Introduction

"Eretz Yisrael" remains ahead of the Diaspora by one Parshah.  This week Jews in Israel read Parshat Korach and its Haftarah, while Jews in the Diaspora, Ashkenazic and Sefardic, read Parshat Shelach and its Haftarah.  This phenomenon was explained briefly in last week's essay on the Haftarah, and that explanation is available now also under "Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot" in the OU Website Glossary.   

The Haftarah of Shelach is taken, according to both the Ashkenazic and Sefardic communities, from the second chapter of the Book of Yehoshua.  That chapter recounts the spying mission undertaken by the Jewish People against Yericho upon their initial entry into the Land.

In the Haftarah of Shelach, there is a tremendous contrast with the Parshah. In the Parshah, the mission that began with the sending of a large group of spies, the "Meraglim," one representative from each of the twelve Tribes, amidst fanfare and perhaps a send-off parade, ended in tragedy. 

Those spies formed a conspiracy and brought back a report that disheartened the People, resulting in "weeping without a cause," that resulted in "weeping for all generations."  It caused a loss of faith that undid the previous "And they believed in HaShem and in Moshe, His servant" (Shemot 14:31), and resulted in a mutiny against G-d and Moshe, and a move to return to Egypt.

Here, in the Haftarah, the situation was entirely different.  

First of all, the delegation of spies was small, consisting of just two:  Kalev ben Yephuneh and Pinchas ben Elazar ben Aharon HaCohen.  The composition of this group reflected a level of faith in HaShem that had been proved beyond a doubt by past performance under stress.

Kalev was one of the two faithful spies from the desert delegation, along with Yehoshua.  Pinchas, the Zealot for HaShem's Name, was the one who had killed Zimri, the Prince of the Tribe of Shimon in the act of committing a terrible "Chilul HaShem," Desecration of G-d's Name, by living in public with Cuzbi bat Tzur, a Midianite Princess.  That act had saved the People of Israel from a disastrous plague.

Secondly, the delegation was sent "cheresh," silently, secretly, known only to Yehoshua, the leader of the People.  This was obviously a better method of running an intelligence operation.

Thirdly, the objective of the mission was limited.  It was to gather intelligence about one major city, and its population.  Not about a whole country, seven nations plus Amalek in the case of the "Meraglim" of a generation earlier, not about the climate, agriculture, water supply, etc. - a comprehensive survey of a whole country, within a limited time, with no time to properly digest the results.

This operation was successful.  It succeeded in providing a psychological profile of the people of Yericho, which showed that fear of Israel and its G-d had been struck into their hearts and, by their testimony, into the hearts of all the nations of the land, as well.

At the beginning of the Haftarah, the spies arrive at the home of Rachav, embedded in the thick wall of the city.  She is described in the text as an "ishah zonah."  There are two opinions as to the meaning of this expression: the first, that it means "harlot," in accordance with the plain meaning of the word; the second is that it means "innkeeper," which doesn't deviate greatly from the plain meaning.

In any case, the Talmud in Masechet Megilah 15a, describes her as  one of the four most beautiful women in the history of the world: Sarah, Rachav, Avigail and Esther.  And in Masechet Zevachim  116b, it is recorded that for forty years, from the time she was ten at the time of the Exodus, throughout the forty years that the Jewish  People were in the desert, she plied her trade with every important  official in Yericho.  This would explain why she would be considered  an excellent source of information by the Jewish spies.

In any case, again, she would be another example of a highly improbable Biblical heroine, a woman of great beauty and great intelligence, albeit of dubious moral character initially, who repented, and converted, as a result of this encounter with representatives of G-d's People.  In fact, the Talmud records that she became the wife of Yehoshua after the conquest of Yericho.

The King of Yericho, which was probably a very large metropolis at that time, is informed of the arrival of the spies at the House of Rachav.  Hearing of this, she quickly hides them among the flax mats on her roof.  Troops are dispatched to her home, who order her to turn them over. 

She misleads the pursuing forces by telling them that  the spies were indeed at her home, but that they'd just left, with an unknown destination.  If the troops would immediately resume their pursuit, they would have a good chance of capturing them. The Midrash of Pirka D'Rabbeinu HaKadosh 15 states that she was one of the three individuals who, for their lies, were rewarded in this world and the next.  The troops resume their hot pursuit, closing the gates of the city behind them in order to trap the spies within the city if they'd remained inside.

Rachav goes to her roof to speak with the spies of Israel.  She says, "I know that G-d has given the Land of Canaan over to you, and that terror of the Israelites has fallen upon all my countrymen,… because we heard about how HaShem dried up the waters of the Yam Suf for you to cross over on your way out of Egypt, and of how you destroyed Sichon and Og, the two Emorite Kings, on the Eastern side of the Yarden.  When we heard that, our hearts melted, and nobody's spirit was able to rise to challenge you, for HaShem, your G-d, is the true G-d of Heaven and Earth." (Yehoshua 2: 9-11)

Now Rachav requested "payment" for the great favor she'd done for the spies, in saving their lives.  "And now, swear to me, by your G-d, for inasmuch as I showed kindness to you, that you will likewise be kind to my family; give me a sign of your faithfulness.  Spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters and all their families." (Yehoshua 2: 12-13).

The spies swore by their lives that if Rachav kept the secret, that when HaShem would give them victory over the city, that they would return her truth and kindness.  And she lowered them by a rope over the walls, since she lived in the thick wall of the city.  (Yehoshua 2: 14-15)

Rachav urged them, "Go and hide in the mountains for three days, until the soldiers pursuing you have given up their search."  They said to her, "We will be clear of this oath if you do not mark the window by which you lowered us with a red thread, and gather your father, your mother, your brothers and all your family into your house." (Yehoshua 2: 16-18)

"Anyone who leaves the house will be responsible for the loss of his life, and we will be clear; but if anybody with you in the house is killed, their blood will be on our heads.  And if you tell this to anyone else, we are clear of the oath that we have sworn to you." (Yehoshua 2: 19-20)

"Rachav said, 'As you have spoken, so be it;' and she sent them, and they left, and she tie a red thread in her window.  They fled to the mountains for three days until the pursuing soldiers gave up the chase." (Yehoshua 2: 21-22)

"The two men descended the mountain, crossed the Yarden, and came to Yehoshua bin Nun.  They told him everything that had happened to them.  They told Yehoshua, 'HaShem has given us all of the Land, and all its inhabitants have melted in fear before us.' " (Yehoshua 2:23-24)

Rabbi Pinchas Frankel