Walking Together

Shabbat Shalom, beloved.

Today we're learning from Parashat Sh’lach. In the Book of Bamidbar.

I would like to begin, as Brother Alex did last week, with Psalm 67. Psalm 67 tells us what it would have looked like if the spies had brought a good report. We can hear Caleb and Joshua's words echo throughout it. It is one of the most complete of the messianic psalms — revealing to us what the messianic age will be like.

May G-d be gracious to us and bless us; may His face shine upon us. Selah. So that Your way may be known upon the earth, Your salvation among all the nations. Let the peoples praise You, O G-d; let all the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for You judge the peoples righteously, and guide the nations on the earth. Selah. The earth has yielded her produce; G-d, our G-d shall bless us. G-d shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth fear Him.

Psalm 67

Bamidbar — the wilderness. That is the journey to get to Psalm 67.

Therefore, I will seduce her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her.

Hosea 2:14

Bamidbar is the honeymoon. The place of intimacy. We often think of the wilderness as a negative thing — a place of punishment, exile, death. But G-d takes Israel into the wilderness to woo her, to bring back her love for Him, as in the days of her youth.

Shemot and Bamidbar mirror each other in many ways. Both contain complaints, hunger, thirst, rebellion, divine judgment, Moses' intercession, appointed leaders, battles, miracles, and the presence of G-d leading the people. But the difference is important.

In Shemot, Israel is a mass of freed slaves learning who they are. When the people complain, G-d solves it and they move on. Moses is the central figure. The tribes follow him in an unordered, unorganized mass. In Bamidbar, Israel has become a covenant nation — ordered by tribe, each man under his banner, gathered around the Mishkan at the center. When the people complain, they are held accountable. The standard has risen because the covenant is in force.

Like Shemot, Bamidbar is about identity. In Shemot, G-d is teaching them identity. In Bamidbar, He is teaching them how to live it. It's the journey of learning to walk together with G-d in covenant.

The children of Israel are not called to walk alone with G-d in solidarity. We're called to walk together in unity, as one people — the nation of Israel.

Tzitzit

When I sat down to prepare a word for Sh’lach, I found it full of things I had spoken about before: the spies and their failure to value the holy things of G-d, namely the land. The commandment of tzitzit. And the Sabbath. It was as if the Torah was continuing the conversation.

Again Adonai spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tzitzit on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a Techelet thread in the tzitzit of the corners. And you shall have the tzitzit, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of Adonai and do them, and that you may not follow after your own heart and your own eyes which are inclined towards whoredom. That you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your Elohim. I am Adonai your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your Elohim: Ani Adonai Eloheikhem."

Numbers 15:37–41

For such a simple command, there is so much here.

Tzitzit are not decoration. They are part of the King's uniform. When Israel wears them, we are publicly marked as servants of Adonai. That means we are not only remembering His commandments — we are representing His name.

— that means forever, wherever Israel is located. In the holy land or in exile. The command of tzitzit does not expire.

On the corners — this is the word kan'fay, meaning wings. It's also used when speaking of the four corners of the earth. This connects directly to Isaiah 11:12: in exile, tzitzit become a tool for remembering and connecting to the promise of redemption — "he shall collect the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth."

A Techelet thread — a very special shade of blue, used for the High Priest's robe and throughout the Tabernacle. When the Ark traveled, its outer visible cover was Techelet. This color on their garment directly and personally connected them to the Tabernacle. It is said the Techelet reminded them of the sapphire that G-d's throne sits upon.

That you may look upon it — this begins to tie back to the spies. They went to look upon the land, and while doing so they forgot the covenant. While looking at the giants, they became grasshoppers in their own eyes.

Zakhor — remember. Like most Hebrew words, this is active. Shema doesn't mean just hear it; it means hear and do it. Zakhor doesn't mean just recall something. It means to cause that memory to have an effect.

The Numbers Within the Tzitzit

The numerical value of the word tzitzit is 600. There are 8 strings and 5 knots.

The wrappings carry the Name. One common pattern is 7, 8, 11, 13: 7+8=15, which is Yod-Hei; 11 is Vav-Hei; 13 is echad — Hashem Echad, G-d is one. Another common pattern is 10, 5, 6, 5 — spelling out Yod-Hei-Vav-Hei, the Name itself.

The wrappings are either declaring G-d's identity, or declaring that G-d is one.

If you set this firmly in your mind — if every time you look at tzitzit you think about what those numbers mean — then tzitzit become a tool, not just a fashion statement. And you don't have to wear fringes yourself to do this. You can look at someone else's. The key is to bring them to mind, and then to act.

The Six Remembrances

If you look at your tzitzit you will see six white strings. There are six things throughout Torah we are commanded to remember and not forget.

While looking at those six strings, it would also be good to remember the six things G-d hates:

These six things does Adonai hate: yes, seven are an abomination unto him — prideful eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that swiftly run to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who causes strife between brothers.

Proverbs 6:16–19

If we would take the time each morning while putting on our tzitzit — to pause, count the threads, and remember these things — we would spend the rest of our day living an entirely different life.

Follow Your Own Heart and Your Own Eyes

Numbers 15:39 — "that you may not follow after your own heart and your own eyes which are inclined towards whoredom."

The Hebrew word for "follow" here is toor — the same word used in chapter 13 for the spies: "send for yourself men, so that they may toor the land." The connection is deliberate. The spies went to look. They followed their own eyes. They followed their own hearts, which were full of fear and despair. And they doubted G-d's ability. Ultimately they led the people to reject G-d entirely: let us appoint a new leader and return to Egypt.

We hear this all the time: "just follow your heart." Or: "I have to see it for myself." Both of these were the posture of the ten spies.

A few verses before the tzitzit command, we see the man killed for picking up sticks on the Sabbath (Numbers 15:32). We can surmise a lot about his heart posture. The Sabbath was an inconvenience to him. I'm sure he said something very much like what we might say today: "show me in scripture where it says I can't pick up sticks on the Sabbath."

Guard your heart posture toward G-d's holy things. The spies failed because they looked at something holy through fear instead of faith. They did not value the land the way G-d valued it.

Caleb, on the other hand, saw the land through G-d's eyes.

And Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.

Numbers 13:30

Caleb connected to G-d's heart. And Caleb had the courage to stand up for G-d alone — until Joshua joined him in chapter 14:

And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those that spied the land, tore their clothes: And they spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If Adonai delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against Adonai, neither shall you fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and Adonai is with us: do not fear them. But all the congregation said stone them with stones. And the glory of Adonai appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

Numbers 14:6–10

Joshua ben Nun — of the tribe of Ephraim. Caleb ben Jephunneh — of the tribe of Judah. The world was against them. The whole congregation wanted to stone them. But the glory of YHVH appeared on their behalf. Because they were a faithful witness — together.

A Remez: The Torn Garments

Remez is the second level of Torah study, beyond the literal. It means hint or allusion. What I'm about to share changed the way I see tzitzit.

Tzitzit are symbolic of a torn garment. A torn woven garment does have a lot of strings hanging loosely — they fray. And if the original method for making tzitzit was to weave a Techelet thread into the garment and bunch the threads at the corners, the connection is visible. But the thread goes deeper.

Tearing clothes is not common in the Torah. Before Joshua and Caleb did it, the last reference was in Leviticus — where the High Priest is forbidden from tearing his garments (Lev 21:10), but the leper is required to wear torn clothes as part of bearing his shame (Lev 13:45).

Tzitzit connect to this through Numbers 14:33: "your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms." Tzitzit remind us not to follow the eyes and heart that lead to that behavior — but the children still bear the consequences of their parents' choices.

Every other case of torn garments in the Torah is connected to Joseph. Joshua and Caleb make the seventh and final tearing in Torah — and seven is completion.

Joshua and Caleb do a tikkun — a repair of the breach. And after that, G-d gives us the mitzvah of tzitzit.

It's as if G-d took Joseph's beautiful woolen coat, cleaned the blood off, and gave it to us as a mitzvah — with a thread of heavenly, royal Techelet.

Come now, and let us reason together, says Adonai: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as pure, soft, white wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good of the land.

Isaiah 1:18–19

In 1 Kings 11:30, the splitting of the kingdom was prophesied by Ahijah, when he took a garment and tore it into twelve pieces — ten for the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim; two for the Southern Kingdom, Judah.

But the prophet Zechariah says tzitzit will be the key to our reunification.

Zechariah 8:23. Paraphrased. That is the promise. That is where we are going.

Two Paths, One Destination

Caleb and Joshua walked very different paths to that moment of unity. I think we can learn a great deal about why the paths of Judah and Ephraim look the way they do today.

Both are valid paths. Both led to them being true witnesses and walking together into the land in unity. These two paths are very much how their modern-day descendants relate to G-d.

One Stick in His Hand

Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand… Thus saith the Lord G-d; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all… And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them… My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their G-d, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the L-rd do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.

Ezekiel 37:15–28

Walking together in unity is not an easy path. It is Bamidbar — the wilderness. But G-d takes us into the wilderness to woo us. He can take the garment of shame that we bear and make it beautiful royal attire.

As we walk together as Judah and Ephraim, let us remember Joshua and Caleb. They are the first example of these two houses walking together in unity. By standing as true witnesses and tearing their garments in intercession, they repaired the damage caused — by torn garments — hundreds of years earlier by their forefathers.

The world will be against us. The prophets say so. But the glory of YHVH will appear on our behalf — if we are a faithful witness.