Va'etchanan - Day #2

Va'etchanan וָאֶתְחַנַּן - Pleaded  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11

Deuteronomy 4:5–40

4:5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as Hashem our Elohim commanded me, that you should do so in the middle of the land where you go in to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who shall hear all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to them as Hashem our Elohim is whenever we call on him? 8 What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?

9 Only be careful, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children’s children— 10 the day that you stood before Hashem your Elohim in Horeb, when Hashem said to me, “Assemble the people to me, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.” 11 You came near and stood under the mountain. The mountain burned with fire to the heart of the sky, with darkness, cloud, and thick darkness. 12 Hashem spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice. 13 He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even the Ten Commandments. He wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 Hashem commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it. 15 Be very careful, for you saw no kind of form on the day that Hashem spoke to you in Horeb out of the middle of the fire, 16 lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself a carved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth; 19 and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Hashem your Elohim has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky. 20 But Hashem has taken you, and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to him a people of inheritance, as it is today. 21 Furthermore Hashem was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in to that good land which Hashem your Elohim gives you for an inheritance; 22 but I must die in this land. I must not go over the Jordan, but you shall go over and possess that good land. 23 Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of Hashem your Elohim, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which Hashem your Elohim has forbidden you. 24 For Hashem your Elohim is a devouring fire, a jealous G-d. 25 When you father children and children’s children, and you have been long in the land, and then corrupt yourselves, and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do that which is evil in Hashem your Elohim’s sight to provoke him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed. 27 Hashem will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where Hashem will lead you away. 28 There you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from there you shall seek Hashem your Elohim, and you will find Him when you search after Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in oppression, and all these things have come on you, in the latter days you shall return to Hashem your Elohim and listen to His voice. 

31 For Hashem your Elohim is a merciful Elohim. He will not fail you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them. 32 For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that Elohim created man on the earth, and from the one end of the sky to the other, whether there has been anything as great as this thing is, or has been heard like it? 33 Did a people ever hear the voice of Elohim speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have heard, and live? 34 Or has Elohim tried to go and take a nation for himself from among another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand, by an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that Hashem your Elohim did for you in Egypt before your eyes? 35 It was shown to you so that you might know that Hashem is Elohim. There is no one else besides Him. 36 Out of heaven He made you to hear His voice, that He might instruct you. On earth, He made you to see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the middle of the fire. 37 Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their offspring after them, and brought you out with His presence, with His great power, out of Egypt; 38 to drive out nations from before you greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is today. 39 Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Hashem Himself is Elohim in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else. 40 You shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you for all time.

Today's Meditation:

Verse 8 is very compelling: “What great nation is there that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set before you today?” And it is so true. What group of people on this planet has such righteous laws as Israel? We should acknowledge and thank Hashem for our ability to connect and unite with the Torah. It makes us a people set apart who worship the one true Elohim. There is only one true Elohim. The Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And He has created unique and wonderful statutes and ordinances. We praise Adonai for this.

Today’s Challenge:

Who or what are we looking for? Verse 39 says it all, “Know therefore today, and take it to heart, that Hashem himself is Elohim in heaven above and on the earth beneath. There is no one else.” He is the One. And He is Elohim of heaven and earth. Think of that. He is the one and only Elohim of the planet Earth. He created and owns the earth. And if we really believe that, we need to take better care of what He has entrusted to us. That is my challenge to you today. Make sure your house is in order. And see if there is anything you can do for your community. Both your religious community and the physical community you live in. If you see a piece of paper or garbage on the ground, maybe pick it up. Let’s start with what Hashem has given us and take care of it. This will affect the rest of the world; it will make it better. 

Devarim - Day #2

Devarim דְּבָרִים - Words  

Torah Portion: Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

Deuteronomy 1:11–21

1:11 Hashem, the Elohim of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as He has promised you! 12 How can I myself alone bear your problems, your burdens, and your strife? 13 Take wise men of understanding who are respected among your tribes, and I will make them heads over you.”

14 You answered me, and said, “The thing which you have spoken is good to do.” 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes. 16 I commanded your judges at that time, saying, “Hear cases between your brothers and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the foreigner who is living with him. 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is Adonai’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.” 18 I commanded you at that time all the things which you should do. 19 We traveled from Horeb and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw, by the way to the hill country of the Amorites, as Hashem our Elohim commanded us; and we came to Kadesh Barnea. 20 I said to you, “You have come to the hill country of the Amorites, which Hashem our Elohim gives to us. 21 Behold, Hashem our Elohim has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Hashem our Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.”

Today’s Meditation:

Moses delegated. He didn’t try to be a dictator; instead, I believe, he worked with a team. He picked leaders, who in turn picked leaders under them. They each worked with a portion of people so that it would never be overwhelming. The workload was shared. This was good for Moses, the leaders, and the people. And it is how we should do things now. If you are in a leadership role, I recommend you start delegating. Not to do so could burn you out. And not only that, but working as a team will help your business/project grow. Other people can bring new ideas and fresh insight. This is how Moses did it, and it might be good for you to do it this way, too.

Today’s Challenge:

In verse 21, we read, “Behold, Hashem our Elohim has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as Hashem our Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you. Don’t be afraid, neither be dismayed.” When Hashem calls you to do something or go somewhere, you must believe He will equip you properly and will accompany you. If you place your trust in Him, you do not have to fear or worry.  So, if you feel like Hashem is directing your path in a certain direction, have faith and go. Don’t be afraid or dismayed, He is right there with you. If you allow this to happen, you will be so amazed and happy. It is so much better to include and follow Hashem in all you do. Try to renew this commitment.

Matot-Massei - Day #2

Matot-Massei  

Torah Portion: Numbers 30:2-36:13

Numbers 31:13-54 

31:13 Moses and Eleazar the priest, with all the princes of the congregation, went out to meet them outside of the camp. 14 Moses was angry with the officers of the army, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. 15 Moses said to them, “Have you saved all the women alive? 16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against Hashem in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of Hashem. 17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. 18 But all the girls, who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

19 “Encamp outside of the camp for seven days. Whoever has killed any person, and whoever has touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, you and your captives. 20 You shall purify every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats’ hair, and all things made of wood.”

21 Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who went to the battle, “This is the statute of the law which Hashem has commanded Moses. 22 However, the gold, the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead, 23 everything that may withstand the fire, you shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless, it shall be purified with the water for impurity. All that doesn’t withstand the fire you shall make to go through the water. 24 You shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and you shall be clean. Afterward, you shall come into the camp.”

25 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 26 “Count the plunder that was taken, both of man and of animal, you, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers’ households of the congregation; 27 and divide the plunder into two parts: between the men skilled in war, who went out to battle, and all the congregation. 28 Levy a tribute to Hashem of the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred; of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks. 29 Take it from their half, and give it to Eleazar the priest, for Hashem’s wave offering. 30 Of the children of Israel’s half, you shall take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the flocks, of all the livestock, and give them to the Levites, who perform the duty of Hashem’s tabernacle.”

31 Moses and Eleazar the priest did as Hashem commanded Moses.

32 Now the plunder, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred seventy-five thousand sheep, 33 seventy-two thousand head of cattle, 34 sixty-one thousand donkeys, 35 and thirty-two thousand persons in all, of the women who had not known man by lying with him. 36 The half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep; 37 and Hashem’s tribute of the sheep was six hundred seventy-five. 38 The cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which Hashem’s tribute was seventy-two. 39 The donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which Hashem’s tribute was sixty-one. 40 The persons were sixteen thousand, of whom Hashem’s tribute was thirty-two persons. 41 Moses gave the tribute, which was Hashem’s wave offering, to Eleazar the priest, as Hashem commanded Moses. 42 Of the children of Israel’s half, which Moses divided off from the men who fought 43 (now the congregation’s half was three hundred thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep, 44 thirty-six thousand head of cattle, 45 thirty thousand five hundred donkeys, 46 and sixteen thousand persons), 47 even of the children of Israel’s half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of animal, and gave them to the Levites, who performed the duty of Hashem’s tabernacle, as Hashem commanded Moses.

48 The officers who were over the thousands of the army, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near to Moses. 49 They said to Moses, “Your servants have taken the sum of the men of war who are under our command, and there lacks not one man of us. 50 We have brought Hashem’s offering, what every man found: gold ornaments, armlets, bracelets, signet rings, earrings, and necklaces, to make atonement for our souls before Hashem.”

51 Moses and Eleazar the priest took their gold, even all worked jewels. 52 All the gold of the wave offering that they offered up to Hashem, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred fifty shekels. 53 The men of war had taken booty, every man for himself. 54 Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting for a memorial for the children of Israel before Hashem.

Today’s Meditation:

Today, we learn how to divide the plunder. What is so wonderful is that Hashem provides for the Levites, who did not go out to war. He takes care of everything for all His people. That is important to remember today. He provides for us every day. All we need is to trust in Him. 

Today’s Challenge:

It’s hard for us to understand war, as we have discussed before. This particular war is with the people who swayed the Israelites to sin with the prostitutes. This is the reason they go to war with the Midianites. We can only imagine how upset Hashem is with us when we sin in any area of our lives. He may not impose a plague on us, but He does allow us to suffer consequences. I can think of these times in my life, and they are not fun. My challenge today is to maybe review your life once again and fix your areas of sin. We want to be close to Hashem, not separated by sin. 

Pinchas - Day #2

Pinchas פִּינְחָס - Phinehas  

Numbers 25:10-30:1

Numbers 26:5–51

26:5 Reuben, the firstborn of Israel; the sons of Reuben: of Hanoch, the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites; 6 of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites. 7 These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were counted of them were forty-three thousand seven hundred thirty. 8 The son of Pallu: Eliab. 9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are Dathan and Abiram, who were called by the congregation, who rebelled against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they rebelled against Hashem; 10 and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died; at the time the fire devoured two hundred fifty men, and they became a sign. 11 Notwithstanding, the sons of Korah didn’t die. 12 The sons of Simeon after their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites; 13 of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites. 14 These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty-two thousand two hundred. 15 The sons of Gad after their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites; 16 of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites; 17 of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites. 18 These are the families of the sons of Gad according to those who were counted of them, forty thousand and five hundred. 19 The sons of Judah: Er and Onan. Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. 20 The sons of Judah after their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zerahites. 21 The sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites. 22 These are the families of Judah according to those who were counted of them, seventy-six thousand five hundred. 23 The sons of Issachar after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the family of the Punites; 24 of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites. 25 These are the families of Issachar according to those who were counted of them, sixty-four thousand three hundred. 26 The sons of Zebulun after their families: of Sered, the family of the Seredites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites. 27 These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were counted of them, sixty thousand five hundred. 28 The sons of Joseph after their families: Manasseh and Ephraim. 29 The sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir became the father of Gilead; of Gilead, the family of the Gileadites. 30 These are the sons of Gilead: of Iezer, the family of the Iezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites; 31 and Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and Shechem, the family of the Shechemites; 32 and Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and Hepher, the family of the Hepherites. 33 Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, had no sons, but daughters: and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. 34 These are the families of Manasseh. Those who were counted of them were fifty-two thousand seven hundred. 35 These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthelahites; of Becher, the family of the Becherites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites. 36 These are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites. 37 These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were counted of them, thirty-two thousand five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph, listed by their families. 38 The sons of Benjamin after their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites; 39 of Shephupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites. 40 The sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman: the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites. 41 These are the sons of Benjamin after their families, and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand six hundred. 42 These are the sons of Dan after their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan after their families. 43 All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were counted of them, were sixty-four thousand four hundred. 44 The sons of Asher after their families: of Imnah, the family of the Imnites; of Ishvi, the family of the Ishvites; of Beriah, the family of the Berites. 45 Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites. 46 The name of the daughter of Asher was Serah. 47 These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were counted of them, fifty-three thousand four hundred. 48 The sons of Naphtali after their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites; 49 of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites. 50 These are the families of Naphtali according to their families; and those who were counted of them were forty-five thousand four hundred. 51 These are those who were counted of the children of Israel, six hundred one thousand seven hundred thirty.

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem is asking Moses to take a census of the men over 20 who would be willing and ready to go to war. It must be that Hashem anticipates that war is imminent. It would be like our government in the US calling up men for the draft. It’s about preparing and getting ready. That is a strong characteristic of our Elohim. He prepares and gets ready. It is a lesson for all of us. Maybe we are not going into any obvious battle, but even getting up in the morning to meet the world each day, we must prepare for what lies ahead. This includes prayer and worship of Hashem, and asking Him to be in the middle of it all.

Today’s Challenge:

This was no small group of men. The total count of those over 20 (and probably under 55) was over 600,000. And add in children, the elderly, and women. Some researchers say this huge number is impossible. Even using the latrine for this number of people would seem impossible. But we serve a powerful Elohim. One that does not lie. And if He wants Moses to record this number, then it is certainly true. That’s why the whole story is such a great miracle. That so many people were freed and then journeyed together through the desert. No wonder Hashem gave such a powerful Torah of commandments. To keep order and for protection. My challenge for you today is to think about the Torah in relation to your life. How does it bring order and protection to you and your family? Then take time to praise Adonai for giving it to us and preserving it. It truly does bring us eternal life.

Chukat-Balak - Day #2

Chukat-Balak Statute/Balak — חֻקַּת־בָּלָק  

Torah Portion: Numbers 19:1-25:9

Numbers 20:7-21

20:7 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, you, and Aaron your brother, and speak to the rock before their eyes, that it pour out its water. You shall bring water to them out of the rock; so you shall give the congregation and their livestock drink.”

9 Moses took the rod from before Hashem, as He commanded him. 10 Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Shall we bring water out of this rock for you?” 11 Moses lifted up his hand, and struck the rock with his rod twice, and water came out abundantly. The congregation and their livestock drank.

12 Hashem said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you didn’t believe in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”

13 These are the waters of Meribah; because the children of Israel strove with Hashem, and He was sanctified in them.

14 Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom, saying:

“Your brother Israel says: You know all the travail that has happened to us; 15 how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we lived in Egypt a long time. The Egyptians mistreated us and our fathers. 16 When we cried to Hashem, he heard our voice, sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt. Behold, we are in Kadesh, a city on the edge of your border.

17 “Please let us pass through your land. We will not pass through field or through vineyard, neither will we drink from the water of the wells. We will go along the king’s highway. We will not turn away to the right hand nor to the left, until we have passed your border.”

18 Edom said to him, “You shall not pass through me, lest I come out with the sword against you.”

19 The children of Israel said to him, “We will go up by the highway; and if we drink your water, I and my livestock, then I will give its price. Only let me, without doing anything else, pass through on my feet.”

20 He said, “You shall not pass through.” Edom came out against him with many people, and with a strong hand. 21 Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border, so Israel turned away from him.

Today’s Meditation:

Edom is the descendant of Esau. And as we know, Esau was not happy about Jacob taking his inheritance and birthright. The two groups were at odds ever since. And today, we read how the Edomites will not allow Israel to pass through. Some sages believe they sold the Israelites food. Regardless, it is so sad that nations that should really be brothers do not get along. It is a lesson for us. Do we get along with our brothers and sisters? It would be good to reconcile, or there might be generations after you that carry a grudge. This could cause significant pain and harm. Try to be reconciled to the people Hashem has given to you.

Today’s Challenge:

I guess the message today is that if you ask someone something and they refuse, turn away and leave. Hashem will provide a different path for you. As mentioned above, it is best to reconcile and make things right from the beginning. But if this doesn’t happen and you approach your brother or sister, who does not wish to help you, go somewhere else for help. Remember to first go to Hashem. Think of the peace that could reside on our earth if people only got along.

Korach - Day #2

Korach קֹרַח - Korach  

Torah Portion: Numbers 16:1-18:32

Numbers 16:14–19

16:14 Moreover, you haven’t brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey, nor given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Will you put out the eyes of these men? We won’t come up.”

15 Moses was very angry and said to Hashem, “Don’t respect their offering. I have not taken one donkey from them, neither have I hurt one of them.”

16 Moses said to Korah, “You and all your company go before Hashem, you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow. 17 Each man take his censer and put incense on it, and each man bring before Hashem his censer, two hundred fifty censers; you also, and Aaron, each with his censer.”

18 They each took his censer, and put fire in it, and laid incense on it, and stood at the door of the Tent of Meeting with Moses and Aaron. 19 Korah assembled all the congregation opposite them to the door of the Tent of Meeting.

Hashem’s glory appeared to all the congregation.

Today’s Meditation:

Korah seems blind to what Hashem is trying to accomplish here. He is rebelling against Moses and trying to take control of everything. Instead of seeking Hashem’s face, he is acting in the flesh. As you know, the outcome is death. But, it is so like what we do today. We don’t seek Hashem's guidance in our decisions; we go our own way. And sometimes that can bring death to our situation. This is a good lesson to learn. Respect Hashem and His authority, and don’t try to go forward with your own ideas and rebellion.

Today’s Challenge:

This is quite the story: rebellion and lack of respect by a group of leaders. You can feel the turmoil and tension in this retelling of the Korah story. But, in the midst of it all, “Hashem’s glory appeared to all the congregation” (verse 19). Isn’t that so like Hashem? He shows up to set things in order, whether we like it or not. Who would not want His glory to appear? He appears, and things are set straight. And that should be our fear of Him. We should carry a healthy fear of loving Him so much that we would never want His punishment or for Him to leave us. I challenge you today to turn things over to Him. If you are struggling with something, stop trying to solve it in your own flesh. Give it to Hashem and watch Him work for you. He will. Just don’t stand in His way, like Korah.

Shelach - Day #2

Shelach שְׁלַח-לְךָ - Send For Yourself  

Torah Portion: Numbers 13:1-15:41

Numbers 13:21–14:7

13:21 So they went up, and spied out the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, to the entrance of Hamath. 22 They went up by the South, and came to Hebron; and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were there. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) 23 They came to the valley of Eshcol, and cut down from there a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it on a staff between two. They also brought some of the pomegranates and figs. 24 That place was called the valley of Eshcol, because of the cluster which the children of Israel cut down from there. 25 They returned from spying out the land at the end of forty days. 26 They went and came to Moses, to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word to them and to all the congregation. They showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They told him and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. 29 Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.”

30 Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let’s go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!”

31 But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 32 They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who came from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

14:1 All the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 All the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “We wish that we had died in the land of Egypt, or that we had died in this wilderness!         3 Why does Hashem bring us to this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will be captured or killed! Wouldn’t it be better for us to return into Egypt?” 4 They said to one another, “Let’s choose a leader, and let’s return into Egypt.”

5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

6 Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. 7 They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.

Today’s Meditation:

Caleb is a man of faith. When everyone else was negative, Caleb remembered Hashem's faithfulness. When every man (except Joshua) was scared and running, Caleb stood firm and wanted to carry out the charge to go forth. Have you ever gone against the flow? Have you ever stood up for something and found yourself alone in your beliefs? Or if you express your beliefs, others around you may be so angry or disagree that you may even lose a friendship? I spent many years working in a pro-life organization, defending the lives of preborn babies. I have encountered many people over the years who disagreed with my stance on life. And it has not been fun. People feel strongly convicted about specific issues and take stands. I recommend we defend the truth. Whatever that looks like to you. Just like Joshua and Caleb. Hashem will show you.

Today’s Challenge:

The last verse in this reading shows the dedication of Moses and Aaron. When people began grumbling strongly about advancing into the promised Land, Moses, I’m sure, became worried. Not worried about what they were doing, but concerned about what Hashem was going to do to them. This was so serious. After all, the purpose of the whole deliverance from Egypt was so that they could then move on and go to the Promised Land. And now they were ready to turn around and go back, just because of the bad report of a few men. 

Moses and Aaron fell on their faces and interceded for the people, so that Hashem would not extinguish them. It makes me think of my life. We are currently selling our home. It is very stressful, and I am trying so hard to put my faith in Hashem that He has everything under control. I am trying not to worry and have doubts, and it is so hard. I want to be a strong woman of faith. I am trying (and repenting). I want to be like Joshua and Caleb, full of faith and confidence. I challenge you to do the same. If you are going through a stressful time, try really hard to put your faith and trust in Hashem. He cares about you, even in the littlest things. Pray hard, like Moses and Aaron, that Hashem will have mercy on you.