Parshat Shelach

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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on Parshas Shelach

The episode of the spies has rightly puzzled commentators throughout the centuries. How could they have got it so wrong? The land, they said, was as Moses had promiased. It was indeed flowing with milk and honey. But conquering it was impossible. The people who live there are powerful, and the cities fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of the giant there We cant attack those people; they are stronger than we are All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the titans there We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we seemed in theirs (Num. 13: 2833). country are melting in fear because of you our hearts melted in fear and everyones courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below (Joshua 2: 10-11). The truth was the exact opposite of the spies report. The inhabitants feared the Israelites more than the Israelites feared the inhabitants. We hear this at the start of the story of Bilaam: Now Balak son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites, and Moab was terrified because there were so many people. Indeed, Moab was filled with dread because of the Israelites. Earlier the Israelites themselves had sung at the Red Sea: The people of Canaan will melt away; terror and dread will fall on them (Ex. 15: 15-16). How then did the spies err so egregiously? Did they They were terrified of the misinterpret what they saw? inhabitants of the land, Did they lack faith in God? Did and entirely failed to they more likely lack faith realize that the in themselves? Or was it inhabitants were terrified simply, as Maimonides argues of them. Rahab, the in The Guide for the Perplexed, prostitute in Jericho, tells that their fear was inevitable the spies sent by Joshua given their past history? They a generation later: I had spent most of their lives know that the Lord has as slaves. Only recently had given you this land and they acquired their freedom. that a great fear of you They were not yet ready to has fallen on us, so that fight a prolonged series of all who live in this battles and establish themselves as a free people in their own land. That would take a new generation, born in freedom. Humans change, but not that quickly (Guide III, 32). Most of the commentators assume that the spies were guilty of a failure of nerve, or faith, or both. It is hard to read the text otherwise. However, in the Hassidic literature from the Baal Shem Tov to R. Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger (Sefat Emet) to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, R. Menachem Mendel Schneersohn an entirely different line of interpretation emerged, reading the text against the grain to dramatic effect so that it remains relevant and powerful today. According to their interpretation, the spies were well-intentioned. They were, after all, princes, chieftains, leaders (Num. 13: 2-3). They did not doubt that Israel could win its battles with the inhabitants of the land. They did not fear failure; they feared success. Their concern was not physical but spiritual. They did not want to leave the wilderness. They did not want to become just another nation among the nations of the earth. They

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Shabbat Announcements Parshat Shelach 5773

did not want to lose their unique relationship with God in Ultimately the spies feared freedom and its responsibilities. the reverberating silence of the desert, far removed But that is what Torah is about. Judaism is not a religion of from civilization and its discontents. monastic retreat from the world. It is supremely a religion of engagement with the world. The Torah is a template for the Here they were close to God, closer than any generation construction of a society with all its gritty details: laws of before or since. He was a palpable presence in the warfare and welfare, harvests and livestock, loans and Sanctuary in their midst, and in the clouds of glory that employer-employee relationships, the code of a nation in its surrounded them. Here His people ate manna from land, part of the real world of politics and economics, yet heaven and water from the rock and experienced somehow pointing to a better world where justice and miracles daily. So long as they stayed in the desert compassion, love of the neighbor and stranger, are not under Gods sheltering canopy, they did not need to remote ideals but part of the texture of everyday life. God plough the earth, plant seeds, gather harvests, defend a chose Israel to make His presence visible in the world, and country, run an economy, maintain a welfare system, or that means that Israel must live in the world. shoulder any of the other earthly burdens and distractions that take peoples minds away from the To be sure, the Jewish people were not without their desertDivine. Here, in no-mans-land, in liminal space, dwellers and ascetics. The Qumran sect known to us from the suspended between past and future, they were able to Dead Sea Scrolls was such a group. The Talmud speaks of R. live with a simplicity and directness of encounter they Shimon bar Yochai in similar terms. Having lived for thirteen could not hope to find once they had re-entered the years in a cave, he could not bear to see people engaged in gravitational pull of everyday life in the material world. such earthly pursuits as plowing a field. Maimonides speaks Paradoxically, since a desert is normally the exact of people who live as hermits in the desert to escape the opposite of a garden, the wilderness was the Israelites corruptions of society (Laws of ethical character, 6: 1; Eight Eden. Here they were as close to God as were the first Chapters, ch. 4). But these were the exceptions, not the rule. humans before their loss of innocence. This is not the destiny of Israel, to live outside time and If that comparison is too discordant, recall that Hosea and Jeremiah both compared the wilderness to a honeymoon. Hosea said in the name of God: I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her (Hos. 2: 16), implying that in the future God would take the people back there to celebrate a second honeymoon. Jeremiah said in Gods name, I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown (Jer. 2: 2). For both prophets, the wilderness years were the time of the first love between God and the Israelites. That is what the spies did not want to leave. Clearly this interpretation is not the plain sense of the narrative, but we should not dismiss it on that account. It is, as it were, a psychoanalytical reading, an account of the unconscious mindset of the spies. They did not want to let go of the intimacy and innocence of childhood and enter the adult world. Sometimes it is hard for parents to let go of their children; at others it is the other way round. But there must be a measure of separation if children are to become responsible adults. space in ashrams or monasteries as the worlds recluses. Far from being the supreme height of faith, such a fear of freedom and its responsibilities is according to both the Gerer and Lubavitcher Rebbe the sin of the spies.

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There is a voice within the tradition, most famously identified with R. Shimon bar Yochai, that regards engagement with the world as fundamentally incompatible with the heights of spirituality. But the mainstream held otherwise. Torah study without an occupation will in the end fail and lead to sin (Avot 2: 2). One who makes his mind up to study Torah and not to work but to live on charity, profanes the name of God, brings the Torah into contempt, extinguishes the light of religion, brings evil upon himself, and deprives himself of life ereafter (Maimonides, Laws of Torah Study 3:10). The spies did not want to contaminate Judaism by bringing it into contact with the real world. They sought the eternal childhood of Gods protection and the endless honeymoon of His all-embracing love. There is something noble about this desire, but also something profoundly irresponsible that demoralized the people and provoked Gods anger. For the Jewish project the Torah as the constitution of the Jewish nation under the sovereignty of God is about building a society in the land of Israel that so honors human dignity and freedom that it will one day lead the world to say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people (Deut. 4: 6). The Jewish task is not to fear the real world but to enter and transform it. That is what the spies did not understand. Do we Jews of faith understand it even now?

Dale Polakoff, Rabbi Ian Lichter, Assistant Rabbi Dr. Ephraim Wolf ,zl, Rabbi Emeritus Zeev Kron, Cantor Eleazer Schulman, zl, Cantor Emeritus Rabbi Sholom Jensen, Youth Director Zehava & Michael Atlas, Youth Directors Mark Twersky, Executive Director Rabbi Avraham Bronstein, Program Director Dr. Scott Danoff, President Harold Domnitch, Chairman of the Board

 Tuesdaynight,June4that8PM KravMagaclass forwomenonly.

Thismethodteachessimpleselfprotection techniquesspecificallycateredto realitybasedattacksituationsincorporating instinctivemovements andrealworldsituationaltraining. Youwillgetafullunderstanding onhowtoescape"unpleasant"situations withouteverraisingyourhand, howtodevelopandusesimpleitemsfound inyourpursetodiscourage awouldbeattacker. Therewillbea(small)feeof$10perperson. Pleasewearcomfortableclothingandbring awaterbottle.Ifyouhaveanyquestions, pleaseemailJudyLillienat syny98@gmail.com

GreatNeckSynagogueMensClub GOINGFISHING(again!)Haveafunday,bringthewholefamily OntheCAPT.PETEfromFreeport,NY(30minutesfromGreatNeck)onSunday,JUNE30,2013 Theboatwillbedepartingat9:00am,withthereturntodockat1:30pm Thecost,whichincludesbreakfastandlunch,is$48perperson $36forchildren612(nochildrenunder6) (thefirst6kids12andunderfreewithpayingadult1perfamily) ContactSteveBlumner6398941,MarkFriedman4821062orHillyMilun4484890 Iamgoingfishing!Childrenunder17MUSTbeaccompaniedbyanadult Name____________________________________Phone#___________________ Numberofadultsandteenagers_________at$48perperson$_______________ Numberofchildren11andunder_________at$36each$_______________

ANNOUNCEMENTS
GNS UPCOMING EVENTS SUNDAY BREAKFAST Breakfast is sponsored by Janice & Michael Raitzin in memory of his father Reuven Raitzin, z"l. HASHKAMA MINYAN Kiddush is sponsored by Mel Fox in honor of his Family. OHEL SHABBATON We are looking for host families for our next OHEL Shabbaton on June 1st. Host duties will include sleeping arrangements and Friday night dinner. All host families will be invited to spend lunch at GNS together with OHEL. If you are interested in housing, please contact Rabbi Lichter at ilichter@gns.org WITHIN OUR FAMILY Mazal Tov to Deborah & Hal Chadow on the recent marriage of her son Alex Rabizadeh to Merav Shitrit daughter of Smadar & Rafii Shitrit of Jamaica Estates. Mazal Tov to Jane & Yosi Tuvia on the engagement of their daughter Tali to Yishai Yehonadav, of Zur Yigal, Israel, and on Tali's recent graduation from medical school. Mazal Tov to Michael Cohen son of Laura & Elie Cohen for completing the TD Five Borough Bike Tour (43 miles) as the youngest member on Team OHEL. He raised over $1800 for OHEL's simcha fund to help fund a Bar Mitzvah celebration for a boy in foster care. Mazal Tov to Tali & Liat Brody upon graduating Summa Cum Laude and receiving the Accounting and Interdisciplinary Studies Award, respectively. Mazal Tov to Jolanta & Frank Rosenstein and Marilyn & Harry Wanderer on the Bat Mitzvah of their granddaughter Daniella Etta Kaminetzky daughter of Jill & Noam Kaminetzky of Boca Raton, Florida.

SAVE THE DATE - Tuesday night, June 4th at 8 PM we'll have a Krav Maga class for women only. This method teaches simple self protection techniques specifically catered to reality based attack situations incorporating instinctive movements and real-world situational training. This Fearless Fitness for women is an innovative solution to all your self defense needs. Our seminar will give you a simple yet incredibly effective way to defend yourself if the need ever arises. You will get a full understanding on how to escape"unpleasant" situations without ever raising your hand, how to develop and use simple items found in your purse to discourage a would be attacker, and also you will have a chance to have a very fun and healthy activity with your group! Really - this is what we need - you'll never feel scared again! There will be a (small) fee of $10 per person. Please wear comfortable clothing and bring a water bottle. If you have any questions, please email Judy Lillien at syny98@gmail.com GNS TALMUD TORAH PARLOR MEETING The Talmud Torah of Great Neck Synagogue invites you to a parlor meeting to discuss the upcoming year Thursday night June 6th at 8 pm at the home of Jessica and David Smooha at 45 Dickenson Place. Please contact Vivian Kron, Jessica Smooha or Rabbi Lichter for any questions.

COMMUNITY UPCOMING EVENTS PARLOR MEETING A wine and cheese parlor meeting for Uri L'Tzedek will take place on Wed., May 29, from 8:00 to 9:30 at the home of Rebecca & Nate Wiesel, 52 Radnor Road.

Bracha Kron and family wish to thank Rabbi Polakoff, Ellen Polakoff, Rabbi Lichter, Sharon Goldwyn and the community for their support following the passing of her father Zvi Bornstein zl.

UPCOMING EVENTS SAVE THE DATE

June 8: Annual End-of-Year Y Grand Raffle A and Youth Bash. H Details to follow. R June 15: Annual Graduation Z and Congregation Kiddush E I $100 per family. T Please call the office or email mtwersky@gns.org

Saturday, 23 Sivan Moshe Apelbaum for Shai Apelbaum Erein Justin for Moshe Tweg Alan Prawer for Genia Prawer Sunday, 24 Sivan William B. Helmreich for Mark Helmreich Manny Strulovic for Helen Strulovic Monday, 25 Sivan Jack Lipsky for David Lipsky Tuesday, 26 Sivan Barry Maher for Javaher Maher-Afarin Wednesday, 27 Sivan Moosa Ebrahimian for Amin Ebrahimian Mindy Leventhal for Charlotte Scheinnkman Mahin Mardkha for Amin Ebrahimian Mali Meisel for Annie Maultasch Gerald Traub for Mollie Traub Thursday, 28 Sivan Herschel Flax for Joshua Pasvolsky Mary F. Flax for Joshua Pasvolsky Joseph Gil for Esther Gil Richard Lillien for Sol Engelhard Benjamin Lunzer for Shoshana Lunzer Friday, 29 Sivan Myles Mittleman for Philip Mittleman