Shabbat Forshpeis
A Taste of Torah in Honor of Shabbat
PARSHAT SHELAKH
HOW WE PERCEIVE OURSELVES CAN MAKE
ALL OF THE DIFFERENCE
JUNE 27-28, 2003 / 28 SIVAN 5763
In this week's portion, Moshe (Moses) sends
out spies to scout out the land of Israel.In reporting to the people, the spies insisted that it would be impossible to conquer the land.The spies insisted they saw giants and they exclaimed, "we were in our sight as grasshoppers and so were we in their sight." (Numbers 13:33)
On its simple level, this phrase may consist of two independent thoughts from different points of view.The spies noted that relative to the giants, they felt like grasshoppers.Independent of their own feelings, says the midrash, they actually heard the inhabitants say, there are grasshoppers on the ground. In the words of Rashi, "we heard them (the giants) saying, there are grasshoppers who look like humans in the vineyard."
Another thought comes to mind: Perhaps these two clauses can be viewed as a single unit with one phrase leading to the other.
The way we see ourselves, often results in the way we feel others perceive us.For example, if a person feels lowly, it is not uncommon for this individual to sense that others look upon him/her as lowly.Conversely, if we feel good about ourselves we perceive that others see us in the same light.
With this in mind the sentence can be understood.The spies, as a matter of fact, proclaimed "we were in our sight as grasshoppers," as a consequence of which, "and so were we in their sight." (Numbers 13:33)
But sometimes it can go further.If we feel negatively about ourselves it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.And the reverse is also true.Exuding goodness goes a long way in having others perceive ourselves as strong and positive.Part of the message of the story is that the spies, having experienced God firsthand, should have had more self-confidence. Seeing themselves, however, as grasshoppers they lose confidence and are not permitted to enter the land.
Rav Yosef Dov HaLevi Soloveitchik of blessed memory distinguished between gei'ut (self-confidence) which is a positive characteristic and ga'avah (haughtiness) which is negative. While it is important to be humble, human beings, as created in the image of God, have every right to feel self-confident.Every one of us has a spark of the Divine and we must realize that while we must never fall into the trap of ga'avah, it is geiut which serves as a necessary ingredient in being a true leader and effecting the lives of the community and the entire world.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Avi Weiss
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