The Chet Ha-Meraglim (Sin of the Spies) is so difficult to understand. How could B'nei Yisroel - the same exact individuals who had been miraculously redeemed from Mitzrayim and who quite recently stood at Sinai, hearing God speak, and who were at the time still being led by the supernatural pillars of fire and smoke and receiving miraculous provisions of Mann (Manna) and water each day - deny Hashem's ability to protect them once they would enter Eretz Yisroel? It seems so illogical. While it is true that the people perceived that their lives would take on a more natural character once they were settled in the Land, and that Hashem's very open miracles would no longer be common (see previous d'var Torah on Parshas Shelach in this series), the nation's major loss of faith in God's promise and ability or desire to protect it are utterly incomprehensible!

Perhaps we can try to understand the Chet Ha-Meraglim by envisioning an exceptionally successful visual artist whose most recent graphic creation turned out terrible, or a highly-acclaimed actor or singer whose latest performance was an utter flop. It would not be out of character for this artist or entertainer, who is accustomed to unparalleled success and praise, to berate and condemn himself in the harshest of terms, despairing at being a total failure and loser. Such is human nature, that rather than looking at matters in the proper context, one can become illogically fixated upon negative aberrations and lose all sense of perspective. This is especially true of those who have attained greatness; any lacking is fallaciously deemed to be a fatal flaw that overshadows the major accomplishments and the extremely notable talents that are obviously present, as one totally and irrationally forgets the larger, very positive picture to the extent of denying and negating it.

When the Jews - who were used to swift, effortless victory - were presented with images of superior Canaanite warriors and fortifications, they panicked and lost all sense of context and perspective. Rather than realizing the obvious - that they were in the hands of Hashem, Who does limitless wonders and controls all - they became utterly carried away and fixated with the challenges they anticipated, overlooking their position and losing their sense of context and perspective, similar to the artist and entertainer depicted above. God does not tolerate such irresponsible reactions; He requires that one keep focus on the overall picture of miracles and blessings that are life, especially in the case of B'nei Yisroel, who were living in a supernatural state of revealed miracles and should clearly have retained a sense of that reality rather than being irrationally carried away. This was the essence of the Chet Ha-Meraglim.

Of the many mitzvos contained in the latter part of the parsha, two seem to be especially positioned there in order to echo this theme.

The first such mitzva is the Korbon Chattas (Sin Offering) for unintentional commission of Avoda Zara - Idolatry. Why must one repent for an unintentional aveira (transgression)? Because one ought to be more careful of his actions and more mindful and cognizant of the values for which he is supposed to live. One who forgets that Avoda Zara is prohibited and commits it - or one who forgets that it is prohibited to perform a certain act of Shabbos desecration, or one who forgets that it is Shabbos, and so forth for various types of Korbon Chattas - is in terrible neglect of a basic awareness that he is required to have at all times. For a Jew to accidentally worship idols, forgetful of specific prohibitions, or for him to forget that it is Shabbos or that one cannot eat on Yom Kippur, and the like, shows a neglect that requires atonement, as the unintentional sinner has lost sense of his basic religious context.

The mitzva of tzitzis at the conclusion of the parsha serves the purpose of reminding the wearer of tzitzis of God's commandments. 'And they shall be tzitzis for you, and you shall see them and remember all of Hashem's mitzvos and do them, not going astray after your hearts and eyes...' (Bamidbar 15:39) The techeiles (blue tzitzis thread) reminds one of the sea, and the sea reminds one of the heavens, and the heavens remind one of the Throne of (God's) Glory. (Menachos 43b)

The ability to become distracted and go astray rather than remembering the basics of Hashem's mandate for us and His care for our people led to the greatest catastrophic event in the entire Torah. May we learn from this and always keep the vision of tzitzis and God's Throne of Glory in the forefront of our thoughts.