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Shelach - שלח : "Send thou"
Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41 Haftarah: Jos 2:1-24; 14:6-15 Brit Chadesha: He 3:7-4:1, 11:1, 2; 29-31; Jas 2:24-26 Psalms: 37, 91, 133 Gospels: Luke 10, 11, 12
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Fun Facts about Shelach
. Fun Facts about Shelach 37th of 54 portions 4th of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 198 lines in a Torah 27th in length, it’s the 5th largest in B’midbar Shelach contains 3 of the 613 mitzvot; 2 positive and 1 prohibitions; From time to time, we inevitably come across attempts to minimize the Jewish connection with the Land of Israel. The intent, of course is to attach the very existence of a Jewish state to all the problems in the Middle East. This week, we went to listen to Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle. There was probably 900 people there and security was apparent, but thankfully the evening was uneventful. (I mention this, because there has been an increase of hecklers—people whose sole intent is to disrupt the exchange of information from an Israeli perspective—it’s happening all across the USA and over the last year they’ve gotten very aggressive.) While we all know that Israeli society has a long way to go before we see them bending their knee to Messiah Yeshua, the Word tells us that they will. Zec 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (continued on next)
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Fun Facts about Shelach
. Fun Facts about Shelach 37th of 54 portions 4th of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 198 lines in a Torah 27th in length, it’s the 5th largest in B’midbar Shelach contains 3 of the 613 mitzvot; 2 positive and 1 prohibitions; From time to time, we inevitably come across attempts to minimize the Jewish connection with the Land of Israel. The intent, of course is to attach the very existence of a Jewish state to all the problems in the Middle East. This week, we went to listen to Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren at Temple De Hirsch Sinai in Seattle. There was probably 900 people there and security was apparent, but thankfully the evening was uneventful. (I mention this, because there has been an increase of hecklers—people whose sole intent is to disrupt the exchange of information from an Israeli perspective—it’s happening all across the USA and over the last year they’ve gotten very aggressive.) While we all know that Israeli society has a long way to go before we see them bending their knee to Messiah Yeshua, the Word tells us that they will. Zec 12:10, “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (continued on next)
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Fun Facts about Shelach
. Fun Facts about Shelach 37th of 54 portions 4th of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 198 lines in a Torah 27th in length, it’s the 5th largest in B’midbar Shelach contains 3 of the 613 mitzvot; 2 positive and 1 prohibitions; (continued from previous) Holy day celebrations conclude with the words “Next year in Jerusalem.” At the end fast days and resting with God, believers throughout the generations have reaffirmed their hope for a “return” to their Homeland. We do not attach some future, indefinite date, but we say “next year.” So—as we’ve studied this portion throughout the years, have you wondered “Where would I have stood 3300 years ago? Would I have been turned away from Eretz Yisrael by the ten spies? Would I have rallied to the call of Calev and Yehoshua? Would I enthusiastically support God's plan to return and live in Eretz Yisrael? (continued on next)
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Fun Facts about Shelach
. Fun Facts about Shelach 37th of 54 portions 4th of 10 in Bamidbar Written on 198 lines in a Torah 27th in length, it’s the 5th largest in B’midbar Shelach contains 3 of the 613 mitzvot; 2 positive and 1 prohibitions; (continued from previous) Perhaps this is not a question we ought to call upon ourself …to speculate on what we would have said and done over 3300 years ago. Maybe this is a question we need to ask ourselves TODAY, based on what we see and hear. We really only have our own unique perspective to examine the current options. Israel had the same secular attitudes and debauchery THEN that they possess in the land TODAY. But God says: Ro 14:10, “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Where do we stand in our faith—today—as we peer across the borders. From where we stand today, would we support and rally around His plan to re-enter the land with Calev and Yehoshua? Or would we be inclined to wonder if Israel will ever be redeemed? Would we entertain the bad reports of the others?
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How is the Haftarah like Shelach?
. How is the Haftarah like Shelach? Jos 2:1, “And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.” In the Haftarah of Shelach, there are similarities, yet there is a tremendous contrast with the Parashah. In the Parashah, that mission that began with the sending of a large group of spies, amidst fanfare and perhaps even a send-off pep rally (one representative from each of the twelve tribes). This haftarah mission was launched in secret. The earlier spies formed a conspiracy and brought back a report that disheartened the People, resulting in "weeping without a cause," that resulted in "weeping for all generations." It caused a loss of faith that undid their confidence in YHVH’s Promise Land and resulted in a mutiny against God and Moshe to return to Egypt. Here, in the Haftarah, the situation was entirely different. (continued on next)
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How is the Haftarah like Shelach?
. How is the Haftarah like Shelach? Jos 2:1, “And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.” (continued from previous) First of all, the delegation of spies was small, consisting of just two: Caleb and Pinchas son of Elazar, son of Aharon HaCohen. This group reflected a level of faith in YHVH that had been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in past performances under duress. Calev was one of the two faithful spies from the desert delegation, along with Yehoshua. Pinchas, the Zealot for God's Name, executed Zimri, (the Prince of the Tribe of Shimon) in the act of committing a terrible sin. Zimri desecrated YHVH's Name, by living in public with Cuzbi, daughter of Tzur, a Midianite. His swift action saved the People of Israel from a disastrous plague. (We’ll here more about that in a couple of weeks.) Secondly, the delegation was sent silently and secretly, known only to Yehoshua, the leader of the People. This was obviously a better method of running an intelligence operation. Thirdly, the objective of the mission was limited. It was to gather intelligence about one major city, and its population. This operation was successful. It succeeded in providing a psychological profile of the people of Yericho, which showed that fear of Israel and YHVH had been struck into their hearts and, by their testimony, into the hearts of all the nations of the land, as well.
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Whose idea was it to send spies?
. Whose idea was it to send spies? Nu 13:2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. The implication is that YHVH gave Moshe permission to send spies, but left the decision up to him. However, Torah clarifies that the whole idea came from the people: “Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee: go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged. 22And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said, We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land, and bring us word again by what way we must go up, and into what cities we shall come. 23And the saying pleased me well: and I took twelve men of you, one of a tribe:” Dt 1:21-23 In one version YHVH sends them out and another says the people request the spy mission, but God knew their hearts and allowed them to know it as well.
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How did the 10 spies interpret this blessing?
. How did the 10 spies interpret this blessing? Nu 13:23, “And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.” The giant cluster of grapes should have encouraged the Israelites. The land was indeed a good land—just as YHVH had promised. They used it as evidence that the land was too much for them to overcome, giant food produced for equally giant adversaries—that we must conquer. Yes, the land produced abundantly, but the 10 spies exaggerated the size of the people. They reported that they had seen people so big that the average Israelite was, in comparison, no bigger than a grasshopper. This emphasizes that we should never judge by sight OR HEARING! How could 10 men accurately access a land a vast as Israel in 40 days? A land that YHVH said he would GIVE them. Yehoshua and Calev saw it differently: The land is exceedingly good land that flows with milk and honey! They saw giant grapes as a very good thing! For the others it was something to fret over—Isn’t it strange how polarized we can sometimes get on the same issue?
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What were the 10 failed tests?
. What were the 10 failed tests? 1 At the Red Sea – Ex 14:11 2 Waters of Marah – Ex 15:24 3 1st Incident of Manna and Quail – Ex 16:3 4 Collecting too much Manna – Ex 16:20 5 Gathering Manna on Sabbath – Ex 16:27 6 Water at Refidim – Ex 17:2 7 Golden Calf – Ex 32:4 8 Taberah – Nu 11:1 9 2nd Incident of Manna and Quail – Nu 11:4 10 Hysteria with the 10 Spies – Nu 14:1-4 Nu 14:22-23, “Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; 23Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:” Most of the tests are examples of disbelief, disobedience or both. Disbelief is disobedience, and then it easily leads to more disobedience. Psalm 95 retells this incident and adds a warning for us today: Ps 95:7-11, “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, 8Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work. 10Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways: 11Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.”
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What prevented the people from harming Yehoshua and Calev?
. What prevented the people from harming Yehoshua and Calev? Nu 14:10 But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel. The people would not be comforted. (You see it was a choice, as it always is!) The 10 spies had done what they sought to do—too well! Everyone, including the High Court, the 70 men that had been chosen and set up to help govern the people had been convinced that the advance was doomed. They even decided Moshe had misled them--they sought to replace him with someone who would lead them back to Egypt. Though they tried to distract the people from their rebellion, Yehoshua and Calev could not hold back the force of public hysteria. The people would have killed them, but YHVH came to the defense of those who defended him. Nu 14:11, “And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them? 12I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they. 13And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it…”
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What came out of that rebellion?
. What came out of that rebellion? Nu 14:32-33, “But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness. 33And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.” The sages comment on this event by saying that “one who spreads evil reports almost denies the existence of YHVH.” Building and rebuilding upon a negative report, suggests that there is something amiss in a world that God has created and watches over. We are practically saying that God is PART-MIGHTY, rather than ALMIGHTY. God clearly states that He heard the complainers, the grumblers, and he hears us, too! When will we realize that no matter how we disguise our grumbles and complaints, it is never sophisticated enough to escape the LORD? He recognizes all of our Doubt and Fears Anxieties and Stress Resentments and Bitterness Unforgiveness and Hatred for exactly what they are: REBELLION Perhaps the worst part of their consequences, was the pain forced upon the children for the unfaithfulness of their parents. The children suffered when they were denied the blessing of growing up in the land, they did not have a real home or secure future, and they had no national identity. You see, our sin is never victimless—it’s felt by generations to come!
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How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people?
. How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people? Ps 106:23-27 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. 24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. The tragedy of their delusion had far-reaching consequences, so many disasters have fallen on the same day—the 9th of Av. The Jewish Commentary—the Mishna—records that the people believed the evil report of the spies and mourned all night in fear. They turned against Moses and the two faithful spies, Joshua and Caleb, the only two from Egypt that entered the promised land from that generation—even Moshe, Aharon and Miriam did not enter in. Numbers 14:1-10 just records the curse from the Lord and the revolt against Moses and not the date. However, Ta'anit 29a says it happened on the 9th of Av, and based on comments throughout the Bible (like Ps 106:27 and Zechariah 8), it may be an accurate placement for the event: The lies of the 10 spies against YHVH started their 40 year wandering in the desert Destruction of the 1st temple, 29 July 587 BC (9 Av 3174) Destruction of the 2nd temple, 4 Aug 70 AD (9 Av 3830) The Roman army plowed Jerusalem with salt in 25 July 71 AD (9 Av 3831) (continue on next)
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How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people?
. How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people? Ps 106:23-27 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. 24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. (continued from previous) Israel’s last resistance to Rome was squashed on 5 Aug 135 AD (9 Av 3895) 1st Crusade declared by Pope Urban II. 10,000 Jews killed in 1st month. Crusades brought death and destruction to thousands, wiping out entire communities in Rhineland and France. 14 July 1095 (9 Av 4855) The Martyrs of York Jews died as a result of the rich storming a castle in York England, killing them all on 14 July (9 Av 4950) England expelled all of the Jews in 18 July 1290 AD (9 Av 5050) Spain expelled all of the Jews in 2 August 1492 AD (9 Av 5252) World War I is declared on the ninth of Av and Russia mobilized for World War I. This launched persecutions against the Jews in Eastern Russia on this day, as well. 1 August 1914 (9 Av 5674) There is a relationship to Hitler’s final solution and the 9th of Av. It was on 10 Jul 1942 that Hitler’s advisors recalled certain Jewish sanctions, because Germany’s economy was in tatters. This infuriated the extreme anti-semites of the 3rd Reich, setting into motion the final solution that was born in September of 1942. (continue on next)
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How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people?
. How long have the ramifications of this event lasted for the people? Ps 106:23-27 Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them. 24Yea, they despised the pleasant land, they believed not his word: 25But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD. 26Therefore he lifted up his hand against them, to overthrow them in the wilderness: 27To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands. (continued from previous) It appears the pattern will continue until prophecy of Zechariah 8:19-23 is fulfilled: “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month (Antiochus breaks through the walls of Jerusalem), and the fast of the fifth (9th of Av), and the fast of the seventh (death of the Tsadeke Gedoliah), and the fast of the tenth (Nebuchadnezzar, 2Ki 25:1) , shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. 20Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: 21And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. 22Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. 23Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.”
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. Summary Moses sends 12 spies into the Land. They return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig. 10 spies warn “the people are giants and warriors.” The people are struck with fear and doubt—they weep and cry all night. God decrees that He will delay entry into the Promised Land one year for every day the 10 spies spent in the land. Moses sends twelve spies to the Land of Canaan. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on a lush and bountiful land. But ten of the spies warn that the inhabitants of the land are giants and warriors "more powerful than we"; only Calev and Yehoshua insist that the land can be conquered, as YHVH has commanded. The people weep that they'd rather return to Egypt. God decrees that Israel's entry into the Land shall be delayed forty years.
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. Summary The LORD tells them the adults over 20 will die as they wander for 40 years. A group now decides to take the land, but it’s to late, they still are not listening. They die in the wilderness. The laws of meal, wine, oil offerings and wearing tzitzit on “the 4 corners” are given. A man violates Shabbat by gathering sticks and is put to death. God decrees that this entire generation will die out in the desert. A group of remorseful Jews storm the mountain on the border of Land and are routed by the Amalekites and Canaanites. The laws of the menachot (meal, wine and oil offerings) are given, as well as the mitzvah to consecrate a portion of the dough (challah) to YHVH when making bread. A man violates the Shabbat by gathering sticks and is put to death. YHVH instructs to place fringes (tzitzit) on the four corners of our garments so that we should remember to fulfill the mitzvot.
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