By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
SAN DIEGO — Parashat Sh’lach L’cha has a special meaning for Judy and me as we are shortly leaving for Israel. I will be attending the Shalom Hartman Rabbinic Training Institute, a two-week study program for rabbis living outside of Israel. The Rabbinic Training Institute is one of the rare programs in which rabbis of all denominations participate, including some Orthodox rabbis.
Parashat Sh’lach L’cha begins with the story of the meraglim, the twelve scouts that Moses sent to evaluate the land of Israel prior to the Israelite conquest. All of the scouts described Israel as a lush and fruitful land, one flowing with milk and honey. However, ten of the scouts, lacking faith in God, said that it would be impossible to conquer the land. Two of the scouts, Joshua and Caleb, disagreed saying that with God’s help the Israelites would succeed.
Jewish disagreements about Israel have continued since then. On one end of the spectrum are Jews who believe Israel, Israelis, and the Israeli government can do no wrong. On the other end of the spectrum are those who believe that Israel can do no right.
I am also saddened that many who universally condemn Israel do not know much about her. They only believe what they read in the newspapers or hear in the media, most of which are dominated by negative reports about Israel.
While education is a key way of making sure that Israel’s side of the story is heard, the best way for Jews and non-Jews to truly understand Israel is to visit there. In person, Israel and her struggles appear far different from what her detractors wish us to believe.
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kalisher, one of the founders of religious Zionism in the 19th century, used to say that those who do not experience Eretz Yisrael and invest themselves in her, in the end will turn into her detractors.
He learned this from the story of the twelve scouts. When Moses sent out the twelve scouts to explore the land of Israel, ten of them went as “tourists.” They only took a superficial look at the land. They took what they were told at face value and did not work to decipher the truth.
Because they were not invested in Israel they only saw the bad.
Joshua and Caleb were different. They went with open eyes and open hearts and allowed the land of Israel to permeate their souls. They saw the same challenges and problems as did the other scouts, but because they experienced the land in its totality, despite her warts, they still fell in love with her.
Over the last several years Jewish teens have been privileged to visit Israel on tours such as Ramah Seminar, U.S.Y. Pilgrimage, and the San Diego Jewish Federation’s Community Teen Trip to Israel. Young adults aged 18 through 26 are eligible to tour Israel on a highly subsidized Birthright Israel trip where they are introduced to Israel, its history, and its centrality to Jewish Life.
Unfortunately there is no “Birthright Israel” for adults. It would be a blessing if Jewish philanthropists also would underwrite Jewish adults visiting Israel for the first time. For the time being, one has to personally fund such trips.
Missions to Israel are well worth the cost. When one experiences Israel in person, one gains an entirely new perspective on its life and politics. It is much harder to speak ill of the homeland of the Jewish People once you see its borders for yourself, see its sites, and visit with its citizens.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego. He may be contacted at leonard.rosenthal@sdjewishworld.com