Shelach: A Mirror to Our Relationshipwith Eretz Yisrael

By Mordy Blau

Since Judah reminded me about writing the Dvar Torah for this week, I thought it would be fitting to summarize Rav Taragin’s Shelach mussar from our Shana Alef. What could be more fitting for Parshat Shelach? Who could forget Hashem being compared to an assistant principal, or Hashem not being able to beat up Italians? But then I realized it’s more kedai for the chevra to re-listen themselves rather than for me to summarize it. So I decided to take a different route.

It’s been hard not to constantly check the news about what’s going on in Israel. Since last Thursday, our brothers and sisters have been living in fear of an attack at any moment. Baruch Hashem, we’ve seen miracles and the Yad Hashem clearly at play—but the future is uncertain, and uncertainty can be scary. So what should we be thinking? For those of us in America, what should our response be at this moment?

As Rav Taragin quoted from the Lubavitcher Rebbe: we need to be able to "live with the times." That means turning to the Parsha to help us understand how to approach our lives.

After the meraglim deliver their negative report about Eretz Yisrael, and Hashem is ready to destroy Klal Yisrael, Moshe successfully pleads with Him not to start over. However, Hashem still decides that this generation will not be the one to enter the land. And yet—right after that, we read about korbanot that will only be brought after entering the land. Then we’re introduced to the mitzvah of hafrashat challah, another mitzvah dependent on living in Eretz Yisrael.

What’s going on? Hashem just said that this generation won’t go into the land! At first glance, it seems like Hashem is throwing salt on the wound. Why teach Bnei Yisrael about mitzvot they won’t be able to fulfill?

Rav Aharon Lichtenstein is quoted explaining that Hashem is teaching Klal Yisrael a powerful lesson. Will this generation fulfill these mitzvot? No. But that doesn’t mean they’re exempt from learning them. We have a chiyuv Talmud Torah even when the material may not be practical—or may never be practical—in our lives. That’s a powerful idea. We’re often tempted to skip over pesukim about korbanot because they seem irrelevant. But Rav Aharon reminds us: our obligation to learn these mitzvot is no different than any other.

I want to take this idea one step further. The generation of the meraglim was not zocheh to enter the land. Some of the chevra have already made the jump and made aliyah, and now have the opportunity to fulfill mitzvot teluyot ba’aretz. For those of us who are not yet in Israel—what is our perspective on these mitzvot? Do we see them the way the meraglim did—irrelevant ideals? Or do we see them as opportunities for Talmud Torah—and possibly even a realistic part of our future? How do we view Eretz Yisrael? Is it truly part of our future—or just a dream?

This week’s Parsha is not just a story about a failed mission—it’s a mirror, asking each of us to consider: How do I relate to Eretz Yisrael? Is it a place I dream of visiting, or a place I actively yearn to be part of? More deeply, what does it mean to be part of Am Yisrael if we don’t actively think about our connection to Eretz Yisrael?

If we take time to think about these questions seriously, we can better engage with the current situation in a more meaningful way. Let us learn from the mistakes of the meraglim, and appreciate what the Land of Israel means for us—both now and in the future. Let us take time to really reflect and be open to our emotions. As Rav Taragin said, “it is mutar to be a girl for a week.”

Have a great Shabbos, and we should only hear good news in the near future!