Spies, Wars, Disengagement, and Appreciation

I can't help but notice the string of symbolic events crossing paths this week. Parshat Shelach foreshadows the unfortunate theme of placing human reasoning before the immediate realization of G-d's plan. We all know the story of the spies sent on a reconnaissance mission to the land of milk and honey, meant to lay the foundation for the Jewish people's early entry into Eretz Yisrael. Their negative report (on a land even they confirmed to be quite fertile) doomed the Jewish people to remain in the Galut and wander the desert for forty years until their generation was purged, so that only the next generation would merit entering G-d's land. As a G-d loving Jew, it is difficult to sympathize with the sins of the incident, although we continue to see them throughout Jewish and modern Israeli history.

Though unattached to anniversaries or readings of this week, the Jewish people preferred to stay in the Galut during the era of the Second Temple as well. Many Jews today fervently proclaim their desire to pick up to Israel the second the Mashiach will arise and usher in the era of the Third Temple. This is easy to understand. It is difficult to understand why any Jew would prefer the Galut to an Eretz Yisrael with a Temple, as the Jewish people did during the times of Ezra and Nechemia.

I am now entrenched in Michael Oren's densely filled history book of Israel's Six Day War in 1967. In the weeks preceding the war, at a point when war was most certainly imminent, it is almost astonishing to note just how many Israeli politicians staunchly favored guarantees from the United States and the International community, versus placing our faith in G-d and taking our fate into our own responsibility. Only the military elite favored a pre-emptive attack. In fact, I was not sure whether to laugh or cry when reading of one General Arik Sharon's chastising of Levi Eshkol for attempting to 'pander' to the desires of America for material guarantees. Sharon and the Generals proved to be correct in their minority assessment, and conquering the lands Eretz Yisrael by force was indeed proven to be a part of Hashem's glorious plan.

Now, on the Gregorian anniversary of the historic Six Day War, Israeli politicians seek to give lands of Eretz Yisrael away. And, those very same lands which were boldly secured with Hashem's help in 1967. In fact, you can even read of ideas to bring back Jordanians into Yehuda and Shomron, Egypt into 'Azza, and talks of peace with Syria which may lead to a return of the Golan Heights. (I hadn't even realized that we were currently at war with Syria.)

Furthermore, Jews living abroad speak of remaining in the Galut until a time when responsibility no longer needs to be taken to secure one's fate in G-d's ultimate plan.

This disengagement talk and the stubbornness of the Galut wreaks of the same misguideness that steered the incident of the spies, the failure of Jews to return during the era of the Second Temple, and the ideas that came surprisingly close to costing Israel in 1967.

When you read Tanach, you realize that one must put faith in Hashem above all else, and recognize Hashem's plan for the Jewish people to inherit Israel (which often takes a foreceful effort). By loving and appreciating Hashem as the One with life's true logic, we can easily submit to his plan for the Jewish people and immediately realize our inheritance.

When the spies cost the Jewish people in the Midbar, Hashem's plan was not averted, only those who would realize the plan were changed. In Megillat Esther, Mordechai instructs Esther before the impending tragedy about to engulf the Jewish people (shortly before the eventual rebuilding of the Second Temple): "If you persist (in resisting your responsibility to the Jewish nation)... relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from some other place, while you and your father?s house will perish."

Esther met her responsibilities, the Jewish people were saved and the Second Temple was built soon after. In the Midbar, the spies did not meet their responsibilities and did not merit entering into Israel (except of course for Calev and Yehoshua), although the next generation of the Jewish nation would enter 40 years later.

In June 1967, Israel met its responsibilities with blessings and miracles from Hashem. I can only hope that today on the anniversary of thrilling victory, we will accept our responsibilities and destiny, appreciate G-d's love for us and our fear of G-d, and merit to fully inherit Eretz Yisrael for ourselves and the entire Jewish nation in our lifetimes.