In this week's parsha Shelach, we read about the tragic sin of the spies that were sent by Moshe to survey the Land of Israel before the Jewish People were to enter. The spies were men of great stature but 10 of them sinned and convinced the nation to reject the Land of Israel. This sin resulted in the death of the entire generation and caused the Jewish People to wander in the desert for 40 years. This tragic event also was a precursor to tragedies which would befall the Jewish Nation throughout history as this occured on the 9th of Av (Tisha Ba'av).

Although there is much that needs to be understood in terms of why or what was the exact sin, it is clear though in a general sense that the nation rejected the Land of Israel. They didn't feel that this was their land and their Divine destiny. It is important that the Jewish People don't repeat this sin and we constantly keep the Land of Israel in our minds and hearts, that we are unwavering in our belief that the place of our Nation is in fact Israel. We live in a time where there are many voices which are looking to deny our right to the Land but we must make sure that we are steadfast in our belief and that we don't follow along with that message. We shouldn't be naive to the fact that there are voices that are literally calling to ethnically cleanse the Land of Israel of Jews. Chants "from the river to the sea" can be heard all over the world, this is a demand for Israel to be Judenrein, we can't be convinced from these voices, no matter how loud they are, to reject Israel as our homeland. Regardless of your views on how to achieve lasting peace in Israel, we must be strong in our belief and become guilty of rejecting Israel as our homeland.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath