SHELACH – THE LIMITS OF REASON · Sukkat Shalom B'nei Noach

בס”ד

In this Torah portion we learn about the spies who went to tour the promised land of Israel. Moses sent to spy out the Land and his goal was positive: he wanted the people to use their human intelligence to plan how to settle the land, making them excited for the journey ahead. Using our intellect to find practical, efficient methods to spread justice, kindness, and honesty in our everyday lives is exactly what G-d wants from us. So the question arises : the spies used their own intellect to understand the land of Israel, why were they punished?

Moses asked them to gather information about the land and its inhabitants. He did not ask them to decide whether G-d’s promise could be fulfilled. Instead, the spies used their intellect to totally change their mission. They concluded wrongly that it cannot be conquered and settled! They looked at the fortified cities and the giants inhabiting the land, and through their human logic, they concluded: “We cannot enter the land” They went far beyond the scope of their mission. They used their minds not to execute G-d’s will, but to challenge it. The spies were not punished for using their intellect. They were punished for allowing their subjective assumptions to override the Divine mission they had been given.

This principle applies to all Divine commandments. For non-Jews, it finds practical expression in the Seven Noahide Laws. When we rely solely on human reason, we face a major psychological hazard. The human mind easily bends to serve our comfort, our social standing, or our physical desires. The Creator does not expect human beings to serve Him blindly. He endowed us with a sophisticated intellect. When we understand why we perform a good deed, when we comprehend the inner logic of the Seven Noahide Laws, we naturally fulfill our Divine mission with far more enthusiasm, joy, and passion.

How do we protect ourselves from falling into the trap of the spies? The answer lies in our orientation. We must keep in mind that we use our human understanding solely because G-d wants us to. The Divine Seven Noahide Laws does not depend on whether the human mind finds them convenient or logical. They are binding because they are a manifestation of the Divine will.

The choice is: are we seeking the best way to execute G-d’s will? Or are we using our mind like the spies to seek a clever excuse to evade it? By centering our intellect on absolute Divine truth rather than subjective human agendas, we ensure that we are acting according to the will of G-d. When intellect is anchored in Divine purpose, it becomes one of the greatest tools for bringing holiness, justice, and goodness into the world.

By Rabbi Moshe Bernstein

Source: Numbers 13:2. Likutei Sichot, vol. 23, pp. 92–95.

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