פרשת דברים
In this week’s parsha, Moshe formally rebukes the Jewish people, utilizing his final opportunity to encourage the nation to follow the Torah. One of Moshe’s reproaches concerned the incident of the spies. Not only did Moshe express disapproval of the spies’ negative report and the people’s acceptance of it; interestingly, Moshe also criticized the people for asking to send spies to scout out the land in the first place. However, the gemara in Kiddush 39b says that we’re not allowed to rely on miracles when a dangerous situation presents itself to us. It seems that to send out spies in order to be aware of possible threats that the enemy poses is actually the responsible thing to do. Why is Moshe criticizing the people because they asked him to send out scouts?
Rav Yerucham Levovitz explains that Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t rebuke the Jewish People merely because they asked to send scouts to investigate the situation in the land. Moshe Rabbeinu rebuked the people because of the way they did it. Rashi tells us that when the people approached Moshe to inquire about sending spies, they came as a haphazard and unorganized throng. They formed a mob, caused a great commotion, and made their request in a terrible rush. Such palpable anxiety alluded to the fact that this seemingly reasonable request didn’t stem from a healthy sense of responsibility but rather from an unhealthy panic that came from a lack of faith in G-d’s promise to give the Jewish People Eretz Yisrael. Feeling insecure, the Jewish People subconsciously exhibited a desire to rely on natural means in order to conquer the land, as opposed to trusting in Hashem to guide them. This lack of faith ultimately led to the sin of the spies and the decree of having to wander in the desert for another 40 years. However, it is important to point out that what is so incredible about Moshe’s rebuke is precisely the revelation that it was already detectable that the Jewish People had lost some of their faith in Hashem just by the way they made their demand. The panic exhibited by the Jewish people indicated that their request was not coming from the right place. We can extract an important general principle from this and apply it to our own lives. Whenever we find our behavior guided by anxiety we have an obligation to do some introspection. The yetzer hara is definitely doing something. Rav Saadiya Gaon says that a person should be very careful of how he thinks and be sure that he does not let rushed thinking direct him to conclusions. One who makes quick decisions and allows his initial impulses to rule over him is in danger of coming to grave sins and even rejecting G-d Himself, has v’shalom. Indeed, one of the distinguishing qualities of the yeshiva in Kelm was that everyone worked on ridding themselves of personal anxiety and formally accepted upon themselves to behave calmly in any given situation. In truth, all of us have an obligation to overcome the elements of nervousness that guide our behavior. Inner tranquility is a prerequisite for making the decisions that will bring us closer to Hashem.
Furthermore, it is actually desirable that a person should have the serenity and patience to delay making decisions. The Mishnah in the first chapter of Pirkei Avos admonishes us to “be deliberate in judgment.” The Rambam elaborates that when one practices the patience to think things through over and over again, he will begin to see new details and factors that he was unaware of when first evaluating the situation. By waiting and not immediately responding according to our initial assessment, we will ultimately begin to see a broader picture and come to a more grounded conclusion than we would have without such reflection. Through deliberation, we can certainly be assured that anxiety and other bad motivators are not affecting our decisions and feel more secure that we are in line with Torah principles. According to Pirkei Avos 5:7, not being quick to answer is actually what makes the difference between someone who is wise and someone who is still unrefined.
There is a story told of how Rav Chaim Volozhin once travelled to his rebbe, the Vilna Gaon, in order to propose his idea of opening up a yeshiva. Rav Chaim was very excited about the promise of such a project and eagerly awaited the Gra’s approval and blessing. However, the Gra felt such an endeavor was ill-advised and recommended that Rav Chaim should put the idea aside and involve himself in other things. A few years later, Rav Chaim again approached the Gra with the same proposition; again expressing his opinion that such a yeshiva would greatly increase Torah learning and be a tremendous merit for the entire Jewish people. Immediately, without objection, the Gra happily urged Rav Chaim to proceed and open the yeshiva. Rav Chaim, curious to know why his rebbe had changed his mind, asked the Gra why he didn’t give his approval earlier. The Gra answered, “When you first approached me you were very excited. Too excited. I was afraid that some improper form of motivation may have been pushing you. It may have been disastrous to allow you to embark on such a project at that time. However, now I see that you are calm, reserved, and are solely guided by your reason. You sincerely believe in the value of this endeavor and your will is purely for the sake of heaven. Now, Hashem will surely grant you success!”
May we all be zoche to attain the inner peace that will allow us to be deliberate in our decisions!!!