We are in the midst of the Nine Days, which conclude with Tisha B’Av. The gemara in Taanis 29a says that the spies came back and slandered the Land of Israel on Tisha B’Av, which led to crying and mass hysteria among the Jewish People. Hashem told them: “You weep without cause, I will give you reason to cry and establish this day as a day of weeping throughout the generations.” (Click here for Hebrew text.) But what went wrong? What compelled them to accept the lashon hara, slander of the spies? This week’s Torah portion of Devarim begins the rebuke Moshe gave to the Jewish People at the end of his life. In it he discusses the episode of the spies, where they initially decided to not conquer the land and then changed their mind (See Devarim 1:19-46). One of the lessons the Ralbag learns from here is “that it is appropriate to accept the good at the desirable time. For if one does not make oneself feel willing to accept it, then it’s possible when he does want it, it won’t be given to him. Don’t you see that the Jews were prevented from receiving good because of the matter of the spies and when they regretted this and wanted to take the good, they couldn’t get it.” (Click here for Hebrew text.) The Jewish People decided not to inherit the Land of Canaan that Hashem was giving them on account of the bad report of the spies. Then they regretted their decision, and were punished with spending 40 years in the desert and a whole generation wiped out, before being allowed to conquer the land. So they decided on their own to try to conquer it right then and there but were driven away by Canaanite nations. But why is this considered a lesson in taking the good when you have the opportunity, and not delaying and trying to get it later after one might have lost the chance? They were misled by the spies and didn’t even realize the good they would be missing! These spies weren’t just regular people.; The good people, who actually gave a positive report of the land were Yehoshua, who wound up taking over the mantle of leadership after Moshe Rabbeinu passed away, and Calev, Miriam’s husband, who came from the tribe of Yehuda. The other spies, who gave the bad report were also very righteous and intelligent people, at least before they set out on their mission. This is proven by my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Henach Leibowitz zt”l ,in his 1st and 3rd shmuz in Chiddushei HaLev parshas Shelach. If so, then what does it mean that they didn’t take advantage of the good when they originally had the chance? They didn’t realize they had the chance, because they were blinded by the spies’ report. In fact, they were never really sure if the land was good, as seen by the fact that they requested for the spies to be sent in the first place?! It must be therefore that they had the ability to see the good, and if they would have looked more into the matter they would have seen the good from the start. In fact, all they had to do was to focus in on the One giving them The Land, their All Good Father In Heaven, who only wants to do what’s best for His beloved children and is perfect and can make it happen very very easily, without any issues at all. Sometimes, when one is hesitant about if what he is receiving is good, then looking at the giver can be a good litmus test, especially if it is coming directly from Hashem; then for sure it is all good. But the Ralbag is teaching a general lesson, that one should look into the matter and not hesitate to take the good when offered. Especially from someone who you can trust; because if you don’t take it immediately, it might be too late. In this case, because they didn’t focus in on the one who was giving to see the good, it created a chain of events that would cause weeping for generations, including the destruction of the first and second Beis Hamikdash. May Tisha B’Av turn into the Yom Tov that Chaza”l promise us speedily in our days. Good Shabbos Chazon, Rabbi Dovid Shmuel Milder |