Parshat Sh'lach
Aliya-by-Aliya Sedra Summary

Numbers in [square brackets] are the mitzva-count of the Sefer HaChinuch

Kohen - First Aliya - 20 p'sukim - 13:1-20
G-d tells Moshe to send scouts to "spy out" the Land. The emphasis in the wording of the pasuk is on Moshe being the one sending the Meraglim, not at G-d's command nor by His "desire".

[SDT] the L'CHA of Lech L'cha, we are taught, means, "for your benefit". You are not going just because I command, but it is to your advantage to go. The KLI YAKAR suggests a similar meaning of the L'CHA in Sh'lach l'cha. How can we say that the sending of the Meraglim was to anyone's benefit? The result of the Meraglim was that Moshe's life was prolonged by 40 years.
The representatives of each tribe are named and the Torah testifies to the high caliber of each man.

[SDT] Back in Bamidbar, when the Tribal leaders were named, both Efrayim and Menashe were identified as the sons of Yosef - both within the same pasuk. Here, only Menashe is identified with Yosef, and Efrayim's scout - Yehoshua - is listed 3 p'sukim earlier, without reference to Yosef. Commentaries note that Yosef had been involved in "negative reports" against his brothers, as was the scout of Menashe, Gadi b. Susi. Yehoshua, of course, remained clear of the taint of DIBA RA'A and is therefore not mentioned together with Yosef, in this context.

And Moshe called Hoshea bin Nun, Yehoshua.

[SDT] Rashi says that by adding a YUD to Hoshea's name, he was giving him a bracha that he should be saved from the group decision of the other Meraglim. MIMA NAFSHACH (whichever way you want to look at the situation) - Why did not Moshe bless the others similarly? And why would Yehoshua need a bracha when Kalev apparently did not?
Whether a Scout will come back with the proper attitude or not was based on each individual's personality, perceptions, and conclusions. That was up to each of the 12 individuals. That's not why Moshe gave a special bracha to Yehoshua. Moshe had a separate fear concerning Yehoshua. He could imagine Yehoshua joining the Meraglim in discouraging the People from entering the Land so that Moshe's life would be prolonged. Eldad and Meidad had prophesied that Moshe would die and Yehoshua would lead the people into the Land, and Yehoshua heard it. Moshe's bracha to Yehoshua was to keep Yehoshua honest, so to speak, so that he would not join the "evil advice" for any reason, even one to benefit Moshe himself.
Moshe gives the scouts instructions and an itinerary, hoping that they will return with an encouraging report for Bnei Yisrael. It was the time of the ripening of the grapes, BIKUREI ANAVIM.

Levi - Second Aliya - 20 p'sukim - 13:21-14:7
The Torah describes the 40-day "tour" of the scouts. When they returned, they reported to the People about the truly beautiful land to which they had been sent. They showed the samples of the fruits they brought back with them. They described the apparent strength of the inhabitants (in an attempt to scare the people). And they mentioned Amalek (knowing it would have a discouraging effect).

Kalev silenced the people and tells them that they should go to the Land; "we can do it!". The other ten scouts objected and spoke against the Land, causing widespread panic among the people. Moshe, Aharon, Kalev, and Yehoshua are greatly troubled by the words of the Meraglim and by the reaction of the people. Kalev and Yehoshua proclaim the goodness of the Land.

[SDT] ...and we were in our eyes like grasshoppers (compared to the giants of Canaan) and so we appeared to them. The Kotzker Rebbe and others define two components of the Sin of the Spies from this part of the pasuk. First, that we saw ourselves as small and insignificant, com- pared with the nations in Eretz Yisrael. Second, that we were concerned about how others perceived us. With G-d obviously on our side (we know what happened to Egypt and we witnessed so many miracles performed on our behalf), we should not have viewed ourselves that way. And, how others perceive us is their problem, not ours.

[SDT] Rashi says that when the Meraglim stressed how strong the people in K'na'an were, they were including an insult to G-d as well, as if to say, they are stronger even than G-d.

Shlishi - Third Aliya - 18 p'sukim - 14:8-25
“If G-d wants us to go there, then we will obviously be able to prevail. Just don't rebel against Him.” The People wanted to stone Kalev and Yehoshua for those words. G-d is "angered" by the people and "suggests" to Moshe that He will destroy them. Moshe argues on behalf of the people. His (main) argument is that other nations will say that G-d did not have the ability to bring Bnei Yisrael into K'na'an, so He killed them in the wilderness. This would be a Chilul HaShem. Moshe then invokes a modified version of the Divine Attributes and pleads for forgiveness for the people. (Part of Moshe's words at this point have been incorporated into our davening.) G-d agrees to Moshe's pleas. (G-d's response to Moshe also becomes part of the Yom Kippur davening.) G-d declares that this is the tenth time that the People have "tested" His patience (so to speak). He promises that the men of this generation will not enter the Land - except for Kalev (and Yehoshua).

The People are told that Amalek and the Canaanites occupy the valley and that they (the People of Israel) will have to divert towards the Midbar.

Compare and Learn
Towards the end of last week's sedra, we have the episode of Miriam's talking about Moshe and her punishment for her relatively mild transgression of LASHON HARA. Commentaries point out the juxtaposition of the episode of the spies.

There is more to this than "simply" two examples of Lashon HaRa, one about a person and one about Eretz Yisrael. There are important elements and details to be learned one from the other.

For example, it is not just the speaker of Lashon HaRa that transgresses. Those who listen to LH passively, without objecting, those who accept the LH as truth - they too transgress. The Sin of the Spies was not restricted to 10 people. Thousands of those who heard what was said and accepted it, and panicked because of it, they too were guilty. And they were punished, as we know.

Translate this into our time. It is not enough for one to refrain from bad-mouthing Eretz Yisrael, one cannot stand by idly when others do it. Kalev jumped up as soon as he heard what the Meraglim said. He grabbed the microphone (figuratively) and did his best to repudiate the words of the Meraglim and made his own impassioned pitch for Aliya.

We must not "put down" Israel, its people, life here, etc. We must object when others do. And I would suggest that even saying something negative in a joke is also problematic. It would at least be AVAK LASHON HARA.
One commentary turns the question of juxtaposition around. Something has to follow something else in the Torah. Going to ask about every two things that come together? He answers based on the explanation of the function of the parsha that is bracketed with the backwards NUNs (in last week’s sedra). It was to separate between tragic episodes. If so, then why not separate between the episode of Miriam and that of the Spies? Ans. To make the point.

R'VI'I - Fourth Aliya - 27 p'sukim - 14:26-15:7
The Torah elaborates upon the devastating pronouncement by G-d. The People shall roam in the Midbar for a number of years equal to the number of days of the spies' trip.

Clarification:
The Sin of the Spies occurred on Tish'a b'Av 2449, more than a year out of Egypt. The total time in the Midbar from Exodus to entry into the Eretz Yisrael is 40 years. So the punishment is really for less than 39 years, not 40. The answer is that the Sin of the Spies is the culmination of the "angering" of G-d. We can say that it began back at the Sin of the Golden Calf (or even before that - we "complained" when were hardly out of Egypt).

The 40-year punishment is retro-active to Cheit HaEigel (or earlier).

The people deeply regret their behavior and now plan to enter the Land immediately. Moshe warns them not to, because G-d no longer wants them to do so (at this point). Some of the people went anyway - without the protection of the Aron - and are defeated and repelled by Amalek and K'na'an.

The Torah next sets down the details of the flour and oil offering and libation of wine that are to accompany most korbanot.
[SDT] It is important to note the context of these laws. Right after being told that the older generation (males) will not enter the Land, G-d comforts them by teaching procedures that will apply in Eretz Yisrael, specifically mitzvot that are to be "pleasing to G-d". It is as if G-d says, "Don't be too dismayed; your children will live in Eretz Yisrael and will serve Me in the Beit HaMikdash" in this special way.

Chamishi - Fifth Aliya - 9 p'sukim - 15:8-16
The details of the MINCHA & NESECH are completed in this portion. (See SDT at the bottom of the previous page.)

Then the equality of Torah law for all Jews is reiterated and emphasized.
It seems obvious that this area of mitzva was purposely put here in the aftermath of the Sin of the Spies. There are at least two other places in the Torah where the topic is presented, where the mitzva is counted, and where it fits well in the context. It seems superfluous here except as a message for the post-Meraglim period. Note also, that it is not merely a mitzva that will apply in Eretz Yisrael, but one that is part of the Beit HaMikdash service.
Rashi points out that the Hebrew word SEH (spelled SIN-HEI) refers generically to the young of both sheep and goat. Similarly, back in Parshat Bo, the Korban Pesach is to be a SEH, and both lamb and kid are specified. Although many people think “lamb” when Korban Pesach is mentioned, a male goat within its first year is equally valid.

Shishi - Sixth Aliya - 10 p'sukim - 15:17-26
The mitzva of Challa is presented [385].

MITZVA WATCH
Two major aspects of this precious Mitzva are:

It is performed with the essential food of humans - Bread, the staff of life. This elevates the mundane physical necessity of food to a spiritual level.
Secondly, the fact that we are to give Challa to a Kohen - specifically after most of the work has been done, meaning that we give Challa from the ready-to-pop-into-the-oven dough rather than the raw produce of other gifts to the Kohen - indicates that it is not merely the gift that is significant, but the service to the Kohen that we perform that is important as well.

Challa is one of the Mitzvot that our Sages have kept active by rabbinic decree since the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash, so that its practice and lessons should not be lost to us. Furthermore, Challa is rabbinically required in Chutz LaAretz, even though the Torah introduces the mitzva with, "with your coming to the Land". This too helps keep Torat Challah alive among the Jewish People. Often, reciting and learning appropriate Torah passages is sufficient to remember a "suspended" mitzva. Not with this one. Actual performance of the mitzva continues.

Next the Torah presents the details of the Chatat (sin offering) of the community (in cases where the leaders of the community inadvertently misled the people — in Avoda Zara related matters.) Here again it seems obvious that this topic is brought up because of the context of the Sin of the Spies. This mitzva is not counted here, but it certainly conveys G-d's attitude (so to speak) about Cheit HaMeraglim. We recognize that sometimes our leaders must bear the responsibility of leading us astray (but not always - often we must be accountable and not claim that we were just following orders). The ideas (and text) of this portion form part of our Yom Kippur service.

Sh'vi'i - Seventh Aliya - 15 p'sukim - 15:27-41
On the other hand, many times each individual must be accountable for his own actions; we cannot always blame our leaders. The Torah in this portion discusses the Chatat of the individual. These offerings are appropriate only for inadvertent violation; intentional violation (idolatry is implied in this context) is punishable by KAREIT (excision, being cut off...), and is atoneable by other methods.

Following the Sin of the Spies and preceding the sin of the woodgatherer, the Torah presents us with both types of sin offerings - the communal and the individual. Especially since these topics are dealt with (and counted among Taryag) elsewhere, it is more than reasonable to consider these to be "contextual mitzvot" (Remember that many mitzvot are presented totally detached from any "story" in the Torah, and many stories are related without mitzvot attached. Contextual mitzvot are not as common, but by combining story and mitzva, they pack a strong punch.)

The Torah next tells us of the woodgatherer (Tradition identifies him as Zelafchad) who was locked up pending details from G-d as to how a public desecrator of the Shabbat is to be executed. (That public desecration of the Shabbat is a capital offense was already known.) G-d's command was to stone the violator. And so it was done.

Woodgathering on Shabbat would not usually be a capital offense, especially in a midbar, where carrying would be a rabbinic prohibition. However, with the multitude of Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar at this point, conditions of a R'SHUT HARABIM were present.

The final portion of the sedra is the third passage of the Sh'ma - the portion of Tzitzit. It contains the mitzva to put Tzitzit on the corners of a four-corner garment [386] and that one of the strings of each corner should be dyed t'cheilet, the special blue dye.

Clarification...
The Torah's command regarding tzitzit is to put them on a 4-cornered garment that we wear. If we don't wear such a garment, then there is no mitzva to fulfill. From the Torah’s perspective, we are dealing with what is called a Mitzva Kiyumit rather than a Mitzva Chiyuvit (you perform a mitzva if you do it, but no violation for non-performance, as opposed to an obligatory mitzva for which we are held accountable by G-d for non-fulfillment).

Our Sages have required us to purposely wear a 4-cornered garment, viz. talit (called Talit Gadol) and arba kanfot (a.k.a. talit katan), thus turning the mitzva into a CHIYUVIT-type.

It is significant to note that the Rabbis do not often require us to create the circumstances that would then obligate us to perform a mitzva. If you have a day-laborer working for you, then certain mitzvot and prohibitions apply. If not, they don’t. You don’t have to go out and hire someone in order to do these mitzvot. If we have sheep (at least five) and we shear the wool, THEn we have the mitzva of REISHIT HAGEIZ to perform. If not, not. You want to eat meat - mitzva to slaughter the animal properly. But with Tzitzit... They did so with tzitzit (perhaps) because it is not merely a mitzva that we "perform", but it is a mitzva that we wear. It is an integral part of our everyday mundane lives. What a shame to be without this inspirational mitzva because the style of clothing has changed and we no longer wear four-cornered garments.
It is significant that our Sages did not leave this mitzva optional. It carries such a significance that the Sages used their G-d-given authority to require it.

The Torah links the mitzva of tzitzit with all the mitzvot of the Torah; tzitzit serve as a reminder of the Jew's all-encompassing commitment to G-d.
This is followed by the warning not to follow the evil temptation of the eye (mind) or heart (emotion) [387].

MITZVA WATCH
There are two prohibitions (and 4 positive commands) that the Sefer HaChinuch says apply 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, etc. Not to believe in other gods, and this one about resisting temptation to sin. (The positive commandments are to believe in G-d, that He is One, to love Him, and to revere Him.) This mitza of V'LO TATURU is in very impressive company among the mitzvot.

The Torah then reiterates the importance of belief in G-d in general, and in His having redeemed us from Egypt, in particular. Thus, the twice daily recitation of the Sh'ma constitutes the fulfillment of the mitzva to remember the Exodus "all the days of your life", in addition to its own mitzva, the recitation of the Sh'ma.

It follows that when one recites the Sh’ma, one should have specific KAVANA at the end of the third passage to fulfill the mitzva to remember the Exodus all the days of our lives.

Note that the two positive mitzvot of Parshat Sh’lach deal with two main, basic needs of humans - food and clothing, physical necessities that have significant spiritual dimensions as well. (Challa and tzitzit are examples of many other mitzvot that relate to food and clothing - brachot, kashrut, modesty.) Shlach also contains various aspects of korbanot (even though they are not counted from this sedra) the former are the basics; the latter are the spiritual and lofty. It is as if the people are being rebuilt from scratch following the devastating sin of the spies.

The last 5 p'sukim, (the tzitzit portion) are reread for the Maftir.

Haftara - 24 p'sukim -Yehoshua 2:1-24
Paralleling the main theme of the sedra, the Haftara tells us of other spies - two of them, according to the Midrash they were Kalev and Pinchas - who were sent by Yehoshua into Yericho. Rahav, who had heard of the wonders that happened to the People of Israel, protects the spies from the men who are searching for them. In exchange for her protection, Rahav receives a promise that she and her family will be spared when the Israelite army attacks the city. Tradition tells us that Rahav subsequently became a sincere convert to Judaism and the wife of Yehoshua.

In one case, the Spies were our undoing. In the other, they served a very positive function. Ironic.