Shelach

Midrash in Bamidbar Rabbah (chpt. 16) on this week’s Parsha gives an analogy to a king who had a beloved friend. Once the king said to his friend, “come with me and I shall give you a gift”. The friend followed the king, but before the king got a chance to fulfill his promise, the friend passed away. The king said to his friend’s son, “Even though your father has passed away, I won’t go back on my promise.” The midrash continues to say, the king is an analogy to the King of all kings, HKB”H, and the beloved friend is referring to Avraham Avinu. HKB’H told Avraham Avinu, “come with Me”, as it says, “Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you.” (Bereshit 12:1) HKB”H promised that He will give the land of Canaan as a gift to Avraham Avinu. When Avraham passed away, HKB”H said, even though Avraham passed away, I won’t turn back on my promise and let Bnai Yisrael inherit the land.

This Midrash is perplexing. The only reason HKB”H took the Jews out of Egypt was for them to go up to Eretz Yisrael and serve Him there. How could it be that HKB”H had the forethought to go back on his promise? It’s explicitly mentioned in the Torah that He gave the land of Canaan to Avraham and his children after him. Furthermore, why does the midrash relate this discussion to this week's Parsha?

Sefer Shem Mishmuel gives the following explanation. Avraham Avinu had the character trait of Temimut (Innocence), in his service to Hashem. Accepting the commandment to leave his family, city, and country to follow where Hashem tells him to go without questioning Him. And as long as his children, the Jewish people, continued on the path of Avraham Avinu holding on to his character trait of Temimut (Innocence), the Jewish people were considered to play the role of Avraham Avinu, deserving to receive the gift by their own merit, not in Avraham Avinu’s merit. This phenomenon caused it to be considered as if Avraham Avinu was still alive because the Jews continued to act exactly like him. But in this week’s Parsha when the Jews said let’s send spies ahead of us to spy on the land to see if it’s possible to conquer, disregarding the promise HKB”H gave Avraham Avinu, they were no longer acting like Avraham Avinu, therefore it was considered that Avraham Avinu is no longer alive. His trait, lessons, and merits were not alive anymore. As a result, there was a question of whether Hashem should turn back on his promise to Avraham Avinu. And on that HKB”H said, even so, I won’t turn back on my promise. The Jews may not deserve it based on their own merit but will receive the gift because of the promise of HKB”H to Avraham Avinu.

Based on this idea, there is a lesson for us as individuals and as a nation. For all challenges and hurdles that a person has, the root cause of them all is that a person is not acting based on the lessons and the traits handed down to us by our forefathers. If a person does what he/she needs to do with Temimut (Innocence) like Avraham Avinu, then he/she will receive the help he/she needs, because of his/her own merit.

May it be our Zechut to walk in the path of our forefathers and continue sanctifying the name of Hashem by showing the world what it means to be a nation that functions based on the value system of our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaacov.