc. I will forgive the whole congregation, because they served idols inadvertently. Of course, as the Torah points out a little later, if it was done on purpose, there would be a severe punishment imposed.
This is followed by the parsha of the מקושש, the person who went out on Shabbos and cut branches of wood. This was to demonstrate that it was not only in the land of Canaan that there might be problems and tests which had to be overcome. Remaining in the wilderness was no guarantee that people would not do the wrong thing. A person in the מדבר went, on purpose, and broke one of the laws of Shabbos. One can never be sure!!
This is followed by the final parsha at the end of the sedra, that of ציצית. As theתנא דבי אליהו states, when Moshe saw the מקושש he requested Hashem as follows During the week the Bnei Yisroel wear tefillin and, therefore, remember the mitzvos, how on Shabbos can they have an immediate visible sign that they should remember to keep all the mitzvos? Hashem, therefore, gave the mitzvah of ציצית which should ensure that everybody, not only keeps the mitzvah of Shabbos but is a reminder for all of us at all times to adhere to mitzvos. Rashi points out that the 613 mitzvos are hinted at by the word ציצית and the way they are done with knots and threads.
One can now see a golden thread running through the various chapters in this sedra which have a connection, one with the other.
These are as follows (explained in detail below):-
פ' נסכים
פ' חלה
קרבן עבור עבודה זרה
מקושש
פ' ציצית
If, however, one considers matters in depth, I believe that one can ascertain a thread that runs through one parsha after the other, which would explain the order and sequence.
The story of the spies that were sent to investigate the whole land of Canaan was apparently as commanded by Hashem to Moshe. Even if one views it from the commentary of Rashi, namely, that Hashem did not command Moshe to send the twelve spies but that when the Bnei Yisroel requested the investigation, Hashem agreed to it, one has to understand the reasons behind the matter.
I believe that one can explain it as being not only a spying expedition in order to see the physical topography and to gauge the strength of the armies and fortified cities in our Holy Land, but it was also to investigate the spiritual side of the country and its holiness.
Whilst the Bnei Yisroel were in the wilderness they lived on a very high spiritual level. They did not have to worry about physical matters, they ate מן, the manna, which was a spiritual type of food and were surrounded by the ענני כבוד, pillars of glory. They encamped around the Mishkon and were led by Moshe Rabbenu who was always on the spot. However, that was only a passing phase. The ideal situation was not that they should live as angels but as human beings each in their own plot of land and ensure that their spiritual side controlled the physical side, despite them living in the land of Israel, tilling the soil and eating normal food etc. This was akin to the original plan for Odom Harishon in Gan Eden, namely that he should run the physical world in a spiritual way.
Moshe Rabbenu instructed the מרגלים, ולקחתם מפרי הארץ and you shall take from the fruit of the land. That was in order, not only to see the size, texture and appetising nature of the fruit but also in order to ascertain how to spiritually uplift the fruit, this is known as העלאת הניצוצות.
However, ten, at least, of the spies did not merit to understand what Moshe Rabbenu was really driving at. They saw the extraordinary large fruits as showing that the גשמיות, the physical side was extremely strong. The Torah tells us in detail about the אשכול ענבים, the cluster of extraordinary large grapes that they brought back with them. Not only that but the people who were inhabiting the land, including עמלק and the other six nations, were physically strong. They also represented the worst in human nature, in a spiritual way, and were dotted all round the Holy Land.
Therefore, the spies suggested, that not only were the inhabitants of the land of Canaan great warriors, in addition those nations had filled the Holy Land with unholy matters and temptations, including numerous types of עבודה זרה, idol worship etc.
The בני נח had seven mitzvos to keep. The Jewish people were given an extra 606. We find that among the points made about the מרגלים was that they spoke badly about the land, אשר תרו אותה, which they had travelled round and spied upon. The word תרו adds up to 606. What I am suggesting is that this word was used specifically, לרמז, to allude to the effect that the מרגלים suggested in connection with the mitzvos התלויות בארץ, the numerous commandments which are specifically connected with the land of Israel. These include חלה, ביכורים, תרומות, מעשרות, שמיטה, ערלה etc. On the word “הארץ” which the ten spies declaimed about, there is a special note known as a פזר to emphasise that they were worried about the ארציות the physical side of the holy land and yet they continued by saying וכל העם אשר ראינו בתוכה אנשי מדות, and all the people we saw in it people who have bad middos, qualities.
On that basis, the spies concluded that going into the Holy Land was too much of a danger and it would be better to stay in the מדבר, the wilderness. We know that Joshua and Caleb disagreed and the ten spies were, of course, incorrect.
Unfortunately, however, the golden opportunity of going into the land of Canaan immediately was missed and the Jewish people stayed in the wilderness for a further 39 years.
The next parsha in Torah immediately following the whole story is concerning the נסכים, libations.
With every sacrifice brought as a ריח ניחח לה', a pleasant aroma for Hashem, a measure of wine as well as flour had to be brought. The idea behind it all was to elevate the mundane, גשמיות, to a higher level. Therefore the mention of this commandment, at this juncture, came as a sort of antidote to the incorrect ideas of the spies. To the contrary to what the spies thought, the produce of the Holy Land could be utilised in the service of Hashem and in particular as additional presents brought at the time of the sacrifices, the korbonos. Note the אשכול ענבים brought back by the spies. One immediately sees the connection between the two פרשיות.
The next parsha is the commandment to take חלה. This enacted that one had to set aside a portion from bread to be baked which had to then go to the Kohen. This was again to ensure that gluttony should not be allowed to become prevalent and that the physical and mundane foods should be elevated to a higher spiritual level.
In fact, the mitzvah of חלה took place immediately the Bnei Yisroel crossed over the Jordan. It did not have to wait, as most other mitzvos connected with the Land of Israel, until the capture and distribution of the actual land some years later. This was to ensure that there should be a restraint in the use of normal food immediately the Land of Israel was entered. One must bear in mind that for the previous 40 years, the Bnei Yisroel had subsisted on מן, manna and being now enabled to eat normal foods (of which לחם, bread, is the staple diet) they were given a mitzvah to ensure that they would go about it with a spiritual dimension.
The next parsha concerns עבודה זרה, idol worship. As mentioned earlier on, this was one of the major problems concerning the nations who were in the land of Canaan and, therefore, in order to counteract that, special sacrifices had to be brought if (unfortunately) anybody had transgressed in some way by idol worshiping. Those sacrifices would lead to the rectification of the person and the matter.
Hashem wanted to demonstrate that even if the Bnei Yisroel would fall from their high level they could rectify things and improve and bring things back to the correct level. In fact, the Torah tells us ונסלח לכל עדת בני ישראל etc. I will forgive the whole congregation, because they served idols inadvertently. Of course, as the Torah points out a little later, if it was done on purpose, there would be a severe punishment imposed.
This is followed by the parsha of the מקושש, the person who went out on Shabbos and cut branches of wood. This was to demonstrate that it was not only in the land of Canaan that there might be problems and tests which had to be overcome. Remaining in the wilderness was no guarantee that people would not do the wrong thing. A person in the מדבר went, on purpose, and broke one of the laws of Shabbos. One can never be sure!!
This is followed by the final parsha at the end of the sedra, that of ציצית. As theתנא דבי אליהו states, when Moshe saw the מקושש he requested Hashem as follows During the week the Bnei Yisroel wear tefillin and, therefore, remember the mitzvos, how on Shabbos can they have an immediate visible sign that they should remember to keep all the mitzvos? Hashem, therefore, gave the mitzvah of ציצית which should ensure that everybody, not only keeps the mitzvah of Shabbos but is a reminder for all of us at all times to adhere to mitzvos. Rashi points out that the 613 mitzvos are hinted at by the word ציצית and the way they are done with knots and threads.
One can now see a golden thread running through the various chapters in this sedra which have a connection, one with the other.
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