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Imagine

Rabbi Moshe Lichtman

magine you are living at the time wicked Jews who had Egyptian friends not only witness the plagues, but also
of the Exodus from Egypt. You see and who enjoyed honor and fortune in the Exodus, the splitting of the sea, and
amazing miracles: the ten plagues, Egypt. They did not want to leave.” Yes, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
I the splitting of the sea, the reve- even though they were enslaved, many Nonetheless, when G-d wanted to finally
lation at Mount Sinai. Now imagine that Jews became comfortable in exile, to the complete the process of geulah and bring
in the middle of it all, there are people point where they did not want to leave, His people into the Promised Land, ten of
all around you who are simply uninter- even though they already witnessed eight the generation’s greatest leaders said, in
ested, who want nothing to do with this fearsome plagues and numerous other effect, “No thanks!” and dragged a large
redemption. miracles! portion of the nation along with them.
What would you think of such people? But there is another explanation for why A simple reading of the verses in Parashat
What would you say to them? I am sure they did not want to leave. If the first Shelach indicates that the spies and their
that some of these sentiments would pass explanation paints a picture of assimilated followers were afraid of the obstacles
through your mind: “What is wrong with Jews wanting to just be left alone, this that awaited them, such as giants, forti-
them? Do they not see what G-d is doing one depicts very traditional, even deeply fied cities, abnormal fruit, and so on. The
for us? How can they pass up such an religious, Jews utilizing theological argu- Zohar (3:158a), however, states that their
opportunity?” ments to prevent the redemption from motives were very “frum”: they felt that
But more importantly, how do you think happening. they could concentrate better on Torah
G-d would react? Well, at least regarding Rav Ya’akov Kaminetzky argues, in his and Divine service in the desert, where
this question, we know the answer. You Emet LeYa’akov (Shemot 10:22), that “these they received manna and were not busy
see, this is not just a theoretical scenario. evildoers wanted to prevent the others making a living, which would all change
It actually happened, at least twice, and from leaving Egypt, for they felt that the once they entered the Land.
our Father in Heaven was not very happy. time of redemption had not yet arrived, What was G-d’s reaction to all this? The
We all know the famous statement of since they had a tradition that the bond- ten evil spies died a horrible death, and
Chazal that only one-fifth of the Jewish age would last four hundred years, [while the entire generation had to wander in
people left Egypt, while the vast majority, only 210 years had passed so far].” the desert for forty years while all the
80%, died during the plague of darkness. G-d’s reaction was swift and harsh: close men between the ages of twenty and
But why? What was their sin? Midrash to eight million Jews(!) perished. sixty died out. But that’s not all, for the
Tanchuma (Vaera 14) states, “There were ramifications of this sin are felt until this
A few months later, another group of very day. The Gemara (Ta’anit 29a) tells
Jews rejected G-d’s geulah. This group did us that the night the spies returned and
caused the people to cry was none other
than Tisha B’Av. Hashem said, “You wept
in vain; I will establish for you
weeping for all gener-

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