Shelach

Shelach – Ben Baginsky 

Ben Baginsky is one of LJY-Netzer's movement workers for 2008-09. He studied Cultural Studies at the University of Leeds between 2005 and 2008.

At the beginning of Shelach God instructs Moses to send 12 men into Canaan to survey the land. Moses chooses the men. They set off, instructed to return with answers to specific questions: "Are the people who live there strong or weak, few or many?"; "Is the inhabited area good or bad?"; "Are the cities where they live open or fortified?" The answers the men bring, on their return after forty days, are largely negative. The majority speak of aggressive men the size of giants and impenetrable cities. Amidst the negativity, however, two men come forward and begin to turn the tide of general Israelite opinion. Joshua and Caleb, have a different take. They speak up for the land, calling it "very, very good". Caleb insists: "We must go forth and occupy the land… We can do it!"

What takes place there in the desert resonates today and gives us insight into how we as individuals and communities approach the future. The ratio of ten parts despair to two parts hope suits our world. Newspapers and politicians are today's biblical spies. They've surveyed our present and impending challenges and seen doom. They've encouraged the rest of us to see the same. Finding a genuine voice of hope amidst the mire is increasingly difficult. 

An important lesson can be drawn from the story of the spies, about how we overcome the human tendency towards hopelessness, conflict and fear. I want to suggest that we can because, not in spite of, despair. Caleb and Joshua had such an impact because what came before them was a loss of hope. They offer their opinion only after the other ten spies have offered theirs and the people have declared: 'Let’s appoint a new leader and go back to Egypt!" At that point, and not before, Caleb and Joshua praise the land.

Shelach instructs us that hopelessness can be fertile ground for hope. In today's world there is a lot to feel hopeless about. It is difficult to imagine things getting better. Surely the economy can't recover. Surely dictators cannot be overthrown. Surely politicians will be forever self-interested. I believe that, whatever the struggle, we are obliged to make the mental shift our ancestors did. Because when the Israelites did eventually enter Canaan they found a land flowing with milk and honey and void of giants.