In a delicious irony, this piece was submitted under the assumption that this week’s Torah portion is Shelach, which, in fact, it is in Israel.

In the Diaspora, however, the Torah portion this week is Beha’alotecha.

The discrepancy stems from the fact that the recent holiday of Shavuot was celebrated for two days in the Diaspora, and the second day this year fell out on Shabbat, thereby preempting that week’s Torah portion (Naso), which was postponed in the Diaspora to the next week. Which, of course, was last week (Who’s on first?).

The Diaspora and Israel are now out of sync on the weekly Torah portions.

This column, based on this week’s Torah portion in Israel, “Shelach,” becomes next week’s Torah portion in the Diaspora. So, consider this column to be advance study for next week’s Torah portion!

MITZPEH YERICHO, ISRAEL — The first story we encounter in this week’s Torah portion of Shelach is the infamous, troubling narrative of the spies. They were sent to spy out the Land of Canaan in advance of the Israelite conquest. Ten of the 12 spies brought back a demoralizing report, saying that the Canaanites were too powerful for the Israelites to conquer. The most critical aspect of this Torah portion is our response to it — whether we learn from the spies’ mistakes and to what extent we incorporate the lessons into our own lives.

As I’ve previously noted in these pages, I do not believe everyone should make aliyah at all costs. There are legitimate reasons to remain in the Diaspora: being a community leader, taking care of aging parents, taking care of one’s child in a challenging stage of life. However, there is a commonly given justification for what keeps Jews in the Diaspora that I believe our Torah portion warns against.

Let’s take a brief look at the Torah’s narrative, then we’ll circle back to its contemporary relevance. Spies were dispatched — various commentaries debates whether this was at the initiative of G-d, of Moses or the people of Israel — to scout out the land of Israel. All but two of the spies came back with frightening reports that led the Jewish nation to give up its commitment to entering the Land. Consequently, G-d decreed that they wander in the desert for 40 years until a new generation arose.

Not only did this cause a significant delay in the nation’s entry to Israel, but the Talmud teaches that both subsequent Holy Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed in part due to this sin.

How could this have happened? How could such impressive leaders — the Torah informs us that the scouts were the righteous tribal heads — stumble so greatly? And what precisely was the gravity of their sin?

The puzzle is still more complicated. In the book of Joshua, a similar story takes place. Forty years later, two Israelite leaders have been sent to scout out the land of Israel prior to their entry. In contrast to our narrative, their report was well-received. The question, what differentiated between Moses’ spies and Joshua’s spies?

Taking note of the praise given to the spies in Joshua’s time, Rabbi Chaim bin Attar — the holy Ohr haChaim — differentiates between two types of spying.

One type is like combat field intelligence. The spies’ job here is to evaluate which areas will need more soldiers, which battlegrounds will demand strategic approaches vs. brute strength, and similar matters of military preparedness. This type of operation is grounded in a decision to proceed, and its purpose is to determine how to accomplish the goal most effectively. This was the case with Joshua’s spies.

A second type of spying involves a mission simply “to see what’s out there.” Without an end goal to strive for, and consequently, without a clear framework to work within, this type of mission assumes a starting point that the status quo is not good enough. It reflects a sense that G-d’s promises are not sufficient, and that the nation will move forward only if the spies say that the mission will work. This type of mission is grounded in a lack of faith in G-d. That’s what was problematic with the initial spy mission, set down in Shelach.

Ohr HaChaim’s commentary teaches an important perspective regarding our relationship to the land of Israel. The essential difference between the two sets of spies was not their actual scouting or their actual reports. Rather, the difference was in their foundational beliefs, which colored their respective missions.

Joshua’s spies are held in a positive light because they went into their spy mission determined not only to enter Israel, but to back up this determination with action. However, the spies of Shelach sent in the mindset of, “Will this work for us? Will it fit our lifestyle?” If the process would be smooth enough to their satisfaction, then they would consider going in to the Land. Otherwise . . . well, we see what happened.

Today, we often hears that people can’t make aliyah because, “How will I make a living? Everyone says you can’t live on an Israeli salary in my field.” The story of Joshua’s spies teaches that we cannot know exactly how everything will work out in order to make the leap into Israel. If, however, we go in with deep-rooted faith in G-d, along with the necessary effort (hishtadlut), of course it can work out. Expenses have a way of balancing out. Groceries might be more expensive, but medical insurance is way less. Real estate might be at a premium, but there is no school tuition. It’s free. Money works in funny ways here. More times than I can count — including just this past month — we have had a significant, unexpected expense followed within a week or two by a significant, unexpected income boost in the form of a work bonus or a deposit into our bank account from a government entity!

Neither my wife nor I work in lucrative fields. She is a public school teacher and I am a school psychologist. Yet, with much gratitude to G-d, we are blessed to feel financially secure as we raise our family here. Numerous financial benefits are built into society here, especially with regard to raising children. Living financially smarter is crucial, such as distinguishing between needs and wants, and budgeting, saving and investing. Financial prudence seems to correlate with increased happiness.

Often, I believe the question is not, “Will I be able to make a living in Israel?” but rather, “How can I change my standard of living so that this can work?” Because yes, the same dollar amount will buy a smaller property here than in most places in America.

Maybe one can buy fruits seasonally, which, besides being cheaper, has the lovely benefit of being in sync with the rhythms of the Land and of generating excitement when a given fruit comes back into season.

Maybe one can make use of secondhand stores, which often actually carry brand-new clothing from the previous year’s selection.

Also, is one willing to live in northern or southern Israel, or in some “periphery?” I work in the northern Dead Sea area, loosely defined as a periphery, which has enabled me to receive various salary benefits.

Then, there is another mental adjustment to make. Groceries and household items don’t arrive on our doorstep with same-day delivery, which, actually, is a beautiful thing, because it means we support local businesses rather than an international conglomerate. Not to mention, the many things we can live without — because until ten years ago, everyone did.

This past Shabbat, a student of mine remarked that she would like to live in Israel, but she plans to go into social work and that everyone says you can’t live on a social worker’s salary in Israel. My answer was simple. There are thousands of social workers in Israel, all of whom are living here, many of whom are raising families here. If they can do it, you can too.

© IJN 2026