It’s no secret that anti-Semitism is on the rise, in France, England, America, Ukraine and really everywhere. In Israel we also have enemies, but at least here, the norm is not to just suffer Jew-hatred, and not only band together and fight, but BezH, do so successfully!
On this week’s parsha of the Cheit HaMeraglim, Chazal teach that the generation who saw super-natural miracles, had no reason not to want to enter Israel. Hashem tells them: “you cried for no reason, so your punishment will be to cry for generations” (Bamidbar Rabba 16, 20). Just as the sin of not wanting to make Aliya happened on Tisha B’Av, accordingly we were sent twice to galut on that very date- again losing Eretz Yisrael (Ta’anit 29a). The Meshech Chochma points out that Hashem forgave the sin of the golden calf which was against Him, but did not forgive the sin of the Meraglim, which was against His beloved Land (Shmot 14, 22).
But just as every year we learn all night on Shavu’ot as a “Tikkun” or correction for our fore-fathers’ not waking up for Matan Torah (Shir HaShirim Rabba 1, 12), similarly the spies’ sin of “offending the beloved Land” (Tehilim 106, 24) is just waiting for its latter-day Tikkun. Unfortunately, most Jews didn’t want to make Aliya even from their bondage in Egypt (so 80% died in the plague of Darkness, R. David Pardo, Maskil l’David, Shmot 13, 18), and even their children didn’t learn, and also didn’t want to make Aliya (Cheit HaMeraglim). Similarly, most Jews also didn’t come from Bavel with Ezra and Nechemya to build the 2nd Beit HaMikdash (Yoma 9b)! We always hoped that at least in the final return to Israel of Kibbutz Galuyot, we would fulfill “ובאו ציון ברינה”(Yishayahu 51, 11), that we would make Aliya out of happiness and ideal, not just necessity!
The G-d of History is now giving us one last chance to do the “Tikkun” of Cheit HaMeraglim. As of now, it’s unpleasant to be in exile, but Jews aren’t yet being “chased out” of most galuyot, as they were from Europe and the Moslem countries. Jews in New York can either pretend that “Los Angeles is different”, or use it as a catalyst to open their eyes and fulfill their dream of living with Am Yisrael in Medinat Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael, before it reaches them. Tens of thousands are now considering Aliya, and we urge them all to still come out of ideal, before they too, like most of the exiles, will have to come out of necessity! Let’s call now to our family and friends, to do the Tikkun of that recurring historical sin of the Meraglim, once and for all! You too can be like Yehoshua and Calev by declaring “עלֹה נעלה… טובה הארץ מאוד מאוד”! (Bamidbar 13, 30; 14, 7), “We will surely make Aliya… for the Land of Israel is exceedingly great!” Shabbat Shalom,
B’Ahavat Yisrael, Shabbat Shalom, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)