{"id":797,"date":"2017-06-13T12:43:06","date_gmt":"2017-06-13T12:43:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/batkol.info\/new-website\/?p=797"},"modified":"2017-06-13T12:43:06","modified_gmt":"2017-06-13T12:43:06","slug":"parashat-shlah-lkha","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/2017\/06\/13\/parashat-shlah-lkha\/","title":{"rendered":"parashat Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Parashat Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha<\/h3>\n
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Shabbat Table Talk\u2028<\/p>\n

Week of 11 June \u2013 17 June 2017<\/p>\n

Torah portion: Num. 13:1-15:41 Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24<\/p>\n

Download<\/a><\/p>\n

This parashat opens with the people of Israel ready to enter the Promised Land. Parashat Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha literally means \u2018send for yourself,\u2019 \u201cthat is, for your own purposes (not Mine). G-d seems to be saying, \u2018I have told you already that the land is good and that I will give it to you. If you need human confirmation of that, go ahead and send scouts.\u2019\u201d (Num. R. 16:8 in Etz Hayim 840)<\/p>\n

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At the people\u2019s insistence, therefore, and on instructions from G-d, Moses sends leaders from each of the twelve tribes to scout out the land. Having thus questioned G-d\u2019s ability to lead them to their final promise, they sin against G-d and thus cause a whole generation to die in the desert and delay entry into the Promised Land. A tragic turn of events, to be sure.<\/p>\n

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We can follow the events as follows; opportunity to enter the Promised Land, doubt and a need to verify, scouts sent from the 12 tribes (13.1-20), the goodness of the Land is confirmed (13.21-29), more doubt because of conceived danger of giants, a desire to return to the old and familiar or to die (13.31-14.5), then threats from G-d because of doubting, punishment with 40 years in the desert (14.11-38) and requirements of the new generation when they come to receive their new land (15.1-36).<\/p>\n

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In the end, then, the people did not believe in their own ability to \u2018attack and conquer the Promised Land,\u2019 and by implication did not believe in God\u2019s ability to ensure their victory. As a result, they were left to wander for 40 years in the desert. (Etz Hayim, 840)<\/p>\n

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Maimonides describes very well the consequences of such an experience, in a manner that mirrors everyday life; \u201cOne cannot be expected to leave the state of slavery, toiling in bricks and straw, and go fight with giants. It was therefore part of the divine wisdom to make them wander through the wilderness until they had become schooled in courage, until a new generation grew up who had never known humiliation and bondage.\u201d (Maimonides in Etz Hayim, 840).<\/p>\n

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The people had truly experienced a sense of hopelessness, \u201cIf only we had died in the land of Egypt,\u201d (14.2) they exclaimed! \u201cA sense of helplessness, a feeling of inadequacy, and inability to deal with one\u2019s problems can lead to a person\u2019s giving up on life and wishing for death. In contrast, a sense of hope in the possibility of a brighter future, a belief that God can help us to do what we find hard to do unaided, can banish that sense of futility and restore the will to live.\u201d (Etz Hayim, 845)<\/p>\n

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Can we find that hope by reminding ourselves of the purpose of G-d\u2019s covenant with Israel, of the exile in Egypt and the Exodus, of the giving of the Torah, and of the entry and conquest of the Promised Land? Was not all this but to make this world into a home for G-d, \u201cwhich means to disseminate Divine consciousness to the entire world,\u201d thus creating that will to live and to serve G-d? (Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha Commentary, 78) What might be our response?<\/p>\n

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For Reflection and Discussion: 1) What has been my \u2018Promised Land\u2019 and have I had to send \u2018scouts\u2019 to check it out or have I trusted in G-d\u2019s word? 2) Reflect upon how I have made of my world \u2018a home for G-d,\u2019<\/p>\n

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Bibliography: Commentary on Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha, http:\/\/www.chabad.org\/media\/pdf\/295\/xElv2957006.pdf, Plaut, The Torah: A Modern Commentary (New York, 2005), Etz Hayim, Torah and Commentary, (New York, 2000)<\/p>\n

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This week\u2019s teaching commentary was prepared by<\/p>\n

Julien Fradette, Winnipeg, MB, CANADA, Bat Kol alumn 2011<\/p>\n

Email: julienf@mts.net<\/p>\n

[Copyright \u00a9 2017]<\/p>\n

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PLEASE NOTE: The weekly Parashah commentaries represent the research and creative thought of their authors, and are meant to stimulate deeper thinking about the meaning of the Scriptures. While they draw upon the study methods and sources employed by the Bat Kol Institute, the views and conclusions expressed in these commentaries are solely those of their authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of Bat Kol. The commentaries, along with all materials published on the Bat Kol website, are copyrighted by the writers, and are made available for personal and group study, and local church purposes. Permission needed for other purposes. Questions, comments and feedback are always welcome.<\/p>\n

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Bat Kol Institute for Jewish Studies, Jerusalem<\/p>\n

~~1983-2017~~<\/p>\n

\u201cChristians Studying the Bible within its Jewish milieu, using Jewish Sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

Website: www.batkol.info Parashah Admin. gill@batkol.info<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Parashat Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha Shabbat Table Talk\u2028 Week of 11 June \u2013 17 June 2017 Torah portion: Num. 13:1-15:41 Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24 Download This parashat opens with the people of Israel ready to enter the Promised Land. Parashat Sh\u2019lah L\u2019kha literally means \u2018send for yourself,\u2019 \u201cthat is, for your own purposes (not Mine). G-d seems to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/46"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ratisbonne.org.il\/bk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}