parshat Shlach Lecha

According to the Rambam, the Torah's commandments are suitable for the general public and it is plausible that a private person might get hurt. Precisely this fact allows us to deepen and understand the wisdom of God.

The spies were insinuating that, to live & survive in Israel, one has to be different, extraordinary, exceptional, abnormal. We ARE an extraordinary people; & Israel is indeed not a "normal" country! This is a land of intense holiness; guarded perpetually by the Almighty. None of the "normal" rules of history apply to us!

The attitude of Jews towards the Land of Israel has always been a litmus-paper type of test of Jewish commitment and even faith throughout the ages. Living in the Land of Israel or at least visiting it regularly is currently the centerpiece of Jewish life, its faith and its future.

One of the explanations to the negative behavior and damning report regarding the Land of Israel is that the spies were aware that when the Jews entered the Land of Israel, new leaders were to be chosen and they were in jeopardy of losing their titles and positions. This awareness preyed upon their minds and prejudiced their view of the Land of Israel.

How should one ask and answer shidduch- related questions? How to ask and What not to tell?