D'var Torah
by Don Cogan

In this parashah, the Israelites approaching the Promised Land are faced with the prospect of entering Canaan while lacking tangible information about the challenges they would be facing.  Through Moses, G-d allows them to use spies to bring back observations they felt would be useful in planning their entry and conquest. The spy mission was to glean information such as the strength of the enemy forces, their agriculture, the geography of the land and the civic structure of the inhabitants.
 
According to the parashah, 12 spies are sent, one from each tribe. Upon their return after 40 days, only one of the spies, Caleb, brings back a positive report, and he urges the Israelites to enter and take the land. A second chosen spy, Joshua, largely supports Caleb in this regard. However the remaining 10 spies are exceedingly negative, essentially outweighing and distorting Caleb’s and Joshua’s encouragement by emphasizing that the land is well-fortified and inhabited by giants that could easily destroy the Israelites. At this point, the Israelites become totally distraught, admonishing Moses and Aaron and plotting to stone Caleb and Joshua to death.
 
Not surprisingly, G-d is not at all pleased with this rebellion against his expectation that the Israelites enter the land and conquer it as commanded. It takes a considerable degree of assuaging on Moses’ part to appease G-d’s anger. Even then, G-d decrees that only Caleb and Joshua will live to enter the Promised Land and that the Israelites will be destined to wander for 40 years before entering.
 
In my reviewing interpretations of the parashah, it’s apparent it was not G-d’s initial recommendation that the spies be employed to investigate the land before the Israelites entered it. He expected the people of Israel to have faith and to proceed based on this faith. It was only after the people expressed their fear of moving forward “in the dark”, and Moses conveying their concerns to G-d, that G-d consented to have this reconnaissance mission take place, with the proviso that 12 spies are sent, one from each tribe to participate.
 
In deriving an interpretation on this parashah,  I feel it’s vital that first one steps completely outside of our present-day context. If the Israelites were faced with a similar circumstance in today’s world, no doubt they would insist on availing themselves of every possible technique and technology to maximize their chances of success. Spy satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, drones – they would pull out all the stops to assure that they had the most comprehensive, objective information to work with in assessing the enemy and plotting their takeover strategy.
 
Unfortunately, back in these ancient times the Israelites simply didn’t have the benefit of relying on this modern high-tech stuff. They had to rely on their eyes, ears and wits. And the problem associated with these alone is that they are highly basely on subjective interpretation and resultant distortion. Many  of us have learned this early on through the instructive game of “telephone”, where a story becomes more and more distorted the further down the line it goes. Far less innocuous, are the all-too-many cases of witness accounts of possible crime scenes in which each witness is subject to imperfect perceptions, mental filters and the influence and opinions of others.
 
It’s understandable that imperfect, vulnerable human beings are reluctant to proceed with lack of information, or on what we might refer to as “blind faith.   G-d fully recognized man’s limitations and thus his reluctance understandable ,  to allow the Israelites the use of spies who, while they may have been quite skilled, were subject to the imperfections of subjectivity,  distorted perceptions and peer pressure. The painful lesson learned by the Israelites in this parashah was a sobering yet necessary one.  In order for the Israelites to thrive they needed to rely more on faith and thus not be falsely swayed falsely by those imperfect, tempting human influences they would continue to face.

SUMMARY: 

• God speaks to Moses, describing the menorah for the Tent of Meeting. The Levites are appointed to serve as assistants under Aaron and his sons. (8:1-26)
• Those who are unable to celebrate Passover during Nisan are given a time in the month of Sivan to observe a "second Passover." (9:1-14)
• A cloud by day and fire by night show God's Presence over the Tabernacle. When the cloud lifts from the Tabernacle, the people leave Sinai, setting out on their journey, tribe by tribe. (9:15-10:36)
• The Israelites complain about the lack of meat, and Moses becomes frustrated. God tells him to appoint a council of elders. God provides the people with meat and then strikes them with a very severe plague. (11:1-34)
• Miriam and Aaron talk about the "Cushite woman" whom Moses has married. In addition, they complain that God speaks not only through Moses but also through them. Miriam is struck with leprosy, and Moses begs God to heal her. After her recovery, the people resume their journey. (12:1-16)

D'var Torah
by Arthur C. Greenfield
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This D'var Torah is not intended to follow the exact order of events as laid out in the Tanakh, but rather, to give my impression of some of the chapters contained in the parashah.

Be-ha'alotecha is a very busy Parashah describing many aspects of the life of the Israelites two years after their exodus from Egypt.

The Lord instructs Moses on a wide list of subjects and defines what he must do and which tasks he must tell Aaron to carry out, which included placing the seven lamps in the Tent of Meeting so their light will be thrown on the front of the Menorah and establishing the position the Levites will hold. It describes what will be required of them and their place within the society. He instructs Moses to produce two silver trumpets of hammered work. The trumpets will be used to summon the community and set the divisions into motion. They will also be used to communicate what actions are to be taken depending on the number of blasts and whether the blasts are short or long. Could this have been an early version of Morse code?

The Lord instructs that Passover will be held at its set time, and then describes what should occur if someone is defiled by touching a corpse or is on a long journey. They are instructed to make their offering in the second month on the 14th day at twilight.

This Parashah made me envision the circumstances that may have been present during these times. The general view of the Exodus is that there was an orderly stream of people trudging from Egypt through the Sea of Reeds and into the wilderness. The truth may have been very different. The number of Israelites involved has been estimated to be 600,000 men—I don't know if that was supposed to include women and children. It is hard to believe that so many people were very placid or organized. When we consider what was occurring it must have been an insane horde—pushing, pulling, screaming and trampling over one another to get to the front of the pack. 

My impression is that the Lord is bringing order out of chaos. The people are tired and complain bitterly. They wail "If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish that we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melon, the leaks, the onions and the garlic. Now our gullets are shriveled. There is nothing at all. Nothing but this manna to look to!" The Lord was incensed.

Moses heard the people weeping. the Lord was very angry and Moses was distressed. He asked the Lord "Why have You dealt ill with Your servant, and why have I not enjoyed Your favor, that You have laid the burden of all this people upon me?" Did I conceive all these people, did I bear them, that you should say to me, 'Carry them in your bosom as a nurse carries an infant,' to the land that You have promised on oath to their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people, when they whine before me and say, 'Give us meat to eat!' I cannot carry all this people by myself, for it is too much for me. If you would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!"

First let me say, I understand the frustration of the Israelites. They were uprooted from their homes in Egypt; yes they were enslaved and were required to do very hard work, but there is a certain comfort in the familiar, even under those conditions. At first they must have been elated at being free but when the ether wore off and the reality of their conditions became evident, I imagine they must have been thinking—"what have we done?"

The Lord provided manna to eat but after a couple of years of the husband saying "What's for dinner dear?" and she replying "oh, I thought we'd have manna tonight"! it must have been difficult, so it's not hard to imagine that the community would have been a little cranky, and not surprising that even Moses is pleading for help.

Bringing the focus back to the present, we don't have to look very far to see people whining and sometimes rioting for things they think should be theirs. Too often it escalates to include people looting and damaging both public and private property.

Perhaps just another example of some things never change? 
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Definitely not a calm period but an illustration of how people can learn to live together under stressful situations, something we can all learn from.