Spirituality

TORAH PORTION

Seizing The Moment

Shabbat Shelach: Numbers 13:1-15:41; Joshua 2:1-24.

T

his is my last Torah portion for the Detroit Jewish
conquer the land.
News. As many of you know, my family and I will
What about teshuvah? After all, the rabbis teach us the
be making aliyah next month, moving to Israel to
power of repentance and forgiveness, and the important les-
pursue our dreams of living in the Holy Land — God's gift to
son that God never closes the door on the repentant. Why
the Jewish people. Over the last eight months so many people
then does God refuse to allow them to proceed after the
have asked me, "Arent you afraid? How can you just drop
Jewish people realize their mistake? If they can change their
everything and move halfway around the world?"
minds, why can't God?
Let's take the spies' assumption at face value: They can't
In making the terrible mistake by believing the spies, the
win. The enemy that lies ahead has simply too much power
Jewish people learn a critical and true-life lesson. While you
to overcome. So what should the people do? They basically
can always change your mind, you can't always go back. Life
have three options: push ahead anyway into a certain suicide
presents unique opportunities at specific points, and if you
mission, stay where they are or go back to Egypt.
don't take advantage of the moment, there's no
Living out in the desert doesn't seem like a viable
guarantee that it will ever return.
option; and suicide, while painless, also seems
Life is fluid. People, situations, events are con-
pointless. So they take the third and safest option:
stantly in a fluid motion. Once we take a certain
"And they said each one to another, let us appoint
fork in the road there's no turning back. We have
a leader and return to Egypt." (14:4). Let's not kid
passed that fork, never to return. With the dawn
ourselves. They know what to expect in Egypt.
of the sun the next morning, the option to move
Having just a year earlier utterly destroyed the
forward has passed. They now face a new set of
Egyptian economy, military and national infra-
circumstances. Their challenge now lies in accept-
structure the Jewish people harbor no illusions
ing their punishment with grace and humility, not
about what's waiting for them in Egypt.
rejecting God's word yet again.
Rabbi Reuven
The Midrash tells us, "They said, let us return
How many times in life have we had an oppor-
Spolter
to the slavery of Egypt, but not fall by the swords
tunity that we passed, only to find that it never
Special to the
of the Canaanites." Return to Egypt means a life of
presented itself again? Maybe it was a business idea
Jewish News
subjugation, misery, degradation and persecution.
that someone else took instead. Or perhaps it was
Had God permitted it, that's exactly
an offer to take a once-in-a-lifetime
what they would have done.
trip that we couldn't get away for.
How can they knowingly choose
(They don't call it "once-in-a-life-
to return to a life they would have
time" for nothing.) Or possibly it
given anything to escape? It's easier
was an opportunity to reconcile
to fear the unknown misery that lies
with a parent or sibling who's no
ahead than the difficult experiences
longer alive. In every case, once the
we already know, no matter how ter-
opportunity has passed, it never
rible. The desire for safety and security
returns. That's life. We must seize
almost always lead us to difficulty we
the moment because all too often, it
can identify instead of the unknown
never returns.
that lies ahead. For this reason the
To answer the first question about
Jewish people, fearful of the tragic
our aliyah, of course I'm afraid. It's
report returned by the spies from the Promised Land, actually the scariest thing that we've ever done. There are no guaran-
do choose to return to Egypt. And in that moment — on that
tees. Nothing is a "sure thine It's terribly hard to give up a
fateful night, their choice dooms their entire generation to
great job, a terrific shul and the fantastic community in which
wander aimlessly in the desert for the next forty years.
we live. It would have been quite easy to give in to our fears
But then, the next morning, they change their minds.
and stay. After all, we feel that we've done good work here, and
Learning of their punishment and coming to their sense, the
could have continued to contribute to building our commu-
Jewish people realize the error of their ways and, "the nation
nity and spreading Torah throughout metro Detroit.
mourned greatly." (14:39). More importantly, they finally find
But it's also the most exciting decision of our lives. Aside
the courage to face their demons and fight their enemies to
from the fact that I believe God wants me (and all of you) to
conquer the Land of Israel. Only this time, God refuses to help live in Israel, to put it simply, a window of opportunity has
them and Moshe warns them to fall back, telling them that
opened for our family. Our children are still young enough to
with God's protection they would suffer a devastating defeat
adapt relatively easily. We know the language and have many
at the hands of their adversaries.
friends and family there. We're going with our eyes open,
Of course, with their newfound courage, they persist and
aware of the difficulties and challenges that we face, willing to
engage in battle. The results are only too predictable. The
give it our all.
Torah tells us, "Then the Amalekite and the Canaanite, who
And finally, we know that when that window of opportunity
dwelt in that hill-country, came down, and smote them and
opens in life, it doesn't stay open for long. And who knows
beat them down, even unto Hormah." (14:44) This is the last
when — if ever — it will open again. El
battle they will fight until every Jewish male over the age of
20 perishes in the desert and their children can proceed to
Reuven Spolter is rabbi of Young Israel of Oak Park.

How many times in
life have we had an
opportunity, only to find
that it never presented
itself again?

Ellen Sherman has been a member
of Hebrew Free Loan's Board for
four years, and has been organizing
the agency's Annual Meeting for
three years. "Being involved with
Hebrew Free Loan is not like being
involved with other groups," Ellen
says. "You know you are making a
difference in people's lives, not just
writing a check."

Ellen says Hebrew Free Loan's
Annual Meeting is an extension of
that philosophy. "We don't just hold
a dry Board Meeting to ratify a slate
of officers and call it a day. We invite
donors from all levels of giving, and
we also invite borrowers. Each one
is invested in the agency, and the
heartfelt stories the borrowers tell
demonstrate where the money is
going. It makes you feel really good
about what you're doing."

The Hebrew Free Loan

Annual Meeting will be held

Tuesday, June 24, 2008.

Please call for information.

Hebrew Free Loan provides interest-
free loans for small business
start-up costs, tuition assistance,
rent and many other needs: living
expenses, summer camp, medical
fees, training, and much more. If
you or someone you know needs
help, please click or call.

www.hfldetroit.org
248.723.8184

HEBREW
FREE LOAN

hfldetroit.org

We Provide Loans.

We Promise Dignity.
(IC Jewish

Federation

WERE PART OF THE TEAM

•••

SN

June 19 • 2008

A37

