Weekly Torah Study: Shelach 2024/5784

ByNeil Tow

Weekly Torah Study

TRANSLITERATION

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu laasok b’divrei Torah.

TRANSLATION

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, commanding us to engage with words of Torah.

Tonight's learning is dedicated to the hostages still being held in Gaza, may they be released soon, to the people living on Israel's northern border - May God protect them and the soldiers guarding them, to the Jewish community of Dagestan - recently under terrorist attack, to the Jewish community of Pico-Robertson in LA that was subjected to violence
Also dedicated to the memory of Phyllis Stern, beloved mother of Ira Stern

במדבר י״ד:ו׳-ט׳

(ו) וִיהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן וְכָלֵב֙ בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּ֔ה מִן־הַתָּרִ֖ים אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ קָרְע֖וּ בִּגְדֵיהֶֽם׃ (ז) וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֥ת בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֤רְנוּ בָהּ֙ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֔הּ טוֹבָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃ (ח) אִם־חָפֵ֥ץ בָּ֙נוּ֙ ה׳ וְהֵבִ֤יא אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ אֶל־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את וּנְתָנָ֖הּ לָ֑נוּ אֶ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הִ֛וא זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָֽשׁ׃ (ט) אַ֣ךְ בַּה׳ אַל־תִּמְרֹ֒דוּ֒ וְאַתֶּ֗ם אַל־תִּֽירְאוּ֙ אֶת־עַ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּ֥י לַחְמֵ֖נוּ הֵ֑ם סָ֣ר צִלָּ֧ם מֵעֲלֵיהֶ֛ם וַֽה׳ אִתָּ֖נוּ אַל־תִּירָאֻֽם׃

Numbers 14:6-9

(6) And Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, of those who had scouted the land, rent their clothes (7) and exhorted the whole Israelite community: “The land that we traversed and scouted is an exceedingly good land. (8) If pleased with us, ה׳ will bring us into that land, a land that flows with milk and honey, and give it to us; (9) only you must not rebel against ה׳. Have no fear then of the people of the country, for they are our prey:*prey Lit. “food (or, bread).” their protection has departed from them, but ה׳ is with us. Have no fear of them!”

Their 'shadow' has left them...what could this phrase mean?

רש"י על במדבר י״ד:ט׳:ג׳

(ג) סר צלם. מְגִנָּם וְחָזְקָם, כְּשֵׁרִים שֶׁבָּהֶם מֵתוּ — אִיּוֹב שֶׁהָיָה מֵגֵן עֲלֵיהֶם (סוטה ל"ה); (דָּ"אַ, צִלּוֹ שֶׁל הַמָּקוֹם סָר עֲלֵיהֶם):

Rashi on Numbers 14:9:3

(3) סר צלם THEIR DEFENSE (lit., shade) IS DEPARTED [FROM THEM] — i.e. their shield and their strength is departed from them: the virtuous among them are dead; one of them was Job, who had protected them by his righteousness (Sotah 35a; cf. Bava Batra 15a). [Another explanation is: the shade (protection) of the Omnipresent is departed from them]. (Cf. Psalms 121:5).

אבן עזרא על במדבר י״ד:ט׳:ב׳

(ב) סר צלם. כי הגבור אם אין לו מגן שיגן עליו ויהיה צל לו לבו ירא:

Ibn Ezra on Numbers 14:9:2

(2) THEIR DEFENSE IS REMOVED FROM OVER THEM.8Literally, their shadow is removed from over them. Hence I.E.’s comment. For the heart of a warrior frets when he does not have a shield to protect him and to serve as a shade for him.9In other words, their shadow means their shield. Thus according to I.E. our clause should be understood: their shield is removed from over them; that is, they have no confidence to fight us and they will not confront us with a sword and shield. See Nachmanides on this verse.

But it is possible that Scripture is alluding to the well-known fact that there will be no shadow over the head of a person who is [destined] to die that year, on “the night of the seal.” *This is a term signifying the night of Hoshana Rabbah, i.e., the night of the seventh day of the Festival of Tabernacles — the twenty-first of Tishri — when the “Heavenly seal” is put upon the judgment which was decided on the New Year [and Day of Atonement] for each individual and his fate in the coming year. The subject is mentioned by R’mah [Rabbi Moshe Isserles] in Orach Chayim 664:1. However, he discourages anyone from prying into the veiled future, for it is far better to be whole-hearted with the Eternal than to pay heed to such auguries of the future. See also the learned essay on this topic in “Studies in Jewish Philosophy and Mysticism” by Israel Weinstock, pp. 249-269. Therefore it says: “their ‘shade’ is already removed from them, meaning that death has been decreed upon them, and the Eternal is with us, for it is He Who dwells in our midst and does miracles and wonders for us in the eyes of all who behold us; therefore, fear them not.” Or it is possible that the verse alludes to the princes above [in heaven], for no nation falls unless its prince falls first, as it is written, The Eternal will punish the host of the high heaven on high etc., and afterwards, on the kings of the earth upon the earth, and as is explained in the Book of Daniel. Thus the verse is saying: “the power under whose protection the nations [in the land of Canaan] live is already removed, and the Eternal Who lowered them is with us, therefore fear them not.” And thus the Rabbis said in Midrash Shir Hashirim: “And the shadows flee away. These are the princes of the nations and their angels,” for they are the protection over the nations. I have already mentioned this in other places.
Nahmanides on Num. 14:9

ספורנו על במדבר י״ד:ט׳

(א) אך בה׳ אל תמרודו. אמנם אם תרצו שתהיה הארץ לכם בזאת המדרגה מהטוב אל תמרדו בה׳ כאמרו והיה אם שמוע תשמעו ונתתי מטר ארצכם ואספת: (ב) ואתם אל תיראו. הנה אם לא תמרדו יביאנו האל: (ג) כי לחמנו הם. כי ראינו שאין בדעתם להתקומם נגדנו כלל כמו שלא יתקומם הלחם נגד אוכליו כמו שהעידה רחב באמרה ולא קמה עוד רוח באיש מפניכם: (ד) סר צלם מעליהם. וראינו שהסכימו לעזוב כל מגן וצנה כדי שימהרו לנוס מפנינו כענין הדרך מלאה בגדים וכלים אשר השליכו ארם בחפזם:

Sforno on Numbers 14:9

(1) אך בה׳ אל תמרודו, if you indeed want the soil of this land to correspond to your fond hopes of it, it is incumbent upon you not to rebel against G’d, something you have been told about repeatedly. (compare Deuteronomy 11,13-14 lines we recite at least twice daily.) (2) ואתם אל תיראו, if you do not rebel against the Lord He will bring you there and you will have no reason to be afraid of anything, for they are our bread, we have seen with our own eyes that they did not even dare to attack the 12 of us. 40 years later Rachav the innkeeper of Jericho testified that the people were still terribly afraid of the Israelites, none of them summoning enough spirit to go to war against this people. (Joshua 2,11) סר צלם מעליהם, we have seen that they have decided to abandon all armed resistance, reminiscent of what we read in Kings II 7,15 when the armies of Aram had abandoned all their equipment in headlong flight, when they had merely imagined that they were being attacked.

Caleb & Joshua are trying to strengthen the people's faith that God will enable them to settle the land and confront the natives who will oppose them

במדבר י״ד:ט״ו-כ׳

(טו) וְהֵמַתָּ֛ה אֶת־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וְאָֽמְרוּ֙ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁמְע֥וּ אֶֽת־שִׁמְעֲךָ֖ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (טז) מִבִּלְתִּ֞י יְכֹ֣לֶת ה׳ לְהָבִיא֙ אֶת־הָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה אֶל־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֣ע לָהֶ֑ם וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֖ם בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (יז) וְעַתָּ֕ה יִגְדַּל־נָ֖א כֹּ֣חַ אדושם כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתָּ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יח) ה׳ אֶ֤רֶךְ אַפַּ֙יִם֙ וְרַב־חֶ֔סֶד נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֺ֖ן וָפָ֑שַׁע וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֞ד עֲוֺ֤ן אָבוֹת֙ עַל־בָּנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים׃ (יט) סְלַֽח־נָ֗א לַעֲוֺ֛ן הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה כְּגֹ֣דֶל חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְכַאֲשֶׁ֤ר נָשָׂ֙אתָה֙ לָעָ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם וְעַד־הֵֽנָּה׃ (כ) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ה׳ סָלַ֖חְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶֽךָ׃

Numbers 14:15-20

(15) If then You slay this people wholesale,*wholesale Lit. “like a single participant,” i.e., without discrimination; NJPS “to a man,” trad. “as one man.” See the Dictionary under ’ish. the nations who have heard Your fame will say, (16) ‘It must be because ה׳ was powerless to bring that people into the land promised them on oath that [that god] slaughtered them in the wilderness.’ (17) Therefore, I pray, let my Lord’s forbearance be great, as You have declared, saying,*saying Cf. Exod. 34.6–7. (18) ‘יהוה ! slow to anger and abounding in kindness; forgiving iniquity and transgression; yet not remitting all punishment, but visiting the iniquity of parents upon children, upon the third and fourth generations.’ (19) Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to Your great kindness, as You have forgiven this people ever since Egypt.” (20) And ה׳ said, “I pardon, as you have asked.

רש"י על במדבר י״ד:כ׳

(א) כדברך. בִּשְׁבִיל מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתָּ "פֶּן יֹאמְרוּ מִבִּלְתִּי יְכֹלֶת ה׳":

Rashi on Numbers 14:20

(1) כדברך [I HAVE FORGIVEN] ACCORDING TO THY WORD — i.e. because of what you have said, “Lest they say: ‘Because the Lord was unable, etc.’”.

ספורנו על במדבר י״ד:כ׳

(א) סלחתי כדברך. כשאמרתי אכנו בדבר כבר סלחתי בזה האופן שאתה אומר כי לא היתה הכונה שאמית את כולם יחדו אבל שאמית את כלם מעט מעט במדבר ולא יכנס איש מהם לארץ:

Sforno on Numbers 14:20

(1) סלחתי כדברך. As you said when I mentioned smiting them all with pestilence. Even when I said this, I had not intended to smite them all simultaneously; I had intended to let them all die, little by little, in the desert, preventing them from crossing to the land of Canaan.

חזקוני, במדבר י״ד:כ׳:א׳

(א) סלחתי פעם אחת במעשה העגל ויתרתי להם אבל עכשיו לא אסלח להם אבל אפרע מהם. ד״‎א סלחתי סולח אני כמו ונתתי כסף הרימותי את ידי.

Chizkuni, Numbers 14:20:1

(1) סלחתי כדבריך, “I have forgiven, as you yourself have said,” i.e. the episode of the golden calf. Now, however, I am unable to do so. And have to demand what is My due.

דעת זקנים על במדבר י״ד:כ׳

(א) ויאמר ה׳. על ששנינו שנתרצה הקב"ה לישראל ביום הכפורים ואמר לו סלחתי כדבריך ולכך הוקבע אותו יום למחילה ולכפרה לדורות מקשים העולם היכן מצינו שאמר לו הקב"ה למשה סלחתי כדברך במעשה העגל אלא כאן במרגלים. וי"ל דהאי קרא אדלעיל קאי וה"ק כאשר נשאת לעם הזה ממצרים ועד הנה אז אמרת סלחתי כדבריך וכן סלח נא לעמך ועוד י"ל כדברך משמע כאשר בקשת ממני שאסלח להם עתה כמו שנשאתי להם ביציאת מצרים בעשיית העגל וא"כ גם שם אמר סלחתי:

Da'at Zekenim on Numbers 14:20

(1) 'ויאמר ה, “Hashem said (in response to Moses’ plea): “I have forgiven in accordance with your words.” G–d teaches Moses that He has set aside a date in the calendar reserved for forgiving, i.e. the day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.” This Day will serve as the day for forgiveness throughout the generations. To the question whence we know that G–d forgave the people the sin of the golden calf on that date, we derive this from when Moses had asked G–d to act as He had done “when the people had recently come out of Egypt,” (verse 19).The day G–d had forgiven that sin had also been the tenth day of the month of Tishrey. Furthermore, G–d having said to Moses here: כאשר אמרת “as You had said,” is a clear reference to the first time G–d had forgiven the people as a whole.

במדבר י״ד:כ״א-כ״ג

(כא) וְאוּלָ֖ם חַי־אָ֑נִי וְיִמָּלֵ֥א כְבוֹד־ה׳ אֶת־כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כב) כִּ֣י כׇל־הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָרֹאִ֤ים אֶת־כְּבֹדִי֙ וְאֶת־אֹ֣תֹתַ֔י אֲשֶׁר־עָשִׂ֥יתִי בְמִצְרַ֖יִם וּבַמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַיְנַסּ֣וּ אֹתִ֗י זֶ֚ה עֶ֣שֶׂר פְּעָמִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א שָׁמְע֖וּ בְּקוֹלִֽי׃ (כג) אִם־יִרְאוּ֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֖עְתִּי לַאֲבֹתָ֑ם וְכׇל־מְנַאֲצַ֖י לֹ֥א יִרְאֽוּהָ׃

Numbers 14:21-23

(21) Nevertheless, as I live and as יהוה’s Presence fills the whole world, (22) none of those involved—who have seen My Presence and the signs that I have performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, and who have tried Me these many*many Lit. “ten”; cf. note at Gen. 31.41. times and have disobeyed Me— (23) shall see the land that I promised on oath to their fathers; none of those who spurn Me shall see it.

במדבר י״ד:ל״ד

(לד) בְּמִסְפַּ֨ר הַיָּמִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־תַּרְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֘רֶץ֮ אַרְבָּעִ֣ים יוֹם֒ י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֞ה י֣וֹם לַשָּׁנָ֗ה תִּשְׂאוּ֙ אֶת־עֲוֺנֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אַרְבָּעִ֖ים שָׁנָ֑ה וִֽידַעְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־תְּנוּאָתִֽי׃

Numbers 14:34

(34) You shall bear your punishment for forty years, corresponding to the number of days—forty days—that you scouted the land: a year for each day. Thus you shall know what it means to thwart Me.

ספורנו על במדבר י״ד:ל״ד

(א) במספר הימים. שהאריכו במצותכם לראות אם אפשר לכבשה: (ב) יום לשנה. תשעה באב של כל שנה כמבואר בתענית בתרא: (ג) תנואתי. תכירו מה רע בטול המכוון שלי בסורכם ממנו כאמרו ונפלתם בחרב כי על כן שבתם מאחרי ה׳:

Sforno on Numbers 14:34

(1) במספר הימים, we have a rule in halachah that שלוחו של אדם כמותו that when one appoints someone to act on one’s behalf the appointee is regarded as an extension of the one who appointed him. The spies had therefore not acted on their own, but as the people’s agents. Hence Moses, i.e. G’d, addresses the people as the instigators of this disaster. Their initial sin had consisted in wanting to find out if the land could be conquered. (2) יום לשנה, on a specific day each year, i.e. the ninth of Av, according to the sages in Taanit 30. (3) תנואתי; you will find out what it means to try and thwart My plans. (a reference to verse 43 when this “self-fulfilling “ prediction came true.).