Shlach תרל”ו
במדרש אין מפליגין בספינה ג’ ימים קודם השבת. הפלגה בדרך הוא דרך חדש שרוצה אדם להלוך בו בעבודת הבורא עפ”י מ”ש חז”ל כל הדרכים בחזקת סכנה. ג’ ימים קודם לשבת פי’ ג’ בחי’ כמ”ש בספרים שכל תוך ג’ מדריגות אינו ריחוק כמ”ש כל ג’ כלבוד כו’. אך העצה לזה הדרך אם הוא שליח מצוה אינו ניזוק. וכמו כן המרגלים נודע שהי’ דרך מסוכן להם לכן אמר השי”ת שלח לך שעשה מזה מצוה. שאם הי’ כוונתם לשם שמים כראוי היו נצולים. וז”ש לאמר שיאמר להם זה שהוא מצוה. וכמו כן כל שליחות האדם לעולם השפל הזה הוא דרך מסוכן. וההצלה ע”י הכוונה לשם שמים למסור נפשו בשליחותו כנ”ל:
https://www.sefaria.org/Sefat_Emet,_Numbers,_Sh’lach_5.3
The Midrash states that there is a halacha that one is not allowed to set sail on a boat within three days of Shabbat, unless one is traveling to do a mitzvah. This concept of setting sail on a boat hints at the idea of when a person takes a new path in his service for HaShem. This is connected to the idea that “All paths are dangerous,” and three days refers to three levels. The first three stages are not considered far, just as we have the concept of lavud (which considers three tefachim as connected). So too, the first three stages are connected; however, once a person goes beyond those three levels, he is in danger.
Therefore, the advice given here is to act as a shaliach mitzvah, on a mission to do a mitzvah, and then one is protected from harm. This is the idea of the spies, who were in a very dangerous position. Therefore, HaShem commanded Moshe to actually send the spies, and this would make them into shlichei mitzvah. If their intention had been for the sake of heaven, they would have been saved.
This is why the Torah uses the word “לאמר” (saying) to them, meaning that Moshe should tell them that it was a mitzvah that they were embarking on. The same idea applies to us in the lowly world, where every path is filled with spiritual danger. In order to be saved from this, one must prepare oneself with the realization that one is acting for the sake of Heaven and is prepared to give up their soul for the sake of their mission.
בפסוק ועבדי כלב עקב כו’. קשה דמה צריך טעם לשכרו הלא כיון שלא חטא למה לא יכנוס. על כן נראה כי באמת לא הי’ דור זה מוכן לארץ ישראל. (וזה) [*ומזה] השליחות הכיר משה רבינו ע”ה מיד כי אינם מוכנים ליכנוס לכן לא הוטב בעיניהם. אך החטא הי’ הוצאת הדבה וקנסם המקום אם יראו כו’. פי’ שאל”כ היו רואין אותה עכ”פ כמו שזכה משה רבינו ע”ה בסוף. אבל כל מנאצי לא יראוה. אך כלב ע”י שמסר נפשו נגד המרגלים ניתן לו השכר שיכנס לא”י כנ”ל. וי”ל עוד כי הי’ בעבור חטא העגל ולכן יהושע לא הי’ צריך הבטחה כי הוא לא חטא גם שם:
https://www.sefaria.org/Sefat_Emet,_Numbers,_Sh’lach_5.4
The pasuk states that since Calev was filled with a different spirit than that of the spies, he would not be judged with the other spies and would ultimately enter Eretz Yisrael (Bamidbar 14:24). However, this is difficult. Why is a new reason needed? Since he did not sin, he should not be punished.
However, it would seem that the truth is that this generation was not actually ready to enter Eretz Yisrael. It was from this episode that Moshe realized that they could not enter the land, and therefore, “It did not find favor in his eyes.”
The actual sin was that they had spoken evil about the land of Israel, and the punishment for this was that they should not enter the land. What this means is that if they had not sinned and spoken evil about the land, they would have merited to see the land in some aspect, just as we find with Moshe, who was able to see the land.
Yet, they did sin and were removed from this ability. However, Calev, who did not sin and was prepared to sacrifice his life to go against them, was given the reward to enter the land.
Furthermore, we can also explain that it was due to the sin of the Golden Calf that they could not enter the land (and therefore Calev needed a unique reason to be able to enter). Similarly, Yehoshua, who was not there during the sin of the Golden Calf, was excluded from the punishment.
ועשו להם ציצית במד’ אור זרוע לצדיק כו’ זרע הקב”ה כו’. פי’ מצות ציצית בלבוש האדם שהוא החיצוניות אעפ”כ יזכור האדם כי שורש הכל בא ממקור הקדושה וזהו קיבוץ הד’ קצוות שהוא הכנפות לדבוק הכל בשורש וז”ש ונתנו על ציצית כו’ פתיל תכלת לחבר הכל לנקודה הפנימיות שהיא תכלית הכל. ובאמת יש נקודה גנוזה בכל מקום והצדיק ע”י כוונתו לשמים מוציא זו הנקודה מכח אל הפועל. וזה ציצית מלשון ויצץ ציץ. שהזריעה נתגלה בפועל ע”י הכוונה לכן יש הרבה הבטחות למצוה זו. וזכרתם. ולא תתורו כו’. ע”י שהמצוה במלבוש והיא היותר חיצוניות וחביב לפניו ית’ התקרבות זו שהרי כולה תכלת אינו מצוה רק לקרב הכל לפתיל תכלת כנ”ל:
https://www.sefaria.org/Sefat_Emet,_Numbers,_Sh’lach_5.5
The Midrash, when describing the mitzvah of tzitzis, explains that this mitzvah teaches us how everything in this world can be uplifted to become a mitzvah. This is because the mitzvah of tzitzis pertains to a person’s clothing, which refers to the external level of a person. Yet, the mitzvah is on the corners of the garment, representing the idea that the source of everything (no matter how external) is all connected to HaShem, symbolized by the collection of all four corners.
That’s why the mitzvah of tzitzis also includes the techlet thread, which serves as the connecting point of everything to the internal purpose of everything. The truth is that everything has a hidden point, and the tzadik, with his intention of doing everything for the sake of Heaven, is able to bring out this point from energy to reality. This is the idea behind the word “tzitzis,” which is connected to the words “vayatzetz tzitz,” referencing a seed blossoming. When one plants something, it is an external action contingent on the correct intention.
For this reason, there are many promises attached to this mitzvah: to remember all the mitzvot of HaShem and not to stray after one’s eyes. This is because it is an external mitzvah, and the elevation and bringing close of these external things are very dear to HaShem. Furthermore, if one’s entire tzitzis is techelet, then one has not fulfilled the mitzvah. This demonstrates that the true idea of the mitzvah is to elevate all the distant parts to the techlet thread, the source of everything, HaShem.
