This D’var Torah should be a Zechus L’Ilui Nishmas my sister, Kayla Rus Bas Bunim Tuvia A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my maternal grandfather Dovid Tzvi Ben Yosef Yochanan A”H, my paternal grandfather Moshe Ben Yosef A”H, my paternal grandmother Channah Freidel Bas Avraham A”H, my uncle Reuven Nachum Ben Moshe & my great aunt Rivkah Sorah Bas Zev Yehuda HaKohein,
It should also be in Zechus L’Refuah Shileimah for:
-My father Bunim Tuvia Ben Channa Freidel
-My grandmother Shulamis Bas Etta
-MY BROTHER: MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO BEN CHAYA ROCHEL
-HaRav Shlomo Ben Shayna Zelda
-Mordechai Shlomo Ben Sarah Tili
-Noam Shmuel Ben Simcha
_R’ Simcha Yitzchak Ben Mirela Liyatka
-Chaya Rochel Ettel Bas Shulamis
-And all of the Cholei Yisrael, especially those suffering from COVID-19 and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for an Aliyah of the holy Neshamos of HaRav HaGa’on V’Sar HaTorah Shmaryahu Yosef Chaim Ben HaRav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky A”H, Dovid Avraham Ben Chiya Kehas—R’ Dovid Winiarz ZT”L, Miriam Liba Bas Aharon—Rebbetzin Weiss A”H, as well as the Neshamos of those whose lives were taken by terrorists (Hashem Yikom Damam), COVID-19, and the Meiron tragedy.
-It should also be a Z’chus for success for Tzaha”l as well as the rest of Am Yisrael, in Eretz Yisrael and in the Galus.
בס”ד
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Parsha Paradise/פרשה פרדס – Chukas: The Miraglim Story You Have Never Heard Before 🕵🏻♂️🕵🏼♂️
Audio:
https://jewishpodcasts.fm/thedatabeis/38837
Among the many incredible stories in Parshas Chukas, we find the story of the Miraglim. What? You didn’t notice it? You’re probably thinking that I must be mistaken because you know that the story of the Miraglim is in Parshas Shelach. But, I’m talking about a different story. (In Shelach, we don’t even find the word “Miraglim,” but our story in Chukas actually features that Shoresh.)
Why haven’t we heard of this other Miraglim story? Maybe because it was a very short, smooth, and successful story. It didn’t make the news headlines. How was it so successful? Why did Moshe Rabbeinu even send Miraglim after what happened the first time? Let’s look at the story…
Bamidbar 21:32
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח מֹשֶׁה֙ לְרַגֵּ֣ל אֶת־יַעְזֵ֔ר וַֽיִּלְכְּד֖וּ בְּנֹתֶ֑יהָ (ויירש) [וַיּ֖וֹרֶשׁ] אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־שָֽׁם׃
“And Moses sent to spy out Yazeir, and they captured its dependencies (suburbs) and dispossessed the Amorites who were there.”
P’shat:
Why Moshe would send in spies is simple. Back in Shelach, Ramban [13:2] points out that part of a logical, normal game plan for conquest is to send in spies. In Shelach, the Miraglim dropped the ball. But, Al Pi Teva, it was a reasonable idea.
Netziv points out similarly that the Emori in Yazeir would have been a dangerous thorn in the side of the B’nei Yisrael if they didn’t properly conquer them, so they proactively sent in spies.
In this vein, Midrash Lekach Tov [21:32] teaches that Moshe taught Yehoshua basic “Derech Eretz” that it is common sense to send in spies before conquering land, thus Yehoshua followed suit later.
Everything done right, Miraglim could have been, and in this case, was a successful idea. How successful was it?
Remez:
The success of this conquest is alluded to in the Kri U’Kesiv, the two traditions of how a word is pronounced versus how it is written. The word in our verse is read “Vayoresh,” but is written “Vayiresh.” The former means that Emori was “driven out.” The latter means that they were “inherited.” Ba’al HaTurim explains that Emori put up no fight to protect the suburbs of Yazeir, but they fled in fear so that their land would merely be inherited.
Was it that easy? How were they Zocheh?
Drash:
The Midrash, as quoted by Rashi, indicates that these Miraglim learned the lesson from the mistakes of the first ones, saying “We will not do as the former ones, for we have confidence in the power of Moshe’s prayer to be able to fight against it” [Tanchuma, Chukas 24].
According to Targum Yonasan, these Miraglim were actually only two men, Caleiv and Pinchas, so perhaps the fact that these two Tzaddikim were chosen helped. (Maybe, most Miraglim would have lacked such Bitachon and would have failed like the previous ones.)
Bamidbar Rabbah [16:1] states that these two Tzaddikim were also Yehoshua’s handpicked Miraglim [Yehoshua 2:1]. Figures.
Sod:
This rectification of the Cheit HaMiraglim might be alluded to in the Pasuk recorded just before ours.
Maharam M’Rutenberg, in Or LaShamayim [Based on Zohar 1:233A, 2:4A] states that although Hashem only descended to this world temporarily at Har Sinai (the expression used is “Yeridah,” implying a temporary descent), when we are Zocheh to affect Tikun (rectification), Hashem’s Shechinah can rest among us in a more permanent fashion (referred to as “Yeshivah,” settling). Thus, our Parsha states, ‘Vayeishev Yisrael B’Eretz HaEmori”-“And Yisrael settled in the land of the Emori” [21:31], alluding to the state of permanent settling, hinting to the mindset and Shechinah that the first Miraglim lacked.
We should be Zocheh to such subtle, swit successes, to celebrate them with Hashem’s Shechinah among us, and Hashem should enable our success in returning to Eretz Yisrael with the coming of the Geulah and the full rectification in the days of Moshiach, Bimheirah BiYomeinu! Have a wonderful Shabbos!
-Yehoshua Shmuel Eisenberg