Parsha: Sh’lach (Numbers 13:1-Numbers 15:41)

Parsha Sh'lach Day #1: Numbers 13:1-20 (Study Notes)

(Numbers 13:1-20) A Call to Scan the Promised Land

Right after we read about the plague of quail that killed thousands of Israelites and the plague of leprosy that befell Miriam (but not Aaron for the same sin), Hahem commands Moshe to send 12 spies into the promised land to see what type of land it was. This mission seems more a test of faith than an actual scouting mission.

In the opening lines of Numbers chapter 13, we read that Hashem commands Moshe to choose 12 men to go and scan the promised land. The Hebrew word used in the first verse to describe Hashem's interaction with Moshe is: אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה.

This word (or conjunction of words) connotes the idea that Hashem more than spoke to Moshe. Indeed, it connotes the idea that Hashem "spoke into Moshe." If we consider that every Jewish person…

Parsha Sh'lach

Haftarah: Joshua 2:1-24

Joshua Chapter 2

וַיִּשְׁלַ֣ח יְהוֹשֻֽׁעַ־בִּן־נ֠וּן מִֽן־הַשִּׁטִּ֞ים שְׁנַֽיִם־אֲנָשִׁ֤ים מְרַגְּלִים֙ חֶ֣רֶשׁ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְכ֛וּ רְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְאֶת־יְרִיח֑וֹ וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ וַ֠יָּבֹ֠אוּ בֵּית־אִשָּׁ֥ה זוֹנָ֛ה וּשְׁמָ֥הּ רָחָ֖ב וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־שָֽׁמָּה׃

1 And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two spies secretly, saying: ‘Go view the land, and Jericho.’ And they went, and came into the house of a harlot whose name was Rahab, and lay there.

וַיֵּ֣אָמַ֔ר לְמֶ֥לֶךְ יְרִיח֖וֹ לֵאמֹ֑ר הִנֵּ֣ה אֲ֠נָשִׁ֠ים בָּ֣אוּ הֵ֧נָּה הַלַּ֛יְלָה מִבְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לַחְפֹּ֥ר אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Parsha Sh'lach Day #1:

Numbers 13:1-20

Numbers Chapter 13

Parsha Sh'lach

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

Parsha Sh'lach Day #2:

Numbers 13:21-14:7

וַֽיַּעֲל֖וּ וַיָּתֻ֣רוּ אֶת־הָאָ֑רֶץ מִמִּדְבַּר־צִ֥ן עַד־רְחֹ֖ב לְבֹ֥א חֲמָֽת׃

21 So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, at the entrance to Hamath.

וַיַּעֲל֣וּ בַנֶּ֘גֶב֮ וַיָּבֹ֣א עַד־חֶבְרוֹן֒ וְשָׁ֤ם אֲחִימַן֙ שֵׁשַׁ֣י וְתַלְמַ֔י יְלִידֵ֖י הָעֲנָ֑ק וְחֶבְר֗וֹן שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ נִבְנְתָ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י צֹ֥עַן מִצְרָֽיִם׃

22 And they went up into the South, and came unto Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there.—Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.—