Parshat Sh’lach
Numbers 13:1 – 15:41 

By Jen Smith  

In Parshat Sh’lach, twelve spies are sent to scout the land of Canaan. They all see the same terrain: lush, fertile, and inhabited territory claimed by mighty civilizations who build fortified cities. And yet, while only two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, return with a message of hope, the others are consumed by fear: “We were like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and so we were in theirs.” (Numbers 13:33) 

This verse reveals something deeper than military anxiety. It uncovers a spiritual crisis: a failure of the Israelites to see themselves as reflections of the Divine. Though made b’tzelem Elohim, in God’s own image, endowing them with strength, spirit, dignity and purpose, fear distorts their vision of the land and, more importantly, themselves. 

One of my favorite writers, Mark Twain, once said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear; not absence of fear.” Fear is not shameful, it is human. The question is: what do we do with it? 

In a world shaken by violence, where Israel faces a daily barrage of threats and missiles from Iran and war overshadows everyday life, it might seem reasonable to feel like grasshoppers again. Small, vulnerable, utterly powerless. But Sh’lach reminds us that we are not defined by the fear we face, we are defined by how we rise and face our challenges. 

The Zohar, Judaism’s mystical text, offers us a lens, teaching us that the human soul is like a flame flickering in the winds of history: waxing and waning at times, but never extinguished. God’s image of us is far from a fragile prototype sketch, it is a living fire!  Like the light of the menorah in last week’s Torah portion, that inner light burns even when the world trembles. Joshua and Caleb’s courage didn’t come from perfect confidence, it came from remembering who they were: children of God made in His divine image – bearers of sacred light. Joshua and Caleb were able to see through fear to the promise ahead. 

Positivity is not about pretending that everything is fine. Jewish tradition never requires us to deny fear. Instead, it asks us to root ourselves in emunah, faith, and to act as emissaries of light, not purveyors of shadow.  We are encouraged to remember that even in crisis (especially in crisis) we are not alone. We are each infused with the capacity to bring wisdom, compassion, and healing to our communities and the world around us. We know this because we are made in God’s image. When we recognize that in ourselves, we’re able to lift the veil to reveal the same divine potential in others and shift our perspective from despair to sacred determination. 

Even in the face of war, uncertainty, and despair we are commanded to choose life, pursue peace, and embody hope. This is divine courage. 

Sh’lach reminds us of our sacred purpose to be a light unto the nations, leading with light that transcends any shadow and lifting our voices for promise instead of panic. Only then can we transformed the Giants of a strange land into opportunities for holy resistance, healing, and mastering our fear through the light of faith. As the shadows draw near in the coming weeks, may we remind ourselves and each other that the image of God is not only found in the remote spiritual oasis of the heavens, but also thriving within every human heart waiting to be seen, kindled, and shared. 

Shabbat Shalom.