By Rabbi Amichai Cohen

B"H

This week's Torah portion, Shelach, tells the dramatic story of the spies—meraglim—sent by Moshe to scout the Land of Israel. But the deeper question is: were they spies, or were they meant to be tourists?

The mission, Rashi explains, was not necessary from G-d’s perspective. G-d had already assured the people that the Land was good. However, the people were afraid and uncertain. They wanted reassurance. So Moshe sends twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to "see" the land and report back—not to decide whether to go in, but to help envision what inheriting the land would look like.

But something shifts. The Torah says, "Vayelchu vayavo’u", they went and they returned—with a negative report. Why both verbs? Rashi explains: they already had a harmful intention when they left. If so, why would Moshe send them?

The Rebbe answers by highlighting a subtle but powerful distinction: Moshe did not send spies—he sent tourists. The Hebrew root for “tourist,” tarim, is different from meraglim (spies). Tourists observe and report. Spies analyze and plot. Moshe wanted them to witness the land’s beauty, to inspire the people. But they took it upon themselves to give “advice”—to assume a role they were not meant to play.

Moshe sensed the risk and prayed for his student Hoshea, renaming him Yehoshua—“May G-d save you from the etzat meraglim, the advice of the spies.” The problem was not a sin outright. It was the shift in mindset—the insertion of personal calculation, fear, and overthinking in place of trust and mission.

There is another hero in the story—Kalev. Unlike Yehoshua, Moshe did not pray for him. Kalev took initiative. He went to Hebron, to the graves of the patriarchs and matriarchs, and prayed for strength. He tapped into something more profound: his effort from below to above. Yehoshua represents the loyal disciple—energy from above. Kalev represents the inner work of the soul—initiative from below. Both are needed in authentic leadership.

The spies failed not because they lacked intelligence, but because they overused it. Instead of observing with trust, they imposed their limitations on G-d’s promise. Instead of being shlichim (emissaries), they became skeptics.

As the Rebbe teaches, our task is not to figure out how redemption will happen, but to trust that it will. To go into the land—our lives, our missions—with clarity, trust, and readiness. To shift from cunning calculation to sacred observation. To see the good, to share the vision, and to say with faith like Kalev: "Alo na'aleh!"—We shall surely go up.

May we merit to enter the Land—in body, heart, and mind—with clarity, humility, and purpose.

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