Yaakov and Yisrael: battle and rest in the spies

בענין המרגלים וסמיכות פ' ציצית.

Concerning the meraglim (spies) and the juxtaposition of the parsha of tzitzis.

The Sefas Emes sets out to explain why the mitzvah of tzitzis is placed right after the episode of the spies.

דאיתא בכל עת יהיו בגדיך לבנים זה ציצית ושמן על ראשך אל יחסר זה תפילין.

For it is taught: "At all times let your garments be white" (Koheles 9:8) — this is tzitzis; "and let oil not be lacking upon your head" — this is tefillin.

The verse is read as alluding to two mitzvos: white garments to tzitzis, and oil on the head to tefillin.

דהנה יש לישראל ב' שמות יעקב וישראל.

For Yisrael has two names: Yaakov and Yisrael.

The nation bears two names that reflect two distinct spiritual states.

ישראל לי ראש בחי' שמן על ראשך ושם אין מגע סט"א כמ"ש וראו כל עמי הארץ כו' שם ה' נקרא עליך ויראו.

"Yisrael" — "li rosh" (a head is mine) — is the aspect of "oil upon your head," and there the sitra achra has no contact, as it is written, "and all the peoples of the earth shall see… that the Name of Hashem is called upon you, and they shall fear" (Devarim 28:10).

The name "Yisrael" (whose letters can spell "li rosh," a head) denotes the elevated "head" level, upon which Hashem's Name rests and where the forces of impurity cannot reach.

ובחי' יעקב י' עקב הוא המלחמה עם הסט"א כמו שהיו ימי יעקב בתחלתו להלחם עם עשו ולבן ואח"כ זכה לשם ישראל שהיא המנוחה בחי' שבת.

And the aspect of "Yaakov" — "yud-eikev" (a yud at the heel) — is the war with the sitra achra, just as Yaakov's early days were spent battling Esav and Lavan, and afterward he merited the name "Yisrael," which is the rest, the aspect of Shabbos.

"Yaakov" (containing "eikev," heel) is the lower, struggling state of doing battle with evil — as Yaakov did with Esav and Lavan — until he rose to the restful, Shabbos-like level of "Yisrael."

ואיתא בזוה"ק יתרו יעקב נטל לחולקיה ניסן ואייר ואשתאר בסיון הג' חדשים בחי' ג' אבות בחי' ראש.

And it is said in the Zohar HaKadosh (Yisro) that Yaakov took as his portion Nissan and Iyar, and remained with Sivan — the three months, the aspect of the three Avos, the aspect of the "head."

The first three months (Nissan, Iyar, Sivan) belong to Yaakov and correspond to the three Avos and to the elevated "head" level culminating in the giving of the Torah.

ועשו נטל לחלקו תמוז ואב ונדחה לבסוף ע"ש.

And Esav took as his portion Tammuz and Av, and he was pushed off to the end; see there.

The months of Tammuz and Av — times of national tragedy — fall to Esav, representing the "heel," the lower end where the sitra achra has a grip.

והם בחי' רגלים ושם יש אחיזה לעשו ואוה"ע וע"ז נקרא שמו יעקב ע"ש וידו אוחזת בעקב עשו כי שם בעקב יש אחיזה לעשו וכמ"ש ויגע בכף יריכו.

And these are the aspect of the "legs," and there Esav and the nations have a hold; concerning this he was named "Yaakov," after "and his hand was grasping the heel (eikev) of Esav" (Bereishis 25:26), for there at the heel Esav has a grip, as it is written, "and he touched the socket of his thigh" (Bereishis 32:26).

The "heel/legs" — the lower end of a person — is where Esav and the nations can take hold; the very name Yaakov and the angel's wounding of his thigh point to this vulnerable lower region.

וזו היו"ד הנלחמת עם עשו וסט"א.

And this is the "yud" that wages war with Esav and the sitra achra.

The "yud" in Yaakov (yud-eikev) is the spark of holiness that does battle against evil at the heel.

והוא מלחמת ימי המעשה.

And this is the battle of the weekdays.

This struggle belongs to the realm of the workweek — the arena of action where evil must be fought.

ושליחות המרגלים הי' בבחי' מלחמה זו.

And the mission of the meraglim was in the aspect of this battle.

The spies' mission belonged to this lower, "Yaakov" level of warfare against the forces of the heel.

ונשתלחו ער"ח תמוז וכתיב והימים ימי בכורי ענבים ענבי"ם גי' עק"ב שהוא הסוף שמשם יש אחיזה לסט"א.

And they were sent on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, and it is written, "and the days were the days of the first ripe grapes" (Bamidbar 13:20); "anavim" (grapes) has the same gematria as "eikev" (heel), which is the "end" from which the sitra achra has a hold.

The spies set out at the onset of Tammuz — Esav's domain; the "grapes" (equal in gematria to "heel") hint that this was the very season and place where impurity could take hold.

ולפי שכתיב ולאום מלאום יאמץ נתעצם אז הסט"א כמ"ש ג"כ בחידושי מו"ז ז"ל מזה.

And because it is written, "and one nation shall prevail over the other" (Bereishis 25:23), the sitra achra grew strong at that time, as is also stated in the chiddushim of my grandfather, of blessed memory, on this.

The verse that one nation's strength waxes as the other's wanes means that at this moment of weakness the forces of impurity gained power — a point the Sefas Emes cites from his grandfather, the Chiddushei HaRim.

והלא בנ"י עצמם אמרו בשעת השירה שמעו עמים ירגזון כו' נמוגו כל יושבי כנען וראו בעין מפלת הסט"א.

And indeed Bnei Yisrael themselves said at the time of the Shirah, "the peoples heard, they trembled… all the inhabitants of Canaan melted away" (Shemos 15:14-15), and they saw with their own eyes the downfall of the sitra achra.

At the Splitting of the Sea, Bnei Yisrael had witnessed the nations of Canaan dissolving in terror — so why did the spies later fear them?

אך בשעת המלחמה נתגברו.

But at the time of the battle, they grew strong.

When the actual moment of confrontation arrived, the forces of the heel temporarily regained their strength — "one nation prevailing over the other."

וז"ש חזק הוא ממנו ודרשו כלפי מעלה פי' שראו שניתן להם חיזוק והתעצמות ממנו ית"ש ולכן נפל עליהם פחד אבל זה הי' בחי' לאום מלאום יאמץ.

And this is the meaning of "he is stronger than us (mimenu)" (Bamidbar 13:31), which they expounded "as referring to Above" — meaning that they saw that strength and might had been given to [the nations] from Him; therefore fear fell upon them, but this was the aspect of "one nation prevailing over the other."

The spies sensed that the Canaanites' strength had been granted from Above (reading "mimenu" as "than Him"), and this terrified them — yet this was only the temporary surge of the "other nation," not a real reason to despair.

וז"ש כלב לחמנו הם שזה הכח רק להתחזק נגדם במלחמה.

And this is what Kalev meant, "they are our bread" (Bamidbar 14:9) — that this [enemy] strength exists only so that we may gird ourselves against them in battle.

Kalev countered that the enemy's strength was actually "our bread" — fuel for our own growth, given precisely so that Bnei Yisrael would rise to overpower them in war.

והמרגלים היו ראשי בנ"י כמ"ש בזוה"ק דהוי ראשין ושליחות זה הי' בחי' רגלין כמ"ש גם בחי' מו"ז ז"ל.

And the meraglim were the heads of Bnei Yisrael, as the Zohar HaKadosh says that they were "rashin" (heads); yet this mission was the aspect of "raglin" (legs), as is also stated in the words of my grandfather, of blessed memory.

Though the spies were "heads" — leaders of Yisrael at the lofty level — their actual mission lowered them into the realm of the "legs," the lower struggle, where they faltered.

וזהו רמז המד' שחביב שלוחי מצוה לפני הקב"ה שדוחה את השבת.

And this is the hint of the Midrash that the agents of a mitzvah are so beloved before Hashem that [their mission] overrides the Shabbos.

The Midrash that a mitzvah-mission overrides Shabbos hints at the theme: even the "Shabbos-rest" level must sometimes yield so that the active battle of mitzvos can be fought.

שהגם ששורשן של בנ"י בחי' לי ראש.

For although the root of Bnei Yisrael is the aspect of "li rosh" (a head is mine).

The essential level of Bnei Yisrael is the elevated "Yisrael/head" state of rest.

אבל רצונו ית"ש שבנ"י ילחמו מלחמת מצוה.

But it is His will that Bnei Yisrael wage the war of mitzvah.

Hashem nonetheless desires that Bnei Yisrael descend to fight the battle — the "Yaakov" avodah of struggle through the mitzvos.

וזה בחי' המצות שהם מסייעין להלחם בכל עת.

And this is the aspect of the mitzvos, which assist in waging this war at all times.

The mitzvos are the weapons that empower a Jew to fight the ongoing battle against the sitra achra.

ושבת הוא בחי' תורה.

And Shabbos is the aspect of the Torah.

Shabbos corresponds to Torah and the restful "Yisrael" level, as opposed to the weekday battle of mitzvos.

ונראה שלכן הוסיף מרע"ה היו"ד ליהושע שהוא בחי' י' עקב שבכח רשימת היו"ד מתגברין על העקב כמ"ש וידו אוחזת כו'.

And it appears that this is why Moshe Rabbeinu added the "yud" to Yehoshua, which is the aspect of "yud-eikev," for through the imprint of the yud they overcome the heel, as it is written, "and his hand was grasping [the heel]."

Moshe added a yud to Hoshea's name (making "Yehoshua") to give him the power of that holy "yud" — the spark that overcomes the "heel" where the spies were vulnerable.

ואיתא במד' כי היו"ד שנלקחה משרה נתרעמה עד שניתוספה ליהושע.

And it is said in the Midrash that the "yud" that was taken from Sarah complained until it was added to Yehoshua.

When "Sarai" became "Sarah," the removed yud "protested" until it was restored — by being added to Yehoshua's name.

והענין הוא כי שרי פי' לי ושרה הוא לכל העולם כמ"ש רש"י שם כי באמת משרה צא עוד עשו ובב' בחי' אלו יש מעלה וחסרון כי עוה"ז נברא בה'.

And the matter is that "Sarai" means "mine," while "Sarah" is for the whole world, as Rashi says there, for in truth from Sarah also came forth Esav; and in these two aspects there is both an advantage and a deficiency, for this world was created with the letter "hei."

"Sarai" (mine) was exclusive and contained; "Sarah" (a princess for all) became universal — but with that broadening came a risk, since universality can also give rise to an Esav. Each level has its strength and its weakness; the "hei" (with which this world was made) represents broad outreach.

ועוה"ב ביו"ד וזהו מיוחד רק לבנ"י בני עוה"ב.

And the World to Come was created with the letter "yud," and this is unique only to Bnei Yisrael, the children of Olam Haba.

The "yud" (with which Olam Haba was created) is the exclusive, concentrated holiness that belongs solely to Bnei Yisrael, who are "children of the World to Come."

אבל ה' היא להמשיך הארה לכל העולם.

But the "hei" is to draw illumination to the entire world.

The "hei" represents spreading light outward to all of humanity, the universal dimension.

וכשהיו"ד גוברת אין שום מגע סט"א לכן זו היו"ד עולה ויורדת לפי הצורך ונתרעמה היו"ד שלא ליתן התפשטות לסט"א עד שניתנה ליהושע שהוא הלוחם עם שבעה אומות ועמלק בראש.

And when the "yud" prevails, there is no contact with the sitra achra; therefore this "yud" ascends and descends according to the need, and the "yud" complained that no expansion be given to the sitra achra, until it was given to Yehoshua, who is the one who wages war with the seven nations, with Amalek at their head.

The concentrated holiness of the "yud" leaves no opening for impurity; it must be applied wherever the danger of impurity spreading is greatest — hence it was given to Yehoshua, the warrior against the seven nations and Amalek.

וזה עצמו הרמז במדרש גבי שלמה שעלתה היו"ד של לא ירבה וקטרגה ששלמה מבטל אותה ומנין שנתעקרה וחזרה שרי אשתך כו' שרה שמה וחזרה ליהושע ע"ש פ' וארא.

And this very thing is the hint in the Midrash concerning Shlomo, that the "yud" of "lo yarbeh" (he shall not multiply [wives]) ascended and prosecuted, [saying] that Shlomo nullifies it; and from where do we know that it was uprooted and returned? From "Sarai your wife… Sarah is her name" — and it returned to Yehoshua; see there, Parshas Va'eira.

The same yud that "protested" reappears regarding Shlomo: when he transgressed "he shall not multiply wives," the yud of that word "complained" that he was undermining the Torah, and the tradition traces this yud from Sarah to Yehoshua.

והרמז כי שלמה רצה לקרב מן האומות יותר מדאי שהוא הי' מלך על כל העולם.

And the hint is that Shlomo wished to draw the nations near too much, for he was king over the entire world.

Shlomo, as universal king, sought to bring the nations close — the expansive "hei" tendency — but he pushed it too far.

ועמדה היו"ד כנגדו שלא להתפשט הקדושה בסט"א ודו"ק בכל זה.

And the "yud" stood against him, so that holiness should not spread into the sitra achra; contemplate all this well.

The "yud" — the principle of guarded, concentrated holiness — opposed Shlomo's over-expansion, lest kedushah be diluted by mixing with impurity.

והנה כל איש ישראל יש לו חלק בב' בחי' הנ"ל שם יעקב וישראל.

Now every Jew has a portion in the two aforementioned aspects, the names Yaakov and Yisrael.

Each individual Jew contains both states — the struggling "Yaakov" and the restful "Yisrael."

מלחמת ה'.

The war of Hashem.

The "Yaakov" portion is the battle a Jew wages on Hashem's behalf against the sitra achra.

וחלק במנוחה בחי' שבת.

And a portion in the rest, the aspect of Shabbos.

The "Yisrael" portion is the peaceful menuchah of Shabbos.

ולפי שנכשלו המרגלים בענין זה נתן לנו הקב"ה מצות ציצית בד' כנפות שהוא רמז שהקב"ה עמנו בכל גלות כמ"ש עמו אנכי בצרה.

And because the meraglim stumbled in this matter, Hashem gave us the mitzvah of tzitzis on the four corners, which hints that Hashem is with us in every galus, as it is written, "I am with him in distress" (Tehillim 91:15).

To repair the spies' failure of faith, the mitzvah of tzitzis on four corners was given, signaling that Hashem accompanies Bnei Yisrael through every exile.

וזה הד' כנפות מול הד' לשונות של גאולה כמ"ש רש"י ורומז לכל הד' גליות.

And these four corners correspond to the four expressions of redemption, as Rashi states, and they allude to all four exiles.

The four corners of the tzitzis parallel the four leshonos of geulah and the four galuyos — assuring us of redemption from each exile.

וזה בכל עת יהיו בגדיך לבנים שהקב"ה עוזר לישראל שלא יקבלו שינוי בכל השתנות הכ"ח עתים כמ"ש במ"א מזה וזהו בחי' לבן שבציצית.

And this is "at all times let your garments be white" — that Hashem helps Yisrael not to be altered through all the changes of the twenty-eight "times" [of Koheles], as written elsewhere about this; and this is the aspect of the white (lavan) of the tzitzis.

The white threads of tzitzis represent the unchanging constancy Hashem grants Yisrael, keeping them spiritually steady through all the shifting "times and seasons" of life.

ותכלת הוא בחי' הגאולה.

And the techeiles (the blue thread) is the aspect of the redemption.

The blue techeiles symbolizes the future geulah.

וזהו ונתנו על ציצית כו' פתיל תכלת סמיכות גאולה לתפלה.

And this is "and they shall place upon the tzitzis… a thread of techeiles" (Bamidbar 15:38) — the juxtaposition of redemption (geulah) to prayer (tefillah).

Placing the blue thread on the white tzitzis joins "geulah" (techeiles/redemption) to "tefillah," teaching that redemption follows directly upon prayer.

על בסמוך.

"Upon" implies adjacency.

The word "upon" (al) indicates closeness — geulah is placed immediately adjacent to tefillah.

וב' אלו כמ"ש אנכי ארד עמך מצרימה וכן בכל גלות.

And these two are as it is written, "I will descend with you to Mitzrayim" (Bereishis 46:4), and so it is in every galus.

The white (Hashem's accompanying presence in exile) and the blue (the promise of redemption) correspond to "I will go down with you" — Hashem's descent into each galus alongside His people.

ואנכי אעלך בחי' הגאולה ולכן כתיב בפרשת ציצית יצ"מ:

"And I will surely bring you up" (Bereishis 46:4) is the aspect of the redemption; and therefore Yetzias Mitzrayim is mentioned in the parsha of tzitzis.

"I will bring you up" corresponds to redemption (the techeiles); this is why the parsha of tzitzis concludes by recalling the Exodus — the model of Hashem both descending into exile with us and raising us out in geulah.

Summary: Yisrael has two names — "Yaakov" (yud-eikev), the lower state of battling the sitra achra at the "heel," and "Yisrael" (li rosh), the restful, Shabbos-like "head" upon which Hashem's Name rests. The spies, though "heads," were sent on a "legs" mission of weekday warfare and stumbled when the forces of the heel temporarily surged. Moshe armed Yehoshua with the holy "yud" — the concentrated, Olam-Haba holiness that overpowers the heel and admits no impurity. To repair the spies' failure, tzitzis was given: its white threads express Hashem's constant presence with us through every exile, and its blue techeiles the promise of redemption — joining geulah to tefillah, mirroring "I will descend with you" and "I will bring you up."