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SHABBAT SCHEDULE

Mincha 6:30pm Shir Hashirim: 6:45pm Candle Lighting: 7:58pm Shaharit: 8:30am Youth Minyan: 9:00am Zeman Keriat Shema 9:18am 2nd Zeman Keriat Shema 9:57am Daf Yomi Recess Avot Ubanim Recess Shiur: Recess Minha: 7:40pm Followed by Seudat Shelishit & Arvit Shabbat Ends: 8:58pm Rabbenu Tam 9:29pm

We would like to remind our Kahal Kadosh to please Donate wholeheartedly towards our Beautiful Kehila. Anyone interested in donating for any occasion, Avot Ubanim $120, Kiddush $350, Seudat Shelishit $275, Weekly Bulletin $150, Weekly Daf Yomi $180, Daf Yomi Masechet $2500, Yearly Daf Yomi $5000, Weekly Breakfast $150, Daily Learning $180, Weekly Learning $613, Monthly Rent $3500, & Monthly Learning $2000, Please contact the Rabbi.

Thanking you in advance for your generous support. Tizke Lemitzvot!

Rosh Hodesh Tamuz BH is two days. Tuesday evening, Wednesday July 3rd

, & Thursday July 4th.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE SUNDAY

Shaharit: 7:30am Minha 6:30pm Followed by Arvit

MONDAY TO FRIDAY Shiur Recess Shaharit 6:30am Hodu Approx: 6:45am Shiur in Spanish 6:00pm Minha 6:30pm Followed By Arbit & Shiurim in Spanish & English.

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Torah Teasers (AISH)

1. Where is the first time that Yehoshua bin Nun is mentioned in the Torah? 2. The name of which son of Yaakov appears in the name of one of the spies? 3. Who in this parsha does Hashem call "my servant"? Who else in the Torah does Hashem call "my servant"? 4. In this parsha, which three fruits of Israel's special seven species all appear in one verse? 5. What two places in this parsha is someone stoned or almost stoned? Where in the Torah is someone afraid he will be stoned? 6. Where does the number 10 appear in this parsha? 7. In this parsha, which two people tear their clothing? When is the first time in the Torah that a group of people (not an individual) tear their clothing? 8. In this parsha, Hashem decrees that the nation will wander in the desert for 40 years (Numbers 14:33). What two other places in the Torah is "40 years" mentioned? 9. Where in this parsha is someone placed in prison (mishmar)? Who else in the Torah is placed in prison? (5 people) 10. Which verse in this parsha begins and ends with the same three words?

Answers 1) Yehoshua is first mentioned in Parshat Beshalach when he was chosen to lead the war against Amalek (Exodus 17:9). 2) The name of the spy from the tribe of Yissachar is Yigal ben Yosef (Numbers 13:7). 3) Hashem refers to Kalev ben Yefuna as "my servant" (Numbers 14:24). In Parshat Beha'alotecha, Hashem refers to Moshe as "my servant" (Numbers 12:7-8). 4) Grapes, pomegranates and figs appear in Numbers 13:23, as the three species brought back by the spies from Canaan. 5) When Kalev and Yehoshua praise the land of Canaan, the nation is ready to stone them (Numbers 14:10). Later, the one who gathers wood on Shabbat is given the death penalty of stoning (Numbers 15:35-36). In Parshat Beshalach, when the nation complains, Moshe cries out to Hashem that "a bit more and they will stone me" (Exodus 17:4). 6) Hashem tells Moshe that the nation tested Him 10 times (Numbers 14:22). 7) Yehoshua and Kalev tear their clothing upon realizing that the nation has accepted the derogatory report of the Spies (Numbers 14:6). In Parshat Miketz, Yosef's brothers tear their clothing when a goblet is discovered in Binyamin's sack (44:13). 8) Both Yitzhak and Esav got married at 40 years old (Genesis 25:20, 26:34). 9) The one who gathered wood on the Shabbat is placed in prison until Hashem tells Moshe his proper punishment (Numbers 15:34). In Parshat Vayeshev, (1) Pharaoh's chief butler, (2) his chief baker and (3) Yosef are all imprisoned (Genesis 40:3) In Parshat Miketz, Yosef places his brothers in prison for three days (Genesis 42:17). In Parshat Emor, the person who cursed Hashem is placed in prison until Hashem reveals his proper punishment (Leviticus 24:12). 10) The last verse in the parsha (which is also the final verse in the third section of Kriyat Shema) begins and ends with the same three words: "Ani Hashem Elokechem" - "I am Hashem your G-d" (Numbers 15:41).

Refuah Shelema List Men Women

• Yosef Zvi Ben Sara Yosefia, • Aviv Ben Luba Miriam, • Mordechai Ben Brucha Malka

Shmalo, • Yizhak Abraham Ben Sheli, • Yosef Yizhak Ben Sara Hana, • Mordechai Ben Miriam, • Meir Raymond Ben Mathilde • Salomon Benarroch Ben Alia • Mordechai Ben Mercedes • Abraham Guenoun Bar Rachel

• Isaac Ben Mesoda, • Haim Ben Marcelle, • Yizhak Ben Simja • Reuben Ben Eta, • Michael Ben Aliza, • Eliel Moshe Ben Sarah • Refael Ben Clara • Netanel Sayegh Ben Rosa • Eliyahu Ben Mazal • Abraham Israel Ben Camy

Yaffa

• Simja Bat Esther, • Rachel Bat Sarah, • Nina Bat Rachel, • Gitel Rina Bat Yael, • Miriam Bat Sofy, • Rahma Bat Simha • Esther Bat Fortuna • Malka Bat Dina • Raizel Bat Miriam • Leah Bat Rivka

• Sara Ledicia Bat Mesoda, • Alegria Simha Bat Esther, • Naomie Bat Rarel Adda, • Malka Bat Joyce Simja, • Sivan Simha Bat Yehudit, • Natalie Rachel Bat Nancy, • Abigael Haya Bat Esther • Madeleine Bat Esther • Nurit Jacqueline Bat Rahel • Atara Shira Bat Sara Beylla • Camouna Bat Fortuna

If anyone would like to contact the Rabbi, please feel free to call or text 786-879-4951, or email rabbi@oroziel.com.

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Community Announcements (It is YOUR Community, make the most of it!)

Miscellaneous Announcements:

• This Week’s Congregational Kiddush has been Kindly Partially Sponsored by Anonymously, Mr. Albert Belecen, Mr. Haim Lahmi,

• The Kiddush Club Initiative. Anyone interested donating a Kiddush Please kindly contact the Rabbi. Tizke Lemizvot!

• This Week’s Seudat Shelishit is still available for Sponsorship!

• This Week’s Breakfast has been Kindly Sponsored by Mr. Habib & Jacques Mamane in memory of their Dear Mother Esther Mamane Bat Simha z”l the 25th of Sivan. Tihye Nishmata Tzerura Bitzror Hahayim Amen.

Anyone interested in sponsoring Breakfast for this week or on any day please contact the Rabbi.

• This Week’s Daf Yomi is still available for Sponsorship!

• If anyone is interested in creating a weekly class in your house or an individual class with the Rabbi, please do not hesitate to contact the Rabbi.

• We are trying to update our Congregant’s contact information. We would like to start sending texts about different Events and Shiurim. We would also like to start emailing the weekly bulletin. We would like to start a list of Nahalot/Azkarot/Yahrzeits. We would also like to make a Refuah Shelema list. Please send your contact information to the Rabbi at rabbi@oroziel.com

• Please feel free to contact any of the board members either in person, or via email with suggestions or comments. Our email addresses are: board member’s first name @oroziel.com

Important Message!!!

Eruv Update: Surfside: The Eruv in Surfside now includes the walking paths along the beach. Pushing strollers and carrying is permitted on the paths, but not beyond the path or onto the beach. Bal Harbour: The Eruv in Bal Harbour included the inner (western) walking path only. The pier at Haulover Cut is not included.

• Due to the recent reorganization of seats in the Bet Hakenesset, We are happy to announce the NEW possibility of purchasing seats in the Bet Hakenesset. For more information, please contact the Board.

• Before hanging up anything anywhere in the Bet Hakenesset, please seek authorization from the Rabbi. This includes flyers etc. • Please be advised that prior to bringing any food or drinks for any occasion, you must first seek the authorization from the Rabbi.

Special Announcements

• We are pleased to announce that Ness 26 is part of the Amazon Charity Program, which would allow our community to collect 0.5% of all the orders made by any of you on Amazon.com. In order to register you need to log on smile.amazon.com and select Ness 26, Inc as the Charitable Organization you want to support, and from then shop on smile.amazon.com instead of www.amazon.com. It won’t cost anything more, and is an easy way to contribute to our budget needs.

• Anyone wishing to receive the Daily Halacha by the Rabbi please send a whatsapp message to Simon Chocron 786-351-1573

• Hazak Ubaruch to Yaacov Perez for Beautifully reading the 6th Perek of Pirke Abot.

Community Calendar: • The program for Teenaged Boys ages 13-18 Started again with Great Succes with Shiur by the Rabbi & Supper

on Sunday Evenings Before Minha at around at 6:45 pm With Supper. New Participants Welcome! Anyone wishing to sponsor this Shiur Please contact the Rabbi. Tizke Lemitzvot!

• We have started the Mishmar Program Every other Thursday evening at 8:00 pm with Chulent, Beer, & Snacks. Everyone is welcome!

Avot Ubanim: This Mosae Shabbat at 7:45pm In Recess

Youth Minyan • We are proud to announce the inauguration of our YOUTH/TEEN MINYAN geared to train and teach our future

generations on the different tefillot and parashiot.

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We would like to Whole Heartedly Thank our Dear Friends,

Dr. & Mrs. Ari Benmergui for generously Donating the TORAH LEARNING of

Sivan 5779 Thanking Hashem for Everything!

We truly appreciate it. In this merit, may Hashem Bless you & your wonderful family

with all the Berachot of the Torah. Amen.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday To • Mr. Albert Gad – Mon. July 1st, • Yael Camila Benmergui – Tue. July 2nd, • Dr. Daniel Guigui – Tue. July 2nd, • Sofi Romano – Fri. July 5th, • Liam Setboun – Mon. July 8th, • Gabriel Ammar – Thurs. July 11th, • Esmeralda Aquinin – Thurs. July 11th, • Yaacov Perez – Fri. July 12th, • Abraham Benhayoun – Sun. July 14th, • Devorah Luna Amram – Tue. July 16th, • Sr. Abraham Guenoun – Fri. July 19th, • Michal Elmaleh – Fri. July 19th, • Avraham Benhayoun – Sun. July 21st, • Joseph Ammar – Mon. July 22nd, • Mrs. Sheri Benchetrit – Mon. July 22nd, • Mrs. Caroline Cohen – Mon. July 22nd, • Moshe David Perez – Tue. July 23rd,

Happy Anniversary To • Stephane & Julia Bsiri July 1st • Yigal & Caroline Cohen July 1st • Daniel & Ruth Guigui July 2nd Nahalot

• Mamah Sabbah Bat Yakut z”l the 1st of Tamuz (Grandmother of Mr. Laurent Becker)

• Ramo Werta Bat Hasiba z”l the 2nd of Tamuz (Grandmother of Mr. Jacky Werta)

Next Shabbat: • Shimon Ben Sauda Shoshan z”l the 4th of Tamuz

(Father of Mr. Amichai Shoshan) • Zahava Bat Miriam z”l the 5th of Tamuz

(Mother of Mrs. Anat Michael) • Ruby Werta Bat Ramo z”l the 8th of Tamuz (Mother of Mr. Jacky Werta)

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Community Shiurim Weekday mornings:

• 6:10AM to 6:45AM: Laws of Nidah. New participants welcome!

• 7:30AM Shiur on Hok Leyisrael with Breakfast! Everyone Is Welcome to

Join. • 7:45AM to 8:30AM: Daf Yomi Masechet ERECHIN. NEW DAF YOMI

MASECHET! New participants are welcome! It is a great time to start learning the Daf and join thousands of Jews across the world in this incredible project.

• 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM: Mishna Berura Dirshu Cycle! New participants welcome!

Weekday afternoons:

• Before Minha o Monday through Thursday: Shiurim in Spanish on assorted topics.

• After Arvit: o Mondays & Wednesdays: Hoshen Mishpat – Business Halacha o Monday through Thursday: Shiurim in Spanish on assorted topics. o Every Thursday evening after Arvit Hilchot Nida in Depth for Men. o Tuesday Assorted Topics

In Recess for the Summer o Monday & Tuesday at 7:00pm Masechet Berachot in French o Every other Monday evening at 8:30pm Shalom Bayit Class to Women. o Every other Tuesday evening at 8:30pm Shalom Bayit Classes to Men.

• SHIUR for Ladies! The Rabbi’s Shiur on Halachot of Kashrut NEW SERIES ON Hilchot Basar Vechalav, (Laws pertaining to Meat & Milk) to Ladies, in the Bet Hakenesset, every Tuesday afternoon at 2:05 pm. New Participants are always Welcome! In Recess

Shabbat: • Shabbat night before Arvit: Short lecture on the Parasha of the week. • Shabbat Morning: Short Lecture on the Parashah of the week. • Shabbat Morning: Lecture on the Parashah of the week after Kiddush • Shabbat Afternoon – Daf Yomi at 6:00pm. • Shabbat Afternoon – Shiur at 6:50pm • Spanish Shiur – with Simon Chocron One hour before Minha • Seudat Shelishit: Short lecture on the Parasha of the week.

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The Importance of the Sadik (Rabbi Eli Mansour from Daily Halacha)

This week’s parasha, Parashat Shelah, relates that Moshe Rabbenu dispatches the spies in preparation for entering the Land of Israel. The Torah tells us that he sent one member of each tribe, "ish echad ish echad." Moshe Rabbenu instructs them to spy the land, and to see if the people who dwell in the land are strong or weak, and if the cities are open or fortified. He also asks them to find out if the soil is fertile, and to bring back some of the fruits of the land. While these questions are certainly reasonable, Moshe Rabbenu also asks them to report whether "there is a tree" (hayesh bah etz im ayin). Regarding this verse, the Talmud (Baba Batra 15) asks why Moshe Rabbenu questions if the land "has a tree." What did he mean? Rashi (Bamidbar 13:20) paraphrases the Talmud and explains that Moshe Rabbenu meant to ask if "there is an adam kasher (an upstanding person) whose merit will protect the people." In other words, Moshe Rabbenu asked for a report of the physical and spiritual attributes of the land. We are familiar with this concept from Parashat VaYetze. There the Torah (Bereishit 28:10) relates that "Yaakov left Beer Sheva and set out for Haran." Rashi explains that the Torah mentions Beer Sheva in order to emphasize that a righteous person’s presence makes an impression upon a city; "he (the sadik) is its glory and its splendor." The Hatam Sofer asks why Moshe Rabbenu uses the phrase "tree" and not "sadik" or "adam kasher"? The Hatam Sofer explains that a tree is constantly growing and expanding. A tree is a symbol of constant growth, above ground, and even underground. So too a sadik is never content with his accomplishments. Rather, he keeps striving, growing and developing until he dies. I’d like to suggest another understanding. We remember the ending of the story of Yona (4:6), when Yona sought protection from the sun in the shade of a tree known as a "kikayon." A tree not only grows, it provides shade and

shelter. This is true not only literally, but also figuratively. The sun, by which the non-Jews count their months, represents foreign culture. This is one of our great challenges. Historically, Jews almost always lived among the nations, and the sun of those cultures shines on us. A sadik is like a tree, a defense, and shelter from foreign influences which people might not feel are really toxic. A sadik protects the people from the dangerous bright lights of modernity. Finally, after describing Moshe Rabbenu’s command to the spies, the Torah notes that "it was the days of the first ripe grapes. " Following our analogy, we might explain that we are concerned about the new grapes, the young ones, those who did not have contact with the sadik. We live in an era in which the young generation values new things - science, academia, and technology - and not tradition. They cannot tolerate something which is not the latest, the newest. Although we support and encourage education, we need to be concerned when higher education causes our children to stray from the Torah. We must teach our children to adhere to the traditions of their parents, their forefathers, and the sadikim. The next generation, those who are just ‘ripening’, need to be exposed to and immersed in our deep and rich traditions. In this context, I note the passing (5777) of Haham Yom Tov Yedid, the former chief rabbi of Allepo. He was an ‘adam kasher’, the sadik who never stopped learning and growing. He was the sadik who protected us and sheltered us from the dangerous influences of the surrounding culture. Like Moshe Rabbenu, we too need to search for the tree, for the succulent fruits of Allepo, and to learn from the Torah and guidance of Haham Yom Tov Yedid z"l - now more than ever, as these days are "the days of the first ripe grapes."

Yehoshua and Kaleb (Rabbi Eli Mansour)

WEEKLY INSPIRATION

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Parashat Shelah tells the tragic story of the Meragelim, the scouts sent to Eretz Yisrael who came back with a discouraging report and urged the nation not to proceed into the land. Two the twelve scouts – Yehoshua and Kaleb – dissented and presented a favorable report about the land and the prospects of its conquest. Unfortunately, the majority prevailed, and the people were persuaded not to proceed. When the Torah lists the names of the twelve scouts, it refers to Yehoshua – who was the closest disciple of Moshe Rabbenu – by the name "Hoshea." Rashi explains that this was Yehoshua’s original name, but Moshe added the letters "Yod" and "Heh" to form the name "Yehoshua." These letters, which spell a Name of Hashem ("Y-ah"), were added as a prayer to G-d that "Y-ah Yoshi’acha Me’asat Ha’meragelim" – "G-d shall save you from the plot of the scouts." Moshe knew through prophetic insight that the scouts would plot to dissuade the people from entering the land, and he thus prayed that his dear student would be protected from their influence and have the fortitude to oppose them. The second dissenter, Kaleb, also received the strength to oppose the majority through the power of prayer. As Rashi tells later in the Parasha, when Kaleb arrived in Eretz Yisrael he temporarily separated from the other spies and went to Hebron, to the site of Me’arat Ha’machpela, where the patriarchs are buried. He went there in order to pray for assistance in resisting the influence of the scouts. Yehoshua and Kaleb were outstanding Sadikim, and yet the needed special prayers for protection from the influence of their peers. Moshe was concerned about his closest and most outstanding disciple, and Kaleb did not feel confident in his ability to withstand the pressure without reciting a special prayer at a holy site. The power of peer influence is so strong that even the greatest Sadikim are vulnerable to its force and can get thrown off course by their surroundings. As great as Yehoshua and Kaleb were, they needed special divine protection to be able to withstand the pressure exerted by the other ten scouts. This message assumes special importance in contemporary times, when we live in a society

that has, unfortunately, plummeted to such depths of immorality. We are bombarded on a daily basis by messages that run in direct contrast to the Torah values which we hold dear. We are far from the level of Yehoshua and Kaleb, and yet we are exposed to unrelenting -sinful influences constantly. If Yehoshua and Kaleb needed special prayers to protect them, then we can only imagine what kind of lengths we must go to in order to protect ourselves and our children from the negative influences exerted upon us. In every generation, but especially in ours, we must work vigorously to shield ourselves from the influences around us, through prayers, Torah learning and education, and by surrounding ourselves with like-minded devoted Jews so we come under their positive Torah influence instead of being exposed to the negative influences of contemporary society.

“Anshe Midot” — Men of

Great Character (Rabbi Frand from Torah.org)

One of the perplexing problems we face when studying Sefer Bamidbar is: What happened to Klal Yisrael? What happened to the “Generation of Knowledge,” to the generation that literally heard and saw the Ribono shel Olam on a daily basis? How could they act the way they acted several times throughout the Book of Bamidbar? Prominent among these problematic incidents is the incident of the Spies (Meraglim). This is one of the more difficult chapters to understand. What exactly happened to the Meraglim? How could people whom the Torah describes as being “kulam anashim” (all of them “distinguished” — see Rashi here) come back with such a negative report about Eretz Yisrael, which caused not only the entire generation to die in the Wilderness, but it introduced the entire concept of “Galut” [exile] into the Jewish experience? We have developed the idea in past years that the

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reason we are in Galut today, ultimately traces back to the sin of the Spies. Over the years, we have suggested many different approaches to understand what exactly the Spies did wrong. The Shela”h HaKadosh on this week’s parsha makes a very perplexing comment. Among the libelous charges the spies made about Eretz Yisrael was that it was an eretz ochelet yosh’veha [a Land that consumes its inhabitants] and that all the people they saw there were Anshe Midot [men of great measure]. On a simple level, the term “Anshe Midot” means they were very big people. They were giants. They were scary. This put fear into the hearts of the Meraglim. They felt that with such people defending the land for the Canaanites, Israel would not be able to conquer it. The Shela”h HaKadosh interprets differently. He explains that “Anshe Midot” means that the native inhabitants of Canaan were people of good character traits (ba’ale midot tovot). Today, when we speak of someone as being a “ba’al midos” it does not mean that the fellow is 6′ 7″. It means he is a mensch, a decent and upright person with sterling character. This is exactly how the Shela”h interprets the report of the Meraglim about the native inhabitants of Canaan — they were not giants. They were men who possessed good midot! How does this fit with the rest of the parsha? What is the deeper meaning of the Shelah’s interpretation? There is an entire body of thought from a wide range of commentaries (Chassidishe, Misnagdishe, etc.) that have an entirely different spin on the Spies. They were not evil people. They were in fact kulam anashim — people of great stature. Their reports were not damning Eretz Yisrael. No condemnation of the Chosen Land was intended whatsoever. However, they had concerns that the Jewish people would have a terrible spiritual descent if they went into Eretz Yisrael. They noticed things on their visit which worried them, and consequently, “l’Shem Shamayim” they attempted to pre-empt future problems by discouraging the plan to enter the Land. Everything in the parsha is taken by this group of commentaries in a totally different light. For instance, how can the pasuk “a land that

consumes its inhabitants” be a positive statement? The Ba’al Shem Tov, among others, interprets the report as meaning that it is such a “gashmiyusdike land” (for example: fertile, booming economy, such wonderful fruits, etc.) that if Klal Yisrael will migrate there, they will inevitably get caught up in the rat race of materialism. The Ba’al Shem Tov interprets the expression “eretz ochelet yoshveha” by emphasizing that the “artziut” (extreme physicality and beauty) of the land will consume the population. This was not a bad report. This was a perceptive reading of the fact that the inherent physical blessings of the place might involve spiritual risk. Perhaps we can compare this to the situation eighty to a hundred years ago in Eastern Europe where many Gedole Yisrael were very hesitant to send Jews to America. Why? “The Goldene Medina!” What is wrong with a “Goldene Medina?” The problem is that people get wrapped up in the gold, that other important things seem to lose their significance. This is just an example. If we accept this approach, then we can understand where the Shela”h HaKadosh is coming from when he interprets “Anshe Midot” as men of great character. He means to say that the inhabitants of the Land of Israel are such wonderful people, that Klal Yisrael will be unduly influenced by them, to the spiritual detriment of Israel. It is precisely because there are such wonderful people there that the spies foresaw a problem. The Jews will be attracted to them. They will want to establish business and social relationships with them. Ultimately, they will be influenced by them, by virtue of the fact that they are such wonderful people. This is what the Shela”h means. Yes. Men of Middot! The Spies were l’Shem Shamayim. They were afraid that if Klal Yisrael proceeded into Eretz Yisrael, they would have a spiritual decline. In the Wilderness, they were secure. They did not need to worry about making a living. They did not need to worry about materialism — about clothing or food or any of that. They lived a life of complete spirituality. They would be going into Eretz Yisrael where the fruit is delicious, and the land is beautiful. It is so overwhelmingly beautiful that it “eats up its

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inhabitants” in terms of arousing their desires for physicality and materialism. And on top of that, the locals are “men of character.” The Jews will not be able to avoid assimilation and getting caught up by the “good life” inherent in the local culture. That was the motivation of the Meraglim.

Why the Calculation of “Forty Years for Forty

Days”? (Rabbi Frand)

The Almighty pronounced the following terrible decree upon the Jewish people for the sin of the Spies: “Like the number of the days that you spied out the land, forty days, a day for a year, a day for a year, shall you bear your iniquities — forty years — and you shall know what parting from Me [is]” [Bamidbar 14:34]. Instead of moving on directly to the Land of Israel, they were to remain 40 years in the desert. Why 40 years? For every day the Spies were in Eretz Yisrael gathering their negative reports [i.e., according to the conventional way of understanding the Spies’ actions, not the "deeper” approach outlined above], they would need to spend a corresponding 365-day period wandering in the desert before they could enter Eretz Yisrael. Rav Asher Weiss asks a simple question. The actual sin of the Spies occurred when they returned and delivered their negative report, on that infamous Erev Tisha B’Av. The report was delivered in at most one day. For the previous 39 days or even for the entire 40-day period they did not report anything. They did not do any damage. They were merely gathering information. How then do we understand this correlation of 40 years for 40 days? Their sin lasted for at most one day, not 40 days! It was not like today when they would be able to call back to the camp every day on their cell phones with bad tidings about the Land. They did not Twitter. They did not post updates on Facebook. There was not any communication whatsoever until they returned to the camp after

the 40-day sojourn! They come back one day, they speak ill for a few hours at most and that is that. Why were they punished “a year for each day”? Rav Asher Weiss answers by citing a rule we have cited many times in the past. The sin of lashon harah is not a sin only of the mouth. It is a sin of the eyes as well — a sin in how one perceives things. Two people can see virtually the same thing and view it in totally different ways. The reason the punishment was “40 years for 40 days” is because for 40 days the Spies looked negatively at Eretz Yisrael. Everything they saw was processed with a jaundiced view. Chazal say (again, according to the “simple interpretation”) that the expression “A land that devours its inhabitants” reflects the fact that they saw funerals every day. Rather than seeing this as the Hand of G-d who wanted the inhabitants to be preoccupied with burying their dead so that they would not notice the spies, they saw it as a sign that the land was inhospitable, and caused the premature death of its inhabitants. For forty days, their perception was with a negative view. Therefore, when they came back and delivered their report to the nation, we are not talking about a sin whose duration was a few hours or at most a day. Their report was the climax of 40 complete days of jaundiced processing on their part of everything having to do with the Land of Israel. It was 40 days of misperception; 40 days of cynicism; 40 days of being negative; 40 days of lashon harah. The punishment for that was 40 years of wandering – a year for each day! He contrasts two opposing views of the world: The first is that of the German philosophers: “If one looks at nature, what does one see? Someone goes to the jungle, to Africa, and sees how life is on the plains, on the savannahs of Africa. It is a matter of survival of the fittest. The lion eats the antelope or the buck. The antelopes which are fast enough get away, and the ones who don’t run fast enough do not survive. This is survival of the fittest in action. The bigger fish eat the little fish and the still bigger fish eat those fish. Nature is based on the concept of survival of the fittest. The world runs on the Talmudic principle of “kol d’alim gavar” [whoever is stronger wins] We can

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understand what such a philosophy of the world can lead to. That is one way of looking at the world. The other philosophy is that of the Rabbis of the Talmud. The Gemara says “Were the Torah not given, we would have learned modesty (tzniut) from cats; property rights (gezel) from ants; chastity and fidelity (arayot) from doves; and proper behavior (derech eretz) from roosters [Eruvin 100b]. Here are two view of the animal kingdom — that of the “German philosophers” and that of the Rabbis of the Talmud. One perspective sees “might is right” and “survival of the fittest” and bases their philosophy on their view of nature. Rabbi Yochanon looks at the animal Kingdom and says “Look at this little ant. It will not take a crumb that does not belong to it from another ant. Look at what the cat does, after it takes care of its bodily needs, look at its modesty. Look at the dove — she mates for life with the same bird and will not take another mate even after her first mate dies.” He looks at the same animal kingdom as do the “German philosophers” and sees fidelity, modesty, and ethical behavior. It all depends how one views matters. Lashon harah is referred to by Chazal as “eyna bisha” — a bad eye. That is where it all starts. It all starts with perception. The baal lashon harah always views things negatively. Therefore, the meraglim, who spent 40 days looking at Eretz Yisrael in a negative light, did not merely commit a crime of one night’s worth of lashon haRah. It was a culmination of 40 days of not looking at things the way one can and should. As a result of their jaundiced view, they gave a damning report about Eretz Yisrael.

The Sin of the Spies

(Rabbi Zev Leff) The Sin of the Spies - Who’s in Charge? Moses renamed Hoshea son of Nun “Joshua” (Bamidbar 13:16). Prior to the departure of the twelve spies, Moshe Rabbenu changed the name of his disciple Hoshea to Yehoshua. That changed contained within it a prayer that Hashem save

Yehoshua from the plot of the spies. It remains to be explained, however, why Moshe agreed to send the spies in the first place if he was aware of a plot to malign Eretz Yisrael. In addition, why did he pray for Yehoshua alone and not for Calev and the other? The Vilna Gaon in Emuna VeHashgacha explains that there are three ways in which G-d manifests His Divine Providence. The first is called hanhagah nissit, the manifestation of overt miracles. This was the manner in which Hashem related to us during the forty years in the desert. A Cloud of Glory accompanied us by day and a pillar of fire by night; we ate the Heaven-sent manna; and our thirst was quenched by water from a well that flowed from a rock, which accompanied us on our journey. When we sinned, Divine retribution followed immediately in an unmistakable fashion. The second type of Divine Providence is called hanhagat nissim nistarim. In this stage, G-d relates to us through hidden miracles. This describes the manner in which G-d related to us in Eretz Yisrael, prior to our exile. At that time, a direct relationship between nature and Torah observance was evident. When we kept the Mitzvot and toiled in Torah, the rains fell in their proper times and amounts, health and wealth were our lot; and when we sinned, drought and famine followed. Since our exile from Eretz Yisrael, we have experienced the third type of Divine Providence, hester panim. In this stage, G-d hides His face from us and our ability to see G-d’s Divine Providence in the world becomes impaired. The Vilna Gaon explains that the various manifestations of Divine Providence differ only in our perception. In reality, G-d controls and guides the world equally in a period when we experience Divine miracles as a matter of course, - and in a period where all we see is the workings of nature. G-d merely hides His face in the latter period. Our forefathers in the desert were aware that upon entering Eretz Yisrael the manner in which Hashem related to us would change from one of open miracles to one of miracles within nature. Manna would no longer descend from the heavens; rather we would plow, plant, and harvest in order to eat. A well would no longer accompany us; rather we would depend on rainfall to quench our thirst.

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Their mistake, however, was to reason that if their lives were apparently subject to the same natural order as the rest of the world, then their ultimate success or failure depended on their own military prowess. This was a grievous error. It was this mistaken outlook from which Moshe prayed that Yehoshua would be spared. Moshe reasoned that he could better prove to the people their misstate by letting them actually see Eretz Yisrael. He hoped that they would realize the impossibility of conquering Eretz Yisrael with their own might. Yet G-d had assured them that they would in fact conquer the land. They should have concluded that Hashem obviously planned to continue aiding them, even if in a less openly miraculous fashion. Yehoshua, who was to lead Klal Yisrael during this new stage of Divine Providence, required a special prayer that he be spared from a distorted perspective on nature. The name Yehoshua signifies - Hashem Yoshiah - May G-d save you. The Divine name Hashem represents the synthesis between the apparent cause and effect of the natural world and Hashem’s intimate spiritual link with man - the Yod represents G-d’s creation of Olam Haba and the Heh the creation of this world. Moshe prayed that Yehoshua see nature as nothing more than a veil to G-d’s direct Divine Providence. Hence, Nature - HaTevah - and Elokim are numerically equivalent. Moshe told the spies to bring back the fruits of Eretz Yisrael precisely to drive home the lesson that they would still be completely dependent on G-d’s beneficence. Without water, fruits cannot grow, and in Eretz Yisrael water depends solely on rainfall, which is obviously not in man’s hands. Moshe wanted them to recognize that even though there would be more effort required to secure a livelihood in the natural setting of Eretz Yisrael than in the desert, the result would depend no less on G-d than when the manna descended directly from Heaven. Unfortunately, only Calev and Yehoshua grasped this point. The others saw only that it was beyond their “natural” abilities to conquer the land, and concluded that even G-d Himself, as it were, could not help them since He had chosen to let them be governed by the natural order. This reasoning led to the purposeless crying on the night of Tisha B’Av when the people wept as a sign of hopelessness.

To correct the purposeless tears of that Tisha B’Av eve in the desert, our Batei Mikdash were destroyed on Tisha B’Av and we were thrust into Galut where we would come to see clearly our dependence on Hashem. But rather than crying of our helplessness, our tears on Tisha B’Av must proclaim: "Hashem, You promised that we would be redeemed from this galut. We cannot achieve this redemption through our own efforts. Therefore, you must redeem us. " Rabbi Yerucham Levovitz, the great Mirrer Mashgiach, explains the Mishnah at the end of Sotah to mean that Mashiach will not come so long as we attribute our successes and failures to "natural" causes. As long as we look for political, economic and sociologhcal explanations of world events and excuse ourselves from Torah learning on the grounds that we must earn a livelihood, we will not merit an end to our exile. Let us strengthen our faith and trust in Hashem so that we can finally dry the tears of Tisha B’Av and celebrate it with jubilation, for a Redeemer will have to come to Zion. Reprinted with permission from Artscroll Mesorah Publications, ltd. This article is provided as part of Shema Yisrael Torah Network Permission is granted to redistribute electronically or on paper, provided that this notice is included intact. For information on subscriptions, archives, and other Shema Yisrael Classes, send mail to parsha@shemayisrael.co.il

10 Habits of Highly Effective Parents

How to raise thriving children and parent from strength. (By Slovie Jungreis-Wolff)

Parenting can be frustrating. We may go from feeling madly in love with our children to occasional moments of dislike. If we can find a way to maintain a good relationship and parent from strength, raising our children will not sap us of our energy. Here are 10 habits of highly effective parents: 1. They don’t put their spouse down in front of their child It’s easy to push others down when we feel anxious or get frustrated. But taking stress out on our spouse only hurts us more. Not only does our relationship suffer, but our children

Food for Thought

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learn disrespect. An environment of chutzpah is created. If you do not respect mommy or daddy, why should I? Never use your child to take revenge on your spouse or to cure your sadness and loneliness. If you have an issue, speak to your spouse in private. 2. They keep tone and words respectful Parents who recognize that they are the greatest role models in their children’s lives remember to ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk’. They know that they are setting the bar for future relationships. Kindness, empathy, sensitivity, and a generous spirit are not traits that can be learned by lectures and long talks. It’s all about the way we relate to one another in our daily lives. Effective parents do not need to scream or use disparaging remarks to be heard. They maintain authority while being firm but fair. They parent with confidence. A respectful tone and words convey a home that is a ‘safe space’. 3. They maintain calm despite tension Life is not perfect. We never really anticipate the challenges. There can be unforeseen emotional, physical, mental and financial pressures. Children be moody, irritable, anxious and difficult. Teens, especially, do not always see the consequences of their actions clearly. Effective parents do not fly off the handle. They do not parent from rage. A common mistake parents make is to mirror their child’s moodiness. “If you are sullen and don’t respond to me, why should I talk to you?” A wall between parent and child is created. Good parenting requires calm. “This too shall pass.” Instead of losing it when a child speaks or acts wrongly, say: “Let’s try this again.” Act don’t react. Strong parents are anchors. They bring tranquility to counter the turbulence and parent with wisdom. 4. They give time Time is one of our most precious resources. Time spent together with a child can either be wasted or used purposefully. We can seem interested or bored. We can listen or be distracted. We can engage or be self-absorbed.

We can be patient or dismissive. The choice is ours. Parents who maintain good relationships with their children have spent years nurturing, communicating, and learning about their children’s hopes and dreams and disappointments. They have limited screen time, enjoyed meals together, read bedtime stories, and at times said no to phone calls and emails that would take them away from the family. There is no toy or technology in the world that can replace looking into a child’s eyes and peering into his soul. 5. They set clear rules When children are confused about standards of conduct, misbehavior becomes normal. If one day it’s okay to stay up till midnight and the next I get screamed at for the same exact behavior, what am I supposed to do? Curfews, when homework is supposed to be done, how we treat one another, responsibilities in and out of the home are all part of parenting. If I want to be effective, my rules must be consistent, clear and fair. I cannot allow a certain behavior and then get upset or act disappointed. I need to provide real expectations and not wait for a problem to get out of hand in order to address it. 6. They focus on the behavior instead of criticizing The point of discipline is to improve/correct behavior and teach right from wrong. Criticism just makes a child feel badly about himself. Mocking, calling a child by a sarcastic name will never teach the child how to improve himself. Saying things like “You’re impossible,” “What’s your problem?” does nothing. Effective parents focus on the behavior they’d like to improve. They realize that criticism is not discipline. Instead of making a child think that they are the definition of bad, they point out bad behavior that needs fixing. You made a mistake does not mean that you are a mistake. Your room is a mess and needs to be put into order does not mean that you are a mess. 7. They set appropriate consequences When we give consequences that have nothing to do with the misbehavior, we are missing out on a great learning opportunity. Life is about

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responsibility. When you are given a blessing that you take for granted, you will lose out. When you abuse your privileges or act inappropriately, there will be repercussions. To teach this we must link both the responsibility and the consequence. Capable parents know that when a child misuses his computer time, consequences are related to those actions. When grades suffer because of too much texting or time on-line, the privilege of having a phone/laptop must be addressed. Consequences are not overly harsh, were spoken about beforehand, and not just talk. Children respect parents who are clear and follow through. 8. They maintain their sense of humor It’s okay to smile and laugh out loud. There are times that a good joke diffuses the tension. Our children should not be afraid of us. (Awe of parents as commanded in the Torah is not the same concept as being fearful.) Children should know that home is a haven, a place of warmth and love, a beacon of light in a very harsh and hard world. Effective parents know when to be serious and when to be lighthearted. They do not confuse the two moments. 9. They stay positive Negative talk casts a shadow on a home. Seeing situations as ‘disaster’ doesn’t allow a child to try to do better. Making children feel hopeless instead of hopeful strips them of any desire to do more; to be more. Instead of failure being the end, see it as an opportunity to begin again. Positive parenting comes when we see hard work and effort as true values to be recognized. Parents who allow for mistakes and then teach them how to fix it, instead of fixing it themselves, encourage their children to thrive. 10. They create a doable goal Parenting wisely means that I have a goal. I ask myself: What am I trying to accomplish and how do I get there? If two children can’t sit together at the dinner table, what do I do? Sending each to his room vs figuring out how to have both siblings able to sit at one meal without fighting each other becomes a doable goal. Setting goals becomes a great way for the family to bond.

Parenting is not all or nothing. Adopting even some of these behaviors will help us lead, inspire and parent through strength.

Communication - the Key to a Good Marriage

Effective communication means verbalizing needs and listening carefully. (By Emuna Braverman)

It can't be stated often enough. If you don't have a healthy way of expressing your thoughts and emotions to each other, of speaking and being heard, then everything else will ultimately crumble. In order to have a successful marriage you have to make yourself an expert in communication. You have to try to understand what your partner is saying on a simple level as well as try to analyze the underlying message or desire. The last thing a woman wants to hear when she complains about her weight is a suggestion for a new diet plan. For example, the last thing a woman wants to hear when she complains about her weight is a suggestion for a new diet plan. Actually, the last thing she probably wants to hear is, "Yes dear, you do need to slim down a little!" Nor does she want just a sympathetic ear (just when a man thinks he's mastered the art of good listening). What she really wants is for her husband to say, "You look terrific!" "You look thin!" "You look so young!" Having said that it is important to look at what Virginia Satir calls the "metacommunication." This is the underlying message, the motivation behind the communication. We all need to be amateur psychologists and try to figure out what our partner really wants. For example, when Susan tells her husband that she isn't feeling well, that may be her way of saying "could you drive the children to ice skating lessons today dear?" or it may be her way of expressing a need for more attention from her spouse. As I'm about to illustrate we can't all be

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mind readers, but it is important to try to focus not just on the words being said, but what may possibly be implied as well. It is important to hear what your spouse is really saying, but it is also important for the other side to give clues. We shouldn't expect our mates to intuit our needs nor rely on some level of divine inspiration. If there's a special necklace you want for your birthday, point it out to your husband. It will save him the agony of choosing and spare you both needless pain. It works both ways -- maybe he doesn't want socks this year. TELL YOUR PARTNER WHAT YOU WANT

Joe is the romantic type. Every week after he got engaged, he brought his fiancée flowers. He even sent her flowers every day of the week before their wedding. He continued this practice a number of years into their marriage. Finally, Emily, his wife, ever the unsentimental and practical one, spoke up. "You know Joe, I really love you and I like that you want to bring me flowers. But I actually don't like flowers that much. And besides, they die so soon after that I feel like we've wasted our money. I'd rather you saved up for a more lasting gift." If we want something, we need to say it. Luckily this is a very trivial example. But being able to express yourself in the small areas will lead to open discussion in the big areas as well. If we want something, we need to say it. It sounds so obvious, but how many hurt and angry couples come in for counseling saying, "he should have known..." or "she should have realized...”? How should he have known? How should she have realized? Did you tell him/her? DON'T RELY ON INTUITION

I have a friend who never makes grocery lists. She goes to the supermarket and relies on her intuition. This led to, at one point, 12 jars of mustard in her refrigerator. This approach to life has relatively little impact on her, other than maybe leading to excessive

consumption of hot dogs, but in marriage it could be disastrous. This approach could be disastrous in a marriage. Don't rely on your intuition. Ask. Don't rely on his/her intuition. Tell. "You knew I wasn't feeling well. Why didn't you offer to make dinner? "This and many similar dialogues often lead to tension around the home. Yet the solution is so simple. "I'm really not feeling well dear. Would you mind making dinner?" It is a common assumption that prophetic power is proof of your spouse's undying love and devotion. Let's destroy that myth right now. Tell your spouse what you want. His or her thoughtful response to your explicitly expressed needs is a sign of commitment. While we're on the topic, don't ask for signs or proofs. It will get you in trouble. Everyone expresses their caring and develops their love in differing ways and at varying rates. A confrontation over "do you love me?" will be just that -- a confrontation. Express yourself in a way that shows understanding of your spouse's personality and he will respond in kind. Perhaps the most essential quality for good communication in any relationship, and particularly in a marriage, is to be a good listener. Take a minute to ask yourself if you listen attentively when your partner speaks. Or is your mind on tonight's dinner, tomorrow's business meeting, Bloomingdale's sale ... Do you comprehend clearly what you mate is saying? LISTEN TO YOUR PARTNER

Sometimes when my husband and I are quarreling, he'll stop me in the middle to say: "What am I saying, and what are you saying, and what's the difference? "It's infuriating but effective. Frequently I find that I've been so caught up in hearing myself talk or the passion of the moment that I haven't really been listening. I'm amazed to discover that our positions aren't that far apart, in fact they're not apart at all.

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I've been so caught up in hearing myself talk that I haven't really been listening. If this is a difficult issue for you it sometimes helps to establish structure. You could set aside a time where you are required to listen to your mate without interrupting for 10 minutes. Don't plan your defense or rebuttal. Just listen. You'll be surprised at how much you'll learn and when it's your turn you'll realize a unique pleasure in being able to express yourself freely. Another technique psychologists favor is called active listening. There are many variations on this theme but the basic style is mirroring back what your partner says. “I hear you saying..." Keep doing it until you get it right. Maybe many of your misunderstandings are because you heard your partner wrong the first time, or you didn't hear your partner at all. We have numerous distractions in our lives today -- telephones, televisions, and now the Internet. If we want to be listened to with concentration, we must provide the same. Hang up the phone when your spouse walks in the door. Turn off the TV. Escape from the Web. Otherwise your mate feels like second best, and when you have something to say it will also fall on deaf ears. We have to remember that marriage creates a unity, a oneness. We can use our powers of communication to solidify that unity or, G-d forbid, to tear it asunder. As the Chazon Ish, a great Jewish scholar, wrote "Treat your wife as a left hand protecting the right one ... and not an independent limb. "If we accept this attitude we will recognize that spending time and energy to improve communication is the way to achieve a true marital bond.

Why Visit Israel (Hint: Not for the Cuisine)

Israel? Oh, I heard the food is amazing! (By Emuna Braverman)

One of the pleasures of traveling is the random conversations with strangers – on elevators, at street corners, in bars and restaurants. Even

though they are rarely with locals due to the language barrier, it is nice to connect with Americans also traveling abroad, to speak with people you wouldn’t otherwise. On recent night in Rome, we were seated beside two young men from the States. Hearing our English led to the stereotypical, “Where are you from?” From there we learned of their education and further career aspirations. It was very friendly – and we will of course never see them again! When the conversation turned to us, they asked about our next leg of the journey (they were doing a whole European tour!) and I said that we were going on to Israel. I braced myself, not sure in today’s world what their reaction would be. (Did they even know that they were eating in a kosher restaurant?) Their response was very surprising. “We heard the food is amazing.” Of all the possible expected reactions, this one wasn’t even on my list! Although the food scene in Israel (I am not an expert here) has definitely improved over the years, although I just read an article that some very top chefs in Tel Aviv now see cooking kosher as their next frontier, when I think of Israeli food, I am back in the eighties – lots of white yoghurt, tomatoes and cucumbers. Nothing wrong with that (although those greasy chicken lunches of my seminary days were less appealing) but certainly not gourmet. Certainly not something that would earn a worldwide reputation. I guess I have to update my image of Israeli restaurants, but I was also saddened. I like to think that if I asked most of my family members and friends to free associate when they hear the word “Israel” that “great food” wouldn’t be mentioned. I’m not in favor of bad food or even mediocre food but I certainly wouldn’t describe that as a significant tourist attraction. Although it’s better that their reaction was positive – in today’s political climate, one could imagine a lot worse responses than “great food” unfortunately – but nevertheless it was troubling. Because of course the main thing that Israel has to offer, that can be found nowhere else in the world, that is our unique claim and

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opportunity is closeness to G-d, a special relationship with Him that is available at the Western Wall or the Tomb of the Patriarch’s or Rachel’s Tomb. These may also function in some way as tourist attractions but I believe this is because of the spiritual connection available there, it is due to the reality of the Almighty’s presence on those spots, the opportunity not found anywhere else on the planet to have a very intense connection and even conversation with the Creator of the World. Shouldn’t that be the first reaction to the mention of Israel? “What an amazing spiritual opportunity!” “I never felt as close to G-d as I did at the Kotel!” “I love the intimacy of praying at the grave of our mother Rachel.” Spirituality is in the air in Jerusalem. The Almighty feels so much more real. Perhaps gourmet dining is a lure to get some visitors to come to the land. But I hope that it doesn’t stop there. The residue of that conversation has lingered with me. Perhaps I should have enlightened the young men about the true opportunity of a trip to the holy land – but it didn’t seem to be the moment. So, I’m using it to remind myself – there may be good food there, there is definitely some beautiful jewelry and some cool hamsas, but it’s not Israel’s unique selling point. It’s not why we go. It’s the filler, the fluff on the way to the moment when we stand at the Western Wall and open up our hearts to the Almighty. Come visit Israel and feel what it’s like to be at the spiritual heart of the Jewish people.

Halachot of Shabbat (Daily Halacha)

Using a Doorknocker, Clapping, Banging, and Whistling on Shabbat Is it permissible to use a doorknocker to knock on somebody’s door on Shabbat?

The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Poland, 1525-1572), in his glosses to the Shulhan Aruch, rules that one may not knock with a doorknocker on Shabbat, because of the prohibition against producing sounds on Shabbat. The Sages enacted a provision forbidding making sounds, as a safeguard against the possibility that someone might prepare or fix an instrument, in violation of Shabbat. According to the Rama, this would apply even to knocking with a doorknocker, and this is the Halacha for Ashkenazim. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef infers from the comments of the Bet Yosef (work by Maran, author of the Shulhan Aruch) that the prohibition applies only to producing sounds in a beat or rhythm. Hacham Ovadia therefore rules that for Sepharadim, one may knock with a doorknocker on Shabbat, on the condition that he does not knock to any particular beat. Sometimes, people like to make a kind of “tune” with their knocking; this would certainly be forbidden on Shabbat. But knocking indiscriminately would certainly be allowed, as such knocking is not included in the Rabbinic prohibition against making musical sounds. These same guidelines would apply to other kinds of sounds, such as clapping and banging. It is forbidden on Shabbat to clap or bang on a table in a particular rhythm, but one may clap or bang for the sake of making noise, such as to wake somebody, or if a Rabbi bangs in the synagogue to silence the congregation. By the same token, knocking silverware against a glass in a beat or rhythm is forbidden, but one may knock indiscriminately to get a crowd’s attention. So long as the noise is not made to a specific beat, it is permissible. The Halachic authorities rule that whistling was not included at all in the decree against producing sounds on Shabbat, and one may thus whistle a tune on Shabbat. We should note that irrespective of the laws of Shabbat, whistling in public, such as while walking in the street, is improper and unbecoming of a Torah Jew. But if at home one wishes to whistle as background to the singing of Pizmonim (hymns) at the Shabbat table, this is certainly acceptable and permissible.

Daily halacha

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Summary: One may not clap, knock on a door, bang on a table, or clank silverware to a beat or rhythm on Shabbat. One may, however, make indiscriminate noise in such a fashion, such as knocking on a door (even with a doorknocker) or clapping or banging to get a group’s attention. Whistling is permissible on Shabbat, even to a melody, though in general it is inappropriate to whistle in public, even during the week.

InterestIng MIdrash

(from Torah Tots) The Wandering Vowels Recognize the name "Hoshea?" Probably not. That's because Moshe changes it to "Yehoshua." Here's the story: This week's Parsha (and also Devarim 1:23-36) relates how twelve meraglim (spies) were sent to investigate Eretz Yisrael and, with the exception of Yehoshua and Calev, they returned with a disparaging report in an attempt to discourage Klal Yisrael from entering the land. It was only through prayer and special Divine assistance that Yehoshua and Calev were able to withstand the pressure and influence of their fellow meraglim and resist joining in their sin. The Talmud Tractate Sotah 34b relates that Moshe Rabbeinu, sensing the meraglim's potential blunder, added the letter "yud" to the front of Yehoshua's original name, changing it

from "Hoshea" to "Yehoshua"

. Yud represents the name of Hashem. Moshe hopes that Hashem will keep Yehoshua safe from the diabolical plans of the spies. Moshe prayed,

ד' יושיעך מעצת מרגלים"Hashem Yoshiacha MayAtzat Meraglim - May Hashem save you from the scheme of the spies. "

Calev, who received no such benediction from Moshe, went to Chevron to the Meorat Hamachpaila - the cave of the Patriarchs - where he prayed for protection from the spies' sinful plans and he beseeched the Avot (Patriarchs) to intercede on his behalf. The Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin 107a, explains that the letter "yud" that Moshe added to "Hoshea" to form the name "Yehoshua," was the "yud" that was removed from Sarah's name when her name was changed from - "Sorai" to

- "Sarah" (Bereishit 17:15). To mollify the yud, which was opposed to surrendering its position in Sarah's name, it was taken and appended to Yehoshua's name. The yud that was removed from Sarah's name did

not have any nekudot (vowels), , thus begging the question - from where did it acquire

the vowel "Sh'va" upon being appended to

Yehoshua's name. . The Arizal explains that it was taken from the word "ben" in Yehoshua ben Nun's name.

Interestingly, the Torah vowelizes the word in Yehoshua's name with a chirik (a single dot -

Bin) , instead of using the standard Segol

vowelization (Ben) , which has three dots. Thus, the two dots used for the added Yud were taken from the word "ben," which now reads "bin"

- .

Kid’z Korner (Revach)

Rejecting the Good Land (Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, pp. 338-339) G-d described the Land of Israel as a good land; and this was what the spies reported back. Yet the people complained, saying, "G-d brought us out of Egypt because He hates us" (Deut. 1:27). Why didn't they trust G-d's judgment? The Gloomy Groom

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A very pious man, completely immersed in spiritual matters and removed from worldly ones, heard of a suitable match for his son. This being his only son, the father did not want to rely on the matchmaker's report. He decided to make the journey in order meet the girl and her family. The father set off and met the family. Highly satisfied with the match, he signed on the financial arrangements for the wedding with them. He returned home and related to his family and close friends what he had seen: the piety and Torah scholarship of the father, the modesty and fine character traits of the mother. "And what about the bride herself?" one perceptive friend inquired. Hearing this question, the pious man's wife also came close to hear what her husband would say. "Regarding the bride, I don't have a lot to say," replied the father. "She is certainly a good catch. Her worth is beyond pearls." When the son heard his father's words, he began to cry out of anguish. "Why are you crying?" asked the mother. "Didn't you hear your father praise the girl?" The son grimaced. "My father's praise - that made it even worse! Did he praise her grace, her beauty, her social skills? I know that father, pious man that he is, does not consider these qualities important. On the contrary, if she had any of them, father would probably consider them to be defects. 'Grace is false and beauty is vain.'" "If father liked her," the young man concluded, "then she is probably ugly and simple, given over to constant fasts and prayers..." The Qualities of Eretz Yisrael The Israelites who left Egypt assumed that if G-d praised the Land of Israel, this must be for its spiritual qualities. But regarding its physical traits? It is probably a harsh, barren land, where one must live simply in order eke out a meager living. As the Sages counseled, "This is the path of Torah: you will eat bread with salt, and drink water in small measure, and sleep on the ground" (Avot 6:4). A harsh environment will

ensure that the people will live a life of simplicity and deprivation, undistracted by material pleasures. This is why the Israelites grumbled and complained about the Land, fearing the worse. In fact, besides its unique spiritual qualities for holiness and prophecy, it is also a "land flowing with milk and honey." Eretz Yisrael is like a bride who is pious and a "woman of valor," but also blessed with beauty and charm.

A Loser's Pride Dooms The Dor HaMidbar The Miraglim got up to speak twice. First they gave over the opening report, then Kalev refuted them, and then they gave their final damaging report. Why does it only say that they spoke Lashon Hara during their second speech ? Rav Moshe Shternbuch brings the Be'er Mayim Chayim who says that the whole tragedy of the Meraglim was an instinctive response laced with Gaava. At first the Miraglim didn't speak Lashon Hara. They gave a report of what they saw, repeating only objective facts both negative and positive. They also did not draw any conclusions or give their opinion. Only after Kalev stood up to them and played down their report and what they were insinuating, did the Meraglim stand up again and clearly state in no uncertain terms, "Lo Nuchal Laalot Ki Chazak Hu Mimenu," (Shlach 13 :31). Now they first denied Hashem's ability to lead them to the promised land. After that the pasuk says they spoke Lashon Hara and even criticized the land. Why ? Because Kalev said they were wrong. This they could not handle, and exaggerated their tales in order to refute Kalev. It was no longer about reporting what they saw, but rather about a victory of the ego. Once ego came into play, all Yirat Shamayim was lost, and as a result, so was the entire holy generation of the Dor HaMidbar. In Search of the Fruits of the Tzaddik Moshe tells the Miraglim to look, "HaYesh Ba Eitz Im Ayim." Rashi explains that this tree means a Tzaddik whose merits can protect the inhabitants from the conquest of the Bnei Yisrael. How does one search for a Tzaddik, if only Hashem can know who is a true tzaddik and who is masquerading as one with a pious exterior. Furthermore, the next words are, "ViHitchazktem Ulikachtem MiPri HaAretz; Take from the fruits of

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the land." If the tree means a tzaddik what fruits are they taking and why? The Pninim al HaParsha says in the name of the Satmar Rav, Rav Yoel, that there is one way to know if a tzaddik is real or a sham. You can look at his talmidim who are the fruits of his labor. If he is truly a tzaddik his talmidim will reflect him, and the people of the land will appear to be righteous as well. If he is not sincere, then the likelihood is that he will not have talmidim that even appear to be tzaddikim. Moshe told them to check if there is a tzaddik. How? By checking for fruit, you will know if there is really a tree. The Questionable Tzidkut Of The Embarking Miraglim "Vayeilchu Vayavo'u; The Miraglim went and came back," (Shlach 13:26). Rashi says that we see from here that just like they returned with a poisonous plot, so, too, when they embarked on their mission they had a already had this in mind. This contradicts Rashi in the beggining of the Parsha where Rashi writes on the words, "Kulam Anashim," (13:3), that at the time they left they were all Kesherim. So did they have this in mind, or did they leave innocent? The Imrei Emet of Ger answers that the Gemara says (Kidushin 40) that although good intentions are considered as if you have done the mitzva even if it doesn't come about at the end, bad intentions are not considered an aveira if the deed does not materialize. However, if the bad deed is eventually carried out, then in retrospect the bad intentions also are included as part of the aveira. The Miraglim set out with bad intentions. Yet, at that time, since the deed was not done, their intentions were not held against them. At that time, they were still "Kesherim". Kosher doesn't make them tzaddikim, but they were not yet stained with sin of Lashon Hara. Only after they came back and carried out their plan does Rashi reveal to us that it was this intent that they set off with in the first place.

Le Salaire des Petites Souffrances.

Dans la paracha de la semaine Chelakh, nos ancêtres sont arrivés devant la frontière d'Eretz Israël et sont enfin prêts à hériter de leur terre. Le peuple, inquiet, décida d'envoyer douze chefs de tribu afin d'explorer le pays et de préparer les futures opérations militaires. A leur retour, après quarante jours, les explorateurs dénigrèrent les bienfaits de leur patrimoine et décrivirent avec angoisse la situation : "C'est une terre qui mange ses habitants, le taux de mortalité y est extrêmement important ! De plus ce sont des ennemis redoutables qui vivent avec des géants. Nous ne pourrons jamais les vaincre !" En entendant ces propos, les bné Israël pleurèrent et regrettèrent d'être sortis d'Egypte… Vous connaissez la suite, Hachem condamna cette génération à ne pas entrer en Eretz Israël et à errer dans le désert pendant 40 ans. Lors des réprimandes que Moché adressa au peuple avant de mourir, il reprocha aux bné Israël d'avoir envoyé des explorateurs et d'avoir retardé ainsi leur entrée en terre sainte. "Hachem nous avait donné ce pays, déclara-t-il, nous pouvions en hériter sans aucune arme, sans guerre, en seulement trois jours si nous avions eu confiance en Lui. Mais nous nous sommes découragés devant l'adversaire comme si Di-u ne pouvait pas nous aider et voici quarante ans que nous tournons dans le désert." En effet, nous disent nos sages, les juifs auraient dû conquérir la terre sans aucune difficulté, en seulement quelques jours. Pourtant, s'étonne le Sfat Emet, il est enseigné dans le traité Brahot (5, a) que trois cadeaux ne peuvent être acquis sans souffrance : la Torah, la terre d'Israël et le monde futur. Et nous pouvons tous constater la véracité de cette guémara : combien de souffrances notre peuple endure depuis plus de cent ans pour pouvoir rester sur un petit bout de notre terre, combien de guerres, d’attentats ? Combien de sang a coulé... ? S'il en est ainsi, comment Hachem avait- il comme projet de nous faire entrer après seulement trois jours de marche dans le désert ? Et plus encore, comme nous le savons, les bné Israël voyageaient en première classe, les nuées qui entouraient le camp les protégeaient de la chaleur, des serpents, aplanissaient le sol…c'est-à-dire sans aucune souffrance, alors comment résoudre cette contradiction ? Le Sfat Emet explique que si nos ancêtres étaient entrés en Israël après trois jours de

Pour Les Fracaphones

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voyage, les petites souffrances endurées pendant ce trajet, mal aux jambes et autres fatigues liées à tout déplacement, étaient suffisants pour mériter d'acquérir notre terre sacrée. Car tout inconvénient, même les plus minimes, comme mettre ses vêtements à l'envers, ou rater son bus…provient d'Hachem et permet d'effacer les fautes commises. Ainsi celui qui comprend cela et qui accepte avec amour chaque situation désagréable peut se purifier entièrement. C'est pourquoi nos ancêtres auraient très bien pu effacer toutes les fautes commises en Egypte et devenir aptes à entrer en Eretz Israël grâce aux quelques souffrances liées au voyage. C'est-à-dire qu'ils auraient pu réparer en trois jours l'équivalent des quarante ans dans le désert, soit 4700 fois plus. Ainsi, mes chers amis, ce rav nous a transmis une clef pour pouvoir optimiser chaque petit désagrément de notre quotidien. En prenant conscience que le hasard n'existe pas, en nous renforçant dans notre foi que tout vient d'Hachem et que chaque événement négatif a pour but d'effacer nos fautes, nous pouvons nous purifier entièrement afin de mériter la Torah, la terre d'Israël, le monde futur et éviter ainsi de très nombreuses épreuves lo alénou. Et s'il en est ainsi pour des inconvénients mineurs, combien de fautes sont effacées lorsqu'une personne nous fait honte, nous blesse où nous cause une perte financière ? Et à l’inverse, que gagne celui qui s'énerve contre son sort ou contre son prochain ? Au lieu d'effacer ses fautes, il en ajoute de nouvelles. C'est pourquoi nous devons remercier le créateur pour chaque petit pépin de notre vie, comme il est écrit dans le traité Brahot (60, b) qu'un homme est obligé de louer Hachem pour le mal comme pour le bien. Car c'est grâce à ces petites souffrances qui bordent les routes de nos vies que nous pouvons réparer nos erreurs et être exemptés des souffrances du monde futur. Alors essayons de retenir cet enseignement du Sfat Emet que le Rav Arouch a développé dans son livre Chaaré bétoda, et efforçons-nous de l'appliquer à chaque instant afin d’annuler tous les décrets sur nous et nos frères juifs, d'apporter la bénédiction matérielle et spirituelle dans le monde et de mériter la Torah, Eretz Israel et le monde futur, amen ken yéhi ratson.

Une Terre très très Bonne Cette semaine, dans la paracha Chelakh, la Torah nous raconte la triste faute des explorateurs. A la demande insistante du peuple, Moché rabénou envoya douze tsadikim afin de reconnaître et de préparer la conquête militaire de la Terre d'Israël. A leur retour, dix d'entre eux établirent un bilan terrifiant de la situation. Ils proclamèrent que personne, ni même le Tout Puissant, ne pourrait vaincre des peuples aussi puissants. Les familles, désespérées, se mirent à pleurer et regretter leur condition d'esclaves en Egypte. Cette dixième plainte des bné Israël fut la dernière. Hachem décida en effet d'interdire à tout homme de plus de vingt ans d'entrer en Terre Sainte. Et c'est ainsi que le peuple fut condamné à errer dans le désert pendant quarante ans. Lors du rapport calomnieux des envoyés, deux explorateurs se levèrent pour défendre Eretz Israël : Yéochoua ben Noun et Calev ben Yéfouné. Ils dirent à l’assemblée : " Cette terre est très très bonne." Nous allons essayer de saisir le sens de cette louange. De plus, est écrit dans le Midrach Raba (Bamidbar 23) :" Hachem dit à Moché : cette terre m'est chère et ce peuple m'est cher. Je vais faire entrer ce peuple bien aimé dans cette terre bien aimée." Encore une fois, il nous faut essayer de comprendre pourquoi la Terre d'Israël semble tant appréciée par Hachem. Enfin, il est écrit dans Torat Cohanim (25,38) "Tout celui qui quitte Eretz Israël, c'est comme s'il faisait de l’idolâtrie ! "Là aussi, expliquons le message qu'ont voulu nous transmettre nos sages. Comme nous l'avons déjà dit au nom du Zohar Akadoch, toutes les mitsvot représentent des conseils pour arriver à s'attacher à Hachem, ce qui constitue le but de toute la Torah. Or, le Méssilat Yécharim nous enseigne que le Tout Puissant nous a placés dans un Monde rempli d'éléments qui nous séparent de Lui. Tous les plaisirs que cette vie nous propose nous éloignent d'Hachem et de notre but : se réjouir de Lui et profiter de la Présence Divine. C'est pourquoi, en contrepartie, le Créateur nous a offert quelques cadeaux afin de nous permettre d'arriver à ce but. Il nous donna des moyens pour nous rapprocher de Lui dans l'espace, le temps et l'homme. Dans l’espace : Eretz Israël, dans le temps : Chabat et dans l’homme : la Torah.

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Il faut savoir qu'un juif qui se trouve en Terre Sainte et qui veut se rapprocher d'Hachem reçoit une force supplémentaire qui l'aide à s'élever vers son Créateur.Nous pouvons l'apprendre de la paracha Lekh Lekha dans laquelle Hachem dit à Avraham :" Pars pour toi de ton pays, de ta terre natale, de la maison de ton père vers cette Terre que Je te montrerai." De nombreux commentateurs remarquent que nulle part dans la Torah, il n'est mentionné que le Créateur dévoila Eretz Israël à Avraham. Cependant, le Sforno explique qu'il faut lire "Pars…vers cette Terre où Je Me monterai à toi." C'est pourquoi dès qu'Avraham arriva à Schrem et à Eloné Mamré, il est écrit : "Hachem se dévoila à Avram et Il dit : A ta descendance Je donne cette Terre." Ainsi, Hachem offrit aux enfants d'Israël la possibilité de voir et de ressentir la Présence Divine sur cette Terre. Et grâce à la sainteté qui réside dans ce pays, chaque juif selon son niveau peut s'élever et se rapprocher de son Créateur. Désormais, nous pouvons comprendre le sens des enseignements de nos sages. Puisque la Présence Divine réside plus en Eretz Israël que dans le reste du monde, celui qui habite cette Terre peut plus facilement s'attacher à Hachem. A l'inverse, pour celui qui vit hors d'Israël, et qui n'a donc pas cette aide supplémentaire il lui sera beaucoup plus difficile d'arriver à s'approcher véritablement de son Créateur. Pour cette même raison, quitter Israël s'apparente à un acte d'idolâtrie. Comment peut-on abandonner un endroit dans lequel réside la Présence Divine pour aller vers un monde qui éloigne les hommes de Di-u ? De même, Yéochoua ben Noun et Calev ben Yéfouné qui jugèrent que "cette Terre est très très bonne" voulaient transmettre au peuple que seul en Eretz Israël un juif peut attendre de hauts niveaux d'élévation spirituelle et de prophéties. Mais d'un autre côté, nous devons savoir que celui qui réside sur cette terre sainte possède des obligations beaucoup plus grandes. Car celui qui se rebelle contre le Roi dans la campagne ne ressemble pas à celui qui faute dans son Palais. A tel point que certains pensent qu'un habitant d'Israël doit vivre toute l'année avec la même crainte qu'à Roch Hachana. Alors prions pour qu'Hachem nous rassemble rapidement tous en Terre Sainte, et qu'il nous aide à nous élever et nous rapprocher de Lui. (Dvar Tora inspiré de Netivot Chalom)

(Rav Yonatan Gefen)

Espiando detrás de Nuestros Corazones

“Y serán para ustedes tzitzit, y los verán, y recordarán todos los mandamientos de Di-s, y no ‘espiarán’ (lo taturu) detrás de sus corazones y de sus ojos, ya que ustedes se desvían detrás de ellos” (1).

La parashá termina con el tercer párrafo del Shemá. Ese párrafo habla sobre la mitzvá de tzitzit y continúa con otra mitzvá fundamental: no ir detrás de nuestros corazones y nuestros ojos. El Sifrí elabora sobre el significado de esas palabras. Explica que ir detrás del corazón se refiere a la herejía, mientras que ir detrás de los ojos a la inmoralidad (2). El entendimiento simple del Sifrí, respecto a ir detrás del corazón, es que esta es la fuente de la prohibición en contra de adoptar creencias opuestas a la Torá. Rav Itzjak Berkovits señala que este entendimiento tiene una gran dificultad. Más allá de la mitzvá de lo taturu, hay muchas otras mitzvot en la Torá que prohíben tener creencias herejes: en el primero de los Diez Mandamientos, la Torá nos ordena creer que Di-s es el único poder, que es todopoderoso, que creó y sustenta al universo entero y que no tiene ni comienzo ni final (3). La mitzvá siguiente nos ordena no ir detrás de ningún otro Di-s, lo que significa que no podemos atribuirle un poder independiente a ninguna fuerza del mundo (4). En la mitzvá del Shemá, la Torá nos ordena a creer en la unicidad de Di-s (5). Las actitudes que la Torá prohíbe en estas mitzvot son las mismas creencias que representan herejía. En consecuencia, la Torá parece habernos instruido lo suficiente que evitemos las creencias herejes. ¿Qué agrega la mitzvá de lo taturu? Rav Berkovits responde que el resto de las mitzvot nos instruye a tener ideas filosóficas básicas en un nivel intelectual. Por ejemplo, una persona debe creer intelectualmente que hay un Di-s que creó el mundo. Sin embargo, una conciencia intelectual no siempre es suficiente para asegurar que se adhiera a los principios fundamentales del pensamiento judío. Puede que una persona reconozca intelectualmente estas verdades, pero que sus emociones o deseos

REFLEXION SEMANAL

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físicos le hagan actuar en contra de ellas. En esta línea, nuestros sabios nos dicen que una persona sólo peca cuando entra en ella un rúaj shtut (espíritu de irracionalidad). Esto significa que sus acciones contradicen lo que racionalmente sabe que es verdad. La mitzvá de lo taturu nos ordena evitar esta trampa. Al decirnos que no sigamos a nuestro corazón, la Torá nos ordena no permitir que nuestras emociones nos hagan actuar en contra de lo que racionalmente sabemos que es cierto. Esto no significa que la Torá considere que las emociones son negativas; por el contrario, la Torá da mucho lugar a su expresión. Sin embargo, cuando las emociones no son canalizadas a través del intelecto, las consecuencias pueden ser desastrosas. La Torá es la herramienta con la que debemos moldear nuestro intelecto y filtrar nuestras emociones, a través de los anteojos de la perspectiva de la Torá (6). El incidente de los espías nos brinda algunos ejemplos del enfoque correcto y del incorrecto al seguir el corazón propio. Allí también es usada la palabra raíz ‘latur’ (espiar). Di-s le instruyó a Moshé que enviara personas para espiar la tierra. Moshé les explicó a los espías qué características debían observar en la tierra. Entre estas instrucciones, les dijo que observaran el producto de la tierra, para ver si la tierra era fértil o no (7). También les instruyó fijarse si había hombres justos en la tierra, cuyo mérito protegería a los habitantes de la misma (8). Con estas instrucciones, Moshé les estaba insinuando a los espías que observaran la tierra con una cierta predisposición, una que estuviera basada en la perspectiva de la Torá. Les estaba diciendo que vieran todo con ojos espirituales, de forma tal que aquellos inmensos frutos fueran vistos bajo una luz positiva, y que la importancia de los rectos era un factor de peso. Por desgracia, la mayoría de los espías no siguió las instrucciones de Moshé. Sí vieron frutas grandes, pero eligieron interpretarlas de manera negativa, y transmitieron el mensaje que demostró que la tierra era muy extraña, ya que producía frutos sobredimensionados (9). Fueron culpables de otra malinterpretación, cuando vieron muchos funerales en la tierra. Utilizaron esto para demostrar que la tierra destruía a sus habitantes, cuando en realidad Di-s causó muchas muertes para que las personas

estuvieran ocupadas con los funerales y no advirtieran a los espías (10). ¿Cuál fue la razón de esa actitud? Cayeron presa de la trampa de seguir sus emociones. No confiaban en Di-s, y por lo tanto les atemorizó la idea de tener que entrar a la tierra de Israel. Por esta defectuosa actitud, vieron todo a través de una visión distorsionada (11). Los únicos espías que superaron esta prueba fueron Caleb y Yehoshúa. Consideraron todo lo que vieron de manera positiva. Tenían una gran confianza en Di-s; esto los previno de permitir que cualquier miedo que tuvieran se sobrepusiera a lo que ellos sabían que era verdad. Vimos cómo la Torá conecta las enseñanzas de los espías con la Mitzvá de lo taturu. Los diez espías que pecaron nos dan el ejemplo de cómo seguir tras el corazón lleva al pecado y finalmente a la herejía (12). La Torá nos da otra enseñanza sobre cómo evitar la trampa de interpretar lo que vemos de manera negativa. En el mismo versículo que la Torá nos dice lo taturu, habla de la mitzvá de tzitzit. “Y serán para ustedes tzitzit, y los verán y recordarán todos los mandamientos de Di-s y los cumplirán, y no ‘espiarán’ detrás de sus corazones y detrás de sus ojos, ya que ustedes se desvían detrás de ellos” (13). El versículo nos dice que los tzitzit nos recuerdan de alguna manera las mitzvot, lo que nos permite evitar seguir nuestros corazones y nuestros ojos. ¿Cuál es la conexión entre tzitzit y lo taturu? Rashi señala que los tzitzit nos recuerdan las 613 mitzvot porque la guematria (14) de tzitzit es 600; adicionalmente, hay ocho hilos y cinco nudos, totalizando entre las tres cantidades 613. Así, al mirar a los tzitzit, la persona seguirá esta secuencia de pensamiento que la llevará a relacionar los tzitzit con las 613 mitzvot. El problema obvio en esto es que la mayoría de las personas verán los tzitzit sin hacer la conexión que la Torá parece esperar que hagan. Quizás hubiera sido más efectivo un mandamiento que obligue a escribir “613” en ellos para que, al verlos, todas las personas recuerden automáticamente las 613 mitzvot. La respuesta es que la Torá nos está enseñando que debemos esforzarnos para ser la clase de persona que ve el mundo así, es decir, que al ver una prenda mundana como el tzitzit transitemos la secuencia de pensamiento que nos recordará las 613 mitzvot. Cuando una persona alcanza

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ese nivel, entonces podrá observar la mitzvá de lo taturu, pues ya no ve el mundo con el sesgo de sus emociones, sino con una visión espiritual. Vimos que un tema constante de la parashá es cómo la forma en que uno piensa tiene un rol decisivo en cómo interpretará lo que ve. No es fácil llegar a ver todo con una visión espiritual, pero el primer paso es esforzarse para hacer que el intelecto y las emociones estén alineadas con las directivas de la Torá. Cuanto más empapada esté una persona con las enseñanzas de la Torá, más podrá emular a Caleb y a Yehoshúa.

Notas: (1)Shelaj, 15:38. (2) Sifrí, Shelaj, 15:38. (3) Itró, 20:2. (4) Itró, 20:3. (5) Vaetjanán, 6:4. (6) Para más material sobre este tema, ver 'The Six Constant Mitzvot', Artscroll, Mesora, un libro basado en los shiurim de Rav Berkovits sobre las Seis Mitzvot Constantes. (7) Shelaj, 13:20. (8) Rashi, Shelaj, 13:20. (9) Rashi, Shelaj, 13:23. (10) Ver Birkat Peretz del Stáipler, zt"l, donde se explica por qué su interpretación fue ilógica. (11) Esta es la explicación simple del pecado de los espías. Para explicaciones más profundas, ver Rambam, Sfat Emet y Ben Yehoyada (traídos en mi otro ensayo sobre Parashat Shelaj). (12) Ver Rashi, Shelaj, 13:31 y 14:4, quien demuestra que los espías adoptaron perspectivas herejes y causaron que el pueblo haga lo mismo. (13) Shelaj, 15:38. (14) Valor numérico

Rezando en contra de la Inclinación Negativa

El incidente de los espías es una de las historias más conocidas y polémicas de la Torá; hay mucha discusión sobre cómo es posible que hombres tan grandiosos como aquellos hayan cometido un pecado tan terrible. Otro aspecto sumamente importante sobre este episodio son las acciones que llevaron a cabo los hombres justos para no verse involucrados en el pecado. La Torá nos cuenta que después de enviar a los espías a la tierra de Israel, Moshé le cambió el nombre a su estudiante más cercano (1). Hasta ese momento él era conocido como Hoshea, pero entonces Moshé le agregó una iud para formar el nombre Iehoshúa. Rashi explica que Moshé rezó para que Iehoshúa se salvara de la prueba de los espías, y esta plegaria se manifestó en la adición de una iud a su nombre. Unos pocos versículos después, la Torá alude al hecho de que mientras estaban en Israel, Kalev, otro de los espías, se separó del grupo y fue a Hebrón para rezar por protección para salvarse del plan de los espías (2).

El Ben Ish Jai (3) y el Maskil le David (4) dicen que estas plegarias parecen contradecir un axioma muy conocido: “Todo está en manos del cielo a excepción del temor al cielo”. Este axioma expresa que lo único que está completamente en control del hombre es la capacidad para elegir entre el bien y el mal. Puede ser muy beneficioso rezar por cosas que están más allá de nuestro control, como salud y sustento, ya que esas cosas dependen por completo de la Providencia Divina. Sin embargo, rezar para no pecar pareciera no tener ninguna utilidad ya que no es Di-s el que decide si pecamos o no, sino que eso está en nuestras propias manos. Consecuentemente, es muy difícil entender por qué Moshé rezó por Iehoshúa y por qué Kalev rezó por sí mismo para evitar pecar; no dependía de Di-s si ellos iban a pecar o no, sino que dependía exclusivamente del libre albedrío de ellos. El Ben Ish Jai explica que hay dos formas diferentes mediante las cuales una persona puede llegar a pecar. Una es cuando tiene completa claridad de que determinado acto está prohibido pero de todas formas lo hace, a sabiendas de que está pecando. La segunda es cuando su iétzer hará (inclinación negativa) nubla su juicio y la convence de que el acto en cuestión no está prohibido, permitiéndole de esta manera racionalizar su pecado. El principio de que el temor al cielo está completamente en nuestras manos sólo aplica a la primera forma de pecar, cuando la persona tiene absoluta claridad respecto a la perversidad de la acción. En esta área no sirve de nada que una persona le rece a Di-s para que lo frene; eso está exclusivamente en sus manos y Di-s no puede, por decir así, manipular su libre albedrío. Sin embargo, esto no es cierto con respecto a la segunda forma, en la cual una persona puede realmente creer que no está pecando. El principal factor que causa que la persona peque en ese caso es la falta de claridad sobre cuál es la forma correcta de actuar. Esta situación no está completamente dentro de nuestro libre albedrío; cuando una persona quiere hacer lo correcto, pero está en riesgo de ser seducida por su iétzer hará, entonces sí puede pedirle ayuda a Di-s para que su razonamiento no se nuble. Entonces, en una situación como esta sí es beneficioso rezarle a Di-s.

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El Ben Ish Jai continúa explicando que Iehoshúa y Kalev enfrentaron la segunda forma de desafío, en la cual la tefilá sí puede ayudar. Los espías eran personas grandiosas y no hablaron mal de la tierra intencionalmente sin justificar antes su comportamiento. El Ben Ish Jai ofrece una explicación original de cuáles habrían sido sus motivaciones: sintieron que si le decían al pueblo judío sobre la gran prosperidad que había en la tierra de Israel, entonces entrarían con la motivación ulterior de obtener ganancia material en lugar de querer exclusivamente respetar la orden de Di-s. En consecuencia, los espías decidieron hablar mal sobre la tierra con la esperanza de que el pueblo judío igualmente quisiera entrar pero con motivos completamente puros, y de esta forma obtendrían una recompensa mucho mayor. Sin embargo, este razonamiento era en realidad obra del iétzer hará para evitar que el pueblo judío entrara a la tierra, como efectivamente ocurrió al final. Moshé rezó para que Iehoshúa estuviera protegido de las racionalizaciones que le harían creer que hablar mal de la tierra era una mitzvá (5). De la misma forma, Kalev rezó para poder mantener la claridad necesaria y no caer así en las garras del iétzer hará. Hemos visto que hay dos formas en las que una persona puede llegar al pecado: de manera consciente o al ser engañada por el iétzer hará. Pareciera ser que es mucho más prevalente esta segunda forma. El Néfesh Hajaim escribe que esta falta de claridad se originó con el primer pecado: el pecado de Adam. Antes de pecar, Adam tenía absoluta claridad para distinguir entre el bien y el mal; para él, cometer un pecado era tan obviamente nocivo como poner la mano sobre el fuego. Pero cuando comió del árbol del conocimiento del bien y el mal, él perdió la claridad que tenía a tal punto que ahora el iétzer hará podía hacerlo confundir lo bueno con lo

malo. Ésta es la razón por la cual la Guemará declara que cuando una persona comete el mismo pecado dos veces, el pecado se vuelve permisible ante sus ojos. Se dice que Rav Israel Salanter comentó que cuando se comete un pecado por tercera vez, ¡este se vuelve una mitzvá ante sus ojos! Esta es la manera mediante la cual el iétzer hará mantiene a la persona en el mal camino, haciendo que justifique su comportamiento pensando que es permisible e incluso deseable. El autor del Tania hace una fascinante observación sobre este punto: escribe que si uno le ofreciera dinero a un judío observante de Torá para que realice un pecado, éste no lo haría ya que entiende intelectualmente que el daño espiritual que le causaría el pecado es mucho peor que cualquier ganancia monetaria. Sin embargo, la persona de todas formas peca sin obtener ninguna ganancia monetaria ya que se convence a sí misma de que no está pecando en realidad. Aprendemos de la explicación del Ben Ish Jai que, respecto al desafío de ser engañados por el iétzer hará, la plegaria es un arma muy beneficiosa y necesaria. El iétzer hará está constantemente buscando engañarnos para que pequemos, por lo tanto, debemos mantenernos siempre vigilantes para no ser atrapados por sus racionalizaciones. Al igual que un método consistente de autoanálisis, la clave para obtener claridad es rezarle a Hashem para que abra nuestros ojos y nos permita seguir el camino verdadero del Servicio Divino.

Notas: (1) Shelaj 13:16. (2) Rashi 13:22. (3) Ben Yehoyada, Sotá 34b. (4) Shelaj, ibíd. Es uno de los comentaristas de Rashi. (5) Hay muchas otras explicaciones sobre el razonamiento de los espías para hablar mal sobre la tierra (ver Rambán y Sfat Emet), pero pareciera claro que cualquiera que haya sido su razonamiento, de alguna manera justificaron sus acciones y creyeron que no estaban cometiendo una averá.

Nahala of R’ Shlomo Kluger zt”l Wednesday the 30th of Sivan

Rav Shlomo Kluger (1783-1869), author of Sefer HaChaim (a commentary on Shulchan Aruch Orach

Chaim), and Chochmat Shlomo. Rav Kluger was born to Rav Yehuda Aharon, rabbi of Komarow. Rav Yehuda Aharon was a sickly man who died before age 40, leaving his son a homeless orphan. One day, R' Yaakov Kranz (the "Dubno Maggid") met the young boy wandering the streets of Zamosc, Poland, and he took him in. The Dubno Maggid arranged teachers for his charge, including

Nahalot

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R' Mordechai Rabin, rabbi of Zamosc, and R' Yosef Hochgelernter. A prolific author and posek, he wrote of himself that he had authored “115 large works on Tanach and the entire Talmud, and commentaries on the early and later poskim." This statement was written in 1844, 25 years before his petira. Ha'eleph Lecha Shlomo, his best-known work of halachic responsa, has 1,008 chapters. He also authored Imrei Shefer on Chumash. Rav Kluger served as Rosh Bet Din in Grodi, Galicia, and Rav in Broide.

Satan & the Summer Months (Rabbi Eli Mansour from Daily Halacha)

The Torah in Parashat Shelah tells the distressing story of the spies, who were sent to see Eretz Yisrael and then convinced the people that they would be unable to conquer the land. Curiously, the Torah tells us that the spies were sent to Eretz Yisrael during the time of “Bikureh Anabim” – when the grapes began to ripen. This occurs in the summertime, and Hazal indeed tell us that the spies left on the 29th of Sivan, and returned forty days later, on the 8th of Ab. The question arises, why is this information significant? How does it add to our understanding of this tragic story? The Midrash Pelia – a compendium of cryptic comments by our Sages on the Humash – explains that the timing of the scouts’ mission is the reason why it failed. The mission ended in tragedy because it took place during the period of “Bikureh Anabim.” The great Kabbalist Rav Shimshon of Ostropoli, who authored a commentary to the Midrash Pelia, explains that while the Satan always poses a threat to the Jewish People, its power increases during specific times of the year, including the two summer months – Tammuz and Ab. Indeed, as we know, many calamities befell the Jewish Nation during these months, such as the destruction of both Bateh Mikdash. The Hebrew word “Anabim” is spelled “Ayin,” “Nun,” “Bet,” “Mem,” and the letters preceding these four letters are “Samech,” “Mem,” “Alef” and “Lamed” – which spell the name by which the Satan is called (“Sama-el”). (In truth, the word “Anabim” is written also with the letter “Yod,” but according to Kabbalistic tradition, the word is written in the “heavenly Torah” without a “Yod”; this subject

requires a fuller discussion in a separate context.) On this basis, Rav Shimshon explains, we can understand the Midrash’s remark. The phrase “Bikureh Anabim” may be read to mean, “that which precedes ‘Anabim.’” The Midrash is telling us that this was a time when the Satan is given special power, and thus our evil inclination is particularly strong. Hence, the timing of this expedition is the cause of its failure, as the scouts were especially prone to succumbing to their Yeser Ha’ra (evil inclination). This notion, that the Satan has special power during the summer months, is plainly visible even in our day. The months of Tammuz and Ab generally fall during the months of July and August, which we instinctively associate with a “loose” atmosphere, and when we are all especially prone to relaxing our religious standards. This is also the time of year when modest dress becomes a particularly difficult challenge in light of the hot weather and generally laid-back atmosphere. Not coincidentally, our schools and yeshivot close down during these months, and students are left without their ordinary framework of Torah study and outside the Torah environment in which they spend their days throughout the rest of the year. All this proves the accuracy of Rav Shimshon of Astropoli’s depiction of the Satan’s unique strength during Tammuz and Ab. Moshe told the spies before they left, “Ve’hithazaktem” – “You shall be strong.” We need to be especially strong and vigilant during this time of year to maintain our religious standards and not relax our commitment to Halacha. Certainly, we are all entitled to a relaxing vacation, which often proves valuable and vitally important for our physical and emotional wellbeing. At the same time, however, especially because of the relaxed, laid-back environment of summer, we need to take extra special care and, as Moshe instructed, to “be strong” in maintaining proper Torah standards. Recognizing the special power given to the Satan during the summer months, let us redouble our efforts to avoid improper behavior and remain faithful to our values even as we enjoy a well-deserved period of relaxation.