Jun 13, 20233 min read

Parshas Shelach

Zechus Refuah Sheleima: Tzvi ben Devorah -( B"H we have seen major progress!!!)

Le'iluy Nishmas: Gittel a"h bas Shraga Meir Hakohen

Le'iluy Nishmas Tziporah Chana a"h bas Yaakov Avraham Eliyahu

Please contact us if you would like to sponsor as a zechus for someone

Another great Parsha with many ideas for your Parsha Party. REMINDER - THIS IS A SPRINGBOARD OF IDEAS. YOU CAN CHOOSE ONE IDEA OR A FEW. AND HAVE THE KIDS GUESS THE CONNECTIONS.

Parsha Overview (Feel free to skip straight to the Party below - simply click the arrow next to this text and the overview will disappear

Shelach

The Meraglim

The nation had wanted to send spies to the land of Canaan before they go and conquer it so Hashem granted them permission. Hashem tells Moshe to gather one man of important stature per Shevet to send as Meraglim – spies, to the land of Eretz Yisrael. (Rashi). The Pesukim list the names of all the spies. There were two spies that did not sin with the others. They were Kalev ben Yefuna (Shevet Yehuda) and Hoshea ben Nun (Shevet Ephraim).

Moshe adds a letter onto the name of Hoshea Ben Nun

Moshe davened for his student Hoshea to be saved by Hashem and not sin with the Meraglim. He added a Yud, for Hashem, to his name – now Yehoshua.

The Meraglims Travel Plan

Moshe sent them to the land first from the South, and then up the mountain going north so that they will see the worst of the land first and then it will only get better from there. He told them to check out if it is a weak or strong land and if there are few people or many people. He gave them a sign that if the cities are open then the people are strong because they are not afraid, but if they are walled, then they are weak. (Rashi) They should see which part of the land has people living in it, where there are good springs, and which have people living in camps or fortresses. Is the soil fat or thin? Are there trees?

He told them to take the fruit of the land, as it was the season when the grapes ripen.

The Meraglim traveled along the borders of the land, first in the south then going up the west coast. Kalev alone stopped at Chevron to daven by the Mearas Hamachpela by the Avos for Hashem to protect him from joining the negative plan that the other spies had to report bad on the land. There were many giants in the land.

The Massive Fruits of Nachal Eshkol

When they got to Nachal Eshkol the fruits were so large. They cut a branch of grapes that was so large it needed 8 people to carry it using 2 poles! They also took a fig and a pomegranate, both which were so large and needed a man to carry them.

The Meraglim Speak bad about the Land

The Meraglim returned to the Jewish People after 40 days of spying out the land. They bring them back a bad “report” of the land along with the fruit to show them. They said “We came to the land that you sent us to and it is flowing with milk and honey and here is the fruit. However, the people are mighty, in fortified cities and we saw giants living there! Amalek is living in the south. The Chitti, Emori, and Yevusi are living on the mountains, and the Canaanim are on the coast by the Yarden.” In other words, it will be impossible for us to fight these people!

Kalev uses a tactic to quiet the bad report

Kalev quiets everyone. He catches their attention by calling out “Is this all that (Moshe) Ben Amram did to us?” He made it sound like he was about to say a bad thing about Moshe so the people quieted down so that they could hear him. It was really a trick and he continued with good words. Moshe brought us through the Yam Suf, brought us the Man and the Slav, surely, he can also successfully bring us up this mountain and we will be able to overcome it! (Rashi).

The Meraglim continue to speak bad

But the other Meraglim argued back saying that there is no way that they would be able to win over the strong people in the land. They spoke Lashon Hara about the land to the people and told them that the land eats its inhabitants and that all the people are giant. Hashem had made it that the people of the land were busy burying dead people so that they would be distracted and not notice the Meraglim there. It was really for the good but the Meraglim chose to interpret it as a bad thing to scare the people. (Rashi). They said that they saw extremely great giants from the Nefilim and that they felt like grasshoppers among them and even heard them say amongst themselves that the Meraglim were like grasshoppers.

The Nation Cries out

When the nation heard this report about the land they were supposed to enter, even the great ones let out a big cry with the nation. They complained to Moshe and Aharon saying they should’ve all just died in Mitzrayim. They were frightened to enter the land and some even appointed a leader to return back to Mitzrayim. Moshe and Aharon fell on their faces and Yehoshua and Kalev tore their clothing.

They replied to the nation that the land they spied out was a very good land! If Hashem wants, He will bring us to the land flowing with milk and honey! We will consume them like bread so easily because Hashem is not with them but with us, as long as we don’t rebel.

The people were already revved up and threatened to throw stones and Yehoshua and Kalev.

Hashem wants to destroy the Nation

Hashem was angry at the people and threatened to wipe out the nation and build a new Jewish nation through Moshe instead. Moshe argued back that the other nations will see that Hashem killed the Jewish people in Mitzrayim and say it is because He was not strong enough to defeat the people in Eretz Canaan! What a terrible chillul Hashem that would be!

Moshe Begs Hashem to use his Middos Harachamim and Hashem forgives

Moshe reminded Hashem of His attributes of Rachamim – mercy. He begs Hashem to forgive then nation and Hashem says “Salachti Kidvarecha! I have forgiven them like your words!” He will not destroy the nation. However, since they tests Hashem ten times they will not merit to go into the land. Only Kalev and Yehoshua will be able to go from the generation. The rest of the people instead will wander in the Midbar for 40 years instead of going to the land and will eventually die in the Midbar. Anyone that was counted from 20 and up will die in the Midbar and only the children younger than that will be able to go.

40 days of Spying was punished for 40 years in the Midbar.

The Plague of the Meraglim

The Meraglim that spoke the Lashon hara and caused the people to sin, they got punished and died by a terrible plague. Rashi says they were punished Middah Kneged Middah (measure for measure) as they spoke bad with their tongues, their tongues were extended out to their bellies and worms went inside of them!)

Some People try to go on their own to the land

When the people heard that they sinned they were very sad. Some of them decided to take in their own hands to go up the mountain to the land of Canaan to fight on their own. Moshe warned them that this is not what Hashem wants and they will not succeed. They refused to listen and went up the mountain to fight. Sure enough, the enemy killed them.

The Nation despairs so Hashem gives them Mitzvos for when they actually live in the land

The people were now very depressed and thought maybe another Aveira will cause them not to ever enter into the land of Eretz Yisrael. Hashem comforted them by telling them about the laws of Nesachim – Meal, wine, and oil offerings that go along with the Karbanos when they are in the land.

Additionally, they were given another Mitzvah to keep in the land. This is the mitzvah of separating Challah, the first portion of their dough that they make as a gift for Hashem.

Mass Avodah Zarah Mistake

If an act of Avodah Zara is accidentally committed by the majority of the people then there is a special Karban that needs to be brought as the sin of Avodah Zara is so severe. If an individual accidentally does Avodah Zara he needs to do teshuva and bring a Karban. If someone brazenly commits Avodah Zara on purpose he gets Kares. Don’t be among those who scorn Hashem.

The Wood Gatherer on Shabbos

It was only the 2nd Shabbos in the Midbar and a man named Tzelafchad was found gathering wood on Shabbos. They warned him to stop, but he did not, so he was brough to Moshe and Aharon in front of all the people. They held him in a prison until Hashem told them what to do with him. They were told to have all the people kill him outside the camp with stoning.

The Mitzvah of Tzitzis

Hashem tells Moshe to tell the people to make Tzitizs strings on the corners of their (4 cornered) clothing and on the Tzitzis should be a a string of Techeles (special blue dye) and when they see the the Tzitzis it will remind them not to do Aveiros and to only do Mitzvos and remember that Hashem took them out of Mitzrayim.

(Adapted partially from Chabad.org, and The Pesukim and Rashi and Medrash Says)

And now for the fun part

PARSHA PARTY

SNACKS LISTED FIRST SO YOU CAN TRY AND GUESS TOO!

· Grape Flavor candies
· Pomegranate flavor candies
· Fig bars
· Rock Candy
· Honey Candy or Graham crackers
· Gummy Bones
· Cry Babies / Tear Jerkers
· Potato stix or pretzel rods
· Blue soursticks
· Pop Corners
· Tzitzis cookies
· Frozen Grapes
· Gummy worms
· Blue candy
· Brick Candy
· Fruity Peak
· Honey glazed almonds
· Aleph Bais Cookies
· Lip Candy
· Giants Crazy Sour Candy
· Blue Raspberry Giant Spray Candies
· Mini Rice Cakes
· Mini Lentils
· Mini Marshmallows
· Mini Cookies
· Mini Cupcakes
· Fruit Bites, Fruit a toot,
· Fruit by the foot
· Pomegranate Fruity Bar
· FruZips
· Jelly Belly
· Big Bird juice box
· Taffy Trix
· Trix cereal
· Challah Marzipan

THE PARSHA PARTY ANSWER LIST!

Grape Flavor candies – The Meraglim brought back huge Grapes that took 8 people to carry on 2 poles

Pomegranate flavor candies -The Meraglim brought back a huge pomegranate

Fig bars - The Meraglim brought back a huge pomegranate

Rock Candy – The Meraglim wanted to stone Yehoshua and Kalev. Also, the wood collector on Shabbos was stoned.

Honey Candy or Graham crackers – The land was flowing with milk and honey

Gummy Bones – The inhabitants of the land were burying the dead so didn’t notice the Meraglim

Cry Babies / Tear Jerkers – When the people heard the Lason Hara of the land they cried a bitter cry

Potato stix or pretzel rods – The sticks collected by Tzelafchad on Shabbos that got him punished

Blue soursticks – Tzitzis strings – Techeles strings

Pop Corners – Tztzis has to be made on cornered garments

Tzitzis cookies – The mitzvah of Tzitzis is given to the people

Frozen Grapes -The Meraglim brought back

Gummy worms – The Meraglim were punished with worms coming out of their tongues and going into their bellies.

Blue candy – Techeles string on tzitizs

Brick Candy – The Meraglim were looking for cities that were walled and fortified or open cities

Fruity Peak – Fruits of the land. Also they went up the mountain to the land. Some of the people did not listen after the sin of the Meraglim and went up the mountain on their own to fight.

Honey glazed almonds – Land flowing with milk and honey

Aleph Bais Cookies – Moshe took the letter Yud and added to Hoshea name to become Yehoshua

Lip Candy – The Meraglim spoke Lashon Hara about the land!

Giants Crazy Sour Candy – The land was filled with Nefilim and Giants

Blue Raspberry Giant Spray Candies – Blue for Techeles and the land was full of Giants

Mini Rice Cakes, Mini Lentils, Mini Marshmallows, Mini Cookies, Mini Cupcakes – The people felt like mini grasshoppers next to the Giants in the land

Fruit Bites, Fruit a toot, - Fruits of the land

Fruit by the foot – Fruits of the land, also the Meraglim traveled by foot to spy out the land

Pomegranate Fruity Bar – The Meraglim brought back a large pomegranate

FruZips – The Meraglim should have zipped their mouth from speaking Lashon Hara

Jelly Belly – The Meraglim were punished with their tongues going into their belly with worms

Big Bird juice box – Big Giants in the land when the Meraglim went in

Taffy Trix, Trix cereal – Kalev tricked the people to quiet them

Challah Marzipan – The mitzvah of Challah is given in the parsha