The story of Moses sending scouts to check out the land of Israel before the Jews entered is one of the most popular stories in the Torah. Yet something that makes so much sense went so wrong. How is that possible?
A little refresher is in order.
The Jews were finally about to enter the land of Israel. In order to know how best to enter the land, to learn the “lay of the land,” they asked Moses if they could send scouts in advance. Moses turned to G-d, who responded to Moses, saying that it was his call—if he thought it would calm down the Jews and give them the confidence to enter the Holy Land, send them. On his own, Moses chose to send the scouts. But he was wary. Would they stray? Would they scout out the land or would they spy on the people? Moses even prayed that Joshua, his trusted servant and disciple, would not get caught up in the men’s plot – if there would be one.
Clearly Moses was worried, yet not worried enough to cancel the mission—but he was concerned enough to pray for Joshua.
What went wrong?
If you pay close attention to the words the Torah uses to describe this group of men, you will notice that at first they are called “scouts” and later on they are called “spies.” What is the difference? And why was Moses so upset when they shifted from scouts to spies?
Scouts do not hide their identity nor their raison d'etre; they are honest people. For example, Joseph’s brothers many years earlier came to Egypt to look for food. They did not hide their identity or their mission – they were clear – yet Joseph accused them of being spies. So Moses told the scouts: If you want to check out the Holy Land of Israel, fine. But do not do so under cover. There is no reason to hide. Go around, let the people know why you are coming, what you are looking for. Be truthful. However, the men had other plans. They went under cover; they hid. They became spies. They made sure that no one knew who they were.
By definition, scouts are sent to observe and report back their findings, not draw their own conclusions. Spies, on the other hand, work much more independently. They form their own identities, draw their own conclusions, and make their own decisions. When that happens, there is a break between the sender and the sendee.
Moses knew that even if the men became spies, it didn’t mean that their conclusions would go against G-d’s will, so he did not stop them from going to scout out the land of Israel. But he was still concerned, because he knew that going down that road could become a slippery slope.
The lesson for us is clear: If we want to be connected to our spouse, to G-d, to the Torah, to our family, it is important to look out for each other, to see how we can be of help—how we can improve each others’ lives and our own lives. But always in an honest way. Never behind one’s back. Never in a sneaky – spying – fashion.
Moses, an honest man, was hurt most by that lack of honesty from the men he entrusted with such a crucial mission.
Shabbat Shalom