Torah Commentary

Unable to see beyond their own fears and insecurities, 10 of the 12 spies despaired of conquering Canaan.

We can all heed Moses' reminder to God, to live up to God's reputation of being slow to anger.

The role of the spies was to determine whether they and the Israelites had the confidence and certainty of God's love to enter the land of the covenant.

Social justice as a sacred communal obligation

The closer we are to God, the more we are able to put our cravings into perspective.

A midrash on the Sotah ritual emphasizes the lengths to which we go to bring peace between spouses.

We should respond to major historical events and to personal decisions with the question, "Where are we morally?"

The land of Israel is sacred by virtue of the sacred actions performed by its inhabitants.

The request of the tribes of Reuben and Gad to settle outside of the Land of Israel raises the issue of balancing communal and individual needs.

Being constantly engaged in learning allows us to guard against the pervasive forgetfulness around us.