Num. 13:1-15:41
Précis: Moses is ordered to “send out” (sh’lach l’cha) spies to examine the land. Representatives of each tribe go out, report on its bounty, but also report about its fearsome inhabitants. The People are frightened, and their “murmuring” turns into something close to panic. God tells Moses that He will destroy the People, but Moses intercedes; the People are sentenced to spend 40 years in the wilderness. The parasha then returns to matters concerning the Tabernacle, with a discussion of the offering for unintentional sins. Near its end, the parasha discusses the wearing of tzitzit, a paragraph which is part of the traditional recitation of the Sh’ma. This is the 27th of 54 parshiot, marking the half-way point in the yearly reading.
Num. 13:1-2 “And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send men and let them scout out the land of Canaan that I am giving to the children of Israel; send one man from each tribe, each a prince of his tribe.’”
This week’s reading tells us a lot about how our perceptions are influenced by our preconceptions.
Moses send out 12 men, one from each tribe, to investigate the Land that they are about to enter. Ten come back with one story; the other two come back with a different account entirely. The all saw the same thing, yet some described fierce inhabitants and great dangers, including fearsome inhabitants who consider the Israelites as “grasshoppers.” The other two (Joshua and Caleb) report on the richness of the land and their assurance that they, with God’s help, they will surely succeed in their efforts.
This is not a case of truth verses lies; it is a matter of perception. Each group reports the “truth” as they perceive it.
It’s been said that one may argue about opinions, but we can’t argue about facts. At one time, this was the case in America. No longer. This is exactly what’s at play with American news outlets, be they newspapers of record or cable outlets or on-line sources of “facts.” We have a President who has introduced the concept of “fake news” despite their truth.
But even if the facts are facts, we, like the spies of our story, see them through our own preconceptions, through our “world view” if you will. How we understand the world depends not only on the facts, but upon our perception of those facts. Is it any wonder that it’s becoming increasingly difficult to communicate effectively with each other?
