By Rabbi Yehoshua Singer
This week's parsha begins with the painful episode of the spies. As our ancestors approached the Promised Land, they began their preparations by sending forth some of the greatest men in the generation to spy out the land. The official reason for sending the spies was to assess the nature of the war they would be fighting - the strength of the nations currently living in Israel, as well as to bring back a first-hand report of just how wonderful the Promised Land truly was.
Unfortunately, the mission did not go as planned. When they returned, ten out of the twelve spies reported that Israel was simply too dangerous a land to conquer. Rather than bringing back the maps and information necessary to begin planning their attack, they brought back a message of fear and danger. They even sought to undermine the excitement about the land of Israel, reporting that it was an unhealthy land where it is hard to survive, “a land that consumes its inhabitants." (Bamidbar 13:32)
Tragically, despite the efforts of the remaining two spies, Yehoshua and Calev, the nation was swayed by these negative reports. The night after they returned, the Torah describes how the entire nation raised their voices in lament and cried in their tents that night. The excitement of entering Israel gave way to panic.
The Ramba"n (Bamidbar 13:2) explains that the sin of the spies and of the nation was far deeper than simple lack of faith. This incident took place just over a year after leaving Egypt and receiving the Torah. The Exodus from Egypt was preceded by a year of open miracles in which Hashem repeatedly distinguished between Jew and Egyptian, with the plagues afflicting Egyptians wherever they went, yet never affecting any Jews. After the Exodus, they experienced the Splitting of the Sea and the drowning of their tormentors. A few weeks later they stood at the foot of Mount Sinai as G-d entered into an eternal pact with the Jewish people, promising that we will always be His nation in this world, enjoying a unique, treasured status. They lived for a year on mann, a spiritual food that fell from Heaven, drank water which flowed from a rock, and were protected from the elements by Heavenly clouds. After all this how could they dare to accuse G-d of bringing them to a land that would kill them? The Ramba"n adds that even sending spies to plan battle tactics was inappropriate. They were being led by the Clouds of Glory. When the time came to enter into the land, Hashem would continue guiding their path. Why should they need to send spies and make plans for themselves?
The next morning, things got even worse. The nation gathered before Moshe and Aharon and had the audacity to bemoan that they didn't die in Egypt or in the desert! The sentiment spread and sought to appoint a leader to guide them back to Egypt! At this point, Moshe and Aharon "fell on their faces before the nation." (Bamidbar 14:2-5) The Ramba"n (Bamidbar 14:5) explains that Moshe and Aharon were falling in supplication - begging the nation, "please my brothers don't become evil, so this shouldn't be a hindrance for you."
Despite the grave error of lacking faith which the Ramba"n described, they were not yet evil. It was only when they actively prepared to return to Egypt that they were “becoming evil." It requires action to become evil. Questioning, worrying, even crying out of despair in and of themselves won't ruin a person. It is only once we act on those feelings and actualize them that the individual is truly, deeply changed.
If our sinful actions have a unique ability to mold us and damage us, then how much more so do our mitzvos have the capacity to raise us up and purify us. Each act of kindness and goodness concretizes the goodness within us and sets us on a path towards even more greatness.
We are blessed to have endless mitzvah opportunities. Each one is a gift, a chance to solidify our intent and direct our path in life. It is only through mitzvah actions that we can truly and deeply change who we are.
* Rav at Sha'arei Tefilla and the co-founder of the RI Torah Network in Providence, Rhode Island. For several years, Rabbi Singer was the Rabbi at Am HaTorah Congregation in Bethesda, MD. The RI Torah Network included this Dvar Torah in a booklet for Shavuot 5786. Rabbi Singer's recent Devrei Torah normally come as podcasts rather than texts.
