In Brief
The name of the Parshah, Shelach," means “Send” and it is found in Numbers 13:2.
Moses sends twelve spies to the land of Canaan. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on a lush and bountiful land. But ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors “more powerful than we”; only Caleb and Joshua insist that the land can be conquered, as G‑d has commanded.
The people weep that they’d rather return to Egypt. G‑d decrees that Israel’s entry into the land shall be delayed forty years, during which time that entire generation will die out in the desert. A group of remorseful Jews storm the mountain on the border of the land, and are routed by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
The laws of the nesachim (meal, wine and oil offerings) are given, as well as the mitzvah to consecrate a portion of the dough (challah) to G‑d when making bread. A man violates the Shabbat by gathering sticks, and is put to death. G‑d instructs us to place fringes (tzitzit) on the four corners of our garments, so that we should remember to fulfil the mitzvot (divine commandments).
Chapter 13
The Story of the Spies
The Spies
13:2] כֹּ֖ל נָשִׂ֥יא בָהֶֽם — each a nobleman.
The Lord commands Moses to send men to scout out the Promised Land in preparation for its invasion. They are chosen from the most distinguished members of their tribes. He (Moses) gives them detailed instructions of what to look for. “Are the people weak or strong, few or many? Is the country in which they dwell good or bad? Are the towns they live in open or fortified? Is the soil rich or poor? Is it wooded or not?”
N: It seems that the spies, being distinguished gentlemen, should have known that this is type of information that they would need to gather. How come they had to be reminded of this by Moses?
Perhaps they were the generation that had been born in the desert, and spent most of their time studying Torah — for they had little else to do. Thus they had no farming experience, and would have little idea of what to look for. As that is one thing the Torah is not — a farming manual!
There is also the possibility that that generation was turned into an efficient fighting machine, training for 20 or so years.
Q: An interesting question arises here: What was the cut-off age for the generation that died in the desert. Surely it did not consist of everyone who was alive at the time, as a newborn should not be so punished for the sin of his or her parent.
13:4-15] Detailed list of names of the spies
| son of | spy | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Zachor | זַכוּר | Shammua | שׁמוּע |
| Yephuneh | יַפוּנֶה | Caleb | כֵּלֶב |
| Nun | נוּן | Hoshea | הוֹשֵׂעַ |
| Sodi | סודי | Gaddiel | גדיאל |
| Gemali | גֵמַלי | Ammiel | עמיאל |
| Vophsi | וַפסי | Nahbi | נחְבּי |
| Hori | הוֹרי | Shafat | שָׁפת |
| Joseph | יוסף | Palti | פַלְתי |
| Raphu | ַ רַפוּא | Yigal | יגאַל |
| Susi | סוּסי | Gadi | גדי |
| Michael | מיכאל | Sethur | סְתוּר |
| Machi | מַכי | Geuel | גֶאוּאל |
Another mantra, repeated 12 times.
n13:16] וַיִּקְרָ֥א משֶׁ֛ה לְהוֹשֵׁ֥עַ בִּן־נ֖וּן יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ: — Moses changed the name of Hosea, son of Nun to Joshua (“G-d shall save”)
The letter yud, which had been removed from Sarai’s name (when she was renamed “Sarah”—cf. Genesis 17:15), was soaring and flying before the divine throne all those years, and saying before G‑d: “Because I am the smallest of the letters, I was taken out of the righteous Sarah?” Until she was added to Joshua.
They do as told, from the Wilderness of Zin to Rehob, at Lebo-hamath (the entrance to Hamath) until they reached Wadi Eshkol (cluster), where they cut down a single cluster of grapes so large it had to be carried in a frame. On their journey they passed through the Negev and Hebron, which had been founded seven years before Zoan of Eypt - where "Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the Anakites lived.
N: I only include this for the names: Zin, Rehob, Lebo-hamath, Zoan, Ahiman, Sheshai, Talmai, and the Anakites.
After 40 days they returned (v25).
The spies report
Here is where the trouble starts. They were supposed to report back what they saw, and they did. But that perhaps was not the error, but their lack of faith and belief in what HaShem had promised them, was.
Q: What would the “correct” report have been?
A different report
There is a whole tale here. Of the choosing of the spies, Moses (the wizard) giving them their instructions. Setting out on their journey through the desert, the mountains and the valleys of the Promised Land where they encountered the people of the land, including the giants and other such people.
How did they mingle with them? They knew there was this conquering tribe on their borders and would not feel safe or secure with them. Thus how did they enter these places unhampered? Or did they skulk around and hide, catching glimpses of what was actually happening.
And what tongue did they speak to the people in? Would there language not be strange and people would immediately recognise them as strangers? What story did they give them? Not "Hi, we are from the Hebrew tribe on your borders, and have come here to spy on your land in order to work out how to conquer it, and if it is worth it?
"The land does indeed flow with milk and honey (v27). However, the people are powerful, their cities are large and well fortified and we saw Anakites there. Amalekites dwell in the Negeb region; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites inhabit the hill country; and Canaanites dwell by the Sea and along the Jordan” (v29). The people are giants;
N: It is interesting that the Hutu of Rwanda referred to the Tutsi as cockroaches.
Only Caleb spoke up against them, saying: “Nevertheless, we shall gain possession of it” (v30). But they responded, saying: “We cannot attack that people, for it is stronger than we." And they began to spread calumnies amongst the people. "The country that we traversed is one that devours its settlers. All the people that in it are giants; we saw Nephilim (Gen. 6:4) — and we looked like grasshoppers (כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים) to them (v33).
N: This is an example of exaggeration being used to convince people of something. “All those we saw were giants”.
Chapter 14
This caused a calamity amongst the people. They all railed against Moses and Aaron. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt,” they shouted at them, “or if only we might die in this wilderness! Why is יהוה taking us to that land to fall by the sword?” “Our wives and children will be carried off!” “It would be better for us to go back to Egypt!” (v3)
Aaron and Moses fell on their faces in from of the congregation, while Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh tore their clothes (v6). "The land that we traversed is exceedingly good, and, if pleased with us, יהוה will give us that land, a land that flows with milk and honey. Have no fear of the people of the country. They are our prey (Lit. “food (or, bread))”. Their protection has departed from them, but יהוה is with us. Have no fear of them!” (v9)
The community is not swayed by their exhortations, and is threatening to “pelt them with stones”, when … “the Presence of יהוה appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the Israelites.” (v10).
N: The renowed and difficult phrase, “The presence of HaSHem … appeared to them” (וּכְב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֗ה נִרְאָה֙ בְּאֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֔ד אֶֽל־כׇּל־בְּנֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל), appears here again.
G-d steps in, and says angrily to Moses: “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst?”
N: This is the existential question regarding G-d. One could counter with: “What has G-d done for me? My life is shyte, my relationships suck, and I am unhappy…” My response would be: “You could not exist another moment, if not for G-d’s mercy!”
N: Here follows one of Moses’ famous negotiations with G-d!
You freed the people from the Egyptians with Your might. Your Presence remains in their midst, Your cloud resting over them. You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night (v14).
If then You slay this people as one man, i.e., without discrimination, the nations who have heard Your fame will say, ‘It must be because יהוה was powerless to bring that people into the land promised them on oath that [that god] slaughtered them in the wilderness.’(v16)
N: Now Moses praises the Lord in order to placate His anger.
Therefore, I pray, let my Lord’s mercy be great, as You have declared, (Exod. 34:6-7)
v14:18]
N: וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה — translated as: yet not remitting all punishment, literally cleaning but not cleansing. This piece is mysterious. A possible translation is repent, else your children will suffer the iniquity of their fathers’ until the fourth generation.
פוקד עון אבות על בנים, this may extend until the fourth generation, i.e. if the fourth generation of the original sinner continues in the wicked ways of their forbearers that will make the measure of sin of those families in the third generation so full that it has become irreversible and G’d will take the appropriate action. If the sons and grandsons continued in the evil ways of their forbearers but not until the fourth generation, G’d will suspend retribution to see how the fourth generation would conduct themselves before exacting retribution.
ונקה לא ינקה, “and He will not let a guilty person be exonerated completely without having paid a price for knowingly having sinned.” [This is the standard explanation of this expression. Ed.] Our author -- if I understand him correctly -- claims that it is G–d saying that the world we live in will never be completely free of deliberate sinners. He used Jeremiah 30:11 as his proof for this interpretation. The Prophet there says: ויסרתיך למשפט ונקה לא ינקך, (after having wiped out the sinful nations) “but I will not let you go unpunished, but I will chastise you in measure”
Ending with the final plea: “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great mercy, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.” (v19)
Amazingly enough, G-d relents, and says: סָלַ֖חְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ “I pardon, as you have asked.” But, perhaps connected to the statement, וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה in v18, He continues, “Nevertheless, as I live and as HaShem’s Presence fills the whole world, none of those involved — who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many (literally 10) times and have disobeyed Me — shall see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers; none of those who spurn Me shall see it… except for Caleb.” (v24)
N: He is still angry, but is witholding this anger, and allowing them to pass through. That seems to be a fitting punishment for them. They were afraid of entering the land, so they don’t deserve to be recipients of this gift promised to the forefathers by G-d. But here He is only punishing the 1st generation.
It seems, however, that G-d witheld His anger publically, but to Moses and Aaron (v26) He expresses His true feelings. "“How much longer shall that wicked community keep muttering against Me? (v27) Say to them, 'You shall have your desire. In this very wilderness — all of the men from the age of twenty and up who have muttered against me — shall your carcasses drop. Not one of you shall enter the land in which I swore (Lit. “raised My hand.”) to settle you — save Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. Your children will enter. They will roam the wilderness for forty years, suffering for your faithlessness, until the last of your corpses is down in the wilderness.(v33)
N: Three times (v29, v32, v33) G-d refers to their dead bodies with the word פִגְרֵיכֶ֜ם which can be translated (in this context) as either corpse or carcasses. In the Sefaria translation “carcasses”, a derogatory term, is used. Whereas, the Chabad translation is corpses.
As for those whom were sent to scout the land, and who spread an evil report about the land, they will die in the plague before the Lord." (v37)
N: There is a difficultly here, in that these are G-d’s words to Moses, but it is written that these men “died in the plague”, and only after, it relates that Moses spoke all these words to the people. (v39)
The Lord ends His diatribe by telling them that, as the Amalekites and the Canaanites occupy the valley, they need to travel (וּסְע֥וּ) into the Wilderness via the Sea of Reeds.
The people were greatly affected by these words, and so arose early in the morning wanting to obey G-d’s words, saying “We are ready to go to the place which the Lord spoke of, as we have sinned.” Moses is not happy about this, and responds, "You are transgressing the Lord’s command. This will not succeed. If you go up, you might be defeated by your enemies, for they, the Amalekites and the Canaanites, are there, waiting and you will fall by the sword (נְפַלְתֶּ֖ם בֶּחָ֑רֶב) as you are not following the Lord’s instruction, and He will not be with you.
Ignoring his reproach, the defiantly (יַּעְפִּ֕לוּ - meaning uncertain) marched to the top of the mountain, though neither the Ark of the Covenant nor Moses moved from the camp. As predicted, the Amalekites and Canaanites who lived on the Mountain, came down and smote and crushed (וַיַּכּ֥וּם וַיַּכְּת֖וּם) them, (v45)
N: We have those who spoke against the Lord will not enter the Promised Land but will die in the wilderness; the instigators (the spies) died of plague; now many of those that felt guilty about their doubting G-d, rushed up to the mountain to get destroyed.
N: There is also a discontinuity, first (v25), he says that the Amelekites and Canaanites occupy the valleys, but in v45, it says that they dwelled (הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב) on the mountain. The word, (הַיֹּשֵׁ֖ב), could mean that they had been keeping an eye on the movements of the Israelites from the vantage point of the mountain, even expecting an attack. When the guilty Jews rushed pell-mell up the mountain, they were, of course, defeated.
Chapter 15
Breaking a commandment
N: After all the drama in the first part of the Parasha, we now proceed into detailed instructions (once again) on the rituals and sacrifices that the Israelites are to perform in the Promised Land.
The first is an offering by fire to HaShem, be it a burnt offering or sacrifice, to fulfil a spoken vow or as a freewill offering, or at fixed occasions, to produce an odour pleasing (רֵ֤יחַ נִיחֹ֙חַ֙) to the Lord.
The instructions in this case (v4-15) end with the lovely, "There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before Hashem - קָּ֥ה אַחַ֛ת לָכֶ֖ם וְלַגֵּ֣ר הַגָּ֑ר חֻקַּ֤ת עוֹלָם֙ לְדֹרֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם כָּכֶ֛ם כַּגֵּ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה. (v15 & v16)
Then, when in the Land you eat of the bread of the land, you shall set aside a gift to HaShem. (v19) The Lord continues to speak about someone who has failed to observe a commandment (any one of the commandments that HaShem has transmitted to Moses, "from the day that HaShem gave the commandments through the ages).
If this was done unwittingly by the community, the leaders of the community shall offer a bull as sacrifice, and the priest shall make atonement, and the whole community will be forgiven — for it was an error. (v25 & v26) Here G-d emphasises that there is one ritual for all the community, Jews and non-Jewish residents alike.
If this was done unknowingly by an individual, he shall offer a she-goat, the priest shall make expiation for said individual and he will be forgiven — whether he is a citizen or a stranger who resides amongst you. (v29)
But one who acts defiantly, whether citizen or resident, Jewish or non-Jewish, and reviles the Lord — he shall be cut off (הִכָּרֵ֧ת תִּכָּרֵ֛ת הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא)amongst his people. (v31)
Once, in the wilderness, the people saw someone gathering wood on the Sabbath. They brought him to Moses, Aaron and the community leadership, and he was placed in custody, for they did not know what to do with him.
G-d then speaks to Moses, and says, “The party in question shall be put to death: the community leadership shall pelt him with stones outside the camp.” (v35)
N: This is the parts that we, with our modern sensibilities, have difficulty with.
Tzitzit
v38]
v39-40]
Ending with the primal exhortation: “I am the Lord, your God, Who took you out of the land of Egypt to be your God; I am the Lord, your God” אֲנִ֞י יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצֵ֤אתִי אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִֽהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם — Ani Adonai eloheichem.
Haftorah - Yehoshua (Joshua) Chapter 2
N: This is a lovely story, one of my favourites.
This is a story during the period the Jews were still about to conquer the land. This must have been tempestuous times for the inhabitants, as the Israelites began to conquer territory and defeat the surrounding tribes. It is also connected with the story of the spies, as Joshua son of Nun, sends two men to spy secretly on the land and Jericho. But this story unfolds very differently.
So the two men set off from Shittim to and came to the house of an innkeeper named Rahab and decided to spend the night there. “And it was told to the king of Jericho” (v2) — so the innkeeper or one of the residents at the inn realised that these strangers were Israelites. He went to his king and reported, saying, “Behold, men have come here this night from the children of Israel to search the land.”
The king obviously then responded, saying, “Tell Rahab, ‘Bring forth the men who have come to you, that have entered your house, for they have come to search out the entire land.’”
In the meantime, realising that they were discovered, the woman (הָֽאִשָּׁ֛ה) had taken the two men and hidden them. (v4)
N: Why is “the woman” and not a woman? Why was she designated a harlot? Why is that assumed? Because she was living on her own? Because she was independent minded?
Piece missing?
There seems to be a piece missing here. For it continues, “and she said…”, to whom? Obviously the man (or men - the king’s messengers) had delivered the message to Rahab. He had then sent someone up to their room, but they were not there. Upon further investigation, they learnt that they had gone to see “the woman”. So they proceeded to her abode, and there questioned her regarding the two men. There upon, “she said…”.
She said, “Indeed …”
N: What a courageous women. She not only denies knowing anything about the men, but sends the kings men on a wild goose chase. But what prompted her to support these strangers? What brought about this change of heart, that would cause her to betray her own people — or perhaps she was not a “full-citizen”, but perhaps a half-breed.
That she says: “Indeed they came to me,” points to her being a prostitute." However, she is not referred to as such, perhaps because she turned out to be an honourable woman. She might have been a noblewoman who had fallen on sad times, and been reduced to earning a living by these means. This is played out later…
She brought them up to the roof and hid them with the stalks of flax that she had laid arranged upon the roof. (v6) In the meantime, the men were pursueing them in the direction of the Jordan, to the fords; and the guards shut the gate.
N: Meaning that they could not now pass through the gate to escape.
N: Hereforth commences a classical exchange and negotion of life in times of war. It also describes in vivid detail what was occurring amongst the people in the Land. There are some rousing sentences in her description that have echoed through the ages.]
She came up to the roof and said to the men, "I know that the Lord has given you the land. Your terror is fallen upon us, and the inhabitants of the land have melted away because of you. (v9)
We heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt. We know what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og. You annihilated them. (v10)
When we heard this, our hearts melted. There no longer remained any spirit in any man because of you, for the Lord your God He is God in heaven above and on the earth below. (v11)
Now, I pray, swear to me by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you will also show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token. (v12) That you shall preserve alive my father, and my mother, and my brothers and my sisters, and all that they have, and you shall deliver our lives from death." (v13)
The men answer, saying, “Our life for yours. And it shall be, when the Lord gives us the land, that we will deal with you with kindness and truth.”
N: Were people more honourable in those days? Or was it easier to detect as these vows were delivered orally, and not in a written document. Both parties (and witnesses) were present at the time of the vow. But she believes them, and helps them escape.
Her house was in the town wall. So she let them down by a rope through the window. (v15)
N: These next verses (v16-), in our narrative style, would have preceded the previous one, to retain the linear flow we are used to.
She instructs them, “Go to the mountain lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers return, and afterwards you may go your way.” (v16)
N: How come she needed to tell them that? Unless they were unaware where there pursuers had headed. Irrespective, were they not savvy enough warriors to know to hide till the pursuers return? And come she was so knowlegeable in such things?
The men now say to her now, before parting. "We will be blameless of this your oath which you made us swear. When we come into the land, you shall bind this line of scarlet thread in the window by which you let us down. You shall bring your father and your mother, and your brothers and all your father’s household home to you. (v17 & v18)
It shall be, that whosoever shall be outside the doors of your house, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be blameless. Whosoever shall be with you in the house, his blood shall be upon our head if any hand be upon him. (v19)
If you tell of our discussion, then we will be blameless of your oath which you have made us swear." (v20)
She responds, “According to your words, so be it.” ( כְּדִבְרֵיכֶ֣ם כֶּן־ה֔וּא).
N: Such noble language
v21:
N: This verse is interesting. Firstly, if she sent them away, would they not have departed. First she sends them down the rope, then she sends them away. But she now binds the scarlet chord (תִּקְוַ֥ת) - which also means “hope” - even through the instructions were to bind the cord when they entered the land!
And so it unfolds. They hid in the mountains for three days, until their pursuers had given up the search. Then the descended from the mountain, crossed over, and came to Joshua. They told him all that happened, and said, “For the Lord has delivered into our hands all the land; and also the inhabitants of the country have melted away because of us.” (v24)
N: As a footnote, I would like to mention that here again is a non-Jewish woman showing much courage and nobility. In fact, without her help, these men no doubt would have been executed.
This also brings emphasis to my “A different report”, where I was wondering how the people were experiencing the arrival of the Israelites.