19 Jun 2025 Shelach 5785: Calev’s Faith & Op. Rising Lion

In Parshas Shelach, the Torah relates to us the Cheit Ha’Meraglim, the infamous Sin of the Spies, who were sent to scout out the land of Israel, ahead of the nation’s planned entry into the Land.

Choosing twelve select men – one man from each tribe – Moshe sent the scouts to Canaan, along with instructions as to what they should look for. Is the land fertile or lean? Are the cities fortified or open? Are the people strong or weak, populous or few? Are there trees, and what about its fruit?

The spies ascend to the land and scout it out for forty days. Upon returning, the spies speak their infamous lashon harah. “We cannot ascend!” they cry. “Our enemies are on every border, including our arch-enemy, Amalek, who dwells in the south. The cities are very fortified, the people are very strong, we saw giants in the land, everyone was burying their dead, and the fruits are enormous. It would be better to return to Egypt than to enter this land!”

And with these words, ten spies turn the hearts of the entire nation – 600,000 men – against the land, and against G-d, keviyachol.

Perhaps one of the most fateful pasukim in the entire Torah is found within this narrative:

וַתִּשָּׂא, כָּל–הָעֵדָה, וַיִּתְּנוּ, אֶת–קוֹלָם; וַיִּבְכּוּ הָעָם, בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא

And the entire assembly lifted up, and they gave forth their voice, and the nation cried on that night (14:1). Chazal (Taanis 29a) teach us that the night they cried was Tisha b’Av, and Hashem declared: “You cried a purposeless cry, I will establish for you a crying for generations.”

“You rejected My Land?” HKB”H declared. “As a punishment from turning away from my good Land, In the future, R”L, due to your sins (Yoma 9b), She will reject you in turn.”

And on this day of tragedy, the bitter day of 9 Av, many calamitous events have befallen our nation (Mishnah Taanis 4:6), including the destruction of both Batei Mikdash.

Only two of the scouts – Calev ben Yefuneh from the tribe of Yehuda, and Hoshea (Yehoshua) bin Nun, from the tribe of Ephraim – see the good, and speak the good.

In response to the initial negative reports given by the other spies, the pasuk says:

וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת–הָעָם, אֶל–מֹשֶׁה; וַיֹּאמֶר, עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ—כִּי–יָכוֹל נוּכַל, לָהּ

And Calev silenced the nation against Moshe, and he said: We can surely ascend and take possession of the land, for we are surely able to do so! (Bamidbar 13:30).

And after the complete slanderous report of the spies, both Calev and Yehoshua tear their garments and declare to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel:

הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָבַ֤רְנוּ בָהּ֙ לָת֣וּר אֹתָ֔הּ טוֹבָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ מְאֹ֥ד מְאֹֽד

The land which we passed through, to scout it out, is a very, very good land, If Hashem desires us, He will bring us to this land and give it to us, (it is) a land that is flowing with milk and honey. But against Hashem do not rebel, and do not fear the nations of the land, for we shall consume them, their protection has left them, and Hashem is with us, do not fear! (14:6-9).

As a reward for their faithfulness, of that entire generation of men, only Calev and Yehoshua merited to enter the land.

In a drasha delivered on Shabbos day, June 22, 1940, in the Warsaw Ghetto, the Aish Kodesh, Rav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira zt’l HY”D, related the following words to the oppressed and downtrodden Jews, R”L:

Quoting the pasuk: And Calev silenced the people toward Moshe, and said: We can go up and take possession of it, for we are able to overcome! (13:30), the Aish Kodesh said, “Let us understand: The Spies advanced quite reasonable arguments [in their opposition to the conquest of the Promised Land] – “The people that dwell in the land are fierce and the cities are very fortified” (13:28) – so why did Calev not debate with them, refuting their arguments and rationales, instead of merely stating, “We should go up at once?”

“Such, however, must be the faith of the Jew: he must take courage and believe that G-d will save him, not only at a time when he sees a logical and natural way open for his salvation. Rather, even at such times when, G-d forbid, he sees no logical and natural way open for his salvation, he should have faith that G-d will save him, taking courage in his faith and trust. On the contrary, at such a time, it is better not to insist on finding some rationale, some approach to a natural [way out of the predicament], for since he will not find any straightforward resolution, his faith may, G-d forbid, be weakened thereby, and a flaw in his faith may possibly delay his salvation. Rather one must say, “It is all true: The people that dwell in the land are fierce. It is correct that: The cities are well fortified.” Nevertheless, I believe that G-d – Who transcends all boundaries and limitations – will save us. עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ! “We should go up and possess it – without any rationale and without reason. Such a faith and trust in G-d hastens our salvation” (The Holy Fire, Nehemia Polen, [A Jason Aronson Book, 1999], pp.71-72).

Baruch Hashem our situation today, as a nation, is worlds apart from the Jews of 1940 in the Warsaw Ghetto R”L. However, these words of the holy Aish Kodesh are as true, as powerful, as important, and as chizuk-filled, today as they were then.

For decades, our nation, and our Medina, have feared the powerful, evil, satanic regime of Iran, along with its proxy nations, including the terrorist groups Hamas, and Hezbollah, and more recently, the Houthis of Yemen – may all their names be blotted out l’netzach nitzachim.

And yet, yeshuas Hashem k’heref ayin, the salvation of Hashem comes in the blink of an eye. After the decimation of Hezbollah months ago, we are witnessing – before our very eyes – miracles of Biblical proportions with the ongoing destruction of the Iranian regime. Within less than a week’s time, since the Israeli attacks on Iran began last Friday around 3:30am (Israel time), Iran has been decimated.

Our years of worry and fear have been proven to be, thus far, for naught B”H. When Hashem – The Ish Milchamah, Hashem Shemo! (Shemos 15:3) – desires that our enemies be struck down, we do not need to worry about rationale or reason. We do not need to find a natural approach to overtake the enemies who wish to destroy us. We do not need a straightforward resolution to our troubles.

הֶן־עָם֙ כְּלָבִ֣יא יָק֔וּם וְכַֽאֲרִ֖י יִתְנַשָּׂ֑א לֹ֤א יִשְׁכַּב֙ עַד־יֹ֣אכַל טֶ֔רֶף וְדַם־חֲלָלִ֖ים יִשְׁתֶּֽה, Behold, a people that rises like a lioness and raises itself like a lion. It does not lie down until it eats its prey and drinks the blood of the slain (Bamidbar 23:24).

Like Calev, we must only trust in Hashem, knowing that “we can surely ascend, we will conquer the enemy, כִּי–יָכוֹל נוּכַל, לָהּ, for with Hashem on our side, we will surely succeed!”

כִּ֚י ה’ אֱלֹֽקיכֶ֔ם הַֽהֹלֵ֖ךְ עִמָּכֶ֑ם לְהִלָּחֵ֥ם לָכֶ֛ם עִם־אֹֽיְבֵיכֶ֖ם לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ אֶתְכֶֽם

For Hashem your G-d goes out with you, to fight for you with your enemies, to save you (Devarim 20:4).

בברכת בשורות טובות ושבת שלום,

Michal