40 YEARS
Dear Family,
I hope everyone is well.
Mazal Tov to Mendel and Freida on the Pidyan Haben which took place today. BH I was able to see the event on Video call. Wishing you much nachas from Dovber, and much happiness together.
Mazal Tov to Pesach and Chanie on their upcoming Anniversary next week. Have a wonderful year in your new home with much new growth and development, and with much joy.
Mazal Tov to Menachem Mendel Davidoff on his birthday next week. Go Mendel. Keep up all your good work! Have a happy birthday.
And we cant forget that this coming week is also the Yohrtzeit of Rosalie Fisher AH, Naomi's mother. Wishing you and all your Family long life Naomi.
It was so interesting for me to see that this weeks Sedra Shlach was discussing the 40 YEAR PERIOD that Bnei Yisrael would have to spend in the desert, due to the 40 DAYS that the spies spent in Eretz Yisrael.
And I thought that there must be a connection between this and the 40th ANNIVERSARY which Mommy and I are celebrating this week (English date was yesterday, and Hebrew date is next Shabbos)
Our past 40 years has been such a beautiful period BH, with so much activity and brocha, and with such a beautiful Family BH.
And I came to the conclusion, and it truly feels like this, THAT OUR 40 YEARS HAS FELT LIKE 40 DAYS!!
We should now, BEH, move onto the next stage of our lives for the next 40 years!
The Rebbe explains in a maamer the difference between the spies of Mosheh in this week's Sedra, and the spies of Yehoshua, which we read about in this week's Haftorah.
What actually happened was that the spies of Mosheh came back after 40 days, giving a bad report about Eretz Yisrael, causing the People to feel demoralised and fearful. Therefore Hashem decreed that Bnei Yisrael should be 'punished', and delayed from entering Eretz Yisrael by wandering in the desert for 40 years.
With Yehoshua, he was poised to enter Eretz Yisrael on the East bank of the Jordan, and he sent 2 spies to Jericho only. They brought back a good report which raised the morale of the People, and they then successfully entered Eretz Yisrael, and conquered first Jericho, and then the rest of the Land
The explanation that the Rebbe gives is basically showing the difference between the work of a Tzadik and the work of a Beinoni, and the POWER OF GARMENTS.
The instruction to Moshe was that he should send spies ie if he sees it fit to send (so it was in the hands of Mosheh the Tzadik). Also he was told to spy out the whole land of the 7 Nations who were living there.
The command to Yehoshua was an unqualified command, and therefore applies to everyone, and these spies were only sent to Jericho. (This refers to the work of a Beinoni, which applies to everyone)
To explain, very few people can be a Tzadik straight away, because it is a very high level, but everyone can be a Beinoni first.
The Beinoni is explained by Tanya as someone who spends his whole life battling with his 2 inner opposing forces, always trying to let his G-dly force overcome his animal instincts.
The 7 Nations Mosheh had to conquer, represents man's 7 Emotional attributes, and as it states in Bereishis Rabbah, 'Tzadikim alone are in control of their hearts.'
Jericho represents the GARMENTS OF THE SOUL - Thought, Speech and Action - Jericho expressing the root reiach - scent. As it states in Zohar 'in the scent of your garments.' And because garments are external, they can be utilised by everyone.
Also Jericho was described as the 'lock of the Land.' Ie once Jericho is conquered, the rest of the Land can be conquered.
And this work of conquering Jericho, through the correct use of our Thought, Speech and Deed, can be done by everyone ie through the service of the Beinoni, and using mitzvos (external and physical)
So the analogy of the battle of Moshe and the battle of Yehoshua can be applied to us as individuals
Every person is commanded to scout out, or to examine, our thought, speech and deeds to make sure that they are entirely devoted to Hashem.
And the reason that thought, speech and deed are accessible to man, as opposed to the emotions, is because they are GARMENTS to the soul and external.
And garments, even though they are external, have the power to grant him additional beauty and splendour, and raise him beyond his natural height. And this is because the source of garments transcends the person wearing them. (The opposite is also true that by wearing poor garments, this can give one a descent that exceeds natural lowness!)
And in practical, spiritual terms, the garments of the soul are referring to mitzvos which have the power to raise man way higher than his own capacity.
And the primary service of man in the process of 'unlocking the Land' is to 'turn away from evil and do good', in actual PHYSICAL PRACTICE in thought, speech and deed.
From this victory, we can now turn our attention to conquering the 'rest of the Land' our 7 emotional attributes.
But how can we do this if we are not a Tzadik?
Because before we are born we 'make an oath that we should be a Tzadik and not a rasha.' (Gemorra end of perek beis of Nida). And therefore it must be possible.
And in the future Hashem 'will expand our borders' by conquering also the 3 Nations of Keini, Knizi and Kadmoni (which represent our 3 Intelectual Attributes) with the coming of Mashiach.
Gut Shabbos to all.