פרשת שלח
This week’s Parsha relates to us the episode of the spies which Moshe sent into the land at the behest of the Jewish people. The Torah says that Moshe changed “Hoshea’s” name to Yehoshua upon his embarking of this fateful journey. Rashi explains the significance of this name change – Ya Hoshia – God should save you (from the wicked plan of the other spies). We must understand why it was that Moshe felt the need to do this particularly for Yehoshua and not for Kalev?
Furthermore, the Torah records later in the Parsha that when the spies entered the land, and they traveled next to Chevron, Kalev broke away from the rest of the group in order to visit the graves of our forefathers and pray for his success in his mission to serve God, and not be influenced by the wicked ideas of the other spies. In this instance we must understand why it was specifically Kalev who felt the he was in need of the prayer and not Yehoshua!
The Chofetz Chaim deals with these difficulties by laying down a foundation. He explains that when one is around unsavory people, but wishes to remain strong in his service of God, there are two viable methods. The first is to confront the issue head on and to state one’s position clearly to his opponents so that there is no confusion as to where his loyalty lies. This method has an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage is that there is no chance that he will be swayed by the other side’s opinions as he is at war with them! The disadvantage is that he could easily be harmed or killed by them.
The other method of resistance in the world of espionage is slightly more subtle. One can pretend to be on the side of his opponents and only reveal himself when he realizes that his entire objective may become compromised or when he sees he can gain a big benefit. This method too has an advantage and a disadvantage. The disadvantage is that he may quickly forget his objectives when he is in their company for too long and move over to their side. However, even though there is that risk, he has two advantages. The first is that he is in no physical danger from his adversaries because they are not even aware of his position. But the second is perhaps for more advantageous. When the time comes to reveal himself, because they believed that he was their confidant, they will have shared with him all their secrets and his eventual revelation will have that much more of an effect.
Moshe Rabenu saw that Yehoshua was the first type of person – rebellious. He saw that Yehoshua would be most successful if he took the enemy head on and therefore changed is name to “Yehoshua” in order that he should have that extra physical protection from God. Kalev, on the other hand, had no need for such a name change. What he did need was extra “spiritual” protection from becoming swayed. He therefore went to pray on the graves of our forefathers for that protection.
What I think we all can learn from this interesting explanation of the Chofetz Chaim is how frail and prone to weakness human beings really are. We find that even giants such as Yehoshua and Kalev, who were the Gedolei Hador of the time, were terrified of the potential spiritual hazard they would be in by merely being in the company of the spies for 40 days. How much more so are we required to be careful about who we choose for our company and the latent hazardous effects that can ensue from an improper choice!
If one finds himself in such company, what can he do to protect himself? R’ Leib Chasman offers one possibility. R’ Leib says cryptically that Kalev was successful because he had “an extra spirit accompanying him” and constantly made an account. I would like to explain what R’ Leib meant by this statement. There are three primary aspects to having an extra ‘spirit’ (insight) and to how to make an “account”. The first one, which is the crucial one, is that one must always be making an “account” of what God wants from him and to what extent he is living up to that expectation. This accounting is the primary thought that should be on a God-fearing person’s mind. The second aspect is that a person has to know himself. To understand his own physical and emotional needs and desires and have an accurate account of where he himself is holding. This way a person will always know how he will be affected by other people and exactly what it would take to sway him from the straight and narrow. And the third account that one must make is an account of where evil will lead him as the Mishnah in Avos says, one must learn from every person. This makes sense regarding the righteous people but what can one possibly learn from the wicked? One can observe from the wicked the bitter end that evil will lead one too and learn not to follow that path.
The Rambam even takes this one step further. The Rambam in Hilchos Deos (6) writes that “It is the nature of people to be influenced by their neighbors and one is therefore obligated to dwell amongst righteous people and Torah scholars… If one cannot find such a neighborhood, one is required to dwell in a cave in the desert and sit alone”. This is the Rambam’s Halachic Psak when one is looking for a region to dwell in! We see clearly how serious the Rambam considered one’s choice in associates.
I would just like to conclude with the words of the Chazon Ish when asked how it would be possible to fulfill the words of the Rambam on a practical level. The Chazon Ish explained that a Yeshiva has the Halachic significance of a desert for this law. And if one surrounds himself by his Yeshiva, he has fulfilled this dictum of the Rambam. While it is of course impossible to never leave the Yeshiva, we must build spiritual walls around ourselves and that even when we leave the physical edifice, it is only to return soon and our entire headspace is constantly located in the Yeshiva, if not physically, then at least emotionally and spiritually.
May God help us to be strong in the face of such adversity to our way of life and to always serve Him with a complete heart!