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This week we read the bizarre story of the 12 M’raglim (spies) Moses sent to survey the land of Cannan.
This was the very goal of creation; paving the way for the Jews to conquer the Promised Land, make it their eternal home and bring blessing to the entire world.
But they failed. And it’s not clear exactly why.
In fact, we see that they did exactly what they were sent to do; they reported what they saw in the land of Canaan saying, “’The inhabitants are strong giants, Amalekites, Emorites in the mountains, Cannanim on the sea. The land devours its inhabitants, we were in our own eyes like little bugs and so we were in their eyes.’
What’s so bad about that?
After all, the Jews knew that G-d was on their side, had fought all their battles and now that they were entering a new situation they needed a good briefing. Not only that, but in the desert, they were a Torah nation and now they would have to become warriors. They were unprepared and apprehensive. So what did the spies say that made ALL the Jews refuse to enter the holy land?

Perhaps the answer can be found in the following story.

In Judaism nothing is more sacred than marriage.
Besides being the first commandment in the Bible it is the best metaphor for the relationship between G-d and the Jewish people. The day the Torah was given, the day the Temple was built and the arrival of Moshiach are all likened to marriage days.
But it’s not always so easy to get married.
For instance, there was once a young Chassid who found it almost impossible. Although he was honest, kind and intelligent, his poverty ruined it all. He simply didn’t care about money or what it could buy. Consequently, he looked, spoke, and even thought like a pauper which destroyed any appeal he might have to a boss to hire him or a girl to marry him.
Now, this young man was a devoted follower of the Magid of Mezeritz (the holy successor of the Baal Shem Tov) and the next time he was traveling home to see his parents he went in to him for a blessing for a safe journey.
The Maggid gave his blessing for the trip but added, “If you want the perfect wife, accept the first match that is offered to you.”
Now, to a normal person this advice would sound a bit strange; to marry with eyes closed? But a Chassid is one who believes that everything he does is for a higher purpose, and only the Rebbe knows what that is. So our hero set off joyously to his destiny.
Travel in those days was only by day so at sunset he turned off at an inn. Because he had very little money he sat down at a table in the corner of the dimly-lit dining room and put his head down to sleep. But it was difficult because of a bunch of drunk Jewish ruffians that were joking shouting and laughing at the tops of their lungs.
Suddenly one of them noticed our Chassid in the corner, walked over to him, tapped him on the shoulder, while the others held back their laughter, and when he looked up with bleary eyes, asked him if he would like to join them in their wedding feast.
“Wedding?” Asked the Chassid groggily, “Mazal Tov! But, err, where… where are the bride and groom?”
“Ha!!” The drunkard exclaimed jubilantly! Right here!!! The groom is …. You! And the bride is coming, she’s in the next room!! Right fellows?!!” He yelled over his shoulder.
The others were bursting with glee, they thought it was the funniest thing they ever heard. “Here! One of them cried out. I’ll get her. A nice Jewish girl! Just wait right there, don’t run away!”
Two of them went into the kitchen and a minute later returned with a bewildered simple young lady who was drying her hands and nervously giggling.
“Here comes the bride!!!” they yelled out. “Make the wedding canopy! Get the wine!!”
“One minute” Said our Chassid, realizing that this is the offer the Magid prophesized, “What about the Katuba?” (According to Jewish law a wedding is only valid if a Marriage document called a Katuba is signed by the groom.)
“Huuuu!” said one of the drunkards, “He’s right! Looks like that’s the end of our wedding party! We have no Katuba.” “Oyyy!” They all answered in unison looking at each other in disappointment.
“Oh, that’s no problem.” Said our hero quietly breaking the silence, “I know how to write a Katuba.”
“Bring paper and a pen!” they yelled. “Let’s drink to the Katuba!! Let’s dance to the Katubaa!!”
In no time the Chassid wrote up the document while the others had a few more drinks. A tablecloth was spread on four broomsticks making a wedding canopy, one of them even produced a ring from somewhere, and in fifteen minutes the ceremony was finished!! Of course, they were rolling on the floor at how this dunce took it all seriously.
“Now, let’s give him presents!”. They shouted out wildly One dumped a plate of pickles on his head, another poured water down his shirt, the next gave him a kick in the pants and so on until they got tired of it and everyone including the ‘bride’ left.
But the next morning when the owner of the inn returned and saw his dining room in disarray, he didn’t think it was so funny. It so happens that the simple girl was his daughter and when she told him what had happened the night before he was really angry.
It seems the inn wasn’t all he owned. He was a wealthy, influential man and after some investigation it became clear to him that the marriage ceremony, although done as a joke, was no joke at all. Technically it was a valid and binding marriage.
He ran to the Chassid, who was still in the room, preparing to pray the morning prayer, and began screaming throwing in a few punches. “You fool, you idiot, you penniless beggar! Where is that Katuba? I want you to tear that thing up and get out of here NOW!!”
But then he realized what he was doing was futile. It was too late; she was officially married to this scarecrow!! Tearing up the document and kicking him out would accomplish nothing. The only way to annul it was to convince him to agree to a divorce, write a ‘get’ (bill of divorce) and officially annul the marriage.
So he changed his tone. He apologized, sat the young man down, ordered that he be served a meal, tried smiling, speaking softly and finally spread out on the table before him a hundred rubles in cash (about five year’s wages) which would be his if he would only divorce his daughter and write her the necessary document.
But he soon found out that his new son-in-law had no understanding of money. He only cared about serving G-d according to the direction of his Rebbe; the Magid of Meseritz.
The next day they were in Mezeritz, standing before the Magid. The wealthy man thought this would be a business transaction but he didn’t expect to experience holiness. For the first time in his life he saw a holy Jew. Suddenly he understood what it meant in the Torah that Moses’ face emanated beams of light.
The Maggid heard the rich man’s complaints and said. “I understand you completely. Your daughter certainly deserves the best. But now that it’s done, the only way you can completely erase the legal and spiritual effect of this marriage so your daughter will be free to find her destined match is to give this young son-in-law of yours the sum of one thousand Rubles.”
‘A thousand rubles’ the rich man whispered to himself. He took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. ‘Why that is a fortune!’ he opened his collar looked the Magid in the eyes and saw truth.
‘Good! One thousand it is!’ he exclaimed. Here is five hundred in cash and a promissory note for the rest.”
“Please call a scribe to write the ‘get'”. Said the Magid to one of his helpers. And a half-hour later his daughter was holding the document, the Chassid had left the room, holding the money and the check, and the rich man, still wiping his brow, was grateful that he had gotten out of a tight situation.
“Now” said the Magid, “Regarding your daughter. Remember, because she is now a divorcee it won’t be easy to find a good match for her. But I did.”
“Yes?” asked the rich man.
“I have the perfect match for her. Just one moment” said the Magid. He whispered something to another of his assistants who left the room and returned in a few minutes followed by a handsome young Chassid. ‘What do you think?”
The rich man smiled widely but then his smile faded. “Why… why this is the same young man!!! It’s the same one she just divorced! But he looks different! What happened?”
The maggid answered. “Yes, it’s the same Chassid. But the second that that money touched his hand all that was concealed became revealed. That money you gave connected him to the world and brought all his spiritual and hidden qualities to be revealed and practical.
“The only thing he lacked was money.” Explained the Magid, “and now that he has it, I think that even you will agree that he is the perfect husband for your daughter!”

This answers our question.

This week’s section begins with Moses choosing men who were perfect to scout out the land of Cannan. But their excellent qualities had never been tested in the real world. And, unlike the Chassid in our story, their good qualities remained concealed.
So instead of changing the world, the world intimidated them and they kept to themselves.
They themselves said it best: “We were like little bugs in our own eyes.(13:33)” They felt so overwhelmed by what they saw that they wanted to remain in the desert; their comfort zone and couldn’t even imagine a new future.
And that is why we need Moshiach. Moshiach will be a Jew just like Moses who will reveal the courage, ability and potential of every Jew and eventually of all mankind to perfect the world.
Thus correcting the mistake of the ‘M’raglim’.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe said that ours is the generation of Moshiach. We must prepare for Moshiach. We must only open our eyes and see that Moshiach is here. We must live ONLY for Moshiach.
But this implies risking all we’ve accomplished and built in the past and building a new future.
But this is what is demanded of us; the followers of the Moses of our generation; Just as Abraham became the first Jew by virtue of his willingness to sacrifice Issac so we must leave the comfort of our personal (even holy) ‘deserts’ and make a new, good world.

 And not much is lacking. We are standing on the merits of thousands of years of Jewish prayers, hopes and self-sacrifice. Now it could be that just one more good deed, word or even thought can bring ……

Moshiach NOW!!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel

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