Parashat Devarim / פרשת דברים
- Tue, 17 July 2018 = 5th of Av, 5778
- ה׳ בְּאָב תשע״ח
Deuteronomy 1:22-38 (17 p'sukim)
Deuteronomy 1:22-38 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
22 “Then all of you came near to me and said: ‘Let’s send men ahead of us to explore the land for us and bring us back word about the way we should go up and the cities we will enter.’
23 “The idea seemed good to me, so I took twelve men from among you—one man for each tribe. 24 They turned and went up into the hill country, and they came to the Wadi Eshcol and spied it out. 25 They took in their hands some of the fruit of the land and brought it down to us. They also brought back word to us and said, ‘Good is the land that Adonai our God is giving to us.’
26 “Yet you would not go up, but rebelled against the command of Adonai your God. 27 In your tents you grumbled and said: ‘Because Adonai hates us, He has brought us out from the land of Egypt to hand us over to the Amorites, to destroy us! 28 Where are we going? Our brothers have discouraged our hearts saying, “The people are greater and taller than we are! The cities are great and fortified up to the heavens! Besides, we have even seen the children of Anakim there!”’
29 “Then I said to you, ‘Don’t tremble or be afraid of them. 30 Adonai your God, who goes before you, He Himself will fight for you—just as He did for you in Egypt before your own eyes, 31 and in the wilderness, where you saw how Adonai your God carried you as a man carries his son, everywhere you went until you came to this place.’ 32 Yet for all this you did not trust in Adonai your God— 33 the One who goes before you on the way to scout out a place for you to camp and to show you the way you should go, in fire by night and in the cloud by day.
34 “When Adonai heard the tone of your words, He was angry and swore an oath saying, 35 ‘Not one of these men of this evil generation will see the good land that I swore to give your fathers— 36 except Caleb the son of Jephunneh. He will see it—yet to him and his children I will give the land that he has walked on, because he has followed Adonai wholeheartedly.’
37 “Adonai was even angry with me on your account, saying, ‘You will not enter there, either. 38 Joshua son of Nun, who stands before you, will enter there—encourage him, for he will enable Israel to inherit it.
22 וַתִּקְרְב֣וּן אֵלַי֮ כֻּלְּכֶם֒ וַתֹּאמְר֗וּ נִשְׁלְחָ֤ה אֲנָשִׁים֙ לְפָנֵ֔ינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ־לָ֖נוּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְיָשִׁ֤בוּ אֹתָ֙נוּ֙ דָּבָ֔ר אֶת־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲלֶה־בָּ֔הּ וְאֵת֙ הֶֽעָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר נָבֹ֖א אֲלֵיהֶֽן׃
23 וַיִּיטַ֥ב בְּעֵינַ֖י הַדָּבָ֑ר וָאֶקַּ֤ח מִכֶּם֙ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֣ר אֲנָשִׁ֔ים אִ֥ישׁ אֶחָ֖ד לַשָּֽׁבֶט׃
24 וַיִּפְנוּ֙ וַיַּעֲל֣וּ הָהָ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ עַד־נַ֣חַל אֶשְׁכֹּ֑ל וַֽיְרַגְּל֖וּ אֹתָֽהּ׃
25 וַיִּקְח֤וּ בְיָדָם֙ מִפְּרִ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיּוֹרִ֖דוּ אֵלֵ֑ינוּ וַיָּשִׁ֨בוּ אֹתָ֤נוּ דָבָר֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ טוֹבָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽנוּ׃
26 וְלֹ֥א אֲבִיתֶ֖ם לַעֲלֹ֑ת וַתַּמְר֕וּ אֶת־פִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
27 וַתֵּרָגְנ֤וּ בְאָהֳלֵיכֶם֙ וַתֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ בְּשִׂנְאַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ אֹתָ֔נוּ הוֹצִיאָ֖נוּ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם לָתֵ֥ת אֹתָ֛נוּ בְּיַ֥ד הָאֱמֹרִ֖י לְהַשְׁמִידֵֽנוּ׃
28 אָנָ֣ה׀ אֲנַ֣חְנוּ עֹלִ֗ים אַחֵינוּ֩ הֵמַ֨סּוּ אֶת־לְבָבֵ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר עַ֣ם גָּד֤וֹל וָרָם֙ מִמֶּ֔נּוּ עָרִ֛ים גְּדֹלֹ֥ת וּבְצוּרֹ֖ת בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְגַם־בְּנֵ֥י עֲנָקִ֖ים רָאִ֥ינוּ שָֽׁם׃
29 וָאֹמַ֖ר אֲלֵכֶ֑ם לֹא־תַֽעַרְצ֥וּן וְֽלֹא־תִֽירְא֖וּן מֵהֶֽם׃
30 יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ הַהֹלֵ֣ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם ה֖וּא יִלָּחֵ֣ם לָכֶ֑ם כְּ֠כֹל אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֧ה אִתְּכֶ֛ם בְּמִצְרַ֖יִם לְעֵינֵיכֶֽם׃
31 וּבַמִּדְבָּר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָאִ֔יתָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נְשָׂאֲךָ֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר יִשָּׂא־אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־בְּנ֑וֹ בְּכָל־הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֲלַכְתֶּ֔ם עַד־בֹּאֲכֶ֖ם עַד־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃
32 וּבַדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה אֵֽינְכֶם֙ מַאֲמִינִ֔ם בַּיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
33 הַהֹלֵ֨ךְ לִפְנֵיכֶ֜ם בַּדֶּ֗רֶךְ לָת֥וּר לָכֶ֛ם מָק֖וֹם לַֽחֲנֹֽתְכֶ֑ם בָּאֵ֣שׁ׀ לַ֗יְלָה לַרְאֹֽתְכֶם֙ בַּדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ וּבֶעָנָ֖ן יוֹמָֽם׃
34 וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־ק֣וֹל דִּבְרֵיכֶ֑ם וַיִּקְצֹ֖ף וַיִּשָּׁבַ֥ע לֵאמֹֽר׃
35 אִם־יִרְאֶ֥ה אִישׁ֙ בָּאֲנָשִׁ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה הַדּ֥וֹר הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה אֵ֚ת הָאָ֣רֶץ הַטּוֹבָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁבַּ֔עְתִּי לָתֵ֖ת לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃
36 זֽוּלָתִ֞י כָּלֵ֤ב בֶּן־יְפֻנֶּה֙ ה֣וּא יִרְאֶ֔נָּה וְלֽוֹ־אֶתֵּ֧ן אֶת־הָאָ֛רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר דָּֽרַךְ־בָּ֖הּ וּלְבָנָ֑יו יַ֕עַן אֲשֶׁ֥ר מִלֵּ֖א אַחֲרֵ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
37 גַּם־בִּי֙ הִתְאַנַּ֣ף יְהוָ֔ה בִּגְלַלְכֶ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר גַּם־אַתָּ֖ה לֹא־תָבֹ֥א שָֽׁם׃
38 יְהוֹשֻׁ֤עַ בִּן־נוּן֙ הָעֹמֵ֣ד לְפָנֶ֔יךָ ה֖וּא יָ֣בֹא שָׁ֑מָּה אֹת֣וֹ חַזֵּ֔ק כִּי־ה֖וּא יַנְחִלֶ֥נָּה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Recently, in one of my blog posts I mentioned God's "permissive will"; and also I commented on the difference between what happened here with the election of the spies, verses how God chose the leaders to divide and allot the land back at the end of Numbers. Here in pesuk 23 Moshe admits during his rebuke that the idea "looked good to him" as well.
Rashi asks why would he admit to this? According to Rashi, "“It pleased me, but it did not please the Omnipresent.” But if it pleased Moses, why does he mention it in his rebukes? This may be compared to a man who says to his friend, “Sell me this donkey of yours.” He replies to him, “Yes.” “Will you give it to me to test it?” He replies, “Yes.” “May I test it on mountains and hills?” Again he replies, “Yes.” When he sees that his friend does not withhold anything from him, the purchaser thinks to himself, “This man is certain that I shall not find any defect in the donkey,” and he immediately says to him,“Take your money; I need not test it now.” I too, consented to your words, thinking that you would perhaps reconsider when you saw that I do not withhold it from you, but you did not reconsider (Sifrei).
This may explain the situation here in Moshe's recount of the event however; back in Numbers the text at first glance appears to indicate a direct command by Adonai:
Numbers 13:13 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 2 “Send some men on your behalf to investigate the land of Canaan, which I am giving to Bnei-Yisrael. Each man you are to send will be a prince of the tribe of his fathers, a man from each tribe.”
The interpretation is based on the translation of שְׁלַח־לְךָ֣ (Sh'lach L'cha), meaning: "Send for yourself". It is more of a permission. (i.e. if you want to...)
Again, Rashi explains: "According to your own understanding. I am not commanding you, but if you wish, you may send. Since the Israelites had come [to Moses] and said, “Let us send men ahead of us,” as it says, “All of you approached me…” (Deut. 1:22), Moses took counsel with the Shechinah . He [God] said, “I told them that it is good, as it says, ‘I will bring you up from the affliction of Egypt…’ (Exod. 3:17). By their lives! Now I will give them the opportunity to err through the words of the spies, so that they will not inherit it.” - [Midrash Tanchuma 5]
In hindsight, it was a mistake to allow the 12 spies to go and spy out the Land. They were already promised victory and inheritance. What they should've done is simply trust Hashem and go in and simply take what was promised. What does this teach us?
How do we make decisions in our lives today? Based on what we think is a good idea? Unfortunately, this is how most people make their decisions. Are we afraid or timid even when God has already promised us something? Do we always listen to the majority? Is the majority always correct? Obviously, Joshua and Caleb were outnumbered.
How should believers today make major life decisions, or any decision for that matter?
Romans 12:2 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
2 Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT. Only comes when we really know the Word of God, and listen to the Spirit of God (which will never contradict the Word). We cannot hear the Ruach unless we have practiced a relationship with the Ruach. Our minds need to be transformed from thinking the way the world thinks, and follow the Ruach.
Let's not repeat the mistakes of our ancestors. Let's get this Spiritual Discernment...
Philippians 1:9-11 - וְעַל־זֹאת מִתְפַּלֵּל אָנֹכִי שֶׁעוֹד תִּרְבֶּה וְתִגְדַּל אַהֲבַתְכֶם לְהַשְׂכֵּל וּלְכָל־דָּעַת׃[10] לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ בֵּין טוֹב לָרָע וִהְיִיתֶם זַכִּים וּבְלִי מִכְשׁוֹל עַד־יוֹם הַמָּשִׁיחַ׃[11] מְלֵאִים פְּרִי הַצְּדָקָה עַל־יְדֵי יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ לִכְבוֹד אֱלֹהִים וְלִתְהִלָּתוֹ׃
Philippians 1:9 Now this I pray, that your love might overflow still more and more in knowledge and depth of discernment, 10 in order to approve what is excellent—so that in the Day of Messiah you may be sincere and blameless, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Yeshua the Messiah, to the glory and praise of God.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment