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Our Torah portion for this Shabbat (i.e., Shelach) begins: "The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Send for yourself (שְׁלַח־לְךָ) men to spy out the land...'" (Num. 13:1-2). Finally, after all that the LORD had done for his people -- redeeming them from slavery, providing them miracles of manna and living water, and making covenant with them to be his set apart people -- the Israelites were given the opportunity to enter the promised land! The vision of Zion was about to be fulfilled! And yet the people faltered; the reports of the spies discouraged and blinded them...
In this connection, the sages taught that the Book of Ezekiel begins: "The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God," the first letters of which may be arranged to spell the Hebrew word for "faith" (אמונהֹ). Faith is a deeper type of seeing by which we are enabled to apprehend truth about reality...
Hebrew Lesson:
Ezekiel 1:1b reading (click):
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