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0:00 Dear friends, welcome to this week's virtual drasha. 0:02 This week we have the incredible parshat shlach. 0:05 And the Torah contains what could only be described as one of the most dramatic and traumatic stories of the entire chumash, the sin of the spies. 0:12 12 men, tribal leaders, go out on a reconnaissance mission ostensibly to figure out the best way to enter into the land. 0:19 Now, when it comes to this story, like many stories in the chumash, because we know how it ends, we often analyze the entire story through the lens of the conclusion of the story. 0:29 And this story ends in such a tragic way. 0:32 The spies come back, deliver the disastrous report about the land, and that report about the land essentially becomes an indictment of moshe rabbeinu, and unfortunately about hakadosh baruch hu himself. 0:43 The lack of emunah, the lack of faith, just leads to a total spiritual and national unraveling. 0:49 We become unhinged. Everything goes off the rails. 0:52 And as a result, hakadosh baruch hu deems us unworthy to enter into the land. 0:57 For the next 40 years, we were condemned to wander the desert. 1:00 The entire generation 20 and above were to die out in the desert, and eretz yisrael would only be given to the next generation of the Jewish people. 1:09 But if we look at the story through its initial lens, not through the lens of how it ends, but for how it begins, something very different occurs. 1:17 First of all, interestingly enough, in chumash devarim, which in general is a just a retrospective sefer. 1:23 Most of chumash devarim is moshe rabbeinu reflecting on what's occurred over the last 40 years, moshe rabbeinu tells the story of the meraglim. 1:32 And in fact, the pasuk says this is in devarim, we're skipping ahead a little bit. 1:35 Devarim perek aleph, pasuk chof bet, chapter 1 verse 22. 1:40 Vatikrevun elai kulchem. So, moshe rabbeinu is retelling the story. 1:42 Remember again, in chumash devarim, he's telling it now to the second generation, because the generation which sinned with the meraglim already died out. 1:50 This is the next generation. 1:51 So, he's telling him, "Your parents, they came to me, vatomeru nishlacha anashim lefanenu, send people before us, veyachperu lanu et ha'aretz, let them spy out the We are the common and relay back information. 2:04 As I said tell us what path should we take. 2:08 The what what cities how should we go? 2:11 The owner is motion and he says they came to me and they asked for a reconnaissance mission. 2:15 Let's go and figure out the best way to conquer the land. 2:18 Motion is response. I thought it was a great idea. 2:22 I thought it was a great idea. 2:24 I thought it was a great idea. 2:26 The emotion is a is incredible because it is the bottom. 2:33 The emotion is the bottom. 2:35 Motion and he says he says explicitly see in our partial slot you don't see this part of the story but in the bottom of motion and reflects on what happened motion and I thought it was a good idea. 2:44 Yeah, but I I thought it was actually a really a really good idea and therefore again I dispatched it. 2:49 So come back now to our partial. 2:51 How does our partial begin? 2:53 Schlock the whole emotion. 2:55 I shouldn't say it to motion and he know send for yourself people. 2:58 Send for yourself people by a source that cannot let them spy out the land. 3:02 I shouldn't you know say the name of God. 3:04 Again one one leader per shape. 3:05 Russia college picks up calling me tomorrow. 3:08 Schlock the whole emotion. 3:09 Right I shouldn't doesn't say schlock emotion. 3:11 He doesn't say send people but rather he says schlock the whole send send for yourself. 3:17 What does it mean send for yourself? 3:19 So Russia college says quotes you might as well say schlock the whole this is a message that has sold to me that my base is schlock the whole me that I shouldn't say it to motion look if you want to 3:32 send go for it. 3:34 Why? He says I don't know what to say essentially says motion look I told you the land is great. 3:43 I told you everything is fantastic. 3:45 I'm going to be by your side and I'm going to help you fight the battles. 3:47 As far as far as I'm concerned you don't need a reconnaissance mission but schlock the whole if you want it to go for it. 3:53 Go for it. And what happens? 3:55 And Moshe Rabbeinu says, "Vayeetav Hadavar Be'einai Hadavar." 3:58 So, remember again, Rashi, the actually the Gemara, now references Chumash Devarim. 4:03 And Moshe Rabbeinu says, "I thought this was a great idea." 4:06 Amora Resh Lakish, "Be'einai Velo Be'einei Shamayim." 4:10 But when Moshe Rabbeinu says it was a good idea for me, but obviously Hashem didn't really like the idea. 4:15 So, they're trying to figure out what's unfolding over here. 4:17 So, remember, obviously, the entire reconnaissance mission ends with disastrous results. 4:21 But what was happening over in the beginning? 4:23 The Jewish people approach Moshe Rabbeinu, "We want to send a scout. 4:26 We want to send a scouting team, a reconnaissance team, to figure out how to go into the land." 4:31 Moshe Rabbeinu thinks this is a great idea. 4:34 Why? Because Moshe Rabbeinu, like Klal Yisrael, understood that upon entering into Eretz Yisrael, there was going to be a fundamental transition. 4:40 We were going to transition from a supernatural way of life, where God took care of everything, where there was a cloud on top of us by day, a fire in front of us at night, and we were going to have 4:48 to transition to a quote-unquote normal, natural lifestyle. 4:53 That type of lifestyle where a man has to be involved. 4:55 Hashem Baruch Hu is not going to quote-unquote just take care of everything. 4:57 You can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. 5:00 The days of splitting seas were coming to an end. 5:02 The days of manna coming down from the heavens were coming to an end. 5:05 Man's got to take achrayus. 5:06 Man's got to take responsibility. 5:08 So, therefore, when Klal Yisrael says, "Hey, Moshe, let's send a reconnaissance team." 5:12 Moshe is like, "This is a great idea." 5:13 "Vayeetav." Not just Moshe Rabbeinu saying, "Okay, I went along with it." 5:17 "Vayeetav Be'einai Hadavar." [clears throat] I thought it was a great idea. 5:22 But then, the pasuk in the beginning of our parashah already indicates that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is resistant to it. 5:28 Hashem doesn't say "Shlach." 5:29 He doesn't say "Send." 5:31 "Shlach Lecha." Okay, if you want it. 5:33 If you feel you want it, go for it. 5:35 Asks [clears throat] the Lubavitcher Rebbe such a simple question. 5:38 Hakadosh Baruch Hu, you will excuse me. 5:40 Ribono shel Olam, King of Kings, Avinu Malkeinu, I Ribono shel Olam, decide what you want. 5:47 In other words make it tell Mosha either Mosha sure, go for it. 5:53 Or Mosha don't do it because it's a bad idea. 5:57 But almost like why this almost like almost like a a a a divine ambivalence Kiviacha okay, if you want it. 6:07 So again when we look at the story for through the lens of the conclusion like all that's right cuz it was reluctant because he knew it was going to end so badly. 6:15 So Mosha if you know it's going to end so badly tell us tell us not to do it. 6:19 Tell us there are plenty of times that intervenes and tells Mosha when something is a bad idea. 6:26 So just tell us either either get on board get on the Miraglam wagon and say yes Mosha this is a great idea. 6:35 Or head it off at the pass and say Mosha this is a disaster waiting to happen. 6:42 This is a bad idea unless you think that God doesn't like to get involved in things that's not true. 6:46 There are plenty of plenty of stories plenty of circumstances plenty of situations inserts himself and says please this is not a good idea. 6:54 Please don't do this. 6:56 So ask the Rebbe what's happening over here? 6:59 Why almost like the divine ambivalence the divine almost like yeah if you want it. 7:05 Mosha thinks it's a great idea thinks it's a great idea. 7:08 Sure if you want to do it do it. 7:10 Either tell us yeah or nay. 7:11 And the Rebbe says something so beautiful yet so simple. 7:15 He says I'm going to quote to you from the Torah lessons The Rebbe says something amazing. 7:32 What does want for us more than anything? 7:36 He wants us to figure it out. 7:38 doesn't spoon feed us life. 7:43 doesn't spoonfeed us answers, and he does not spoonfeed us direction. 7:48 Instead, what he gives us is the co-hosts, the abilities, and the tools to make informed decisions, and he wants us to go figure it out. 7:58 So, Moshe Rabbeinu says, "Hakadosh Baruchu, I want to ask you a miracle." 8:01 Moshe says like, "Okay. 8:02 Okay. Does God know it's a bad idea? 8:05 Of course not. God knows it's a bad idea. 8:06 God knows everything." Just like parents who often see their children making a decision, and parents like, "This is not going to end well. 8:14 It's not going to be good." 8:15 But every parent knows there's that moment where you just got to let your kid figure it out. 8:22 Because if they don't take the achrayus to figure it out, they're never going to self-actualize. 8:26 They're never going to have a trust. 8:27 So, Zev says, "It's going to be a disaster." 8:29 But Moshe Rabbeinu thought it was a good idea. 8:31 Klal Yisrael thought it was a good idea. 8:32 And what Hakadosh Baruchu gives us the ability, and not just the ability, not just the license, but the mandate is to figure stuff out. 8:40 And like the Rabbi goes on, "Yachol adam lachshov, a person can think to themselves, 'Shall I love letzapos letzivui miyuchad al kol prato prat?'" A person might think, "You know what? 8:50 My job in life is to wait for explicit divine instruction for every detail. 8:55 Chuma chaka, she Moshe Rabbeinu shel adar yomar lo b'diyuk l'an laleches." 9:00 That what's going to happen. 9:01 That Moshe Rabbeinu, right? 9:02 Every generation has a Moshe Rabbeinu. 9:04 I'm I'm just going to rely I'm going to rely ultimately again on Moshe Rabbeinu to tell me what I should, so to speak, to tell me what I should do. 9:11 "Ma lomar u'l'asos?" What should I say? 9:13 What should How should I How should I behave? 9:15 But the Medrash says the Torah is teaching us tzarech lachshov u'l'hit'yage'a l'vad. 9:21 So much of life is thinking about things and struggling to make a decision on your own. 9:27 Figure it out. Figure it out. 9:30 Kol echad b'hisbonen b'tzivo, every person has to contemplate their circumstances. 9:34 Liro's b'atzmo es ha'efsharuyos on both the sides of the contemplate the options, the opportunities that are all around me. 9:48 What is the best option for me to fulfill the word of God? 9:55 What do I do in order to conquer? 9:56 What do I do in order to succeed? 9:58 What do I do in order to be successful in life? 10:01 Says the Lubavitcher Rebbe something so beautiful. 10:03 Is that God being difficult? 10:05 Is that God being passive-aggressive? 10:06 Sure, if if you want to, of course, go right ahead. 10:09 Is that God absenting himself from the process? 10:11 Just the opposite. Is that God telling Moses our teacher, "Moses, this with this with this is right now, this is life." 10:18 This is life. God is with you. 10:20 You think it's a good idea. 10:22 You think it's a good idea. 10:24 I'm God. I know everything, but I need to give you the room to figure it out. 10:30 And however, that's what life is about. 10:32 Life is about taking the information that you have around you, and it's making the best decision you can. 10:38 Sometimes you make good decisions, sometimes you make bad decisions. 10:41 Moses our teacher made a bad decision. 10:44 >> [snorts] >> He He Moses our teacher would be the first person to say the miracle did not work out as he had intended. 10:49 He could have never known that it would have gone off the rails, but one can make the argument in retrospect, clearly not the right decision, but he made the best decision in the moment with the information he had at hand. 11:01 And says the Rebbe, that's life. 11:04 That's life. Because if you're going to wait to make decisions in life until you have explicit clarity, if you're going to wait to make decisions in life until you have all your ducks in a row, all of your information at 11:13 hand, right? You're going to wait to analyze every single thing, you're going to end up doing nothing. 11:17 You'll be a victim of analysis paralysis until 120, never doing anything, never accomplishing anything, never getting anywhere. 11:25 Life is about taking the reins and making a decision. 11:30 And sometimes you're right, and sometimes you're wrong. 11:33 But it says the Rebbe is something amazing. 11:35 Do you know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't simply judge us on results? 11:39 He judges us on initiative. 11:42 Hashem knows already beforehand which decisions are going to be good, which decisions are going to be bad. 11:46 But he wants to see, am I courageous enough to make them? 11:51 Am I courageous enough to make those decisions? 11:54 Do I have Do I have the backbone? 11:57 Do I have the confidence? 11:58 Do I have the emunah to Hakadosh Baruch Hu, based on the information I have in front of me, I know you don't want me to sit here analyzing, cogitating, thinking, contemplating. 12:06 You want me to decide and move my life forward. 12:10 I'm ready to do it. 12:11 Sometimes I'll get it right. 12:13 Sometimes I'll get it wrong. 12:15 But don't allow the possibility of a bad decision to render you perpetually indecisive. 12:21 Don't allow the fear of a bad decision to render you perpetually indecisive. 12:28 Take the information you have at hand and make those decisions. 12:30 And by the way, that's why, interestingly enough, it always bothered me that in Chumash Devarim, Moshe Rabbeinu tells this story about the Meraglim. 12:37 Right? He goes out of his way and he says, "Va'eetav hadavar beinai." 12:39 I thought it was a great idea. 12:40 I don't know. If I was Moshe Rabbeinu, I don't know that I would play I don't know that I would I don't know that I would necessarily say that. 12:46 I would say I I I went along with it. 12:48 Why does Moshe Rabbeinu come out and say, "I thought it was a great idea"? 12:51 Because Moshe Rabbeinu is trying to teach us a lesson. 12:53 He's like, "Okay, yeah, it really went really badly. 12:54 [clears throat] But you know, we made a decision. 12:56 I made a decision. 12:57 Kalev and Yehoshua made a decision. 12:58 And so much of successful living is just about having the courage to make a decision. 13:03 Hakadosh Baruch Hu doesn't weigh in on this because that's how God operates. 13:07 He kind of sets the table and he's like, "Decide. 13:09 Decide." And you decide. 13:11 I'm not going to tell you right or wrong. 13:12 You just decide what you think needs to happen. 13:16 And have a what a beautiful lesson for us. 13:19 We're all faced with decisions. 13:20 And sometimes we become so scared of making the wrong decision that we condemn ourselves to a life of perpetual indecisiveness. 13:29 Never moving ourselves forward cuz I'm scared and it is making the wrong decision could have a lot of repercussions. 13:34 Clearly saw motion of any made the wrong decision and as a result again we were condemned for 40 years in the desert and a whole generation died out. 13:41 It was overwhelming price to pay. 13:43 Did they make the wrong decision? 13:44 Again, we never judge the correctness of decisions in retrospect cuz anyone could be a Monday morning quarterback. 13:51 We judge the correctness of decisions based on the information you have at hand and at the time you need to make them. 13:55 Did they make the right decision? 13:57 Yes, because in that moment motion of any felt it was the right thing for class was the right thing for him was the right thing for the advancement of the people. 14:03 It turned out that had disastrous results. 14:05 However, this is life. 14:07 This is what wants from us. 14:09 Hashem does not want us to live in a perpetual holding pattern of indecisiveness. 14:14 He wants us to have the courage to decide. 14:17 The courage to make a decision to move your life forward and yes, he stands by the sidelines so that you and I can make decision and move our lives forward. 14:25 There are no guarantees that the decisions you're going to make are going to be the right ones, but one thing is clear. 14:31 No decision condemns you to a perpetual life of indecisiveness. 14:35 Making the right decision or trying to make the right decision, that's all that asks of us. 14:40 Wishing everyone a good night and a beautiful and a beautiful night.
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