Shlach: Rejecting the Good Land

The Gloomy Groom

There was once a very pious man; he was so absorbed in spiritual matters that the world barely touched him. When he heard of a suitable match for his son, he couldn’t just trust the matchmaker’s word. No, he would go and see for himself.

So, off he went, traveling to meet the bride and her family. Highly satisfied with the match, he arranged the financial terms for the wedding. He returned home to report back what he had seen: the piety and erudition of the father, the modesty and fine character traits of the mother.

“And what about the girl?” asked one of his more perceptive friends. “What’s she like?”

Hearing this question, the pious man's wife also came close to hear what her husband would say.

 

"Regarding the bride, I don't have a lot to say," replied the father. "She is certainly a fine catch. Her worth is beyond pearls."

The son overheard this and immediately burst into tears.

“Why are you crying?” asked the mother. “Didn’t you hear your father praise the girl?”

The young man wiped away a tear, his face a mixture of dread and resignation. “His praise,” he groaned, “just makes it worse! Did he say anything about her grace, her beauty, her charm? Of course not! No, if she had any of those traits, Father would have considered them flaws—'Grace is false and beauty is vain,' you know!”

He paused, sighed deeply, and added, “If Father likes her, she’s probably a plain and simple-minded young woman, devoted to endless fasting and prayers.”

The Qualities of Eretz Yisrael

God described the Land of Israel as a “good land.” The spies who went to scout it agreed. Yet, despite all that, the people complained: “God brought us out of Egypt because He hates us” (Deut. 1:27).

What made them doubt God’s judgment?

The Israelites who left Egypt assumed that if God praised the land, it must be for its spiritual qualities—its holiness, its potential for prophecy. But its physical state? Surely, it was barren and harsh—a place where survival demanded extreme simplicity. A place where their diet would consist of dry bread, and the hard ground their bed. A land stripped of comfort, luxury, and distractions.

No wonder the Israelites grumbled. They feared the worst: a bleak land of deprivation.

What they failed to see was that the Land of Israel is not only spiritually unique—it is also "a land flowing with milk and honey." It is a land that sustains, nurtures, and rewards the faithful. Just like a bride who is pious yet also beautiful and graceful, Eretz Yisrael is a land blessed in both its spiritual and physical gifts.

(Adapted from Mishlei Yaakov, pp. 338-339)