Parshat Devarim opens with the story of the Meraglim
(spies). Why do we need to review the story of the spies? After all, we just
read about it a few weeks ago in Parshat Shlach.
The review of the story of the spies reminds the new
generation that is about to enter the Land of Israel about the mistakes that
their parents made and the reason that B’nai Yisrael had to wander in the
desert for forty years. Their parents didn’t trust in God and were afraid to
enter the land. Their punishment was that they in fact would not enter the land
and only their children would enter the land after the older generation passed
away.
Why is this so important that it has to be emphasized twice,
both in Parsha Shlach and in the beginning of Parshat Devarim?
This story teaches us that there is a real problem with the
concept of the Jewish people rejecting the
Today, there are about 6,135,00 Jews living in
half of the Jewish population of the world.
Aside from those living in
many of the Jews who live outside of
some way. They understand that even if they are unable to move to
time they are willing to do what they can to help out. We have seen this the
past few weeks with Jews from abroad making donations to help the soldiers in
the IDF, sending toys to children who are spending most of their summer in the
bomb shelters, participating in rallies throughout the world in support of
Israel as well as those who are getting on the plane to Israel to be part of solidarity
missions.
Jews from all over the world are showing that they care
about the
reject it the way that the spies and their generation rejected the land.
The date that the spies gave their evil report was on the
Ninth of Av (Tisha B’Av), the first tragedy of many which occurred on that
date, including the destruction of both the First and
As Tisha B’Av approaches we must remember that in order to
hold on to the
throughout the world must embrace it.
