[Jewish] [Mindful Torah] Poetic Commentary on Parshat Shelah-Lekha - the story of the ...

[Rabbi Steven Nathan]

This week's portion/parashah is Shelah-Lekha (Be'midbar/Numbers
13:1-15:41). In this parashah, Moses, at God's command, chooses one
leader from each of the twelve tribes to serve as spies. Their mission
is to enter the land of Canaan, the Promised Land, and bring back a
report to the people. "See what kind of country it is.....investigate
its cities, people, soil, and forests and] bring back some of the fruit
of the land,” they are told. They do bring back grapes and other
fruits, but ten of the twelve spies also bring back a report that,
though the land is flowing "with milk and honey," it is filled with
large fortified cities, "giants," and other dangerous inhabitants. Only
two of the spies, Yehoashua/Joshua and Calev/Caleb, bring back a
positive report and remind the people that God is with them, and so
they can overcome any obstacle or enemy.
Unfortunately, the people are carried away by the negative report of
the majority and wonder if Moses brought them this far out of Egypt
only to die in the desert. As punishment for following the negative
report of the ten spies, God declares that the Israelites will wander
in the desert for forty years until this generation of adults dies.
Joshua and Caleb will be the only ones of that generation allowed to
enter the land.
This poem is based this on the names of the two spies who were allowed
to enter the land because they brought back a positive report. The
first is Yehoshua/Joshua, who is to become Moses successor, and whose
name means salvation. The second is Calev/Caleb, whose name can be
translated as "like a heart.” I believe the rest speaks for itself.



the heart of salvation
yehoshua calev
salvation like a heart
that is us
we are one
the two
who survived
the two
who saw and understood
the truth
the land
flowing with milk and honey
blessed by God
waiting for us
to be ready
to enter

the others could not see
their hearts closed
salvation impossible
instead they saw
giants danger obstacles
they saw themselves
grasshoppers
ripe for destruction

sometimes I wonderdid we really travel the same land

walking the land
we saw the same beauty
we saw the same abundance
we ate the same fruit
we returned carried the same gifts

in the moment we returned
they forgot
all they had seen
they built a wall
around their heart
hardened themselves unable to remember the beauty and joy
in the moment feeling only fear and trepidation
unable to trust God within themselves
divinity

they did not believe in
salvation
they could only believe in
giants
they could not trust
God
they could only trust
the small mind of the ego
only able to see themselves
as grasshoppers
ego created within the mindthe others
creatures who never saw us
yet imagining they would destroy usthe ego-mind creates
visions images
that destroy
reality
hope
belief
dreams

the ego-mind creates
thoughts
that build walls
around the heart
keeping God out
fear in
salvation at bay

the other ten
are now gone
killed by the plague
their fears come to fruition
but the damage has been done
the people are doomed
never to enter the land
never to achieve full salvation

but not so the children
they are blessed
they can begin again
they can reclaim the land
reclaim true divine heritage
of beauty and faith
of belief in truth in God in the One

togetheras Oneyehoshua calev
salvation like a heartthe heart and salvationof the Divineshall lead
them
to a place they cannot know
a place where they can
grow
live
be truly free

it is the same place
their fathers saw
but did not see
the same place
that was their death
will be their children's
life and salvation

yehoshua calev
I will be sure
that they see with their heartswith their souls
open to all
the truths
the possibilitiesin each moment of beingof recognizing the
Onesupporting and connecting us all

they may still see themselves
like grasshoppers
but they will realize
that does not mean
that they are doomed
they can still escape
finding freedom and salvation
if they remain open to the truth of the moment
for them milk and honey will flow
in the land
from their lips
from their hearts
enabling all to embrace land each other God One


together as One
we will banish the giants created by the ego-mind
creating in its place a home
land within the heart and soul filled with peace source of salvation
for all who dwell within
this we will do together
in remembrance
of all those who came before those who still are those who will be
unable to see the truth the One unable to experience the heart of
salvation within all


--
Posted By Rabbi Steven Nathan to Mindful Torah at 6/04/2010 03:50:00 PM
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