Shlach: Speaking Ill of Stones and the Divine Plan

by Rav Hillel Fendel.

Apropos speaking ill of the Land of Israel, as related in this week's Torah portion of Sh'lach (Bamidbar 13-15), the following parable was told by Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, son of HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook. It is relevant to both the 12 Spies of the Torah portion, and to a shrinking minority of certain Jews today:

There was a young beautiful girl of fine traits who lived in a European shtetl, and when she came of age, her parents began receiving offers of marriage for her. One prospective suitor appeared to have certain merits, in terms of status, wealth, and even Torah knowledge, but the girl had heard that his character was questionable. She therefore refused to even meet him. Her father begged her not to embarrass the man, as well as those who had put in efforts to make the match, and asked that she meet him at least once. She finally agreed, and when the time came, and the suitor arrived at her house, she made her appearance wearing a shabby housedress and old slippers, wearing no makeup and with unbrushed hair. The man took one look at her and quickly left, making sure to tell everyone why he could never even consider such a woman for his bride. Rav Tzvi Yehuda concluded, "He thought he had rejected her, but in actuality, it was she who rejected him – and he was simply unable to see her beauty and fine traits." 

It is the same with the Land of Israel, the Rav concluded: Not everyone can see the beauty and spiritual virtue of the Land of Israel, but they would be best to realize that the fault lies with them, not with the Land.

This week's Torah portion tells the tragic story of the Twelve Spies – leading members of Israel who were sent on a holy mission to scout out the Holy Land in preparation for the nation's homecoming, but ended up discouraging the people from wanting to enter instead.

How did they discourage the people? They simply spoke of the Land in mostly negative terms, and provided a disheartening military report as well. This was a form of lashon hara [evil-tongued speech]. On the verse, "The men who spoke disparagingly of the Land – died in a plague before G-d" (Bamidbar 14,37), the Talmud tells us:  

"Come and learn, from the Spies, how great is the [negative] power of lashon hara: If one who simply speaks evilly of rocks and trees is punished in this way [with death], how much more so is one who speaks evilly about a person." (Tr. Arachin 15b)

Also Rocks and Wood? 

Clearly, speaking not nicely about people is very bad – but could that be true even for speaking nicely about rocks and trees?! How can that be a sin?

The work Yere'im (by R. Elizer of Mitz, one of the Baalei Tosafot) says that indeed it is forbidden to speak badly of physical items, and the Chafetz Chaim, in his famous work on lashon hara, also cites this law. Both of them provide examples, from which we learn that the prohibition is not "blind," but rather applies when there is a reason. 

The Shopkeeper

The Chafetz Chaim's example is this: "One must not speak ill of items, for instance, a shopkeeper may not speak ill of his competitor's merchandise." This is clearly in a case where the speaker is showing the ruinous trait of jealousy, or he is seeking profit at the unfair expense of his competitor. 

The Disparaged Gift

The Yere'im, however, gives a different example (according to some versions). He writes, "One must not speak ill of inanimate items – for instance, if one wants to give a gift to his friend, someone else must not criticize the gift with lies." It is fascinating to note that not only is this not exactly the most straightforward example that could have been given for criticizing an object – but it is also very, very similar to the Sin of the Spies! 

The spies, after all, were the agents of Moshe, and of G-d, to facilitate the gifting of Eretz Yisrael to the Jewish People – and yet they sabotaged the idea by seeing, and saying, only bad even regarding the Land's blessings. For instance, they saw giant, luscious fruits, which they brought back to the people to prove that the fruits of the land were "strange."

What the Examples Teach

Just as we must learn from the Chafetz Chaim's example the specific negative traits – jealousy, taking unfair advantage – that are evident in the lashon hara that can be told about an item, we must do the same with the Yere'im's unusual example. And that is: not to destroy, via lashon hara, a close relationship between one who gives and one who receives – or between any two people.

Furthermore: What else did the Spies' evil speech target, in addition to the close relationship between G-d and Israel? The answer: Everything! Their report to the People of Israel was a blatant mockery and disregard for the Historical Divine Plan, according to which Israel would inherit the land of G-d and from there teach and fill the entire world with spirituality and goodness.

G-d began the Torah, practically, by telling the Patriarch Avraham (B'reshit 12,1-3): "Go forth from your land… to the land that I will show you. And [there] I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you… And I will bless those who bless you… and all the families of the earth shall be blessed by you."  And yet, the Spies, when they had the chance to take a major first step towards the implementation of this Plan, they essentially shrugged their shoulders and said, "Naah, we'll pass." 

And so, although the Gemara implies, at first glance, that the Sin of the Scouts was a simple case of lashon hara, we see, with some kick-start help from the Yerei'm, that the sin was actually oh-so-much more momentous.

But all was not lost; in the end, the words of the "other" two scouts, Joshua and Caleb, came true for us (Bamidbar 14,8): "G-d will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey!" 

And may we always merit to be blessed not just to see Jerusalem, but to "see the goodness of Jerusalem" (Psalms 128,5).