In this previous week’s Torah portion, Shelach Lecha (Numbers 13:1-3, 17), we encounter a strange moment. This is the part of the d’var I read with my Temple family at Temple Beth Israel. Our ritual chair, Dr. Catherine Cox, asked me to determine some guiding questions for this portion.
I initially thought – what is there to be said about only four verses that are setting the pretext for a role call on a search scout mission? But upon further examination and cross references from Torah scholars, there are two interesting themes that leave us with questions relevant to what we are seeing and experiencing in the same land God gave to the people of Israel – highly relevant, even – to this very day. Read on to see how in four verses, we’re considering themes of self agency, perception and the path forward to God’s highest good for us.
Firstly, God, who has promised the land of Canaan, tells Moses:
“Send for yourself men to spy out the land…”
Send for yourself.
Not “I command you.” Not “You must.”
Just: If you want to, go ahead.
This tiny linguistic wrinkle opens the door to a massive theme — one that hits home for anyone who’s ever second-guessed a gut feeling or outsourced their decision-making to louder voices. The first thing I found interesting was that Rashi noted that this scout mission was not commanded, but allowed:
Rashi (11th c.):
Rashi notes that God did not command this mission, but permitted it.
“Shelach lecha — according to your understanding. I am not commanding you; if you want to, send them.”1
Agency (With a Side of Humor)
God allows the people to act on their own agency – keyword allows, ha! – but doesn’t stop them from potentially making a mess of things. That, to me, is one of the most humanizing and simultaneously divine aspects of this story: permission to choose, even when the choice might lead to disappointment.
Why didn’t God just say, “No spies – I told you the land is good”?
Because real faith isn’t robotic obedience. It’s thinking in relationship with the eternal, not just downloading prepackaged conclusions from heaven and calling it a day.
Reliable Sources and the Power of Perception
The fact that these spies were tribal leaders – people of stature – says something. The Israelites didn’t just pick a bunch of random guys to do recon. These were trusted sources. Which is a reminder:
Perception is shaped not just by what we see, but by who we listen to.
There’s a reason we’re told their names. This wasn’t anonymous intel; these were named individuals, and the Torah takes the time to record their identities. Why? Because influence and accountability go hand in hand. The voices we elevate matter.
Spiritual Freedom, Not Tyranny
There’s a dangerous idea floating around in some religious circles that God is a cosmic dictator – a micromanager who punishes thought and rewards blind submission. This parashah flips that on its head.
Even with a divine plan in place – a land promised, a future mapped out – God leaves room for choice. Even the wrong one. Because God doesn’t want to shove “what’s best for us” down our throats. God wants us to see it, feel it, trust it – and walk toward it willingly.
And sometimes? That means taking the long way. Wandering a bit. Getting it wrong. Learning who not to follow.
Questions to Ask
- Why does God allow Moses to send spies at all, when the land was already guaranteed?
- Why were the names of the spies listed – what does that tell us about leadership, influence, and trust?
These aren’t just rhetorical. These are the kinds of questions that get us to stop coasting and start reflecting. That’s where Torah really lives – not just in the scroll, but in our decisions, our hesitations, and our willingness to ask why.
If you’re like me – someone who’s learning to trust their own perception while still holding space for divine guidance – this parashah might hit home, particularly in light of recent developments between Israel and Iran. It’s not about getting everything right. It’s about growing into a kind of faith that still thinks, still questions, and still chooses – and checking the source of the “spies” you allow to send out to inform your perceptions.
It particularly hits home for me in light of supporting clients from various places in the world dealing with foreign conflict – firsthand. There’s not many people who can say they had a conference call with a client in Israel, then one with a client from Iran right after.
Perceptions deeply matter to help determine how to hold space for others in the midst of these discussions and first person accounts of the realities that many must live with in our ultra connected world.
Personally, for myself, this Torah portion hits close to home in light of my work this week. I’ve had a wide range of perspectives that have often pleasantly surprised and concerned me with work connecting me to various clients from around the world, but the choices still lies within me to decide which perceptions are going to inform my choices and beliefs.
This portion of Torah asks us as we have access to the world at our fingertips on our phones today: what are we doing with the agency that God gives to us, and which perceptions are we going to allow us to influence and inform our path forward to the greatest good which God has given us access to?
- https://www.sefaria.org/Numbers.13.2?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Rashi_on_Numbers.13.2.1&lang2=bi
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