Lead Tidbit
Thou shalt not be a fence-sitter
Let's look at the three major episodes of betrayal of faith in G-d by the Generation of the Wilderness. A little more than three months out of Egypt, only 40 days after Divine Revelation at Sinai, Bnei Yisrael sinned with the Golden Calf. 3000 people who actually worshiped (or whatever was actually done with) the calf were killed. The people of the tribe of Levi rallied to Moshe's call to right the wrong and they are forever praised for their defense of G-d's honor. The first Luchot were smashed and the overwhelming majority of the people, although they were not physically punished, are considered culpable and accountable for Cheit HaEigel. It is a sin for which the Jewish People are continually involved in atoning for. And what was the sin of the more than 99% of the population that did NOT revel in the calf? Fence-sitting. They did not react. They did not protest what the relatively small handful of their fellows were doing. They did not rally to Moshe's side, nor did they stand up for G-d's honor.

A year and three weeks later, 10 prominent Israelites (one commentary says they were SAREI ALAFIM) defamed Eretz Yisrael, displayed lack of faith in G-d, and panicked the entire population (at least the males) against going into Eretz Yisrael, as was G-d's wish and plan for us. Yehoshua and Kaleiv, Moshe and Aharon were outraged with what the Meraglim said. The people wanted to stone them. An entire generation was destined to die off in the course of 40 years of wandering, rather than imminently entering Eretz Yisrael. What was the sin of the masses? They did not join Kaleiv's call for Aliya and trusting in G-d. The sat on the fence.

Korach and Datan and Aviram, 250 Ketoret offerers and various others actively participated in Korach's rebel- lion. The 250 were struck dead by Divine Fire, the others were swallowed by the Earth. But a further plague killed 14,700 people. What was their sin? Fence-sitting and despairing.
Have we learned our lessons?