- Is G-d Vindictive
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- Moshe Ben-Chaim
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- Rashi in parshas Shilach (Num. 13:2) brings
down that G-d said, "by their lives, I will give them an
opportunity to err with the words of the spies so they don't inherit
the land of Israel". This would seem like a vindictive
statement, but as G-d is devoid of human emotion, how do we understand
it?
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- I believe the meaning is that had G-d not
permitted the spies to spy out Israel, they would have been harboring
an incorrect notion in relation to G-d. That is, their desire to send
spies displayed their disbelief in G-d's promise that they will
successfully conquer Israel. If this disbelief was not brought out
into the open, they would remain with this false notion, and this is
not tolerable by G-d. What does it mean that "G-d gave them an
opportunity to err"? It means that G-d gave them an opportunity
to act out this notion in reality so it can be dealt with. G-d's goal
was not the loss of inheriting Israel. Giving them a chance not to
inherit Israel means giving them a chance to realize their emotional
conflict of not being desirous of inheriting Israel. In this
manner, the Jews are enabled by G-d to face their mistake, and perhaps
correct it.
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- This teaches us that Israel per se is not the
goal for man, but rather, man's perfection outweighs the act of living
in the land. Since man's perfection was at stake, G-d opted for man's
perfection, rather than having him live in Israel.
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