001 —שלח לך אנשים

Shelach Lecha Anashim, etc.

The matter of the spies was that they were the leaders of the congregation, men of renown, etc. What was the reason they did not want to enter Eretz Yisrael?

Also, we need to understand the nature and level of Eretz Yisrael.

It is written: "Ha'aretz asher natati lahem eretz zavat chalav u'dvash" ("The land that I have given them, a land flowing with milk and honey")^[2]. What is the praise in this?

However, we must understand, for behold, almost all the practical mitzvos depend specifically on Eretz Yisrael, especially matters of Zeraim and Kodashim. (And in the desert, the korbanos were only temporary.)

It is written: "Ki lo al halechem levado yichyeh ha'adam ki al kol motza pi Hashem" ("Man does not live by bread alone, but by everything that comes from the mouth of Hashem")^[3]. We need to understand the advantage of bread, for man too was created by a Divine utterance, as it says: "Na'aseh adam, etc." ("Let us make man")^[4]. Why does man need to receive his vitality specifically from bread?

The idea is that the "motza pi Hashem" in the vegetative realm refers to the 288 sparks that fell during the shattering of the vessels, while man is from the realm of tikkun (rectification). Therefore, man must receive his vitality specifically from the vegetative realm, because the root of the 288 sparks is very lofty, as explained elsewhere.

Similarly, the descent of the soul into this lowly world is specifically in order to subdue the sitra achra, so that through this, "Istukal yekara d'Kudsha Brich Hu" (the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, is elevated), as the advantage of light that comes from darkness^[5]. This is like the analogy of a seed planted in the earth: through its rotting and decay in the ground, it later grows with great increase, just as the advantage of light, etc.

To explain: Eliyahu said in the Tikunei Zohar: "Ant Hu d'afikat asar tikkunin v'karinan lehon asar sefirin le'anaga behon almin setimin d'lo itgalin, etc." ("You are the One who brought forth ten garments and called them ten sefiros to conduct with them the hidden worlds that are not revealed, etc.") — 'almin' means concealment, and in the Zohar, these are called 'heichalot': the chamber of chesed, the chamber of gevurah, the chamber of merit, etc. Within them are souls who delight in the radiance of the Shechinah, and angels who stand in love and awe and fear, etc., like the camp of Michael (love) and the camp of Gavriel (awe and fear), as our Sages said: "A river of fire flows from the sweat of the Chayos"^[6]. Each one sings according to its understanding, and the chamber is a general aspect that includes all the particulars within it, like the chamber of chesed whose general is chesed, and within it are chesed of chesed, chochmah of chesed, etc., and all ten sefiros, like a circle or a house that includes all the details within it.

This is the meaning of "le'anaga behon almin" — 'almin' are the chambers, the general aspect; "le'anaga" is the particular aspect within them. The chamber conceals and hides the light of the Infinite so that it is only revealed to them according to their grasp, so that they are not nullified in the Infinite, for they are limited beings, created from nothing to something, and are incomparable to the essence of the Infinite, which has no beginning or end. Therefore, the chamber must conceal and hide, etc. (And in Atzilus, it is the aspect of lights and vessels.) Until, after many descents, there is a physical heaven and earth, in which G-dliness is not apparent at all, only as a separate and independent entity, the aspect of the sitra achra.

This is the idea of the soul's descent into this lowly world — a descent for the sake of ascent, to subdue the sitra achra through "turning away from evil," and through this, "Istukal yekara d'Kudsha Brich Hu" in all worlds, so that the vessels and chambers will not conceal the light of the Infinite, but rather become vessels to receive the revelation of the Infinite through the aspect of "and do good" — practical mitzvos, the 248 positive commandments, which are the 248 limbs of the King.

But first there must be the aspect of "turning away from evil," the subjugation of the sitra achra, as it says: "V'lo taturu acharei levavchem v'acharei eineichem, etc." ("And you shall not stray after your hearts and after your eyes")^[7]. Through this, "Istukal yekara d'Kudsha Brich Hu," and then one can receive, through "and do good," the revelation of the Infinite below, through the 248 positive mitzvos of the Torah, which come from Chochmah Ila'ah (Supernal Wisdom), and the mitzvos are 248 extensions from Chochmah Ila'ah. Therefore, they are called the limbs of the King, like the analogy of limbs that receive vitality from the brain; it is observable that the brain feels pain in all the limbs, etc. So too, through mitzvos, the Infinite is drawn from Chochmah Ila'ah to the hidden and revealed worlds.

Milk and honey are the two arms, chesed and gevurah, right and left, and between them is the bride, etc. As it says: "Umitachat zero'ot olam, etc." ("And underneath are the everlasting arms")^[8] — this is the drawing down of G-dliness through practical mitzvos, the 248 limbs of the King. Eretz Yisrael corresponds to the supernal Eretz Yisrael (see Shir HaShirim Rabbah, end of the section on 'like the tower of David' in the explanation of 'the place of Your dwelling' — corresponding to Your dwelling, this is the Beis HaMikdash above), and therefore, the main mitzvos are specifically in Eretz Yisrael.

The spies were on a very high level and did not want to lower themselves to practical mitzvos, which is the drawing down of the Infinite below. They said about Eretz Yisrael that it is "ocheles yoshveha" ("it consumes its inhabitants"), meaning that if the revelation of the Infinite would be below as it is above, they would be completely nullified. This is "it consumes its inhabitants."

They wanted to remain specifically in the desert: "U'midbarech naveh" ("Your speech is lovely")^[9] — which is the drawing down of the Infinite to the level of speech, the aspect of Malchus, the supernal Eretz Yisrael, which is called 'land' because it is the lowest aspect of G-dliness, as it says, "the earth is My footstool," etc. (See also the maamar "VeHayah Mispar Bnei Yisrael.") And it is written: "Hashem b'chochmah yasad eretz" ("G-d founded the earth with wisdom") — Abba (Chochmah) founded the daughter (Malchus), the aspect of speech, the word of Hashem whose root is in Chochmah.

This is like the analogy of a child: as long as he does not have fully developed intellect, even though he can make simple sounds, he cannot speak and combine the letters, because his wisdom is not complete to divide the sound and combine the letters as he wishes, etc.

The spies wanted all the drawing down from Chochmah Ila'ah to the level of speech, the supernal Eretz Yisrael, where there is also a Beis HaMikdash and Yerushalayim and all the levels. (As it says in the Gemara, Taanis 5a, and in Zohar III, Parshas Shelach 161b.)

But Yehoshua and Kalev said: "Tovah ha'aretz me'od me'od" ("The land is very, very good") — that specifically through the lower Eretz Yisrael, through practical mitzvos, the Infinite is drawn down in the aspect of "me'od" (very) — without limitation — into the hidden and revealed worlds. This is "me'od me'od" — two times "very": hidden worlds and revealed worlds.

For in truth, the main intent of the Creator is that there should be a dwelling place in the lowest realms, as our Sages said: "The Holy One, blessed be He, desired to have a dwelling place in the lower worlds," etc., and that it should be revealed to all flesh, and that the revelation below should be as above, and even more so, with greater intensity, and the advantage of light that comes specifically from darkness, etc.

For in truth, the higher the level, the more it is revealed in the lowest thing, with greater intensity. For example, a very great intellect cannot reveal his wisdom to the recipient through speech, only through hints in action can he reveal it with greater intensity, as our Sages said: "For the wise, a hint is sufficient."

Another analogy: from a seal of a clear precious stone, due to its clarity, the letters are not visible in it, but they are revealed and visible on the wax specifically, in clear sight. And it says: "U're'item oto u'zchartem et kol mitzvos Hashem, etc." ("And you shall see it and remember all the mitzvos of Hashem") — that through action, which is the aspect of gazing at the 32 physical threads, one comes to "and you shall remember all the mitzvos of Hashem." For the tallis is the aspect of an encompassing light, and the tzitzis, which are 32 threads, are the 32 pathways of wisdom that are drawn through the encompassing light, and it can only be hinted at through action, the opposite of the spies' thinking, etc.

And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, who was from the generation of knowledge and on a very high level, was not able to enter Eretz Yisrael. Nevertheless, he prayed 515 prayers (the numerical value of "va'etchanan") to enter Eretz Yisrael, because this is the main intent and purpose of creation, as above, and yet he did not merit, and Yehoshua specifically brought them in, etc.

2) (This is why Eretz Yisrael is the land of the seven nations — through refining the seven emotional attributes of Tohu via practical mitzvos, the revelation of the Infinite is drawn into all the worlds, and generally, these are also the seven chambers. In contrast, the desert is only a drawing down above, in the inner aspect, not in the external worlds and chambers of Asiyah.)

(See also in Iggeres HaKodesh, discourse beginning "Vayaas Dovid Sham," that to draw down the revelation in Asiyah is specifically through action, etc. And in truth, for the drawing down to be below, it must be from a higher place, as explained elsewhere on the verse "El Elyon gomel chasadim tovim." And conversely, specifically through action, because it is lower than speech, the revelation can be from a higher level, as in "for the wise, a hint is sufficient," which cannot be revealed through speech, etc.)

(The explanation of this can be understood from what is explained elsewhere on the verse: "Shishim heima malchot, etc. achat hi yonati, etc.," regarding the advantage of souls over angels, which are from the aspect of speech, etc. And as explained on the verse "Veha'aretz hadom raglai," that by refining one's actions, one's mind and heart become a thousand times more refined, etc. This is because through this, one draws from the source of Supernal Wisdom and its inner aspect. Furthermore, it is also impossible to draw down the revelation of Supernal Wisdom through Torah except by performing mitzvos.)

(As it says in Iggeres HaKodesh there, discourse beginning "Vayaas Dovid Sham": "Therefore, our Sages said: 'One who says, I have only Torah without acts of kindness, even Torah he does not have, but only Torah and acts of kindness.' For Torah comes from Chochmah, and through Torah the world is sustained, and those who study it, for through their speech they draw down the light and influence of Supernal Wisdom, the source of Torah, to the aspect of the letters of speech with which the world was created, etc. But this drawing down is a great descent, and for this, one must arouse Supernal Chesed, which is drawn down like water from a high place to a low place, through arousal from below, through tzedakah and lower chesed, which draw life and kindness to revive the spirit of the lowly and crushed. And this is what it says: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, etc., but in this let him glory, etc. — that I am Hashem who does kindness, etc.' For chesed is what draws the life of wisdom below, and if not, then it is called 'his wisdom' alone, without drawing life from it, G-d forbid." End quote.)

(It is known that even above, the drawing down of Supernal Wisdom into the letters of speech is through the supernal emotional attributes. This is the aspect of Yaakov — the letters of "yivka" (he will break through), the drawing down of wisdom that breaks through via the attributes and is drawn into speech. As explained elsewhere on the Zohar at the end of Parshas Kedoshim (86a) on the verse "Atem eidai, etc." And see also what is explained on the verse "Ve'hayah lachem l'tzitzis" regarding "ki me'ish lukcha zot.")

(From all this, the matter of the sin of the spies is understood. For although the Torah is called "midbar" (desert), as it says in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Chukas, ch. 19, on the verse "u'mimidbar matanah," nevertheless, it is written regarding it that everything is to be done in the land. 'Land' refers to practical mitzvos. For even to draw down Supernal Wisdom to the level of speech is only possible through the fulfillment of mitzvos, for the above reason. And on this it is said: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, etc., but in this let him glory, etc. — that I am Hashem who does kindness, justice, and righteousness in the land' — specifically through this, one draws down Supernal Wisdom. See also the maamar on 'Ki Tishma B'kol.'")

(There is also another way to explain this matter, based on what is explained in the maamar beginning "Vayedaber" about the Ten Commandments, regarding Torah study, as it says: 'All desires are not equal to it, even heavenly desires,' and there it discusses 'If there is no wisdom, there is no awe.' Similarly, the spies did not want to enter the land and fulfill the mitzvos, only to remain in the desert — 'u'midbarech naveh,' etc.")

(But in truth, they erred greatly in this, as is explained regarding 'If there is no awe, there is no wisdom,' that it is impossible at all to draw down the light of Torah except by first fulfilling the mitzvos. This is 'If there is no awe, etc.,' and as we say: 'Sanctify us with Your mitzvos, and through this, give us our portion in Your Torah.')

(At the Giving of the Torah, the revelation of Torah was at first a temporary instruction, but for generations, it cannot be so, and the Jewish people understood this, and therefore they said, 'We will do' before 'We will hear,' etc. See there at length.)

Summary

This maamar teaches that the ultimate purpose of creation is to reveal G-dliness in the physical world through practical mitzvos, especially in Eretz Yisrael. The spies erred by preferring spiritual experience over action, but true Divine revelation comes specifically through refining the lowest realms.