May Hashem guard and bless the nation of Israel

Shlach 5770 -We Have the Power!


Mevarchim Tammuz the Molad is Next Shabbat (June 12th) 5:23 
and 16 Chalakim a.m. 

Rosh Chodesh is Next Shabbat and Sunday(June 12 -13)

June 15th is the Third of Tammuz, the Rebbe’s Hillulah

Shalom and Bracha!

This Shabbat we bless the month of Tammuz and we read the narrative of the spies. As the Jewish people approached the land of Israel, they requested of Moshe to send spies into the land, both to see its qualities and to seek the ideal point and method of entry. Moshe asked
Hashem’s permission, and Hashem said that he should appoint one of the
leaders from each tribe. Moshe appointed them and sent them on their
mission. Recognizing that there was negative potential in the mission,
Moshe prayed for his student, Yehoshua, that he be guided correctly.
Calev, fearing being misled, went to the cave of the Patriarchs to
pray. (This demonstrates the great power of prayer by the grave of
Tzaddikim.)

When they reached the land of Israel, the spies found that many of
the inhabitants were dying. Unbeknownst to them, this was divine
intervention to conceal and aid their mission. As they toured the
land, they found many obstacles that seemed insurmountable. The
inhabitants were strong, and amongst them were giants. Many people
were dying in the land. Amalek, the eternal enemy of the Jewish
people, was present in 
the land. Upon returning to the camp, they
discouraged the Jewish people from going to Israel. Although Yehoshua
and Calev assured the Jewish people that the land was good and that
they could conquer the land, the other spies convinced them that it
was impossible. Hashem became angered with the Jewish people and
decreed that they should remain in the desert for forty years.
Many of the things that scared them were 
in fact blessings. The
people who were dying served as a distraction to allow them to
complete their mission. The Jewish people had already defeated Amalek
once in a miraculous war. Had they looked with true faith they would
have entered the land immediately. 

The desire to send spies was a mistaken one. Hashem’s promise should
have been sufficient to guarantee the character of the land, and we
should have relied upon His guidance to enter the land in the best
manner. The spies sin, however far outweighed the indiscretion of
sending them. Moshe sent them to find the best way to enter the land,
not to determine whether or not they should go. Once Hashem promised
the 
Jewish people that they would enter the land, they were assured of
success. Their only job was to determine the best manner of entry. By
discouraging the people, they denied Hashem’s ability to fulfill His
word. 

Sometimes, we are faced with Mitzvot that seem difficult or even
impossible. In our view of society (or of ourselves), a particular
Mitzvah seems incompatible, or even unreasonable. We must learn from
this week’s portion that our job is only to find the optimal way to
fulfill the Mitzvot, not to judge their value. If Hashem commands us
to do something, it is within our reach. Furthermore, many things that
we 
perceive as negative may be for our own benefit, just like the
deaths of the inhabitants was for the benefit of the spies.
The portion concludes with the Mitzvah of Tzitzit. The Torah commands
that we wear Tzitzit (fringes) on the four corners (Kanfei) of our
clothing. Kanfei also means wings. The word Tzitzit is related to the
word maitzitz, which means gazes. Tzitzit are related to the story of
the spies because 
we must look deeper into our lives in order to see
that everything is truly a blessing and we have the power to overcome
every obstacle in service of Hashem. The words Tzitzit and Kanfei
allude to the redemption, as the prophet tells us that Moshiach stands
behind the wall, looks through the window, and gazes through the
cracks (Maitzitz Min Hacharakim) and He will bring us to Israel on
eagles wings (Kanfei Nesharim). 
The four cornered garment alludes to
the ingathering from the four corners of the Earth. May we see the
redemption now!

Shabbat Shalom