Sedra of the Week: Shelach-Lecha
Rabbi Jeff Berger looks at the forthcoming week’s portion of the Torah
Shelach-Lecha describes the disastrous outcome of the Israelite’s spying mission in the Land of Canaan.
Of the 12 men sent, 10 brought back a negative report, two spoke positively. That night’s panic followed by the Israelite’s ‘tears of ingratitude’ became the portent for Jewish calamity over the ensuing millennia.
The spies were men of distinction, chosen for their high moral character. They were charged with a duty and faithfully reported what they saw – “a land flowing with milk and honey … the nation was strong … the cities were fortified.”
They included strategic locations of hostile tribes: Amalekites, Hittites, Amorites and Canaanites. Perfect reconnaissance work!
Then they offered a subjective interpretation of the data. “We aren’t able to ascend … they’re stronger than us … it’s a land which consumes its inhabitants … we were as grasshoppers.”
Inexplicably, the 10 top leaders succumbed to fear or lack of faith, conveying a contagious message to Moses, Aaron and the people, which was grave enough to demoralize the national psyche.
Although the term “fake news” has become popularised through social media, perhaps this episode can be seen as one of the earliest examples.
Objective “facts” reported with subjective “views” and “biases” that mislead public opinion intentionally or unintentionally.
Judaism is now large enough to accept there are Jews who won’t always agree – the Talmud proved this.
It’s wide enough to accommodate those wishing to be non-conformist – Hassidism proved that.
Hopefully, it’s also robust enough to face challenging objections and still come to workable solutions, instead of being trapped in the negativity created by our own limited imaginations.
The importance of intellectual honesty and a willingness to dialogue with those who hold contrasting views perhaps would have gone a long way in the fledging community of wandering Israelites.
It’s certainly a skillset needed in our own contemporary society!
Rabbi Jeff Berger serves the Rambam Sephardi Synagogue in Elstree/ Borehamwood and can be contacted at RabbiJeffLondon@gmail.com
Listen to the Jewish Views Podcast:
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
