Haftorah Commentary Parshas Shlach
SHELACH
Yehoshua 2:1–24
The Immeasurable Benefits of Faith and Repentance
This week’s Haftarah displays the power of perfect faith and trust in Hashem and its miraculous results. We learn from it how Hashem transformed a guaranteed failure into an immeasurable success.
Warm Welcome to Intruders
The Haftarah begins with the new Jewish leader Yehoshua sending two pious individuals on a secret mission to investigate the Promised Land. The Jewish people were camped across the Jordan River directly facing the city of Jericho, and Yehoshua sought to determine the intent of the land’s inhabitants. Were they prepared to deliver the land to its rightful owners or were they preparing for war with the mightiest power, Hashem who destroyed the mighty Sichon and Og empires. In either case, the spies’ mission was extremely dangerous because the land’s inhabitants were fully aware of the pending Jewish invasion.
Yehoshua instructed the spies to survey the entire land, but to devote special focus on Jericho. They crossed the Jordan before nightfall, entered Jericho and went directly to Rachav’s inn – the first one inside the city’s walls. They were immediately discovered and reported to the king who subsequently sent messengers to Rachav to surrender the intruders to him.
Rachav, out of the goodness of her heart, engaged in an incredibly heroic act. She swiftly hid the spies and proceeded to persuade the king’s messengers of her unidentified guests’ mysterious exit from the city. Once the messengers were out of sight, Rachav informed the spies of the awestricken feeling presiding throughout the land. The Jewish people’s miraculous defeat of the mighty kings Sichon and Og reinstated the famous Jewish experience of the Reed Sea and left the entire land of Canaan in a petrified state. Rachav continued and proclaimed total recognition of Hashem as master of the universe and expressed her firm belief that Hashem would defeat anyone standing in His way.
Total Commitment to One’s Mission
Chazal reflect on this unusual welcome and sharply contrast it with the disheartening experience of the spies in this week’s Parsha. This week we read about ten men of distinction who were sent on a similar mission to survey Eretz Yisrael. Yet, their results were much different, and they ultimately brought the entire nation to a petrified state that resulted in their forfeiting the Promised Land.
Chazal reveal the fundamental difference between the two groups and they explain that the spies in Yehoshua’s times were totally devoted to their mission. They were prepared to do everything in their power to overcome every obstacle in their way, and they, therefore, met unbelievable success. Since they possessed perfect faith in Hashem and total commitment to their mission, their inner strength dissuaded them from falling prey to their frightening experience and assisted them in fulfilling their mission to perfection.
Conversely, the spies in Moshe’s times were not fully committed to their mission, at all costs. This weakness apparently tainted their vision and produced their distorted perception of the land and its inhabitants. (see Yalkut Shimoni, Yehoshua 7) In truth, entering Eretz Yisrael to inhabit it presented the Jewish people with extraordinary challenges. Since its inhabitants were extremely hostile towards its intruders, nothing short of open miracles would be able to secure the Jewish nation’s safety in the land. Moshe Rabbeinu’s spies were very concerned about that apparent reality. Therefore, when they entered the land and observed the giants’ towering stature they were petrified. This sadly led them to succumb to their well-grounded fears and to cause the Jewish people of that generation to forfeit their privilege of inheriting the land.
Divine Intervention for the Trustworthy
This stark contrast serves as a profound lesson in faith and trust in Hashem. From a practical standpoint, Yehoshua’s spies stood no chance to succeed once they entered the land, but instead faced guaranteed death. The Jewish nation was camped within earshot of Eretz Yisrael, and their secret mission was doomed to be discovered.
Although Chazal teach us that the spies disguised themselves as traveling salesmen (Yalkut Shimoni ibid.), it is hard to fathom how such pious men passed for Canaanites. Truthfully, the only thing the spies had going for themselves was their steadfast faith and trust in Hashem. Without realizing their “error” they went directly to what appeared to be a strategic point in the land, Rachav’s inn to lodge there overnight. Unbeknown to them, Rachav’s inn was far from inconspicuous, and she was fondly known throughout the land with warm, personal ties with all the authorities. Therefore, as would be predicted, the spies were discovered the moment they entered her inn.
Yet, with perfect trust in Hashem, the events that followed were far from predictable. Chazal reveal a startling display of Divine Providence and inform us that Rachav had recently recognized Hashem as the sole power of the universe. Hashem had directed the spies to the only Canaanite believer in Hashem in the entire land. (Yalkut Shimoni, Yehoshua 9) Their faith served them well, and Rachav, instead of delivering the spies to the king’s messengers, extended herself in every way to her extremely pious guests who came her way. She spared their lives and even encouraged them with her profound statements of faith. In fact, through her encouraging words, she became a strong catalyst to deliver Eretz Yisrael to its rightful owners. Hashem favorably rewarded Rachav for her heroism, and she subsequently married the Jewish nation’s leader Yehoshua. (Radak, Yehoshua 6:25) Her new life and pious lifestyle proved to be very productive for her and she became the forbearer of many famous prophets and righteous people. (Yalkut Shimoni ibid)
In the Merit of Perfect Faith
From a military standpoint, the spies’ entry to Rachav’s inn was a gravely irresponsible move. However, since they placed their trust in Hashem, their entry into her inn protected them and even led to Rachav’s participation in delivering her land into Jewish hands. Instead of immediate death by the king’s order, the spies returned with total confidence and conveyed to the entire nation that Eretz Yisrael would soon be theirs.
These are some of the incredible results of placing one’s total trust in Hashem. Lessons of this sort are so important to us in our trying times. Indeed, Chazal teach us that the key factor in our final redemption will be our faith and commitment. (Mechilta, Beshalach 6) Let it be Hashem’s will that our constant strides in faith serve as an outstanding merit for our speedy redemption and return to our homeland in peace and harmony.
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Date: June 18, 2025
