Shelach (5745)

Alef Discussion (June 2006) about the theme of the Spies in Sedra Shelach (see Numbers chs.13-14). Rabbi Shneur Zalman's 'Likkutei Torah' presents a somewhat positive view of the Spies. They were very spiritual people, and this is why they prefered to stay in the desert, rather than enter the Land of Israel, where they would have to be involved with the practicalities of agricultural life. The Rebbe asks how does this spiritual view of them fit with the more basic view that they lacked faith in G-d? The answer discusses the distinction between the spiritual 'root' of something, which is always positive, and the lower manifestation, which might be severely negative. This distinction applies in many different instances, and this helps one understand the nature of one's challenge in life.