This
week's Haftara tells the story of the two spies that Yehoshua sent to Jericho , "וישלח יהושע ... שנים אנשים מרגלים חרש לאמר לכו ראו את הארץ ואת יריחו .../Yehoshua … sent two men as spies secretly saying, 'Go observe
the land and Jericho …" (Yehoshua 2:1) Spies, by definition, are on a covert mission. When Moshe sent the twelve spies, the pasuk
does not say that they were sent secretly.
It's obvious. Why then, does the
pasuk tell us that Yehoshua's spies were sent secretly?
The
Midrash[1], in a play on words,
infers that they disguised themselves as potters. (חרש/secretly, חרס/pottery) Why is this significant? The Midrash is teaching us something
fundamental about the nature of spies specifically and messengers in general.
The
Chiddushei HaRim explains. Clay vessels are
unique in that they only become impure when an impure object is inside them. If an impure object touches the outside of a
clay vessel, it has no effect. The reason,
notes the Chiddushei HaRim, is that clay is the simplest material from which
vessels can be made. In and of itself,
clay has very little value. A clay vessel
is only as valuable as its function. The
inside of the vessel represents its function.
The outside represents the material of the vessel. Therefore
if impurity touches the outside it has no effect. The outside – the clay – is unimportant as a
material. If impurity is on the inside,
though, the vessel becomes impure. The
inside – the functionality – is what gives the clay value.
Spies,
too, are only "valuable" as messengers when they are totally devoted
to the mission for which they were sent. If they have their own agenda as well, they
are no longer solely messengers of the one who sent them. They are on their own mission. In that case, they have "value"
apart from their mission.
The
Sfas Emes generalizes this principle and applies it to our lives. We are all messengers in this world. We are here on a mission. In order to truly be messengers, we must be totally
devoted to the mission to the exclusion of our own personal desires. Our bodies are simply vessels that we can use
to accomplish our mission.
It
is our tool for bringing holiness into the world and honor for God. The main thing is the holiness within each of
us that lasts forever. "יבש חציר נבל ציץ ודבר א-להינו יקום לעולם/Grass withers and blossom wilts, but the word of our God stands
forever." (Yeshaya 40:8) Everything
in this world contains a holy hidden spark.
Our physicality hides the spark. When
we view our bodies as simply vessels here to perform a function, then that
function is revealed. When we dedicate
ourselves to achieve God's will, the spark – the word of God that stands
forever – is revealed.
That
the holy spark is hidden means that the physical world appears to have an
autonomous existence. The reality is
that God is running the world. "... מלכותו
בכל משלה/… His kingdom reigns over all."
(Tehillim 103:19) We see this in
the pasuk quoted earlier, "... ודבר א-להינו יקום לעולם/…
and His word stands forever", as well, for the word דבר/word, also means "lead"
in Aramaic. "ידבר עמים תחתינו .../He shall subdue (lit. lead)
nations under us." (Tehillim 47:4)
The pasuk can be understood as, "… Our God's leadership stands for
ever." To the extent that we subordinate
our own desires in favor of God's, God's running of the world is revealed. And this is our essential purpose. May we merit it!
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