When Hashem’s Command Seems Impossible to Carry Out
A Positive Lens Steeped in Trust of Hashem
In the opening passage of Parashas Shelach, we learn the important lesson of how to approach a situation in which HaKadosh Baruch Hu commanded us to do something, but it seems to us to be difficult to impossible... with no clear path to success.
HaKadosh Baruch told Klal Yisrael that they will enter Eretz Yisrael, and that this will be the future of Am Yisrael, but the Yidden had doubts, saying, “How will this work? Who knows if it will be successful? We must send spies in order to see for ourselves whether or not this is possible.”
The second event that we learn about in the pesukim—which is really an outgrowth of the initial doubt—was that, upon inspection, it indeed seemed dire and impossible. As the pesukim state, “The people are too big... the fruits are too large... we can’t possibly succeed,” they cried.
On the other hand, Yehoshua and Kalev demonstrated the proper attitude, thinking, “If Hashem said that we’ll enter Eretz Yisrael, of course we will succeed!” And these two heroes indeed saw the good of the land.
One Who Doesn’t Believe Destroys Hashem’s Handiwork
We find in the pesukim that the Torah enumerated all the names of the Meraglim, and many of them are uncommon names. The Gemara (Sotah 34b) tells us that they are named for their bad deeds. One of these names is that of מיכאל בן סתור, because he was הקב”ה של מעשיו סותר, he destroyed the handiwork of HaKadosh Baruch Hu, and מיכאל, that he כביכול (so to speak) made HaKadosh Baruch Hu מך, poor, by disbelieving His words.
Rav Mordechai Rokeach of Bilgoray writes the following incredible words in his sefer, Gedulas Mordechai:
A Yid must believe that everything occurs with the Hashgachah of the Ribbono shel Olam. Someone who does not believe this destroys the workings of Hashem. One who believes that everything is from the Ribbono shel Olam knows that there is no limit to His ability, and he isn’t discouraged when facing a seemingly insurmountable task, for Hashem is not limited and He can do anything. However, one who doesn’t believe this and thus dismantles Hashem’s handiwork, believes in his own abilities instead. Thus, when he faces something beyond his own abilities, he is discouraged from carrying it out.
Sadly, most people fall into the second category to one degree or another. When we tell someone to do something, the first thing he will do is to ascertain whether it’s doable. If he determines that it’s beyond his abilities, he doesn’t even begin the task.
But a person who believes in Hashgachah Pratis says, “I cannot do even the slightest thing with my own abilities—only with the kochos that I receive from Above. If so, I trust that He will give me the strength to do even things that seem beyond my ability as well—since this is the right thing for me to do.”
Preventing Hashem from Helping
With this, we can understand the story of the Meraglim:
Klal Yisrael cried and complained because they saw no pathway to success in conquering Eretz Yisrael—because they had “destroyed the handiwork of Hashem” earlier. It worked in two stages. First, they doubted Hashem and sent spies to scout out the land—thus not believing in Hashem and destroying His מעשים. Then came the second stage, as they indeed determined that it was an impossible feat.
First came סתור—through the lack of belief—and then came מיכאל בן, making הקב”ה into a מך/pauper who is unable to help them against the enemy. The word ben, son of, suggests that one gives birth to the other. By not believing that all their ability comes from Hashem, they disconnected from Hashem, and thus it indeed became impossible.
Drawing Strength from Hashem
This is a choice that surrounds us every single day. For example, a Yid comes home and he is exhausted... he hasn’t gotten enough sleep for the past few nights. He decides that he can’t do it anymore; he will sleep in on the following morning, and he’ll daven b’yechidus later in the day. He simply has no koach.
This is true b’derech hatevah. But a Yid must daven with a minyan. And so, a Yid who remembers that he never operates with his own abilities and kochos, but with Hashem’s—then Hashem will give him the kochos. כח יחליפו ה’ וקוי, those who hope to Hashem will, in turn, draw strength from Hashem. Thus, what does it matter if I have koach or not: Hashem is the One giving me the strength (!) and if it’s the right thing for me to do, He will infuse me with strength!
This is a tremendous yesod that we must always remember: We can do nothing on our own; all ability comes from Above.
