Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

Synopsis: Parashah Sh’lach L’kha (Numbers 13:1–15:41) begins with HaShem instructing Moses to send twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to scout the land of Canaan. After forty days, the spies return carrying evidence of the land’s abundance, including a massive cluster of grapes from the Valley of Eshkol. However, ten of the spies focus on the strength of the inhabitants and the fortified cities, causing fear and panic among the people. Only Caleb and Joshua urge Israel to trust HaShem and move forward in obedience.

The congregation rebels, longing to return to Egypt and questioning God’s plan. As a result, ADONAI declares that the generation that left Egypt will not enter the Promised Land. Instead, they will wander in the wilderness for forty years until that generation dies out, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua. When some Israelites attempt to enter the land on their own after God’s judgment, they are defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites.

The parashah continues with laws concerning offerings to be observed in the land, regulations regarding unintentional sin, and the account of a man found gathering wood on Shabbat, who is judged according to God’s command. The portion concludes with the mitzvah of tzitzit, reminding Israel to remember ADONAI’s commandments, avoid following the desires of their own hearts and eyes, and remain holy as His covenant people.

Principle: What we focus on determines how we walk.

(Repeat)

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

We’re going to kind of work backwards a bit, and begin with the end of the Parasha. Here we see the mitzvot about wearing tzitzit—the fringes on our Tallit Gadol or Tallit katan.

Numbers 15:37–41 TLV

37 Adonai spoke to Moses saying, 38 “Speak to Bnei-Yisrael. Say to them that they are to make for themselves tzitzit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and they are to put a blue cord on each tzitzit. 39 It will be your own tzitzit—so whenever you look at them, you will remember all the mitzvot of Adonai and do them and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves. 40 This way you will remember and obey all My mitzvot and you will be holy to your God. 41 I am Adonai your God. I brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I am Adonai your God.”

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

There’s a few important things to consider here…

First, the Tekhelet—the blue strings, which rabbis argue would be somewhere between a blue and a blueish purple. Which is connected to royalty and the Temple service.

Numbers 15:39 TLV

39 It will be your own tzitzit—so whenever you look at them, you will remember all the mitzvot of Adonai and do them and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

The Hebrew word translated here as “them” or in other translations as “it” is the word otto and Talmud says the most accurate translation may be “He.” It is said that when one looks at the tzitzit (particularly the Tekhelet) it is as if one is looking at God, or as we might say—Looking at Yeshua, the Living Torah, the Word made flesh, as Colossians 1:15 says, “the visible image of the invisible God.” As such, looking at the tzitzit will remind us to keep the Torah.

Second is the purpose for the Tzitzit themselves… We read again...

Numbers 15:39 TLV

39 It will be your own tzitzit—so whenever you look at them, you will remember all the mitzvot of Adonai and do them and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

“…and not go spying out after your own hearts and your own eyes, prostituting yourselves.” The language here is extremely important to understand, and it is the key to grasping what we’re dealing with today.

The Hebrew word here is “Taturu” from the root word “tor” meaning to spy. This is the same word used in the beginning of this Parasha, in Numbers 13, where the Lord instructs Moses to send 12 “nasi’im” (princes) to spy out the Land.

This word is used intentionally to remind Israel of their mistake accepting the negative report of the 10 spies and to remind them not to do the same thing spying after their own heart and eyes and break covenant with the Lord.

Which we ultimately see becomes a divine accusation against Israel in the book of Judges repetitively, as we read at the very end of Judges: Judges 21:25 — “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Principle: What we focus on determines how we walk.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

Discuss the 12 spies briefly

Numbers 13:23–33 TLV

23 When they reached as far as the Valley of Eshcol, they cut a single branch with a cluster of grapes. It was carried on a pole between two of them. They also cut some pomegranates and some figs. 24 That place was called the Valley of Eshcol because of the cluster cut by Bnei-Yisrael. 25 They returned from investigating the land after 40 days. 26 They traveled and returned to Moses, Aaron and the entire community of Bnei-Yisrael at Kadesh in the wilderness of Paran. They gave their report to them and the entire assembly. They showed the land’s fruit. 27 They gave their account to him and said, “We went into the land where you sent us. Indeed it is flowing with milk and honey—this is some of its fruit. 28 Except, the people living in the land are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the sons of Anak there! 29 Amalek is living in the land of the Negev, the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites are living in the mountains, and the Canaanites are living near the sea and along the bank of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “We should definitely go up and capture the land, for we can certainly do it!” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack these people, because they are stronger than we.” 32 They spread among Bnei-Yisrael a bad report about the land they had explored, saying, “The land through which we passed to explore devours its residents. All the people we saw there are men of great size! 33 We also saw there the Nephilim. (The sons of Anak are from the Nephilim.) We seemed like grasshoppers in our eyes as well as theirs!”

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

The Land is exactly as God said it would be, BUT we can’t take it because we can’t overpower the Canaanites...

Principle: What we focus on determines how we walk.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

Ultimately, the command for tzitzit is spiritually a very important object lesson for Israel. It is found in Sh’lach L’kha for a very intentional contextual object lesson. If Israel has Tzitzit on our garments and are continually reminded of the Torah perhaps we’ll have a much better chance of not chasing after the ways of the world...

In fact, in Talmud there is an interesting story shared to illustrate this very reality. It’s found in Menachot 44a and says:

There was once a man who was very scrupulous about the precept of tzitzit. One day he heard of a certain harlot overseas who took four hundred gold dinars for her hire. He sent her four hundred gold dinars and appointed a day with her. When the day arrived, he came and waited at her door, and her maid came and told her, “That man who sent you four hundred gold dinars is here and waiting at the door”; to which she replied, “Let him come in.” When he came in, she prepared for him seven beds, six of silver and one of gold; and between one bed and the other there were steps of silver, but the last were of gold. She then went up to the top bed and lay down upon it naked. He too went up after her in his desire to sit naked with her, when all of a sudden the four fringes of his garment struck him across the face, whereupon he slipped off and sat upon the ground. She also slipped off and sat upon the ground and said, “By the Roman Capitol, I will not let you go until you tell me what blemish you saw in me.” “I swear,” he replied, “that never have I seen a woman as beautiful as you. But there is one precept which our G‑d has commanded us, called tzitzit, and with regard to it the expression “I am the L‑rd your G‑d” is twice written, signifying: I am He who will exact punishment in the future, and I am He who will give reward in the future. Now the tzitzit appeared to me as four witnesses.” Said she: “I will not leave you until you tell me your name, the name of your town, the name of your teacher and the name of your school in which you study the Torah.” He wrote all this down and handed it to her. Thereupon she arose and divided her wealth into three parts: one-third for the government, one-third to be distributed among the poor, and one-third she took with her in her hand; the bedclothes, however, she retained. She then came to the study hall of Rabbi Chiya, and said to him: “Master, give instructions about me that they make me a proselyte.” . . . Those very bedclothes which she had spread for him for an illicit purpose she now spread out for him lawfully.

And Midrash Rabbah says, The strings of the tzitzit are comparable to the case of one who has been thrown into the water, and the captain stretches out a rope and says to him: “Take hold of this rope with your hand and do not let go, for if you let go, you will lose your life!” In the same way, G‑d said to Israel: “As long as you adhere to the commandments, then “…you who held tight to ADONAI your God are alive today—all of you" (Deuteronomy 4:4).

We see another very important object lesson about where we fix our eyes in our walk in Matthew…

Matthew 14:22–33 TLV

22 Right away, Yeshua made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away. 23 After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the hillside by Himself to pray. And when evening came, He was there alone. 24 But the boat was already a long way from land, tossed around by the waves, for the wind was against it. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night, Yeshua came to them, walking on the sea. 26 But when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It’s a ghost!” And they cried out with fear. 27 But immediately, Yeshua spoke to them, saying, “Take courage! I am. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Answering, Peter said to Him, “Master, if it’s You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water to go to Yeshua. 30 But seeing the wind, he became terrified. And beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, “Master, save me!” 31 Immediately Yeshua reached out His hand and grabbed him. And He said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 And those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You really are Ben-Elohim!”

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

(Talk about this incident)

Peter recognized the reality of who Yeshua is, and he had at least enough faith to step out of the boat, and as long as he kept his eyes on Yeshua he stayed above water… But the moment he looked away he was consumed by the reality of what was happening and he became target fixated and began to sink.

Principle: What we focus on determines how we walk.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786

(Call worship team back)

And, curious enough, what do we see immediately after the account of Yeshua and Peter on the water?

Matthew 14:34–36 TLV

34 After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Yeshua, they sent word into all the surrounding region. And they brought to Him all those who were in bad shape 36 and kept begging Him that they might just touch the tzitzit of His garment—and all who touched it were cured.

Principle: What we focus on determines how we walk.

Parasha Sh’lach L’kha 5786