motzei Shabbos: parasha Ha’azinu 5783
The ten spies, that brought back an “ill-report of the land” were naysayers and pessimists. They were not able to place their trust in G-d’s promises for the very near and present future, wherein the Children of Israel were on the cusp of inheriting the land, promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Hence, they faltered, and stubbornly refused to portray the land in light of its rich value and potential, as G-d had previously stated, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” Furthermore, the ten spies demoralized the people with a negative slew of words, designed to persuade the people of the impossibility of defeating the local inhabitants, who had already been condemned in the eyes of G-d, for their immoral practices, and destined to be expelled from the land.
Upon finally reaching the edge of the land again, forty years later, Moses delivers a 36 day speech, to prepare the people for entering the land. This is the next generation, and they received a series of lectures, before taking the challenge, and decisively entering in, where the previous generation refused to go. In retrospect, when we consider these events, it seems unimaginable that the previous generation failed in this regard. Yet, we must also look to ourselves, and our own shortcomings, failures, and lack of emunah (faith). Let us acknowledge, today, amongst the last generation, before the reign of Moshiach (Messiah) in G-d’s Kingdom that “He will cover you with His feathers. He will shelter you with His wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection” (Psalm 91:4, NLT).
The Tree of Life 