Twelve Jews on a Mission
Rabbi YY Jacobson
...There may be valid differences of opinion as to what activity or interest in the daily life should have a priority over others. But this may be justified only in normal circumstances. When an emergency arises, however, all theoretical differences must be set aside to deal with the emergency. To illustrate my point: It is one thing to debate what type of house—if it caught fire—is worth saving, or by what method, and by whom. It is quite another thing when one is actually facing a burning house with people trapped therein, old ones, younger ones and children. At such a time there can be no difference of opinion as to the imperative need to fight the blaze and save the trapped ones. This is the duty of everyone who is nearby, even if he is not a trained firefighter, and even if those trapped inside the burning house are strangers...
... The crematoria where Jewish bodies were incinerated are a thing of the unforgettable, horrible past. Thanks to the grace of the Almighty, these butchers were stopped before their work of destruction reached its goal. But the spiritual crematoria, where Jewish souls are being consumed, are to our great distress still ablaze, and more fiercely than ever. The House of Israel is on fire (may G-d have mercy), and the young generation, as things now stand, is largely trapped... ...all debates and philosophical speculation must be set aside. The existing emergency demands immediate action to save Jewish souls, of the old, middle-aged and the young.
==== Excerpts of a long letter written in 5724-1964. Chabad.org/therebbe/letters - The house is on fire ...
One of the main reasons the Rebbe sent out shluchim all over the world was not only to bring them back to Yiddishkeit, but to save each Jew and his family from being lost from Klal Yisroel Ch”V.
Dedicated to the Shloshim – Sivan 28 – of Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, Vice Chairman of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch, overseeing shluchim and shlichus all over the globe.
UFARATZTA
This week's portion, Shlach, tells the story of 12 men who were dispatched by Moses from the desert to go and survey the Land of Israel and its inhabitants. The purpose of their journey was to prepare the Jewish people for the subsequent conquest and settlement of the Land.
When the 12 spies returned from their 40-day tour of Israel they presented to the people a report of their findings. "We arrived at the Land to which you sent us," the spies said, "and indeed it flows with milk and honey and this is its fruit. But the people that dwells in the land is powerful, the cities are greatly fortified and we also saw the offspring of the giant.
"We cannot ascend to that people for it is too strong for us," the spies proclaimed.
The report that the spies brought back demoralized the Jewish nation and drained it from the motivation to enter the Land. As a result, the spies were severely punished and the entire generation ultimately died in the desert, never making it into the Land. Only 39 years later, in the year 1276 B.C.E., did the children and grandchildren of this generation cross the borders of Israel and settle the Promised Land.
Kill the Messenger?
One of the many questions raised by biblical commentators concerns the reason for the spies receiving punishment. Moses gave them a detailed list of questions about the Land; he instructed them to make their own observations as to what will await the people upon their arrival.
This is exactly what the spies did. They came back with an answer to all of Moses' questions and reported what they perceived to be the reality of the situation.
If Moses expected them to cover up their observations – that the Land was inhabited by mighty men and its cities were greatly fortified – he should have never sent them in the first place!
Why were the men faulted for relating what they had seen?
Introducing Paralysis
The answer is that if the spies had merely related to the people the reality of the situation as they saw it, everything would have been fine. But they did more than that. They used the difficulties they observed as an incentive to introduce the option of surrender and capitulation in the face of crisis.
Had the spies returned and said, "Hey guys, we have seen a mighty people and well-protected cities in the Land, so now we need to devise an effective strategy of how to go about our challenging mission," they would have fulfilled their task splendidly. The moment they responded to the obstacles by saying "We cannot do it anymore," they swayed an entire people to abandon their G-d-given destiny.
The spies are condemned in Jewish tradition for substituting the "how will we do it" with the "can we do it?"
Conquering Your Darkness
Each of us has a domain in our life that needs to be conquered, a terrain that needs to be transformed into a "holy land." Some of us need to battle fear, temptation, addiction, or shame. Since the challenges that lay in recovery's path are at times frightening, we are naturally tempted to believe that we are incapable of overcoming our darkness and we thus surrender to our demons.
Though this feeling is understandable, it is a sad mistake that must be fought tenaciously, for it robs us of the opportunity to liberate our souls and arrive at our personal "Promised Land." The option of resignation compels us to remain stuck for the rest of our lives in a barren desert made up of shame, insecurity and weakness. The question ought never to be, "Can I do it?" The resources to repair the hole in our personal roof are always present.
Every problem can be dealt with. The only legitimate question is, "How do I do it?"
