Parashat Sh’lach L’kha
Sivan 28, 5783 / June 16-17, 2023
Torah: Numbers 13:1 – 15:4
Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24
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This d'var torah is offered for a refuah shleimah
for Chanah Bella bat Kreina and Devorah bat Feigel.
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Reb Jason will be away this Shabbat. I'll be conducting services with Dr. Steve Pearlman - Shabbat Evening on Zoom and Facebook at 7:00 pm, Shabbat Morning in person at Temple B'nai Hayim as well as on Zoom and Facebook, at 9:30 am. I hope to see you there!
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Lunch and Learn meets Tuesdays at 12:30
PM on Zoom and Facebook Live.
We're continuing to read and discuss the Midrashic
collection Ein Ya'akov.
On June 20, we'll be at BT Shabbat 88b, page 168 of
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) Volume 1 - "...אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני"
- "R. Samuel b. Nachmeini said:…”
Ein Ya'akov (Glick edition) is available for on-line reading or as a
downloadable PDF at:
A pointed Hebrew text version with different pagination is available at
Sefaria:
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Check out our wonderful community, and get lots of info about our various
programs and becoming a Member at: https://bnaihayim.org/
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Rabbi Van Leeuwen has a blog which you should read at:
Dr. Steve Pearlman writes up the "Midrashim of the Week", which
you should read at:
Please feel free to pass this on to a friend, and please cite the source.
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UNSPOKEN TRUTH
"The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in kindness;
forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but
visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children, upon the third and fourth
generations." Numbers 14:18
"The Lord passed before him and proclaimed: 'The Lord! The
Lord, a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in
kindness and faithfulness (emet – truth), extending kindness to the
thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; yet He does
not remit all punishment, but visits the iniquity of parents upon children and
children’s children, upon the third and fourth generations.'” Exodus 34:6-7
The Grapes of Canaan (watercolor circa 1896–1902 by James Tissot)
Ramban (Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, aka Nachmanides)
teaches, “Here (in our verse) Moses mentioned among the [Divine] attributes ‘slow to anger’ and
‘abounding in kindness’, but he did not mention ‘truth’ (which had been mentioned in Exodus), for according to the
attribute of truth they would have been guilty.”
Rabbi Yitzchak in the name of Rabbi Hiyya said, “Why is
‘truth’ missing here? Because they (the spies) themselves caused it to be
removed from here, for they were liars, and a person is treated in the same way
he behaves.” Zohar Sh’lach L’kha, 161b
When God displayed His glory to Moses, He described his
attributes as indicated in the Exodus text. However, when in our parashah Moses
asks God to pardon the spies, and the people generally, he reminds God of only
some of those attributes, omitting “truth”. Ramban says that Moses did not
mention it, because if God applied “truth”, they would be sternly judged. (After all, we sometimes refer to God as dayan emet - The True Judge, or, The Judge of Truth) Perhaps Moses was hoping for less anger and more kindness, ignoring some of the
facts – i.e., compassion (which he also did not mention!).
Rabbi Yitzchak implies that Moses omitted “truth” because
the spies lied about the Land of Israel . Their very action prevented Moses
from arguing for any form of truth as a defense (their fear, their history as
slaves, maybe the Canaanites truly were giants, etc.).
Whatever the case, the spies and every other Israelite
over the age of 20, except Joshua and Caleb, were punished by not being allowed
to enter the land – they died in the desert. It’s not nice to lie. And that’s
the truth!
Shabbat Shalom!
Rabbi Richard A. Flom
Rabbi Emeritus, Temple B'nai Hayim
הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם ?אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם
Who is wise? The one who learns from every person.
Ben Zoma - Pirkei Avot 4:1
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