(Bamidbar 13:28)
On their return from spying the land, the meraglim came back with their report which would reverberate through history. They began by saying the land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, but then diverged into a litany of worries and complaints. They spoke ill of Canaan and the people followed their lead, resulting in a decree that the generation would die in the wilderness and not be allowed to enter the Land of Israel.
However, if we read through their complaints and negative observations, we find that they are conflicting. “The nation is bold.” This implies the people are brave and mighty. Then they say the cities are large and fortified. This would imply the people are fearful, so they use walls and barricades to protect themselves, and they gather in large numbers, presumably also to be able to defend themselves together.
The spies continued by saying, “This is a land that eats its inhabitants,” which Chazal teach was because Hashem made many people die so the populace would be too busy to notice the spies. The very next words, though, say that the people they saw were giants. So, if even the giants and mighty warriors were susceptible to death, would it not stand to reason that they could be beaten by the Jews? Clearly, they were not invincible.
Despite the incongruities in their report, the Jews cried out, predicting their deaths and those of their families. This spiraled into a spirit of gloom and despair which spawned a movement to return to Egypt, where they had been brutally tortured and enslaved for decades. Hashem was so angered by this behavior that He expressed the desire to wipe the Jews out.
It would seem that the main sin, which led to the death of the generation that left Egypt, and the wandering in the Wilderness for forty years, was being negative and pessimistic. Had they been optimistic, buoyed by their trust in Hashem, the Jews would have seen the various clues that the nations in the land at that time were not so powerful. Instead, their anxiety and fear blinded them to the possibility that they could win.
In fact, the Meraglim unwittingly gave the Jews an insight into this. They said, “The nation is bold,” meaning the inhabitants of Canaan were not going to break down and surrender so quickly. They would not be deterred by a failure or two. They would keep fighting.
If that is what made them unconquerable, then the Jews should have used their own brazenness, born of knowledge of Hashem’s greatness and desire to protect them, to keep their spirits up and push forward. Even today, our success relies on trusting in Hashem to give us the strength to achieve, and not let the negativity invade our minds and hearts. That comes from the Yetzer Hara, and that pessimism is to be feared more than any human enemy.
In Czarist Russia, a man had to visit the capital city, but was afraid. The rampant anti-Semitism was even harsher in large cities and he feared for his life. Though he would wear a hat and not appear overtly Jewish, he feared he would be beaten, or worse.
He went to his Rebbe, and asked for protection. "Hashem is with His children at all times, you need not be afraid," said the Rabbi. "But, Rebbe," pleaded the man, "I need extra protection, you must help me." The sage said nothing but rose and went into his private study, returning with a small velvet pouch. From it, he pulled a small, burnished gold disc, which looked like a small shield. "Carry this with you, and remember that Hashem is your protector."
The man was overjoyed and carefully put the pouch into his pocket. His trip to the capital was not only safe, but the extra confidence he had made it more successful than he had imagined. Upon his return, he thanked the Rebbe for the shield. "This worked so well," said the traveler, "where did you acquire it?"
"It was Hashem who protected you, my child," said the Rebbe. "As for this," he said, reattaching the disc to the front of his pocket watch, "I bought it from Mendel the watchmaker."
