The Midrash tells (Bereishis Rabbah Vayeira) that when Avraham Avinu was on the way to Akeidas Yitzchak, the Satan tried to interfere. What did he do? He disguised himself as an old man and said to Avraham, “What is this thing that you are doing? How can you go to slaughter your only son? Surely this is not the will of the Creator?” And when Avraham did not listen to him, he disguised himself as a young man and spoke to Yitzchak with words such as these: “Why are you going along with your father? Is he not going to slaughter you?” But Yitzchak also did not want to listen to him.
On the third attempt, he transformed himself into a river and blocked their path, but they continued on their way and entered the water until it reached their necks. Then Avraham shouted at the Satan, “May Hashem rebuke you, Satan!” and the Satan was frightened by Avraham’s voice and left. So, what does all of this have to do with our parashah?
The spies returned from scouting out the land and brought back a negative report, saying 13:32), ’היא יושביה אוכלת ארץ‘ - “It is a land that consumes its inhabitants.” Rashi explains: “In every place we passed, we found them burying their dead. And HaKadosh Baruch Hu did this for good, to preoccupy them with their mourning so they would not pay attention to these [spies].” The spies saw correctly—in every place they passed, they saw funerals. What is this? What kind of land is this, where people are constantly dying?
If so, we ask: where did they go wrong? What was the problem with them? According to the words of Rashi, we understand: they lacked the faith that everything HaKadosh Baruh Hu does is for our good. “HaKadosh Baruch Hu did this for good, to preoccupy them with their mourning.” Or in other words: they should have trusted in Hashem—and that they did not do.
When we learn and tell our children about the spies, we are sure that we are better than them, that we would not have behaved that way. But the truth is that every one of us faces such tests daily. The holy Rebbe of Berditchev, may his merit shield us, once said: “If I were in the place of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, I would run the world exactly as He does.” Meaning: I trust Hashem that He does everything in the best and most correct way.
And just as we are required to nullify our own will before Hashem, so must we nullify our will before our parents and our teachers—just like our forefathers Avraham and Yitzchak—even to the point of entering deep waters, against logic and reason, in order to fulfill the will of our Creator.
- Tiv HaTorah - Shelach
