24 Jun Shlach; Spies, Objectivity and Truth (r23)

Inspired by the teachings of Chassidut and Kabbalah of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh
and Rabbi Moshe Genuth    

‘I OBJECT’... is a common phrase heard in a court of law. It’s said to bring light to confront something that was said that could compromise the truth.

The story of the spies is a story of clarity, objectivity and truth.  

There are many insights of the Spies who were the leaders, princes of the 12 Tribes of Israel who were chosen to survey ( spy) The Land. These Princes of tribes were chosen as each tribe had unique attributes intimately known to each Prince, and the land that each tribe would receive upon entering Eretz Yisroel would be best suited accordingly.  There mission was to take inventory, ‘to scout (survey)’  The Land prior to entering The Land promised to them by G-d.  These men of responsible stature however gave a report that was bias in order to not go into The Land except for Caleb and Yohoshua.

The commentaries teach us that the 10 Princes of the tribes (of the total of 12 tribes)  who delivered a negative report  believed that it was advantageous to remain in the wilderness. Part of the process of being able to enter the Land of Israel was to engage in the efforts (toils) of  rectification (tshuvah) of self and Nation. In the Land there were new opportunities to earn their relationship with G-d. By avoiding entering the Land they essentialy compromised their relationship with G-d. This led to the Nation being  punished by having to remain in the desert for just under 40 years until the generation died out.

In the desert, all their needs were taken care of . They did not have to exert effort and as long as they remained in the desert the Princes of the Tribes  could remain in their prominent position. They believed that going in to the Land would change all this.  Except for 2 men Caleb and Yohoshua, the report the 10 tribal leaders gave regarding entering the Land was negative,  reflecting their personal subjective desire  and accordingly a lack the objectivity of  report of a balance of mind and heart and  thus lacking the attribute of  knowledge and truth. Their actions were met with Hashem’s rebuke of the Jews to wander the desert for just under 40 years. Enough time for all of that generation to die off. Only Caleb and Yohoshua who gave positive reports lived to enter the Land and they merited entering the Land.

There are 4 Great Sins in the Torah; the sin of Gan Eden, the sin of Joseph and his brothers, the sin of the Golden Calf and the sin of the Spies. To be a Holy Spy is to rectify the sin of the Spies of the Desert.  We continue to rectify these sins. One of the ways we rectify this sin is by having 10 men present for a minion representing a Tikun (rectificaiton)  for the 10 men who gave a negative report.

Today , we may often hear the term ‘critical thinking’. It refers to the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a rectified judgment.

Critical thinking is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action.(def’n)  We may refer to it in Chassidut as ‘holding opposites’ or ‘standing in the question’.

From a Torah perspective, critical thinking is essential to objectivity but incomplete without a connection and balance of the emotive, spiritual and intellectual components and a conscious connection with G-d. This  we would say is that for a  higher truth to be revealed there must be a connection and rectified balance of mind and heart to bring about knowledge as ; CHOCHMA (wisdom of mind) – BINAH (understanding of heart) –DAAT (knowledge).  

We can become Holy Spies by working to find a higher truth in all our affairs by how we interpret media sources and what we say. We can be Holy Spies of ourselves by finding clarity and truth through the sincere,honest and deep investigation of ourselves guided by the principles of Torah and Mussar. In the language of Torah and Mussar (self improvement) we call it a  cheshbon hanefesh, a personal inventory . This is a foundation for doing tshuvah.These principles are reflected in the everyday practice of the 12 Steps of Recovery (AA) .

An important insight about truth and objectivity is that it is dependent on a relationship with the Greatest Objective Being, G-d. Because as Man we are ‘pluralistic’ having a  finite body and infinite soul, we have needs and desires that are in opposition with one another and can compromise our objectivity. Truth and objectivity left to our own device and absent of a relationship with a Greater Being, G-d,  our perspective o f truth and objectivity will be compromised and lead to an expression of self, our relation G-d an the world will lack clarity.

We must understand that absolute truth does not exist in our world other than the truth that G-d is absolute.    

The 12 Steps of Recovery may reflect Torah concepts, but for the Jew in the World and a Jew in Recovery nothing can replace the true source of balance, harmony, spiritual and intellectual  elevation that can be found in the living, learning and integrating through action the teachings of Torah and 613 Commandments.   

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addictions and Counseling
http://lawrencelax.com 
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com