What is it that causes men of conviction, strong men, men with a history of unshakable resolve, to falter and lose faith? What causes warriors to become wimps, what makes heroes lose heart?
That, of course, is the crucial question of our sedra, which revolves around the pivotal saga of the spies. Great men, these were, the creme de la creme of the nation. Righteous, pious and brave; leaders, each and every one. In fact, the order in which the spies are listed indicates their level of greatness; thus, Calev and Yehoshua are not even the greatest - they are third and fifth, respectively.
These are the best we had to offer. So, what went wrong?
Many answers are given by the commentators for the actions of the meraglim (spies): they lacked self-confidence; they feared leaving the spiritual "bubble" of the desert; etc.
But I want to suggest something else. Each of us is tested by HaShem in our own way, according to our own character. Avraham, the man of chesed, is told to kill his favorite son. Ya'akov, the man of truth, is told to be deceitful; etc. Each person's unique character elicits his special, individual trial.
But the nation as a whole is tested by... Israel. Israel is the litmus test of what we are made of, how much faith we have in HaShem, and to what extent we will put into practice the platitudes of Jewish philosophy.
For those who live outside Eretz Yisrael and have the ability to come here - to visit or to live - the challenge is to face that reality and act upon it. Deep down, in their heart of hearts, they know that the Diaspora is not our destiny, that living in Israel is a fundamental mitzvah, that G-d desires it and that the Jewish continuity depends upon it. But it takes guts, courage and a whole lot of faith to see that truth and to embrace it, especially when rationalizations abound, even in "religious" circles.
For those who do live here already, baruch HaShem, the challenge is no less daunting. Can we recognize that this State of Israel is HaShem's hand manifest in history, and not "galus with a Kotel"? Can we accept that it is only Divine power that protects us, and not the patronage of other countries? Can we acknowledge that it is our behavior as a "goy kadosh", a holy nation, that shall determine our fate, and not the dastardly designs of the nasty neighbors who surround us?
These are the hard choices that Israel presents to every Jew on Earth, even to the greatest leader or rabbi. No one will "ace" this test without a struggle. The meraglim, alas, did not score very highly; just 2 out of 12.
Now, it's our generation's chance. Can we do better?
That, of course, is the crucial question of our sedra, which revolves around the pivotal saga of the spies. Great men, these were, the creme de la creme of the nation. Righteous, pious and brave; leaders, each and every one. In fact, the order in which the spies are listed indicates their level of greatness; thus, Calev and Yehoshua are not even the greatest - they are third and fifth, respectively.
These are the best we had to offer. So, what went wrong?
Many answers are given by the commentators for the actions of the meraglim (spies): they lacked self-confidence; they feared leaving the spiritual "bubble" of the desert; etc.
But I want to suggest something else. Each of us is tested by HaShem in our own way, according to our own character. Avraham, the man of chesed, is told to kill his favorite son. Ya'akov, the man of truth, is told to be deceitful; etc. Each person's unique character elicits his special, individual trial.
But the nation as a whole is tested by... Israel. Israel is the litmus test of what we are made of, how much faith we have in HaShem, and to what extent we will put into practice the platitudes of Jewish philosophy.
For those who live outside Eretz Yisrael and have the ability to come here - to visit or to live - the challenge is to face that reality and act upon it. Deep down, in their heart of hearts, they know that the Diaspora is not our destiny, that living in Israel is a fundamental mitzvah, that G-d desires it and that the Jewish continuity depends upon it. But it takes guts, courage and a whole lot of faith to see that truth and to embrace it, especially when rationalizations abound, even in "religious" circles.
For those who do live here already, baruch HaShem, the challenge is no less daunting. Can we recognize that this State of Israel is HaShem's hand manifest in history, and not "galus with a Kotel"? Can we accept that it is only Divine power that protects us, and not the patronage of other countries? Can we acknowledge that it is our behavior as a "goy kadosh", a holy nation, that shall determine our fate, and not the dastardly designs of the nasty neighbors who surround us?
These are the hard choices that Israel presents to every Jew on Earth, even to the greatest leader or rabbi. No one will "ace" this test without a struggle. The meraglim, alas, did not score very highly; just 2 out of 12.
Now, it's our generation's chance. Can we do better?