Long Island Torah Network
  • Home
  • Locations
    • East Northport
    • Huntington
    • Merrick
  • Programs
    • Hebrew School
    • Beis Medrash Night
    • Pathways
    • Learning and Lox
    • Teen Zone
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Mission
    • L.I.T.N. Video
  • News and Recent Events
    • Chanukah Event
    • 2019 L.I.T.N. Dinner
  • Publications/Media
    • Our Video
    • L.I.T.N. 2017 Dinner
    • Torah Minute >
      • Vayeitzei - Great Interpersonal Conduct - Making it Even Better
      • Toldos - Just Say it
      • Chayei Sarah - Kindness and Respect
      • Vayeirah - Respect the Person, Reject the Misdeed
      • Lech Lecha - The Opportunity of a Challenge
      • Noach - The Power of Appreciation
      • Bereishis - Greatness of Humanity
      • Bereishis - Importance of Character Development
      • Sukkos - Happiness for us and all our People
      • Yom Kippur - A Priceless Opportunity
      • Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement- A Time to Thank
      • Vayeilech - Shabbos Shuva - The Impact on Others
      • Nitzavim - Rosh Hashana
      • Ki Savo - The Future of Judaism
      • Ki Savo - My Idea or Yours?
      • Ki Savo - Every Day a New Opportunity
      • Ki Seitzei - Strength is Being Aware of Weakness
      • Shoftim - The Dignity of Every Human Being
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Hashem is Always with Us
      • Va'eschanan-Nachamu - Miztvos - Recipe for Spiritual Well-being
      • Tisha B'Av - A Day of Mourning, A Day of Hope
      • Devarim Tisha B'Av- I Can Bring World Peace?
      • Devarim - Prayers are Always Answered
      • Devarim-Tisha B'Av - Torah-It's Already Ours
      • Matos-Masei- It's Not "Just Words"
      • Matos Masei- Appreciating Our Worth - The Key to Growth
      • Balak - The Greatness of Torah Study
      • Chukas - Torah-A Gift for All of Us
      • Korach - The Power of Community
      • Korach- Capacity for Growth
      • Shlach- The Power of Speech
      • Beha'aloscha - Mitzvos - The Greatest Gift and Opportunity
      • Naso - Every Mitzvah is a Big Mitzvah
      • Shavuos - The Freedom of the Torah
      • Bechukosai - Our Relationship with Hashem - An Eternal Bond
      • Behar - Torah Transmission - From Sinai to the Present
      • Pesach - Internalizing the Message
      • Metzora - Pesach - G-d's Love for Me
      • Tazria-Metzorah - The Action or the Attitude
      • Tazria - Avoiding Slander - More Opportunities than Ever
      • Shmini - Difficulty of Accepting Criticism
      • Tzav / Pesach - From Generation to Generation
      • Purim - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Vayikra - Mitzvos - From Hashem with Love
      • Pekudei - I Wish I Could
      • Vayakhel - Inspire Ourselves and We Can Do it
      • Ki Sisa - Sensitivity to Feelings
      • Tetzaveh - The Power of a First Impression
      • Terumah - Doing the Best We Can
      • Mishpatim - In Someone Else's Shoes
      • Yisro - Of Course I'm Aware! - It's Obvious!
      • Yisro - Finding Happiness with what we Have
      • Beshalach - Knowing Who We Are
      • Bo - Appreciating Every Detail
      • Bo - Seeing the Hand of G-d
      • Va'eirah - Generation to Generation - Influence and Impact
      • Shemos - Empathy - Do we Have Enough?
      • Vayechi - Seeking Advice
      • Vayechi - Our Relationships with People - Our Relationship with G-D
      • Vayigash - Torah Study - Key to Our Nation's Survival
      • Chanukah - The Source of our Strength
      • Vayeishev - From Generation to Generation
      • Vayishlach - The Purpose of our Possesions
      • Yom Kippur - Take the First Step to Greatness
      • Rosh Hashana - G-d Loves Us - Let's Build Our Relationship
      • Ki Seitzei - Working Together with Sensitivity
      • Re'eh - The Torah's Mitzvos- The Perfect Prescription
      • Eikev - Mitzvos - For Hashem or for Us?
      • Pinchas - The Impact of an Experience
      • Acharei Mos-Kedoshim - The Divine Spark in Every Human Being
      • Rosh Hashana - Let's Start Fresh
      • Pinchas - Seeing is Believing
      • Va'eirah - Do I Really Know who I Am?
      • Va'eirah - G-d's Kindness - A Force Like No Other
      • Chanukah - History, Meaning, and Observance
      • Tetzaveh - Purim - Seize the Moment
      • Torah Inspirations - Parshas B'Shalach
      • Toldos - The Impact of our Environment
      • Nitzavim-Vayeilech - Change-We Could Do It
      • The Situation in Israel - How We Can Help
    • Snapshot >
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Toldos
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah
      • Parshas Lech Lecha
      • Parshas Noach
      • Parshas Vayeilech
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Parshas Balak
      • Parshas Chukas
      • Parshas Korach
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzorah
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Vayikra
      • Parshas Pekudei
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Ki Sisa
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas Beshalach
      • Parshas Bo
      • Parshas Va'eirah
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayeishev
      • Parshas Vayishlach
      • Parshas Vayeirah
      • Parshas Pinchas
      • Parshas Shlach
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Beha'aloscha
    • A Closer Look >
      • Parshas Noach CL
      • Parshas Ki Savo
      • Parshas Tazria-Metzora
      • Parshas Vayikra CL
      • Parshas Pekudei CL
      • Parshas Vayakhel CL
      • Parshas Ki Sisa CL
      • Parshas Tetzaveh
      • Parshas Terumah
      • Parshas Mishpatim CL
      • Parshas Yisro CL
      • Parshas Beshalach CL
      • Parshas Shemos CL
      • Parshas Vayechi CL
      • Parshas Vayigash CL
      • Parshas Vayeisheiv CL
      • Parshas Vayishlach CL
      • Parshas Vayeitzei CL
      • Parshas Toldos CL
      • Parshas Chayei Sarah CL
      • Parshas Vayeirah CL
      • Parshas Korach
      • Sh'lach
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Yisro
      • Parshas B'shalach
      • Haazinu
      • Beha'aloscha
      • Parshas Vayakhel
      • Parshas Shemos
      • Parshas Vayechi
      • Parshas Vayigash
      • Parshas Vayaishev
      • Vayishlach
      • Parshas Behar-Bechukosai
      • Parshas Emor
      • Achrei Mos-Kedoshim
      • Parshas Shmini
      • Parshas Vayeitzei
      • Parshas Noach
    • Call-In Archives
    • Relationships Seminar
    • Elul >
      • One By One
    • Thoughts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
    • Yom Kippur Overview
    • Sukkos - Meanings, Observances and Traditions
    • Laws of Chanukah Candle Lighting
    • Purim
    • Pesach - Passover
    • Three Weeks and Nine Days
    • The Seventeenth of Tammuz
    • Tisha B'Av
  • Donate
  • Contact
    • Ask the Rabbi
Picture

  Parsha
​Snapshot


Shlach
God instructs Moses to send spies to Canaan, to scout out the territory the Jews will soon conquer. According to the Midrash, sending spies was the Jews’ idea, not God’s; the request emanated from a subtle, subconscious lack of faith. God acquiesced to their request, but the experiment was to have disastrous results.

Moses selects twelve distinguished leaders, one from each tribe. The group travels to Canaan and spends forty days touring the length and breadth of the land. They return with incredible-sized fruits, which they show the people, reporting, “We came to the land to which you sent us, and it is indeed flowing with milk and honey, and these are its fruits. However, mighty is the nation dwelling in the land; the cities are fortified and very great; and we also saw giant’s children there.”

Only two of the spies– Caleb, representing the tribe of Judah, and Joshua, of the tribe of Ephraim, voice their dissent: “The land which we passed through to scout is very, very good. If God wants [to help] us, He shall bring us into this land and give it to us – a land flowing with milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against God; and do not fear the people of the land…”

Sadly, the people do not believe them. “The entire congregation lifted their voices, and the nation wept that night.” The people’s lack of faith is a grievous sin; Israel is threatened with annihilation. Moses steps in to pray for forgiveness. God accepts his plea, but swears that the entire generation – “all the men who saw My glory, and My miracles which I performed in Egypt and in the desert – yet challenged me these ten times, and did not listen to My voice – shall not see the land.” Only Caleb and Joshua will enter Canaan; the rest will perish in the desert, where they are to wander for forty years. Their children will be the ones who will, at long last, enjoy the promised inheritance.

The next morning, a group of Jews, committed to rectifying their error, begins marching towards the Land. Moses warns them that they are too late; their misplaced zeal will not earn them Divine assistance. The people persist in their attempt, and are roundly defeated by the indigenous people of the land.
​
God now communicates to Moses further laws of the Temple service. These instructions – applicable only in the Land of Israel – serve as a message of consolation to the Jews, a reassurance that they will  indeed enter the Land one day.
The Parsha concludes with the mitzvah of “tzitzis”– fringes affixed to the corners of every four-cornered garment. Four strings are threaded through a hole in each corner and knotted, leaving eight dangling ends. Some of these strings must be colored with techeiles – a blue dye obtained from the aquatic chilazon, whose identity has been lost over time. Tzitzis serve as an ever-present reminder of God’s mitzvos, and help guard the wearer against temptation. Tzitzis also symbolize the Exodus; for this reason, these verses were incorporated as the third paragraph of the Daily Shema, fulfilling the command to remember the Exodus every day of our lives. 

​
​Click below to open a printable pdf
parsha_snapshot_shlach_mend.pdf
File Size: 361 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File