The Chai Times // Judaism - irrational or logical
Jun 28, 2024 9:14 pm
This edition of the Chai Times is dedicated in memory of Danielle Thompson's father Ivan Thompson - Yitzchak ben Avraham z"l.
May his memory be a blessing and may G-d comfort his family along with the mourners of Tzion and Jerusalem.
We are coming up on the 30th yahrtzeit of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schnnerson on July 9th and it is fascinating that this day, and its legacy, mirror the central dilemma of this week's Torah portion.
The Jews are camped just outside the Land of Israel and are preparing to wage war to conquer the land from the Canaanites.
They decided to send spies to be better prepared for the war. Moses consults with G-d who gives them cryptic permission "If YOU want to send spies, go ahead, I am not commanding you." Passive-aggressive if you ask me.
The spies end up exploring the land and come back with a frightening report describing Israel as a fortified land, settled by powerful dangerous tribes. The spies announce that it will be impossible for us to conquer the land.
G-d decrees that the Jews stay in the desert for 40 years until they all die out and their children, the next generation will enter the land.
The spies assertion that the land is unconquerable is troubling, to say the least. They themselves had been rescued from Eygpt and brought through the sea on dry land. They ate manna and drank from a miracle well. Why is this the line where they assume that G-d's miracles run out? Why wouldn't they be certain that there would be a miracle war as they enter Israel?
There are 2 methods in serving G-d, two methods in how we expect G-d's intervention in the world. Miracles and natural order.
From Exodus until their arrival on the border of Israel, they were in Miracle Mode. This expressed itself both in G-d's involvement in the day-to-day survival (manna, water, protection, the 10 plagues) and in the Jew's relationship with G-d (Torah study, zero worry about their journey, inspired).
On entering the land of Israel there would be a shift, from Miracle to Natural Order. The most obvious expression: no longer would they eat manna from heaven but would have to till the land to grow their food by hand.
The spies felt that a land of Nature must be conquered through Nature. Even the plan to spy was done based on their own thought process. G-d wouldn't, shouldn't!, command them. They were striking out on their own, away from the miracles.
So their calculations excluded any miracles from their formula. According to that formula, they were right, the Jews were not powerful enough to win the war.
Now we have the opposite question - seems like the spies were right! Why were they punished?
Their mistake was that they didn't channel the paradox of Moses, of a Rebbe. A Rebbe's role is to take irrational faith in G-d and bring it into understanding. To see the miracle in a regular breath and to have faith in G-d even when natural life is going perfectly well. To blend miracle mode and natural order.
Moses tried to channel this paradox to them, but the spies were focusing narrowly on a natural path. This was their mistake.
As we approach the Rebbe's yahrtzeit (hillula) we are reminded to blend the two paths. We feed our faith in G-d's miraculous intervention as it is enclothed in the nature of the daily grind.
The Rebbe allowed us to see this through his example of a tzaddik, a righteous individual living a fully inspired life. And through his teachings where he outlined the way to see the world.
Wishing you an uplifting Shabbat,
Rabbi Mendy & Mussy
p.s. As always, we would love to chat with you over coffee or drinks, about Judaism, or just life - reply to this email.
Of Interest
- Do We Want Moshiach Now?
- Moses vs. the Gaslighter
- I was seven years old the last time I saw the Rebbe (from my cousin Rabbi Levi Greenberg)
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