Sh'lach - 2nd Portion

Join me as we learn Humish for Monday, the second Torah reading of Parshat Shlach, which is found in chapter 13, verse 21. Yesterday we learned that the Jewish people requested of God that they should send scouts to the land of Israel to inspect the land to see what it's like. Moshe picks 12 leaders from amongst the Jewish people and gives them instructions what they should do when they come to the land of Israel. Land of Canaan. Verse 21. Today we learn about as they get there, what they've done, and the report that they bring back. Verse 21. So they went up and inspected the land from the Sin Desert until Rehob, which is on the way to Hamath. 21. They went in the boundaries of the land of Israel. They went in the length and the width like a gam. A gam is a a Greek letter which would look like a upside-down resh, like an L. They went the whole uh southern uh the whole southern That means from the corner in the south down to the west. Like Moshe told them, go to the south, go up through the south. That will drain this is through the southeast eastern border until they got to the water, which is the sea, because the sea the Mediterranean there is the uh border on the western border of Israel. And we shall And from there they went north of the whole and they walked along the whole border of the whole western border along the water and the way until to a place called Hamas which which that would be by the place but I am excited in its corner might have to find this which is the north western corner commission of the partial sale of this to explain in the borders of the land of Israel at the end of the Torah reading of partial sale of this. So if they went from the south east down to the north west. Verse 22. They went they went up through the south and they came to Hebron over there they met and who were the sons of the giant were there and was built seven times better than so on which is one of the best places in Egypt. Rashi If you look at the words there were 12 spies. It says they went up in the south and then when it comes to Hebron it says and he came singular term. Why does it say singular term? Because himself was the one that went to Hebron. And he and he prayed by the forefathers grave site by the cave of the patriarchs. And he said that he should not fall in the plot of his friends and be part of their plot. And as we see later on they were the only two that were not part of it. So it says in the book of Deuteronomy that it says later on in the book of Deuteronomy that he was going to get the land of Hebron because he was the only one that did not join the plot of the of the spies. It says even says later on in the book of Judges that they gave Hebron and they gave Hebron. seven years before after the building So over here the question is what does it mean that it was built 7 years before so on Mizraim? We know that Ham had many different sons. So Mizraim was one of them. And Canaan was another one. Mizraim was older than Canaan. How would it make sense that that Ham would build the city for his younger son before his older son? Therefore Ella, what does it mean? That it was built better that it was a better place, better than the seven times better than Zion. It's coming to tell you the greatness of the land of Israel. There is no place that has more stones and rocky mountains full of rocks than the land of Hebron. The that's why it was used to bury dead people and that's why Abraham went there to bury Sarah and And the Caleb and all of them Caleb himself went there and and when we talk about the best place of the land of Egypt I'm sorry. The Therefore we said for burying people there and there is no better land in the land of Egypt and everything Mizraim And so on was the best place in the land of Israel in Egypt. That's where the kings used to live. It says in Isaiah that the leaders and ministers would live in Egypt in Zion which was in Egypt. Hebron was better than it seven times. What he's saying over here is you see that Hebron which was chosen to be a cemetery because of all the rocks and all the stones that were there. And still in all it was seven times better than the best place of Egypt which was used for its kings and ministers which was Tsoan. Verse 23. By Yevolu Ad Nachal Eshkol and they came to the Valley of Eshkol by Yichlu with a cluster of Eshkol Anavim of a cluster of grapes Echad one of them by Yis'u Bemait Mishnayim and they carried it with two poles Umin Anavim and from the pomegranates and they took Umin Teinim and from the figs. Rashi is a Mayra Seiva Gefen Ve'Eshkol Shel Anavim Talui it is a branch with a cluster of grapes that were hanging from it Ve'Yis'u Bemait Mishnayim. What does this mean over here that they took and they carried it with two poles? What would How did they carry this exactly? So Rashi explains Umin Mashne Shenemar Ve'Yis'u Bemait Aniyah De'Avah U'Shnayim why does the Torah have to tell me they carried it with a pole with two? What's the Torah indicating if it's a pole that means two people are carrying it. Why does it have to say a pole with two? Meaning Matam Lemar Bishnayim why did does it say with two? Bishnayim Oitos that there were actually two poles Hokei Tsad so how did it work out? Shmonah Natlu Eshkol eight of them carried the grapes and that was with two poles because you had two poles crisscrossed each one so you had a group of four in the back and a group of four in the front. Echad Natlu Teinah one of them was carrying a fig Ve'Echad Rimoin and one was carrying a pomegranate that's 10 Yeshua Ve'Calev Lo Natlu Klum Yeshua Ve'Calev and Calev did not join in this tactic and therefore they did not carry of them. Lefichach Kol Atzmam Lo Hotzi'u Dibah Nishkavah because they knew that the whole purpose of them carrying the fruits and why they were carrying such big fruits was to be able to speak against the land to say Ke'Sheim She'Apiryah Meshunah just like it has weird looking fruit Ke'Chamo Meshunah so too the nation are strong and they are strange and we will never be able to overcome them. Ve'Im Chafetz Atah Leidah and if you want to know how strong the people were in that generation Kam masoy echad mehem. Do you want to figure out how much each one of them was able to carry? Say olam mavonim shikimu begilgal. You can You can calculate this by the stones that they lifted in Gilgal when they entered the land of Israel. When they entered the land of Israel, Yeshua tells all the tribes to go before the ark and lift stones and each one shall put one on his shoulder and this way they were going to make a monument. So ish even vadim ulachamisha ben achas al shish mayi each person to pick up a stone and put it on his shoulders. Vayikimu begilgal and they set it up in Gilgal. Ushkalum rabbeitzenu and the rabbis estimated to how much did those stones weigh? Mishkal kol achas arbaim sa. Each one of those stones, according to the rabbis, have weighed at least 40 sa. So you mean that means each person themself can carry 40 sa on his own. Uggimidi. And we know from that if they were all able to carry 40 sa. >> [snorts] >> Tuna demidlin shel kintsaena leshlish masoy memasoyish metzaya Yisrael. That a person can carry himself a third from what he can carry when somebody else helps you. That mean when you carry something, somebody else helps you, that's only a third of what you can carry with somebody else. Two people carrying something makes it much easier. So now that means one person on his own can carry 40 sa. With somebody else he can carry 120 sa. Figure that that these grapes that they were carrying were much heavier then. Chafe. Verse 25. Ayashuvu I'm sorry, verse 24. Lamakima hu karu nachal Eshkol. That place that they cut the cluster of grapes from was called the Valley of Eshkol. Al yedey ha Eshkol concerning the cluster of grapes that asher karshu misham that they cut from there. Misham benei Yisrael the Jewish people. Verse 25. Vayavo vayelshu mi And they returned from the scouting of the land, and it took them 40 days. Rashi, How can it be that they walked for 40 days, 400 parsa? 400 parsa is a long stretch of land that they would have to walk. The average person can only walk 10 parsa a day. So, even if you would calculate they would have to walk from 40 days, that's 400 par- 10 parsa a day. They walked for 40 days from north to from east to west would take 40 days. And they walked from length and width, it's half the time. How did they finish it in 40 days? It should have been taken and it should have taken at least 80 days to walk the whole stretch, and then have to walk there and walk back. It should have taken at least 160 days. How did they do 160 days in 40 days? It was revealed before God that God wanted It was revealed before God that God wanted it to only take day per year that they should be decreed upon them when they have to wander in the desert. So, therefore, God made a short distance for them. That means they made it very quickly because the decree is going to be the amount of time that they actually wandered in the desert for the amount of time that they took to walk the land of Israel. Therefore, God made it should be shorter so the time of the desert should be shortened as well. Verse 26. They told the Jewish people in the desert that they were in the desert of Paran and Kadesh. And they brought back a report. They spoke to all the people and to the entire community. They showed the fruit of the land. What does it mean that they went? To compare their going and coming. Mabiason beisera just like when they came back and they had that idea to do it after the choson beisera. Even though they didn't see the land yet, but they were still intending when they left to come back and to give a negative report. Yeshiva say daver as may as Adam who did they tell that whose some them to Mosha and to Aaron and it does not include the other the rest of the Jewish people. It was only afterwards they told it to the rest of the Jewish people in their homes. That means they told it first to Mosha and Aaron and then they told it to everybody else. Verse 27. They said as follows and they told them. They addressed them. When they said bone we allowed it we came to the land that you asked us to go and inspect. The gums of the lushy and it yes it does flow of milk and honey. The heat to that period and this is what the fruit looks like. Zavas with lushy called shakers name of the class of the safe. So we see they started off with saying the truth. They said that it flows flows of milk and honey. Rashi tells us because whenever you tell a lie if you don't have any truth in it it will not be believable at all. Therefore they have to say some truth so that the lie that follows should be believable. Verse 28. Ephesus, however, the people of um the people who inhabit it are extraordinarily strong who are inhabiting the land that is big daily are are extremely fortified with with huge walls massive ones. The the people of Enoch we also saw even the sons of the giants. Rashi The two days very strong walls with the make room. Very honest massive buildings with in a circle that they would not be very well fortified. Verse 29. Amalek better than this. Then they told them as well the Amalekites dwell in the south of the land. The Hittites, the Amorites, and the Amorites are in the land. And the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Amorites are in the are in the land. And the cities that they maintain are the are in the um I'm sorry. The Canaanites are on the side of the sea by the yard and by the yard and by the Jordan. Alongside the Jordan. Rashi Amalek yeshiv, why do they have to mention specifically Amalek? The fish in the Amalek far because they already the Jewish people had experience with fighting Amalek. And it was so to speak burned by Amalek when they came to fight them as soon as they come out of Egypt. And they knew them as an enemy. It's the miraglim they lead them. So therefore the miraglim, the scouts mentioned them to fear the to instill fear within the Jewish people. By other yarding What does it mean yard? Means next to. Yard came each yard next to the Jordan. They therefore they're telling them you think you're not even going to make it over the Jordan because the Canaanites are sitting right there. And Caleb quieted down the people. Silence the people. To Moshe to Moshe to Moshe. And he said only now that we will be able to go up. We will be able to accomplish it. We'll be able to make the trek. We are rational. We shall conquer it. We shall be able to do it. Rashi [snorts] By us Caleb By us the word by us means he lost in Sh'tica. He got them quiet. I'm sorry. He Sh'tica he got everybody quiet. To Moshe to Moshe to hear what Moshe had to say. To hear what Moshe had to say. How did he get them quiet? Cuz they are complaining. They're talking about the land of Israel. They're talking about the land of Canaan how terrible it is. And they're complaining about Moshe. So what did Caleb do? Caleb did when as follows. He yelled and he said we will not be able to go up. Do you think this is the only thing that the son of Amram did?" I should may have person heard this. Oh, one second, he's on our team. Oh, you they thought they was going to start saying something negative about Mosha. We take believe them because they already had complaints against Mosha. He thought they thought, "Okay, because of what the spies have said." Just they all kept quiet to hear some more negative things that he had to say about Mosha. I'm ready said they caught a lot of continued. Didn't Mosha cross us through the sea? He did and he got us the mana. We got we got the quail. And after all these miracles, you're questioning if we can go into the land of Israel? All they know he doubled this terminology. make ladders and climb up to heaven. Who I'm going to we can succeed in anything he tells us. Look, he has a proven track record. Why are you questioning what Mosha is saying? What does it mean the word means quiet? Where do we know that the word means quiet? As it says everybody was quiet before because because of God or quiet for mentioning as it says in Amos. He came there over here Rashi tells us this is the usual how people want to get other people quiet. If a person wants to get people quiet, what is he going to do? He says quiet. To use the terminology which comes from the word which comes quiet. He goes shh. Verse 31. Verse 30. If verse 31. However, the men that have gone together with Caleb. They said, "We cannot go up against these people." And they were telling this to the nation Ki chaza kimenou they are stronger than us. Rashi 31, chaza kimenou. Kavi yochlu kavi nailo amru, they were saying it God forbid towards God saying that they are stronger than God and therefore will not be able to overcome them. First 32. Vayotziu diba sada asher taru oisa. And they gave an evil report to the Jewish people about Bene Yisrael to the to the Jewish people leimor to the land that they scouted. Leimor saying ot asher taruha the land that we've gone through that we inspected leimor et ha'aretz to check it out et ha'aretz Yisrael to land that eats its inhabitants consumes its inhabitants. Vechol ha'am asher rainu sham all the people that we saw there anshei midos were people of large great size. Ha'aretz Yisrael, what does it mean that it eats its inhabitants consumes its inhabitants? Bchol makom shehavarnu wherever we went matzanu kevrei meisim we found people where they were burying the dead. V'hakadosh baruch hu asa lanu le'tova, God did this for their favor kedei lo letardom so people should be busy with burials v'lo yeitzei leivav le'eilu they won't even notice notice them. And instead they went and flipped it around and making it a negative. Anshei midos. People of great measure. Gedolim tall and large. Tzad hakol shelamida you have to give them like they're massive you have to measure how big they you have to give them a size. For example, Goliath was there he was one of the giants. Govu sheish amos v'zeres that he was so tall six amos and a and a zeresh which is six amos and plus. The chein so too the word Ish Madai also great the word Ish Madai means a man a man of great measure. Ish Madai that he talks about an Egyptian that was there and Binyan that was very strong and they were tall and big. That's the terminology of seeing a a person of a measure means a great and tall individual. 33. V'chol hashmoni einu also over there we saw es ha'anei filim the giants. Meaning the fallen angels. Benei Anak. They are the descendants of the giant. Min anafelim from those that have originally formed from Shemhazai and Azael. V'anachnu beneinu kachagavim. And we looked like grasshoppers to ourselves. V'cheina eineinu beneihem, and so did we seem to them. Rashi, anafelim, what does it mean those that fell? Anakim. Those are the strong giants mibnei Shemhazai v'Azael, from the children of Shemhazai and Azael. Shenafelu min hashamayim bimei dor Enosh, that fell from the heaven at the time of Enosh. What happened was, just to give a little brief background what's going on over here is that when the Jewish people when the people, not Jewish, but the people at the time when humanity was sinning against God in the time of Enosh, the angels upon high turned to God and said, "God, why did you make these people? Look, all they are is destructive." God turned to the angels and said, "Guess what? If you would have an evil inclination, you would do the same." So, they said, "You know what? Give us a chance. Let's see." So, God said, "Okay, go down amongst the people and let's see if you're able to do it." And they came down and of course they were not able to tolerate it. They had an evil inclination. They were um and they were not able to sustain themselves and were to stay moral and ethical, and their children married humans, and therefore it talks about the angels that fell from heaven that and married into the humans at the time of the generation of Enosh who were the great giants that were at the time. V'cheina eineinu beneihem. What does it mean that we were in their eyes? How did they know what they're in their eyes? Shema Yisrael, we heard Amram ben Levi said, "They're telling each other, 'Numalim yesh b'kerem anashim.'" Um >> [clears throat] >> Look, there are ants amongst the vineyards. Over here also, one of the things that the commentaries explain, why was it v'cheina eineinu beneihem, that so too we were in their eyes? Because they themselves, as he says first, v'anachnu beneinu kachagavim, because we looked at ourselves as grasshoppers. And therefore, their ultimate reflection, this is the lesson that we learn, that if we don't have the pride and we don't have the the Jewish pride and the umph for who we are, then those that look at us also look at us small. But if we look at ourselves as great, then others around us will also respect us for it. Anak, why were they called Anak? Though they were giants, cuz the word Anak comes from K'chama ben Kema as the sun, that they blocked the sun because of how tall they were. Vatisa kol ha'eida and vayitnu es kolam vayivku ha'am balaila hu. And all the people the entire congregation raised their voices and shouted, and the people wept all night. What night was it? That was the night of Tisha B'Av. That God said, "If here they cried for something in vain, later on I'm going to give them what they cry for." Chapter 14, verse two. Vayilonu al Moshe v'Aharon and they complained against Moshe and Aaron v'al kol b'nei Yisrael all the Jewish people kol ha'eida, I'm sorry. Kol ha'eida Rashi sandrehois that even the leaders amongst them and the scholars were also crying and they with that the rest of the nation followed. Verse two. Vayilonu al Moshe v'Aharon and they complained against Moshe and Aaron v'al kol b'nei Yisrael all the Jewish people v'ayeimru aleihem they said to them kol ha'eida all the all the people complained and said Lumosnu b'eretz Mitzrayim if only we have died in the land of Egypt or in this desert lumosnu we would have died. Rashi lumosnu halavai if only v'amosnu we would have died. Verse three. V'lama asher heveisanu el ha'aretz hazeis why did God bring us to this land limpol b'cherev that we should fall by the sword nosheinu our wives tapeinu our children yivazu will will be spoils of war. Haloi taiv lanu shuv Mitzrayim would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? Verse four. Vayeimru ish el achiv the men said to his fellow one said to each other nitna reish let us appoint a leader then and turn back to go back to Egypt. Let's appoint a leader not similar to Malik. Let's appoint another king instead of Mosha. The rabbis explained meaning let's not be disloyal let's accept upon ourselves idolatry and leave the ways of God and that's the way we'll be protected. Verse five and all the men fell on their faces. They called all of Israel before all the Jewish people. Verse six of Yeshua and Yeshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Yefuneh men of authority they were the ones for that that were one of the 12 scouts that that inspected the land of Israel. They tore their clothes as a sign of distress. Verse verse six verse seven and they told all of Israel and they told all the Jewish people the land that we traveled through to inspect it it is exceedingly good very very good. Over here we see that the spies did not want to enter the land of Israel and therefore concocted a plot and saying that the land of Israel is not a good place to go to. This explains one of the reasons why the spies did not want to go into the land of Israel was because while they were in the desert they had everything they needed the mana the wall of Miriam and all their materialistic needs were taken care of and all they were doing was basking in the words of the Torah. Going into the land of Israel meant that they would have to deal with the land worry about the water the produce and deal with the agriculture of the land. This would take them away from the study of Torah. Though they had a good intention meaning that they wanted to continue and be in the land of Israel and not deal with materialism, that was not the reason why God took them out of Egypt. God took them out of Egypt and gave us the Torah to fuse physical and spiritual, to work with the land and keep the sabbatical laws, to work with the land and deal with the agricultural mitzvahs that are there for it, not like the spies desired. And because of that, they were punished. This concludes the second Torah reading of Parshat Shlach.