Drash on Shlach L’cha 2025

Rabbi Kim Ettlinger

Temple David, Perth WA

There is an uncanny parallelism between what is happening in the world and our parashah this week. Our people may have had a special talent for being scouts or spies, depending on how one interprets the word. The more that is revealed about the operations of the Mossad branch of the IDF operating covertly in Iran, and of course, how the pager incident in Lebanon came about, we stand in awe of Israel’s secret service.

Moses sent scouts to scout the land, to see if it was inhabitable. Ten of the 12 spies returned saying it was not, they were scared. Of course, we know the parashah well, and the implications of confidence vs. lack of confidence, or readiness for a task vs. not quite there yet.

Perhaps the people were not quite there yet to enter the land, and that is what happened. Perhaps the people were not ready to enter the land of Israel, and that is what sparked another few years in the wilderness. Had they entered the land of Israel too soon, we would likely be facing a different reality. A reality that we may not want to think about, were we not to exist today.

What patience it must have taken for Israel and her covert agents to sit and wait for the right moment to embark on their planned journey. What patience to be in the wilderness for 40 years. We hear today’s Israeli politicians saying the plan has been in the making for decades.

Israel will face many challenges, and the tragic loss of life will continue for a while. We can only hope that the number of innocent lives will be few..

We know that the war with Iran is indeed necessary for many reasons:

● that Iran does pose a real and existential threat to Israel’s existence, and

● that the people of Iran, if they so wish, have an opportunity for a regime change. But it must come from them. Iranians supporting the Crown Prince of Iran and who want a free and democratic Iran stand with Israel and are a great friend of our Jewish community.

● And, that the world will be a safer place with fewer nuclear weapons.

But Israel cannot do it alone, cannot fight this war by itself. Israel needs its friends and allies both within the Middle East and outside. Western Nations that have criticised Israel for the Gaza War support Israel for Iran. Iran may be a giant, a Goliath, but Israel knows how to deal with Goliath.

There is something fundamental at the end of the parashah, that I think we can all draw ourselves to. While not all of us put on Tzitzit daily, on Shabbat or even on Yom Kippur. They are there to be a reminder of the mitzvot, the commandments.

In Bemidbar, Numbers 15:38ff and 15:39 ff, it states

ַּדֵּ֞בר ֶאל־ ְּבֵ֤ני יִ ְׂשָר ֵאל֙ וְָא ַמ ְר ָּ֣ת ֲא ֵל ֶ֔הם וְ ָע ׂ֨שּו ָל ֶ֥הם ִצי ִ֛צת ַעל־ ַּכנְֵ֥פי ִב ְגֵדי ֶ֖הם ְלדֹרָֹ֑תם וְָ֥נ ְת֛נּו ַעל־ ִצי ִ֥צת ַה ָּכָ֖נף …׃” וְ ָהָ֣יה ָל ֶכ ֮ם ְל ִצי ִצ֒ת ּו ְר ִאי ֶ֣תם אֹ֗תֹו ּו ְז ַכ ְר ֶּת ֙ם ֶאת־ׇּכל־ ִמ ְצ֣וֺת יְהֹ֔וָה וֲַע ִׂשי ֶ֖תם אָֹ֑תם וְ ֽא־ ָת֜תּורּו ַא ֲחֵ֤רי ְל ַב ְב ֶכ ֙ם וְַא ֲחֵ֣רי ֵ ֽעינֵי ֶ֔כם ֲא ֶׁשר־ ַא ֶּ֥תם זִֹ֖נים ַא ֲחֵרי ֶ ֽהם׃

Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of יהוה,…“

For me, one such commandment is to be connected to our people far and wide, with Klal Yisrael. The whole community of Israel. To support one another in this difficult time. Each of us is a fringe, and we are bound to one another. We are all responsible for one another – Kol Yisrael aravim ze l’zeh.

May we only know shalom, peace and wholeness during this time of war, and may we not be afraid