This Shabbos is the 28th of Sivan. The word Koach means "power," and thus, today is associated with the "power of Sivan." Sivan, the third month, is distinguished by the giving of the Torah. The 28th of Sivan thus expresses the "the power of Torah."

The 28th of Sivan falls within three days of Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, the fourth month. One of the distinctions between the third and the fourth months is that the third month is associated with drawing down influence from above, while the fourth month is associated with the service of the lower realm on its own initiative. This concept is also reflected by the names of the Hebrew letters, gimmel and dalet, associated with the numbers three and four. Our Sages[32] interpret these names as relating to the phrase gomail dallim, "show kindness to the poor." Gimmel, three, is associated with "showing kindness," the mashpia, generating influence. Dalet, four, represents the recipient and his efforts to advance on his own initiative.

Making such an advance requires additional empowerment from G-d. This power is granted on the 28th of Sivan, the day which expresses "the power of Sivan," the power of Torah, and prepares us for the service of the month of Tammuz. 28 Sivan endows us with the strength to make such advances, not only with regard to the service of Torah and its mitzvos which we were commanded to fulfill, but also in those areas of our conduct where we have no specific command from G-d to guide us.

This concepts shares a connection to the central topic of this week's Torah reading, the sending of the spies. The interrelation of these concepts is further emphasized by our Sages' statement[33] that the spies were sent out on the 29th of Sivan. After receiving the power to serve G-d on one's own initiative on the 28th of Sivan, Moshe sent the spies on their mission.

To explain: Noting that the Torah states,[34] Shelach Lecha - "You send," Rashi comments that G-d did not order Moshe to send the spies. Instead, the Jews came to Moshe and requested that spies be sent. Moshe consulted G-d, who consented to such a possibility, but left the decision up to Moshe.

This represents a departure from the established precedent. Previously, Moshe had consulted G-d regarding several matters suggested by the Jews, e.g., the offering of the second Paschal sacrifice, the offering of the sacrifices of the princes. In all these instances, he did not act until he received specific instructions from G-d. If so, why in this instance did he decide to send the spies? The fact that he did not receive explicit instructions from G-d should have raised doubts in his mind. Moreover, since G-d had already promised the Jews that Eretz Yisrael was a good land and ordered them to enter it immediately, why was it necessary to send spies? Sending them opened up the possibility - as ultimately transpired - for the Jews to err and not to desire to enter Eretz Yisrael.

Furthermore, we find that Moshe, himself, had doubts about the success of the mission and prayed for Yehoshua, "May G-d save you from the counsel of the spies."[35] Despite the fact that at the outset the people he chose for the mission were righteous and leaders of the people, he, nevertheless, felt it necessary to pray on behalf of Yehoshua. If so, why did he send the spies?

The concept can be explained as follows: By leaving the matter up to Moshe's choice, G-d opened up a new realm of service, the possibility of serving Him even when no direct command is involved. A person must decide how to behave, hoping that he is acting in a manner where his individual will reflects G-d's will despite the fact that G-d has not given him any explicit instructions.

To elaborate: There are two types of service of G-d:

1. The fulfillment of His commands. This reflects the nullification of our minds and wills to carry out His desires. To quote Pirkei Avos:[36] "Negate your will before His."

2. Service in the realm of reshus, the realm of conduct where there are no explicit Divine commands. There a person's service involves working on his mind and his will until they reflect G-d's will. To refer to the above mishnah: "Make your will as His will."

The fulfillment of the latter service requires the granting of special Divine empowerment, the potential of free choice. As Rambam writes:[37]

Freedom of choice is granted to every man. If he desires to tend to a positive path..., the potential is his... There is nothing holding him back... This concept is a fundamental principle. It is a pillar of the Torah and mitzvos.

Though we also have free choice whether to fulfill mitzvos or not, the very fact that G-d has commanded us to perform these acts influences our choice since, by nature, every Jew desires to fulfill G-d's will. It is in the areas where there is no explicit command and yet man chooses to do good, that our potential for choice is expressed in the most complete manner.

In particular, the potential to choose is twofold: a) The very potential to choose, the ability to act independently, is itself a unique power. The natural state of creation precludes that man be under the dominion of his Creator. It is only because of G-d's gift that he has the potential to choose. b) G-d grants choice through the Torah's command, "And you shall choose life." This implies that G-d gives us the potential to choose good even when this runs contrary to his natural tendencies and habits.

Both of these aspects are more clearly expressed in those areas where there is no explicit Divine command. When there is a Divine command to fulfill a particular mitzvah, man's choice is influenced and his fulfillment of the command is aided by the infinite power of the Commander. However, in those areas where there is no explicit command, man has a challenge, to use his own limited potential to make the correct choice. We are taught that even in these areas, he is granted the potential to mold his thought and desires to match G-d's will.

Based on the above, we can understand why Moshe sent the spies: When G-d did not tell Moshe whether or not to send the spies, Moshe rejoiced at the opportunity to act with free choice, without being "forced" by G-d's command.[38] He was happy to be given the chance for man's own free will to parallel G-d's desires.

On this basis, we can also understand why it was this matter - sending the spies - that G-d left to the Jews' free choice. Sending the spies was a preparatory step for the entry into Eretz Yisrael. The settlement of Eretz Yisrael was the ultimate goal of the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Torah, for it allows for the establishment of a dwelling for G-d in the lower worlds.[39] For this reason, the manner in which the Jews approached the conquest of Eretz Yisrael was intended to be carried out in a natural manner, through war. Hence, it was appropriate to follow the natural course of behavior that any army would take when approaching a foreign land, sending spies. In keeping with this entire motif, G-d left the decision to send spies to the Moshe and the Jewish people.

The spies, however, made one mistake. They interpreted their mission as also leaving the decision whether or not to enter into Eretz Yisrael up to man's discretion.[40] This error, redefining and deviating from the mission that Moshe gave them, caused their journey to be ill-fated. However, at the outset, their mission was intended to assist in the transformation of Eretz Yisrael into a dwelling place for G-d.[41]

The empowerment which Sivan generates extends beyond the potential to choose to carry out G-d's will on one's own initiative. Even when man makes a wrong choice and deviates from G-d's will, he is granted the potential to correct his undesirable choice and transform it into a positive influence.

This is expressed by Moshe's prayer for forgiveness and atonement after the sins of the spies:[42] "And now, may the power of G-d be increased" which is associated with the concept of teshuvah. The service of teshuvah reflects man's potential to serve G-d on his own initiative in an even deeper manner than the concept of free choice. For a baal teshuvah must transform his heart and break through the barriers created by his negative deeds. And since on a revealed level, he has severed his connection with G-d, he must begin these efforts on his own initiative.

This requires an "increase" in "the power of G-d," i.e., one must tap a level of G-dliness that transcends the Torah. Nevertheless, the Torah also reveals the existence of this level and it is the power of Sivan, the power of the Torah, which makes this potential accessible to us. For, as is well known,[43] it was when Moshe ascended to receive the Torah that he became conscious of the potential for teshuvah. Thus the 28th of Sivan grants potential, not only for the service of free choice in a desired manner, Moshe's intent in sending the spies, but also to correct and transform the consequences of making an undesirable choice through teshuvah.

The concept of transformation is emphasized by the coming month, the month of Tammuz. Indeed, the very use of the name, Tammuz, as the name of a Jewish month, reflects a transformation since the name is derived from that of a Mesopotamian deity.[44] This concept is also underscored by the fact that this month contains one of the four communal fasts which the Rambam explains will ultimately "be transformed into festivals and days of rejoicing."[45]

The awareness of this concept is more powerful in the present age after we have witnessed the redemption of the Previous Rebbe on Yud-Beis Tammuz. This redemption is a taste of how ultimately the entire month, including the 17th of Tammuz, will be transformed into "a month of redemption."

The redemption of Yud-Beis Tammuz also relates to the 28th of Sivan. One of the results of the Previous Rebbe's redemption was his coming and settling in America. America was referred to as "the lower half of the world," a place where, according to our Rabbis,[46] "the Torah was not given." Thus, bringing the Torah to America is associated with service on our initiative, drawing the Torah into the lowest levels of our world.

That service was given added power on the 28th of Sivan[47] when the Previous Rebbe injected new energy into the efforts of spreading Yiddishkeit and Chassidus by founding the institutions, Machne Israel, Kehot and Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch. The activities of these institutions have continued even after his passing and receive new energy this year, the fortieth year following that event.

The above concepts must be brought down into deed, for "deed is most essential." The 28th of Sivan should be set aside for a day of farbrengens. (Indeed, we have seen the positive results of these farbrengens for more than three consecutive years.) These efforts should inspire us to apply more effort in the mission with which we were charged by the Previous Rebbe, spreading Yiddishkeit and spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus outward. May these activities hasten Mashiach's coming and may he arrive immediately, without any delay at all.

   

Notes:

32. (Back to text) Shabbos 104a. See Sefer HaSichos 5748, p. 528, which discusses this concept at length.

33. (Back to text) Taanis 29a.

34. (Back to text) Bamidbar 13:2.

35. (Back to text) See Rashi to Bamidbar 13:16.

36. (Back to text) Avos 2:4.

37. (Back to text) Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 5:1.

38. (Back to text) An allusion to this is found in Rashi's commentary which quotes G-d as telling Moshe: "I am not commanding you. If you want to, send them." Rashi's use of the negative implies that G-d did not pressure Moshe at all and left the matter totally up to his choice.

39. (Back to text) For this reason, the Torah refers to Eretz Yisrael as Eretz Canaan. The Canaanites were the most depraved of all the nations. Since the dwelling for G-d is to be established "in the lower worlds," the nation which the Jews were to conquer was the basest within humanity.

40. (Back to text) See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVIII, p. 39ff.

41. (Back to text) Although they erred, the individuals Moshe chose were righteous and fit to receive the extra Divine potential that is associated with a mission that involves free choice. Although Moshe prayed for Yehoshua, he did so without any premonition of evil. Had he any negative suspicions, he would have surely prayed for the entire company. The fact he did not, indicates that this was a special measure of favor intended only for Yehoshua who was "a servant who never left the tent" of his master.

    On a deeper level, it can be explained that Moshe's prayer was "a prophecy uttered without the realization that it was a prophecy." Ultimately, it was Yehoshua who was to lead the people into Eretz Yisrael. Hence, he was to need the special influence of Moshe's prayer.

42. (Back to text) Bamidbar 14:17.

43. (Back to text) See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XVIII, p. 121, which explains this concept.

44. (Back to text) See Yechezkel 8:14 and commentaries.

45. (Back to text) Mishneh Torah, the conclusion of Hilchos Taanios.

46. (Back to text) See the Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. II, p. 331.

47. (Back to text) [Translator's Note: The 28th of Sivan was the day on which the Rebbe and the Rebbetzin arrived in the United States in 1941.]

    The date of 28 Sivan also has historical significance. Megillas Taanis (ch. 3) relates that on 25 Sivan,* the Arabs, Egyptians, and Canaanites came to the gentile rulers of Eretz Yisrael with outrageous demands of the Jewish people. Gavihah ben Pesisah refuted their demands, advancing an argument that not only disproved the validity of their claims, but caused the gentiles to be considered liable to the Jewish people. The gentiles asked for three days to contemplate how to rebut his argument and when they could not advance a counterclaim, they fled, leaving their vineyards and fields for the Jews. Since the confrontation took place on the 25th of Sivan, it was on the 28th that the matter was resolved.

    This can be associated with the events of 28 Sivan in our generation and the efforts to transform "the lower half of the world" into a Torah center. When a Jew adopts a powerful stance (emulating the example of Gavihah ben Pesisah), not only do the gentile powers refrain from presenting any obstructions to the Torah and its mitzvos, they provide resources for their dissemination (Sichos Shabbos Parshas Shelach, 28 Sivan, 5742).

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    * The Talmud (Sanhedrin 91a) records this confrontation as having taken place on 24 Nissan. We can assume that a scribal error caused this discrepancy and that two sources are referring to a single event. Following that reasoning, it is more logical to assume that the confrontation occurred in Sivan. For in this manner, the scribal error would be confined to several letters. If, by contrast, we would postulate that the event took place in Nissan, it would be necessary to explain why an error was made and the event was recorded together with other events that took place in the month of Sivan and not together with those of the month of Nissan.