The Jews are poised to enter the ancient land of Canaan. Finally the journey that began with the Exodus and stopped at Sinai is to reach its final destination. Moses will lead them, and usher in a new dawn for civilization. Moses sends twelve spies, handpicked from the best and brightest men of the nation to bring back a report on the land and strategic military information. 
 
But then disaster strikes. Ten of the spies return with a terrifying report: The cities are fortified. The people are mighty. Even the produce is fearful. The people panic, and refuse to continue. They are ultimately punished to spend the next forty years in the desert and only their children will enter Israel, under the leadership of Joshua.

Many interpretations are offered to explain the grave mistake of the spies--how such great men could make such a terrible and costly mistake. The Talmud says they questioned G-d&rsquo;s abilities. The Zohar says they were afraid of losing their status as leaders if they entered the Promised Land. Both explanations seem absurd. They have witnessed the greatest miracles of mankind; and would they really jeopardize the future of the entire nation because of their craving for power?! 
 
The most remarkable of all the commentators on the episode of the spies was Rabbi Schnuer Zalman of Liadi. His insight turns the conventional understanding of the spies upside down. They were, in his view, not afraid of defeat. They were afraid of victory. What they said to the people was one thing, but what led them to say it was another entirely. 
 
We come to discover why the day of their death, 17 Elul, is a day of mourning in Jewish law; why the concept of a Minyan is derived from the spies. We also gain an understanding into the mitzvos following the story of the spies, the mitzvah of wine libations, challah and tzitzis.

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22_yyj shelach- english source sheet 5775 monsey.pdf

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spies

meraglim

shlach

They Were Not Afraid of Defeat; They Were Afraid of Victory

The Noble Sin of the Spies: Craving Life In Paradise 

This weekly women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday, Parshas Shlach, 21 Sivan, 5781, June 1, 2021, live from Rabbi YY Jacobson&#39;s home in Monsey, NY.

How do we understand&nbsp;Moshe&#39;s strange argument to Hashem:&nbsp;Don&rsquo;t kill Your children because of what the neighbors will say?!&nbsp; And why didn&rsquo;t repentance work after the story of the spies?&nbsp;

The class is based on Sefas Emes and a talk by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Perhaps G-d was not punishing the Jews, only help them confront their reality.

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Why Didn’t Repentance Work for the Spies? Why Did Moshe Argue Not to Kill Jews Only Because of the Neighbors?

Women's Class Shlach

If You Believe You Can't, You Really Can't

The Flax, the Window and the Rope: The Story of Rachav. All the World&#39;s a Play of Three Scenes.

This class for women was presented on Tuesday Parshas Shlach, 19 Sivan 5777, June 13, 2017, at Ohr Chaim shul, Monsey, NY

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22_passiac_class.d7b7.pdf

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shelach

rachav

addiction

All the World's a Play of Three Scenes

Shlach Women's Class

The Flax, the Window and the Rope: The Story of Rachav

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday Parshas Shlach, 22&nbsp;Sivan, 5779, June 25, 2019 at the Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

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fear

success

challah

challa

confidence

nesachim

A Different Reading on the Story of the Spies

Women's Shlach Class

Don't Be Afraid of Success

This class was&nbsp;presented on Tuesday, Parshas Shlach, 22&nbsp;Sivan, 5782, June 21, 2022, at Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim in Monsey, NY.

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21_8599_women_class_shlach_5782_r02.84ef.mp3

You’re Not a Grasshopper; You’re an Angel

What Most People Don’t Get About Trauma

This women&#39;s class was presented Tuesday,&nbsp;Parshas Shlach, 24&nbsp;Sivan, 5780, June 16, 2020, streaming live from Rabbi Jacobson&#39;s home in Monsey, NY.

There is a sequel to the story of the spies, recorded in the second chapter of the book of Joshua, and it is read in the haftorah of Shelach. 39 years after the first episode with the spies, Joshua&mdash;the successor of Moses, and one of the original 12 spies sent by Moses&mdash;sent his own two spies to scout the land of Canaan. This time, though, the mission ended in success. They returned to the people with an optimistic message, encouraging and empowering the people to reach their destination.

What was the difference? Moses was the greatest prophet and leader of Israel. Yet his spies failed miserably. Joshua was a disciple of Moses, and not on the same level of his master. Yet his spies were successful. Why?

It is all captured by one strange word employed in this narrative: Cheresh.

What does it take to be sent on a mission, a risky mission, and remain focused, optimistic, confident and faithful? It takes&mdash;Joshua intimated&mdash;two qualities: 1. You must be an earthenware vessel. 2. You need to be deaf. &nbsp;

What do you do when you go to a family event and always come home in a bad mood? What do you do when you have a life&#39;s dream and people call you insane? What do you do when you are plagued by fear or other debilitating emotions? What do you do when criticism kills you?

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joshua

cheresh

deaf

Why Were Joshua's Spies Successful, Unlike Moses' Spies? Can You Own Your Energy & Suspend Your Ego/Insecurity?

Two Secrets to Fulfill Your Life's Mission

Ten Spies Obsessed with Love. But Sometimes Love Is a Sin

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22_ac shelach.pdf

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love

transjordan

But Sometimes Love Is a Sin

Ten Spies Obsessed with Love

This lecture by Rabbi YY Jacobson was presented on Sunday, 3 Av, 5778, July 15, 2018, for the Chazaq organization, in Queens, NY.

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child bed fever

tisah beav

chazaq

The Incredible Story of How Child Bed Fever Stopped Killing Mothers

Lecture Chazaq Queens

The Destructive Power Of Fear

This class was presented on Sunday Shlach, 16 Sivan 5777, June 11, 2017, at Ohr Chaim, Monsey, New York

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22_ac.bb83.pdf

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harkavah

hotayos

kelal perat

rogatchover gaon

chemical compound

klal prat

tzafnas panaach

individuality

moshe chafetz

collective

kahal

par heelem davar

In the Divine Space, We Are Indivisible, Even As We Are Distinct

Sunday Morning Shlach/Tzafnas Paanach

Are Jews a Spiritual Mixture Or a Chemical Compound?

This women&#39;s class was presented on Tuesday 2 Av, 5777, July 25, 2017, at Ohr Chaim Shul, Monsey, NY

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self esteem

self worth

dignity

malchus

When Our Dignity Is Gone, We Fall Apart

9 Days/Shlach Women's Class

I Matter

The Sin of Comparing Trees: Exploring the inner world of the enigmatic “wood-gatherer”

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22_shelach_ac-0.pdf

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shlach3.mp3

trees

tree of knowledge

struggle

shabbos

shabbat

moshe

eitz hadaas

eitz hachaim

tree of life

mokoshesh

moses

Exploring the inner world of the enigmatic “wood-gatherer”

The Sin of Comparing Trees

Why did Joshua and Caleb disobey Moshe's instruction to bring back fruits from the Promised Land? In this class, presented to women, Shlach 5773 (June 2013), Rabbi Jacobson analyzes different ways of understanding the nature of Moshe’s instruction, the difference between the Talmud’s interpretation and the way Rashi explains it in Chumash. We ultimately discover how the manipulative intentions behind an otherwise kosher action can contaminate and undermine it completely. 

Two Definitions of Bitul in Halacha and Spirituality

A Land That Consumes Its Inhabitants: How the Spies Misunderstood Bitul

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