Family Fun

Shelach Lecha

We’re on the edge of Israel, ready to go and finish the job we started in Egypt, be Hashem’s chosen people in our land. But the people are a bit scared.

So they tell Moshe they want to send spies? But we have Hashem who not so long ago took us out of Mitzrayim, ten plagues, splitting seas, send us manna every day. We travel with a glowing pillar of heavenly fire and clouds of Glory, how many nisim, miracles does it take to get us to trust Hashem.

But Moshe thinks it’ll calm the people, they’ll tell everyone how wonderful it is, they’re the leaders so it’s like when your favourite football player or superhero tells you something is amazing – you buy it.. Hashem tells him to pick one man from each shevet. He chooses, twelve very holy men (no one from Levi).

Moshe’s star student Hoshea is going too, Moshe adds a yud – Yehoshua to make up G-d’s name in His for protection. Kalev, the rep from Yehudah/Judah goes to Mearas Hamachpelah for his own prayer for protection by the avot.

The problem is that these spies are leaders but they won’t be once they get to Eretz Yisrael. So they’re biased. They don’t realise but they are looking for negative. Forty days later they return, carrying a huge cluster of grapes, a pomegranate and a fig, to report on a green and beautiful land. But ten of the spies warn that the citizens of the land are giants and warriors “more powerful than we are”; only Kaleb and Joshua insist that the land can be conquered, as G-d has commanded.

The people go wild! Moshe tries to remind them that Hashem will do the real fighting but they don’t want to hear it!

Then Kalev tries, he yells out, “And that’s not all Moshe did to us!” The crowd listens because they think he’s on their side and will also say lashon harah. But Kalev is good and brave. Moshe split the sea and got the Mann and he will lead us to conquering the land of Israel with Hashem’s help!”Moshe and Yehoshua chime in but it’s too late.

The people don’t want to go, they cry all night. Moshe and Aharon daven to Hashem for mercy but it’s far too late.

The cloud of glory rises in full view of the whole Klal Yisrael. Hashem says to Moshe, “What does it take for Bnei Yisroel to trust me?.I am ready to wipe them all out and start over with you, Moshe!” But Moshe is selfless, he stands up for his people. Hashem accepts his prayer and won’t kill them… however He decrees that Klal Yisrael’s entry into the Israel shall be delayed forty years plus that entire generation will die out in the desert. A group of remorseful Jews storm the mountain on the border of the Land, and are killed by the Amalekites because they no longer have Hashem’s protection. As part of the deal, the spies who spoke Lashon Hora die a horrible death. Their tongues grow long, worms climb into their tummies and kill them.

Hashem wants the children to know that He will take them in so He gives us a few mitzvot that can only be done in Israel like one about Korbonot, taking challah and tzitzit.

Shelach Lecha Word Search

Y M E H P S A L B C K I

L B F B Z K U M I A X T

L S P I E S H K O L W A

X W Y X Q Z S W I E W B N V S Z T P O T L V H Z

P Q E A Y T H V K P Y R C A N A A N E F M Q X C S R D Y L B Y K L A M Y

T Y P G G F L X Z I S R

A B Z S U T I O X R C Y

W O C I V P T D E O Y T

F D M G E R O E I Z V I

BLASPHEMY • CALEV • CANAAN • ESHKOL • SEND • SPIES • TWELVE • YEHOSHUA