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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by d fine
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The pasuk tells us that the techeiles string on the tzitzis is central to the reminding function of the tzitzis. How? For the gemarra (Menachos 43b, cited by the Ibn Ezra here 15:38) writes that the techeiles colour is to remind us of the sea, which, in turn reminds us of the sky, which in turn reminds us of HaShem’s throne - which means we remember to do the mitzvos! Rav Leuchter pointed out from here that the Torah expects one to exhibit joined-up thinking/thinking via association. We are supposed to associate the techeiles with the sea, etc. to get to an increased awareness of HaShem. The same goes for Rashi’s explanation (15:39) that the gematria of ‘tzitzis’ plus the knots and strings add up to 613 - we are supposed to use such mental exercises to spur us on in our avodas HaShem.
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by d fine
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You’ll notice that twice in the psukim which deal with tzitzis does it say that the tzitzis are so that we remember HaShem’s mitzvos. In perek 15 pasuk 39 the words are ‘and you’ll see it (the tzitzis) and remember all the mitzvos of HaShem,’ whilst the very next pasuk says ‘in order that you will remember and do all My mitzvos.’ What are these two reminders? The Sforno answers that the first remembering is after one has initially glanced at the tzitzis; the fact that one wears clothes which HaShem dictates reminds us that we are His servants - it instils a feeling of yirah. The second remembering is after we have internalised the concept of tzitzis, which leads us to serve HaShem with ahava and yirah. This is also perhaps why the psukim regarding tzitzis open with the command ‘speak (daber) to Bnei Yisrael and say (amarta) to them.’ Why two expressions for speech here? For daber means a harsher form of speech, which is a reference to the initial glancing at the tzitzis which emanate yiras HaShem. Whilst the softer amira form is for the next part - the internalising of the concept of tzitzis which causes (the softer) ahavas HaShem.
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by d fine
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One of the claims the spies made upon returning back to base was that the inhabitants of Eretz Yisrael were ‘anshei middos’ (13:32), which is normally translated as ‘of giant proportions,’ I.e. they were giants. However, Rav Eliyahu Lopian is said to have explained this spies claim in the following way. The spies claimed that the inhabitants of the Land were refined, charming people - that they were people of good middos (character traits). The spies thought that the residents of Eretz Yisrael were such good people that HaShem would not remove them from their Land in favour of the Bnei Yisrael. But the spies were gravely mistaken. Even if these inhabitants looked like they had good middos, they were paper-thin. As has been the case with many ‘developed societies’ in the modern age, when push comes to shove these refined characters are shown to be fake and just being on the surface of the person, as opposed to being part of their character. Just because someone puts on a fake smile and says ‘please’ does not necessarily mean that they are charming on the inside at all.
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by Daniel Sandground
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Parashas Shelach – I Spy...
This week we have Parashas Shelach which contains the famous incident of the spies who were the first people to cross into Israel and bring back a report on the land following our exodus from Egypt. Last week we saw the nation indulge in the three sins of speedily fleeing from mount Sinai, complaining about having to venture into the wilderness and the dissatisfaction with the manna... in this week's sedra we see that things got even worst with the incident of the meraglim/spies which culminated with the decree from Hashem that the nation will wander the desert for forty years whilst the sinful generation perished and only then would we be able to enter Eretz Yisrael. The chapter of the spies follows on immediately after the incident of Miriam being struck with tzaraas for her criticism of Moshe [12:10]
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by Rafi Jager
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We are all aware of the grave error committed by the spies when they spoke negatively about our Holy Land. Of course, there are many explanations regarding the motive or cause for their actions, yet the Midrash seems to underscore a very basic flaw in their approach to their mission.
The Midrash states that there is nothing more beloved to Hashem than an agent on a mission to perform a mitzvah who is selflessly and totally dedicated to his task. Agents of mitzvot who are completely consumed with the carrying out of Hashem's will and whose every action is dictated by His word are the ones who are so dear to Hashem. The chachomim explain that it was this ingredient of selfless dedication that was, in some way, lacking amongst the members of the delegation
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by Administrator
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We would love to read your vort. Click "Submit your Vort" to send us your vort.
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by Benjamin A Rose
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At the end of parshas Shelach Lecha, we have the incident with the mekoshesh, in which a man is found deliberately desecrating Shabbes and is put to death as a result. Immediately after, we are given the mitzvah of tzitzis. The Tanna DeBei Eliyahu (via the Ohr HaChaim) explains the connection: after this person was punished, Moshe entreated HaShem and said that the reason the mekoshesh found it possible to sin was that he was not wearing tefillin (one may not wear tefillin on Shabbes). Therefore, HaShem gave the mitzvah of tzitzis as a reminder of His mitzvos, even to be worn on Shabbes. Now, in order to punish this man with death, two witnesses had to come up to him immediately before he sinned and warn him that the act which he is about to do carries with it the death penalty, and the man must respond 'I am doing it for that.' This had to have happened with the mekoshesh, otherwise he would not have received the death penalty. If the fear of being put to death did not deter this man from sinning, how would wearing tefillin have helped?
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Torah Portion -
shelach
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Written by d fine
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The majority of our sedra discusses the infamous sin of the spies; the delegates from each tribe who were sent to report about the Land and ended up slandering the Land and questioning HaShem’s ability to conquer it. Indeed, of all the sins Bnei Yisrael commit in the desert, it is the sin of the spies and the sin of the golden calf which get the most ‘coverage’ in terms of number of pesukim. In fact, the proposed punishment for both of these sins are the same; HaShem originally plans to wipe out the Jewish People and start a new nation from Moshe Rabeinu, but Moshe intercedes and gains HaShem’s forgiveness.[1] But as we shall see, this was not the only punishment meted out to klal yisrael for the sin of the spies. (Remember that Bnei Yisrael also sinned here; they believed the spies’ report and cried to return to Egypt rather than ‘be killed’ in the conquest of Eretz Yisrael; 14:1-10.)
Firstly, the spies themselves were killed on the spot by a Divine plague (14:37). Secondly, with the exception of Yeshoshua and Calev
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