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Beit Midrash
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In general we understand that the spies were mistaken in not appreciating the special sanctity of the Land. What was the root of this mistake? A midrash (ibid.:11) presents a parable of a king who first imported mates for his servants, until he realized that it would be wiser to take his male and female servants and mate them one with the other. This symbolizes the special relationship that Hashem has both with the chosen Land and the chosen nation, which makes it a perfect match to bring the two together.
The Sefat Emet (see Masei 646-8) says that when Bnei Yisrael entered Eretz Yisrael, a special aura fell upon Bnei Yisrael, similar to the "extra soul" that one receives on Shabbat. At the same time, a special aura of the "Heavenly Land" fell down to the physical Land. The problem had been that the spies had experienced the Land before the nation entered it, and, therefore, it was not yet the sacred Land that it was destined to become. This caused their tragic and destructive lack of appreciation.
We can learn from these ideas that the more connected we become to the Land, the holier it will become and the holier we will become. Hopefully, we will be spared of repeating the spies’ mistake.
Rabbis in Midrash
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Hosha'ana Rabba FLYDUBAI & HOSHANA RABBA- ANI VAHU HOSHIA NA- I & HIM SAVE US
"Ani vaHu Hoshia Na", "I and Him, Save Us". We don't just pray to Him, but we also pray to and for ourselves that we should emulate and educate our children to have that instinctive altruism with which He created the world. President Trump seemed amused about Yaniv Hayon, our PLUMBER who confidently worked with G-d like Superman (he learned from a pilot on a TV show!) to save 174 lives on the Dubai hijacking, but we in Israel are totally accustomed already 78 years to our plumbers, teachers, garbage-men, rabbis, farmers & doctors being Hashem's shlichim! This is what Zionism is about.
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part I
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Our King on Rosh Hashana, Our Father on Yom Kippur.
Based on Aroch Siach, p. 221 (Rav Shaul Yisraeli)
