Weekly D'Var Torah

Parashat Sh'lach

by Olivia Smukler, Bat Mitzvah

My Torah portion comes from the book of Numbers and is called Sh’lach L’cha which means “send for yourself.” This portion begins with God instructing the Israelites to send one representative from each of the 12 tribes of Israel to scout out the Land of Canaan. 10 of them come back saying that the land is abundant and fruitful but is run by giants who are too strong and powerful to defeat. Two of the spies, Caleb and Joshua, disagree and try to convince the people to have faith in God, and themselves, to conquer the promised land. The Israelites do not listen to Caleb and Joshua and instead ask Moses to bring them back to Egypt. God punishes the people for their lack of faith and tells them that they will have to wander the desert for 40 years and will not be allowed to enter the promised land. Instead, their children, the next generation led by Caleb and Joshua, will be the ones to enter the land sworn to them by God.

Rabbis throughout the generations have argued over what exactly the spies did wrong and why their punishment was so extreme. Personally, I think the spies didn’t work hard enough to conquer the land. They saw themselves as grasshoppers instead of seeing themselves as strong and powerful. The spies did not have faith in themselves or their connection to God; therefore, they didn’t have the power to overcome their own fears. They started to doubt themselves and the power of their community. Worst of all they spread fear throughout the community.

I think attitude can make all the difference in life. You can choose to believe in yourself, or you can let doubt get the best of you. You always have a choice to believe or not to believe. I think having faith means believing in yourself and believing you are connected to a higher power; I think it means believing that anything is possible with enough effort, hard work and the will to do it. The spies lacked faith, so the promised land was kept from them. On the other hand, Caleb and Joshua had great faith; they believed in themselves, and they didn’t let fear get to them. That is why they were the ones to eventually lead the next generation into the promised land.

This story of trying to conquer the promised land reminds me of the process of becoming a Bat Mitzvah. At first I didn’t think I would ever get here, but I believed in myself, worked really hard, and had faith. I think if you believe in yourself you can do anything you put your mind to, and if you are willing to work hard you can achieve more than you ever thought possible.

Studying this portion also made me think about a time in sleepaway camp when I went on a really long hike, and I didn’t think I could ever get through it. However, doing it with my friends made all the difference. We got through it together, and we had faith that we would reach the end. Being with my friends and going through it together helped. In a community you have a lot of support around you, and it means that there is always someone who is willing to help you. I think one of the worst parts of what the spies did wrong was they spread fear throughout the community. They spread rumors about the promised land by saying it was ruled by giants and other lies. These lies caused chaos and prevented the people from supporting one another and having faith in their own abilities.

I think helping one’s community is very important and is a big part of becoming a Bat Mitzvah. That is why I did a mitzvah project volunteering for the Jewish Relief Agency. The Jewish Relief Agency (JRA) was founded in 2000 as a hunger-relief organization working to inspire volunteerism in Philadelphia, under the belief that no member of our community should be hungry. Built on the foundation of a monthly food distribution, JRA’s programs relieve hunger, bring meaning to recipients and volunteers, and build a caring and connected community. In the fall, I began helping with JRA’s monthly food distribution. Every month I packed boxes for those in need and helped deliver the boxes to those living with food insecurity. This experience made me feel really good. Every time I would deliver a box the people would smile, and it felt great to know I was helping them and making them happy. It made me realize how many people suffer from food insecurity. You never know what someone is going through behind closed doors. This experience helped me realize how lucky I am that I never need to worry about my next meal. I am so grateful that I don’t have to worry about going hungry in my own life, and I am happy I was able to make a small difference in the world by volunteering with JRA.

This process of becoming a Bat Mitzvah was challenging yet exciting. I most enjoyed helping people through my mitzvah project. Through this process I learned that if I try hard I can accomplish so much. I am really proud that I can now chant from the Torah and learned all the prayers that I led today. Now that I am a Bat Mitzvah, I am excited to start a new chapter as a Jewish adult. I am also excited to celebrate this special day with my family and friends.