Shlach

In this week's parashah we read of the incident of the spies, as a result of which the generation of the Exodus was sentenced to die in the desert rather than enter Eretz Yisrael. Yet it appears that Bnei Yisrael repented (see 14:39-40). Why did Hashem not accept their repentance? R' Yaakov Kranz z"l (1747-1805; the Dubno Maggid) explains with a parable: A certain lower-class person became wealthy. He had a daughter, and a matchmaker proposed two prospective grooms for her-one boy, rich but with a bad reputation; the other boy, poor, but the son of the local rabbi. The girl's father said, "I would rather take the poor son of the rabbi, but at least let the rabbi buy his son a proper suit for the wedding." The rabbi said that he could not meet this condition. "If he wants to make a match with me, it will be with no preconditions or dowry." The girl's relatives implored her father to accept the rabbi's son anyway, and he relented. The rabbi, however, said, "I regret discussing a match with you. At first, I thought that you wanted a match with someone from a good family and that you valued Torah scholars. But, now that I see that, for materialistic things, you would have taken just anybody, I cannot make a match with you. Since you don't appreciate the value of a Torah scholar, what common ground do we have?!" Similarly, says the Dubno Maggid, a generation that could say that it was better off in Egypt simply was not compatible with Eretz Yisrael. Apparently, all they ever wanted was its fruits, not its spiritual riches. (Mishlei Yaakov)