Rabbi's Blog

How often in life do we make the innocent statement, “I’d like to be a fly on the wall’ on an occasion where we are curious about what people are doing or saying. This idiom means that you would like to hear what is being said or see what is happening while not being noticed by those around you. As innocent as this statement may appear to be, one is making a potentially dangerous remark about what you would do if you could. If you could be a fly on the wall, would that be condoned or would it be vehemently objectionable? Basically, you are saying that you really want to be a spy!

We haven’t heard much about Edward Snowden lately, but we are now constantly finding out how many issues and concerns there are regarding the activities of the  NSA, the National Security Agency of the U.S. government. I believe the average American is less concerned with the global issues the NSA confronts than he is about the breach of trust and infringement of the personal information of the American people.  For me, personally, I really don’t care if the US government tracks me because the National Security Agency is  looking for security issues that may affect the lives and security of all of us. I have nothing to hide; I am not a terrorist nor am I aiding in terrorism. Nevertheless, the concern about the NSA is there in terms of how far they are permitted to go regarding surveillance and tapping into personal data that compromises our rights within the Constitution.

Originating as a unit to decipher coded communications in World War II, it was officially formed as the NSA by Harry S. Truman in 1952. Since then, it has become one of the largest of the U.S. intelligence organizations in terms of personnel and budget, operating as part of the Department of Defense while simultaneously reporting to the Director of National Intelligence.

The spy business is one of the most intriguing and dangerous professions in which a person can be involved.  Such an individual is very often on the run, living in different places, using aliases, and, in general living a false life under cover of the law. Even the Yetzer Hora has an angle to pitch on an agent, trying to convince him or her to bwork as a double agent – seeming outwardly to be spying for his own government or agency while actually working for the enemy against his country. Is spying acceptable within the bounds of the Torah? Are there exceptions to the rule? Are we permitted to make up our own rules and regulations as to when spying is acceptable and when it is not?

In this week’s parsha and haftorah of Shelach, we read of two incidents of the Jewish people spying out the land of Israel. Yehoshua, who was one of the twelve spies sent out by Moshe, ironically is the one who sends out two spies once they enter the land of Canaan. The Midrash Rabbah 16:1 states: “God has no greater love for a messenger whose primary mission is to risk his life in order to do a mitzva. There is no greater risk taken than that of the two messengers Yehoshua sent who were ‘moser nefesh’ -  self-sacrifice on behalf of the Jewish people”. The Midrash asks:  ‘who were they’? The Midrash answers they were Calev Ben Yephuneh, who was Yehoshua’s counterpart fighting against the other ten spies, and Pinchas, who we are told, was later known as Eliyahu HaNavi. It is interesting to note the contrast that the names of the spies were listed in our parsha, yet they were clearly omitted in the Navi. The reason their names are omitted is because they were hidden by Rachav, a well-known woman of ill repute.  Revealing this fact  would have caused an embarrassment to them. Despite the fact that this was kept a secret,  the rabbis  eventually revealed their identities because Prophets and Priests would come from Rachav. Rachav herself became ‘the spy’ or the messenger for the Jewish people and was willing to sacrifice her own life, giving great pleasure to Hashem. Therefore, it was no longeran embarrassment to mention her name;  on the contrary, she received praise  forher actions and her life.

A second clear distinction between the time Moshe sent out the spies to view the land of Canaan and the time Yehoshua sent out the spies,  was the actual purpose of the mission itself! Yehoshua in 2:1 sends the spies out  saying:  “L’chu R’oo Es HaAretz …”:   ‘Go out and see the land and “LaTur Es HaAretz”’ -  go out and spy the land. The design of the first mission was compromised even before the mission got started while Yehoshua sent  two individuals who were not tainted or biased. The word ‘R’oo’ can be derived from the word ‘Ra’aya’  - a proof to the findings. Yehoshua sent out those who would see and find ruchnius,spirituality, in the land. Calev and Pinchas had a spiritual shell covering and protecting them from sin. Chazal depict them as Malachim/angels; just as an angel does not have an evil inclination to sin, so too Calev and Pinchas did not have a Yetzer Hora to sin with the infamous Rachav. Furthermore, they were able to detect a spiritual change in Rachav, the harlot, to repent and want to become a part of the Jewish people. The Gemara Zevachim 116b states:’it was with the same things she sinned she was able to use to correct and amend her ways’. The Midrash Rus Rabba 2:1 goes so far as to say that she was willing and ready to be burned at the stake for her sins as a prostitute and die sanctifying God’s name.  

Spying and the business it relates to can be dangerous and even spiritually deadly. But if taken from the right perspective, it can lead to holy and spiritual greatness. Throughout TaNach and  secular world history, spying  can be a business that leads to good or to bad. Next time we think about being that fly on the wall, we should take measures to guarantee that we are doing so for the sake of heaven and not just for our own curiosity. 

Ah Gut Shabbos

Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky

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