Parashat Shlach serves as an example of a Torah that’s based in logic and common sense. It’s true that emunah, faith, is the backbone behind our service, but our masterful Torah is also a wellspring of logic and a foundation for depth of thought. The episode of the spies and the mitzvah of tzitzit presented at the end of the parasha have an inherent message that speaks to the symmetry and wisdom of the Torah.
In regard to man’s cohesiveness towards reaching the optimum life, the Ramchal gives an opening in his sefer Da'at Tevunot (The Knowledge of Understanding).
There, he presents a dialogue between the neshamah, soul, and the sechel, the faculties of the mind. The conversation pierces the depths towards understanding our purpose in this world. As we will see, Shlomo HaMelech in Mishlei, Proverbs, and the Maharam Chalava, a 14th-century Rishon, speaks to this idea.
A Balanced Torah
My uncle, Rabbi Genack, notes that in parsha Shlach the mitzvah of tzitzit, enumerated at the end of the parsha, stands as a tikkun, rectification, for the sin of the meraglim (spies). The meraglim improperly used their eyes to paint a dismal picture of Eretz Yisrael. In turn, we are told to look at the tzitzit to prevent us from scouting with our eyes to see improper images. Rectification is a logical mechanism to address a deep spiritual fall.
Furthermore, it points towards the mechanism of midah k’neged midah, measure for measure, that one must be involved in the same action to achieve true salvation.
In addition, the presentation of how not to follow one’s eyes towards sin is very telling. The Torah says that one shouldn't go after his heart and eyes. One could ask that the focal message is not to follow one’s eyes. Why then is the heart mentioned before the eyes?
But this speaks to the deliberate man who must use his sechel-logic and rationality-before jumping into action. With thought, one could say that the consequences involved in pursuing one’s eyes are not worth it. It’s a prohibition within the area of promiscuity, not an area where one wants to fall, as it can lead to many more severe sins and break a holy bond with G-d.
The fact that the heart is used to represent thought is already evident in other verses in the Torah. For instance, the verse (Devarim 4:39) says, “And you shall know this day and consider it in your heart, that the Lord He is God in heaven above, and upon the earth below; there is none else."
Here we see the heart used as a metaphor for knowledge, internalization, and thought. One must take a pause before engaging in any sin and consider the consequences. Many of the mitzvot bring rectification and therefore infringing upon them lessens the world of holiness.
Transforming Evil to Good
In the third verse of the opening chapter of Mishlei, Proverbs, after Shlomo HaMelech references different kinds of wisdom, he says, “Laka'achat mussar haskel…" which can be read to say that the one who adopts mussar study, a discipline that focuses on self-improvement, is considered to have sechel, the highest level of usage of the mind. Shlomo HaMelech, the wisest man who ever lived, designated gaining knowledge for self-improvement as the highest form of wisdom. This is a message to man to deliberate on what's good and what's bad; how can he become wise through making the right choices?
Rabbi Chaim Finkel, who studied under one of the mussar giants in the Mir yeshiva, Rav Chaim Shmulevitz, brings a fascinating insight that directly speaks to the need to live a deliberate and well-thought-out life, where the evil inclination is transformed for the good. A thinking individual would certainly want both inclinations to work in their favor to deliver unparalleled achievement.
He first brings a Zohar on a verse in Tehillim, Psalms (91:1), “Ki mal’achav yetzaveh-lach, lishmorcha bechol-drachech-For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways."
The Zohar explains that these two angels are the good and evil inclination. At birth, the evil inclination becomes part of us, and at age thirteen, the good inclination joins. The verse is saying that both of these angels should guard you in your ways. How can the evil inclination guard one? The answer is that the good inclination, the force of good, overcomes and subjugates the evil inclination that desires pure physicality to his side. So we see that with deliberate and conscious thought and action, evil can be transformed to good.
Just as poignant, and with a direct reference to the sechel, mind, the great Talmudist, the Maharam Chalava, explains another verse in Mishlei, Proverbs, that works in concordance with the Zohar’s understanding.
The verse (Mishlei 13:17) says, “Mal’akh rasha’ yippol be-ra’, ve-tsir emunim marpe-A wicked messenger falls into adversity, but a faithful envoy brings healing." He explains that the word “Mal’akh," literally means an angel, here representing the evil inclination which brings one down, pegged against the good inclination, which the Maharam Chalava says possesses the power of sechel, faculties of thought. So the verse is saying that when the bad angel, the evil inclination, brings you down, then the good inclination, “the faithful envoy," has the chance to transform this evil to good and bring one to a state of “marpe," healing.
The idea is not to constantly be in a battle with the evil inclination but have him work for you. For instance, if you subjugate the passion and desire of the evil inclination towards the study of Torah, then a great fire of Torah can emerge, emanating from two forces, that of the good and evil inclination.
If one wants to use both forces to overcome such traits as desire, jealousy, and seeking honor, one can tap into the passion of the evil inclination and combine it with the sechel, deliberate good inclination, to reach a maximum level of diligence to avoid these tendencies.
The Soul is Ultimately Responsible
At the outset, we referenced the Ramchal's sefer, Da'at Tevunot, which presents a dialogue between the neshamah, soul, and mind. It’s true that the neshamah, soul, asks many questions to understand the secrets of G-d's ways, however, in the end, the neshamah, soul, will face judgment and must take charge of the path a person takes.
My great-great-grandfather, who was fluent in Shas, halakha, midrash, and kabbalah, brings a proof to this charge. In Shemoneh Esrei, we say in modim, Ve-al nish-mo-tei-nu hap-ke-ku-dot lach, to mean the neshamah, soul, is appointed over the guf, the physical body. The neshamah, soul, will have to answer for all failures in a G-dly life, and therefore, it must exercise strong willpower to subjugate the evil inclination.
He adds a piece of advice to bring harmony between both inclinations. Torah is called Shalom and has the power to bring peace between the neshamah, soul, and guf, body. This can be an avenue to begin the subjugation process.
Conclusion
No one can lead a deliberate life without sechel, a profound exercise of thought. We see in parashat Shlach a rational tikkun, a rectification of the spies, who misused their eyes, leading to a mitzvah of tzitzit, where we can demonstrate that we won’t see and go after desire. It’s equally applicable in mussar, the study to improve oneself, where one should subjugate his evil inclination in order to reach unparalleled heights. As deliberate people, we must consider what’s at stake in life and give serious thought to every decision.