Welcome to Torah Thoughts our weekly look at the Torah Portion of the week from the Adas Israel the Jewish Congregation of Northern Iowa which is based in Mason City. Today, along with a look a this week's portion a word about the celebration of Juneteenth. Let's get started.
This week we read from Shlach, Numbers 13:1 - 15:41. Shelach, in Hebrew, means "send" and comes from the first sentence in this reading, "Hashem (The Name) spoke to Moses, saying, 'Send forth men, if you please, and let them spy out the Land of Canaan that I give to the Children of Israel; one man from each of his father's tribe shall you send, every one a leader among them."
Right away we see something very different in what G-d has said. Notice it is less a commandment and more a "suggestion" as He says, "Send forth men, if you please, and..."
Why?
The people had come to Moses and asked him to send spies to check out the land. Even though G-d had said they would be protected and it was His gift to the Jews the people still...doubted. Sound familiar? And, so, Moses wishing to placate the people said he would do what was asked of him. In reality, Moses thought that by agreeing to sending spies the people would be satisfied and not wish the action to go forward. Oh, but he was wrong.
The twelve spies went out and when they returned from their 40 days of work two, Joshua and Caleb, reported that it was a land of "milk and honey". However, the other ten spies shared frightening stories of what they saw. The people made the choice, once again, to doubt G-d and they sided with the majority.
The result was a national hysteria. The people were scared and they begged Moses not to enter The Land. The result was that G-d said they would wander in the desert for one year for every day the spies were on their mission. So, for 40 years, until the doubters had died...the Jews wandered.
There is so much to unpack here: That the people doubted is nothing new. Their lack of faith even in the sight of great miracles is astounding but easy to understand. How many of us doubt? It is going on in our nation today. Conspiracy theories, just like those that came back with the ten spies, invade our lives...and we doubt reality. Why? Mostly, like our ancestors, we are afraid and fear makes way for doubt.
All of this took place on the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av and according to tradition G-d declared, “You cried on this night for no reason. I will give you a reason to cry forevermore on this day.” And so it has been. From the expulsion of the Jews from Spain on the 9th of Av in 1492 as well as the expulsion from England. It was on the 9th of Av that both Temples were destroyed. It was on the 9th of Av that World War I started as Germany declared war on Russia. It was on the 9th of Av that the Warsaw Ghetto was obliterated. If you want more examples here is a link. Coincidence? Hardly.
Here, also, is an interesting fact that links to this story. This is the basis of the Minyan. While one may pray at any time and by ourselves there are specific prayers that should not be uttered unless there are ten Jews present. In the Orthodox world it is ten men in our other denominations the Minyan may be mixed...men and women. How is that linked to the Spies?
We find in Leviticus, “And I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel” (22:32). The same word also appears in the verse: “Separate yourselves from the midst of the congregation” (Numbers 16:21).
This word, “eidah – congregation” is found as the description of the group of ten spies who rendered a negative report on the land of Israel: “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation which murmur against me?” (Numbers 14:27). Hence, the Talmud derives from here that to sanctify G-d in a congregation – the congregation must consist of at least 10.
See what you learn here...
Finally, there is this major link to the story:
United we Stand; Divided we Fall
Think of this for a moment as we witness the tearing apart of our society. We are divided on COVID19; Fact or Fiction. We are divided on the world stage; Friends or Enemies. We are divided along economic lines; Rich or Poor. We are divided along racial lines; Caucasian, Black. Asian, Latino. We are divided on law and order; Law Enforcement or Public Safety. We are divided on issues of orientation; Gay or Straight. We are divided on religious lines and the list goes on and on.
Where is the unity? Are we repeating history as we doubt the greatness of our people?
Today is Juneteenth a day that marks the freedom from slavery in our nation. While the Emancipation Proclamation was handed down years earlier it was not until June 19, 1865 that slaves in Texas were notified they were...free. That event has been largely scrubbed from our history books and so today many people have no clue as to what Juneteenth means nor do they know of the Tulsa Massacre or the Red Summeror, the bombing in May of 1985 as police dropped a bomb onto the compound of MOVE, a black liberation group.
And so we doubt that there is any need for racial, economic and social justice...even when it is right in front of us.
Unity is not a bad word and while we may never be totally unified it is up to us to find common ground and then go about the business of fixing what is broken. It is not easy work but, if we pay attention, we know the danger that exists if we fail.
May you have a peaceful and meaningful Shabbat.
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