June 19, 2025 – Dr. Susanna Kokkonen
Shlach 5785 (2025)
Numbers 13:1- 15:41 (Haftarah: Joshua 2:1 – 24)
Shlach*, the name of the Torah portion in Hebrew, means “Send.” It refers to Moses sending out the twelve spies to observe the Land of Canaan, which God had designated for the Jews.
“The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.” (Numbers 13:2-3 NIV)
A Bad Report
The Bible tells us that the spies went to explore the land. But when they came back, they brought a bad report. Among them there were only two people, Joshua and Caleb, who believed that the land could be conquered.
“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (Numbers 13:30-31 NIV)
Because of the discouragement due to the bad report, the Israelites were ready to stone Joshua and Caleb.
“All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword?… But the whole assembly talked about stoning them…” (Numbers 13: 1-2,10 NIV)
Moses appealed to God. He appealed to God’s great name and His very reputation in bringing the Jewish people out of the land of Egypt.
“In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” (Numbers 14: 19 NIV)
Even though God did not reject the Israelites and did not leave them alone in the desert nevertheless they experienced the consequences of the bad report. None of the men who had gone to spy would enter the land of Canaan (except the two). They missed the Land of Milk and Honey they had seen. This was what God had promised to the Israelites.
“So the men Moses had sent to explore the land, who returned and made the whole community grumble against him by spreading a bad report about it— these men who were responsible for spreading the bad report about the land were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord. Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived.” (Numbers 14:36-37 NIV)
The Date
This story is extremely significant because the date of that report is identified as Tisha’a b’Av. This Hebrew calendar date is identified with many catastrophes that the Jewish people later experienced. Both the destruction of the First Temple and the Second Temple are identified to this very date as is the tragic expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. Religious Jews refer to the destructions of the temples as Churban, a catastrophe and the date is a day of fast.
Joshua’s Spies
The Haftarah, which is from the Book of Joshua focuses on spies too. As the time of conquering the land was at hand, Joshua sent two spies to Jericho. The reason the Bible mentions this one specific city may relate to its location, size, or strength. The Bible tells us that the spies found Rahab an innkeeper who hid them. This was necessary because the King of Jericho found out that Joshua had sent spies. Thus, she rescued them. She then asked them for a token that when they would come and conquer the city (of which she had no doubt) they would spare her and her family.
“Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.“ “Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.” (Joshua 2:8-12 NIV)
June 2025
Since its establishment, Israel has had to cope with large numbers of enemies. In fact, even the Holocaust survivors, as they made their way to the newly established State of Israel, had to fight in the war following the Declaration of Independence in 1948.
Iran is a large country, rich in natural resources with around 90 million inhabitants. At the time of Israel’s Independence, the Shaa governed Iran and Iran had good relations with the Jewish state. This changed with the Islamic revolution and as Ayatollah Khomeini became Iran’s supreme leader in 1979. Iran became a Shiite extreme Islamist country. Iran clearly wanted to erase Israel from the map. The US and the EU have negotiated its nuclear program several times. June 2025 witnessed an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear stations and related infrastructure.
So why did Israel have to attack now?
According to the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) this was necessary at this time because there was a window of opportunity, a window that otherwise might close. Although there were multiple strikes by Israel in Tehran and other locations, Israel also sustained casualties. In terms of Iranian citizens, the IDF Spokesman gave a warning:
”Anyone who is near weapons production facilities is required to immediately leave these areas and not return until further notice. Presence near these facilities endangers your life.”
Iranians have no such regard for Israeli lives. War was necessary and it had to happen now. Many of the Iranian military commanders, nuclear scientists and people involved in developing a nuclear bomb against Israel have now been eliminated.
A war requires faith maybe because it is easier to start a war than to come to its end. But when we look at the Bible, even in the context of faith, we see that enemy forces were physical enemies. So, Joshua and Caleb and others had to be strong and courageous because physical enemies threatened them. This same principle still works today. This June we have just seen how Israel fought in the Middle East. Because of the age we are living in, including the social media, what we have witnessed at this time is how not just the Middle East but Israel’s enemies in the West have all come together to malign the Jewish state. In this way the west becomes allied with Israel’s enemies, and this is a dangerous position.
These things must come
The New Testament is not silent on the topic of wars. In several places Jesus identified pestilences, earthquakes, and wars as signs of the times of the end. However, we are not to be alarmed by this. We are going to discern but continue our lives.
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” (Matthew 24:6 NIV)
May we be at the right place at the right time. May we discern. May we support Israel. May we always stand strong.
*For an explanation of the terms see the first Pearls of The Torah Portion Blog.
| Coral and crystal cannot be mentioned, and the striving for wisdom [is more precious] than pearls. | רָאמ֣וֹת וְ֖גָבִישׁ לֹ֣א יִזָּכֵ֑ר וּמֶ֥שֶׁךְ חָ֜כְמָ֗ה מִפְּנִינִֽים: |
Job 28:18 (NKJV)
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Matthew 13:45-46 (NKJV)
Torah Scrolls were attacked and desecrated during the Holocaust. The enduring images of the Kristallnacht (November 9-10,1938) are those of synagogues on fire and Torah Scrolls burning. Some of these desecrated Torah Scrolls disappeared, others were buried. Some were lovingly rescued and are on display in museums in various locations.
