SLANDERING THE LAND

We all know that the saddest day of the Jewish calendar is Tish’a B’Av, but how many of us know how it all started? And even if we know the historical facts, how many of us have truly internalized the lessons?

It all started in this week’s parashah. Chazal have a tradition that the Sin of the Spies took place on the ninth of Av, and on that night HaShem told the Children of Israel, “You wept in vain; I will establish for you weeping for all generations” (Ta’anit 29a). The Mishnah (Ta’anit 4:6) lists five tragic events that occurred on Tish’a B’Av, including the destruction of both Temples. The first tragedy was the episode of the Spies, making it the source of all of our troubles throughout history. Therefore, it behooves us to understand this sin, so that we can rectify it and bring about the ultimate redemption, which will transform Tish’a B’Av into a joyous holiday.

An entire volume can be written on the exact identification of the Sin of the Spies and its underlying causes. On a simple level, though, the people of Israel committed two sins: slandering Eretz Yisrael (לשון הרע) and despising the Land (מיאוס הארץ). Concerning the first it says, – They brought an evil report about the Land that they spied out (13:32); and the people accepted the spies’ lashon ha’ra, as it says immediately afterwards, – The people wept that night, and [they] complained against Moshe and Aharon… (14:1-2). The sin of despising the Land is also identified clearly: – And your children, of whom you said they will become a prey, I will bring them [in], and they will know the Land that you despised (14:31). The psalmist sums it all up: – They despised the desirable Land, they did not believe His word. They murmured in their tents, they did not listen to the voice of the Lord (Tehillim 106:24-25).

Let us concentrate on the sin of lashon ha’ra. At the very beginning of the parashah, Rashi comments: “Why was the episode of the spies placed immediately after the episode of Miriam? It is because she was punished on account of the slander she spoke against her brother, and these wicked men saw [what happened to her] yet did not learn a lesson.” An obvious distinction can be made, however. Miriam spoke against a human being, with feelings and emotions; while the spies spoke against an inanimate object made of earth and stones. Why, then, were they expected to learn a lesson?

Many years ago, I saw two answers to this question, both of which are very applicable today. The book “Love Thy Neighbor” quotes R. Yisrael Ordman as saying that the spies were expected to learn from Miriam that one should always see the good in everything, not the bad. Even if Moshe had a fault, there was no reason to dwell upon it. The spies, as well, should not have emphasized the negatives of Eretz Yisrael, but the positives. Unfortunately, this is a lesson that we have yet to internalize, to this very day. People often come back from trips to Israel, or a year of study here, and talk about the “hardships” they encountered. They complain about the weather, food, manners, level of religiosity etc., while overlooking all the good – the technological advances, proliferation of Torah study, beautiful homes and communities etc. People also accept the loshon ha’ra they hear about the Land, which is also sinful. Thousands of Jews have canceled their trips to Israel because of what they hear on the news. I am not denying that some places may be slightly dangerous, but who says you have to go to those places? Most areas are completely safe. Besides which, davka now is the time to come and show support for your brethren living in Zion.

Rav J. B. Soloveitchik zt”l gives a more profound answer to our question (it is found in “Reflections of the Rav”). What, in essence, was Miriam’s mistake? Why did she speak against her brother? She failed to recognize Moshe Rabbeinu’s segulah quality, his absolute uniqueness as a prophet. She knew that he was greater than all other prophets, but she failed to comprehend that he was on a different plane, in a category of his own. He was the only prophet to reach such closeness to HaShem. All of this is evident from HaShem’s reaction to Miriam’s slander: – My servant Moshe is not so; he is trusted in My entire house. I speak to him mouth to mouth, in a [clear] vision and not in riddles; he beholds the image of the Lord… (12:7-8).

Similarly, the spies failed to recognize Eretz Yisrael’s singularity (segulah), the fact that it is completely different from all other lands – A Land that the Lord your God seeks out; the eyes of the Lord your God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year (Devarim 11:12). Moshe Rabbeinu told the spies to scout the Land and seek out its segulah properties, with an awareness of the great era that was about to unfold: A segulah prophet was leading a segulah people into a segulah land. All they could see was the mundane – the giants, the funeral processions, the unusual fruits. This is why they failed so miserably.

We, too, must view Eretz Yisrael and current events in a different light. We must recognize the uniqueness of the Land and realize that we are living through very special times. Even when things go wrong and cannot be ignored, we must keep in mind that Eretz Yisrael is one of the three gifts that God gave us through suffering (Berachot 5a). We must avoid getting bogged down with the mundane, as the spies did. We must look beyond the surface and be thankful that we live in a generation that is privileged to see so many of the prophecies of redemption unfold before its very eyes. We are a segulah nation returning to its segulah land after two thousand years of exile. How can we simply ignore this fact and continue to dwell on foreign soil, just because it is easier to live there?

Reprinted from Eretz Yisrael in the Parashah by R’ Moshe D. Lichtman

Daily Archives: June 15, 2017

Shelach