Parshas Shelach communicates a fundamental message: that our people - every individual and the entire collective - have been sent out on a mission.
That mission mirrors - and brings to fulfillment - the purpose of the creation of the world, the establishment of a dwelling for G-d amidst our material environment.
As the Rebbe Shlita, Melech HaMashiach, has repeatedly emphasized, the consummation of this mission is not a faraway dream, but an imminent reality.
Mashiach IS coming, far quicker than any of us could possibly imagine.
In the brief moments that remain, however, our task is not merely to wait with hopeful patience, but to persevere with our efforts to make the world conscious of Mashiach and create an environment where his mission in which his mission can be fulfilled.
May studying the teachings of the Rebbe Shlita, Melech HaMashiach, foster the success of this mission and arouse G-d's blessings, including the blessings which are most necessary at present: the complete and immediate recovery of the Rebbe Shlita and his consummate revelation as Melech HaMashiach.
21 Sivan, 5754
Adapted from:
Sefer HaSichos 5749, Vol. II, p. 536ff;
Sefer HaSichos 5750, p. 517ff;
Sichos Shabbos Parshas Shelach, 5745
The Rambam writes:
[1]
"Every person is fit to be righteous like Moshe our teacher, or wicked like Yerovam.... There is no one who compels him, decrees upon him, or leads him to either of these two paths. Instead, it is he - on his own initiative and thought - who tends to the path he desires....
"This principle is a fundamental concept and a pillar [on which rests] the Torah and its commandment[s] as it is written: [2] "Behold I have set before you today life [and good, death and evil,]"... i.e., the choice is yours.
"Any one of the mortal acts which a person desires to do, he may, whether good or evil.... The Creator does not compel or decree that people should do either good or bad. Instead, everything is left to their [own choice]."
G-d did not create man to be an automaton.
Instead, He gave him a unique potential, free choice, which distinguishes him from all other forms of life. [3]
All other existence is ruled by the laws of nature, or its own instinctual drives.
Man, by contrast, has the power to control his conduct, and act according to his own initiative.
The exercise of our free choice lies at the heart of our Divine service.
We have the option of carrying out G-d's will, or ignoring it, Heaven forbid, and our challenge is to "choose life," [4] living our lives as He desires them.
In particular, two types of positive choice are expected of us:
- Obedience to the mitzvos of the Torah.
G-d has given us a multi-faceted set of deeds which we are obligated to implement, and others which we are forbidden to perform. At times, performing the deeds required of us or observing the prohibitions imposed upon us involves an inner confrontation, for doing so may run contrary to our natural tendencies and desires.
Our power of choice enables us to employ control and negate any inner obstacles that hinder the fulfillment of G-d's will.
- Molding one's character to conform to G-d's will, even when there is no explicit commandment.
There is an entire realm of activities referred to as reshus, "what is permitted."
We are not told what we must do, or what we must avoid. But that does not mean that there is not a G-dly mode of conduct appropriate for these activities.
The initiative, however, is given to us.
We must strive to discover G-d's will ourselves, and then shape our characters accordingly.
These two thrusts are reflected in the mishnah:
[5] "Make His will your will, so that He may fulfill your will as though it were His will. Set aside your will because of His will, so that He may set aside the will of others before your will."
Setting aside your will because of His will refers to the challenge of foregoing one's own desires in order to obey G-d's commandments.
Making His will your will refers to a greater challenge, molding one's character so that it will reflect and express G-d's will even in situations where G-d's command is not specific.
The task of molding one's character represents a more complete expression of our potential for free choice.
When a commandment has been given, even though man has the option whether or not to obey, the fact that G-d has given a command spurs obedience, for every Jew has a natural desire to serve G-d and fulfill His will. [6]
Moreover, on the most practical level, when G-d's will is explicit, the choice facing man is clear cut.
On the other hand, when G-d has not given an explicit command, and man has to elevate and refine himself until he appreciates what is expected of him, the challenge facing him - and the choice he must make - is far more encompassing. [7]
This approach to Divine service represents the new dimension contributed by this week's Torah reading.
The Torah reading begins: [8] Shelach lecha - "You may send...." Rashi explains that the people had come to Moshe with a request to send spies to explore Eretz Yisrael, and Moshe had brought their request to G-d.
G-d had replied: "It is up to you. I am not commanding you. If you desire, send."
This represented a new phase in our people's relationship with G-d.
Previously, the Torah had related the commandments which G-d had given Moshe for the conduct of the Jewish people.
It also had described certain situations, e.g., the second opportunity to offer the Paschal sacrifice, [9] where the Jews had come to Moshe with a request, and Moshe had relayed that request to G-d.
But even in those instances, G-d had responded with an explicit command.
This was the first occasion that G-d had left the matter to Moshe's choice.
This new approach to Divine service, that the initiative be given to man, is associated with the objective of the spies' mission, our people's entry into Eretz Yisrael.
The goal of life in Eretz Yisrael is to fashion a dwelling for G-d within the realities of everyday experience.
More particularly, this dwelling should be established through man's initiative.
Were the dwelling to be established by revelation from above, it would be incomplete.
Man as he exists within his own context and the power of creativity he possesses would not be included within it.
When, by contrast, man transforms his own will, and on the basis of his inner metamorphosis, proceeds to transform his surrounding environment, G-d's dwelling becomes internalized within our existence.
Since the focus is on man's initiative, there is a possibility of error.
[10]
The very term free choice implies that one may make an incorrect decision.
Indeed, in the narrative of our Torah reading, not only did such a potential exist, the wrong choice was actually made. [11] The spies returned and spread panic among the Jewish people, causing them to fear entering Eretz Yisrael.
As the narrative indicates, [12] however, this error can be corrected through teshuvah, sincere return to G-d.
In this context as well, the emphasis is on man's initiative.
For teshuvah involves a person penetrating to his core and summoning up the inner strength to reestablish the bond with G-d severed through his improper conduct.
Indeed, through teshuvah, a person can reach a rung above his previous level of Divine service. As our Sages teach: [13] "Perfect tzaddikim (righteous men) cannot stand in the place of a baal teshuvah."
Nevertheless, the possibility exists for teshuvah even without sin.
As our Sages say: [14] "Mashiach will motivate the righteous to turn [to G-d] in teshuvah."
Through such efforts, the advantage reached through teshuvah can be accomplished without a prior stage of descent.
This is the ultimate expression of man's power of achievement: to set out on his own initiative, to accomplish his objective, and to turn to G-d with the all-encompassing inner bond that is established through teshuvah.
The above concepts are alluded to in the name of the Torah reading Shelach.
Shelach means "send," indicating that every person - and in a larger sense, the Jewish people as a whole - are sent out, caused to leave their natural environment and charged with a mission.
This mission enables both the individual and the collective to advance and reach a more elevated rung.
In a personal sense, this refers to the mission of every soul as it is sent down from the spiritual realms to be enclothed within the body and material existence.
This is "a descent for the sake of an ascent," [15] for through using material entities for a spiritual purpose, the soul progresses to a higher level.
In a larger sense, this refers to the mission of the Jewish people to make our world a dwelling for G-d.
"Sent out" from continent to continent, our people have labored toward this objective for thousands of years, adding spiritual content to the world's existence through their observance of the Torah and its mitzvos.
This objective is no longer an abstract goal.
On the contrary, we are standing at the threshold of the Redemption, moments before the consummation of this task through the coming of Mashiach.
And then we will merit the complete fulfillment of the promise of our Torah reading, [16] "I will bring them [there] and they will know the land."
May this take place in the immediate future.
Notes:
- (Back to text) Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 5:2-3.
- (Back to text) Deuteronomy 30:15.
- (Back to text) Rambam, loc. cit.:1.
- (Back to text) Deuteronomy 30:19.
- (Back to text) Avos 2:4.
- (Back to text) Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Gerushin, the conclusion of ch. 2.
- (Back to text) The emphasis on free choice being expressed in the sphere of conduct where effort is necessary to discover G-d's will is reflected in the Rambam's wording (Hilchos Teshuvah, loc. cit.). The Rambam speaks about being "wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, miserly or generous," referring to character traits which must be blended in proper proportion (see Mishneh Torah, Hilchos De'os, ch. 1), and not about the observance of mitzvos or prohibitions where G-d's will is spelled out explicitly.
- (Back to text) Numbers 13:2.
- (Back to text) See Numbers, ch. 9.
- (Back to text) See Rashi's commentary on Numbers 13:2.
- (Back to text) More particularly, it can be explained that the spies' error came as a result of the thrust towards establishing a dwelling for G-d within the material world. As a result, they thought their mission involved not only collecting information with regard to the best way possible to enter Eretz Yisrael, but also that they - i.e., mortals - should make the decision whether or not to enter Eretz Yisrael.
- (Back to text) See Moshe's dialogue with G-d, Numbers, ch. 14.
- (Back to text) Berachos 34b, as cited by the Rambam (Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 7:4). See the essay entitled "Teshuvah - Return, Not Repentance" (Timeless Patterns in Time, Vol. I, p. 33ff).
- (Back to text) Zohar III, p. 153b.
- (Back to text) Cf. Makkos 8b.
- (Back to text) Numbers 14:31.
Behalosecha 5754