The Secret of the Nesachim Portion: The Rectification of the Spies and the Healing Power of Eretz Yisrael
Lesson No. 147 | Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Parshas Shlach, the eve of 27 Sivan 5758 - A lesson at the "Shaarei Torah" Yeshiva Ketanah.
Parshas Shlach reveals the deep fear the spies had of the Sitra Achra (the forces of impurity) in Eretz Yisrael and the secret of the Nephilim (fallen angels). Through the secret of the Nesachim (wine libations), the power of the tzaddikim, such as the Ari...
Immediately following the sin of the spies in Parshas Shlach, the Torah transitions to discuss the portion of Nesachim—the obligation to bring wine with every sacrifice. To understand the connection, we must understand the profound claim of the spies. The spies saw that here in Eretz Yisrael, the Sitra Achra grows exceedingly strong. They understood that there are far more spiritual tests in Eretz Yisrael than in the Diaspora.
Their claim was: How is it even possible to enter such a land? True, it possesses immense holiness, but it is known that wherever holiness is great, the Sitra Achra also intensifies. They mistakenly thought that "it is stronger than Him"—as if the Sitra Achra were stronger than Hashem. They argued that the time had not yet come to enter the land, and that this would only happen in the future when Mashiach ben David arrives and the resurrection of the dead takes place. Therefore, they said:
"It is a land that devours its inhabitants."
The Secret of the Nephilim and the Scapegoat
This was the spies' tremendous question to Moshe Rabbeinu: How can you tell us to enter Eretz Yisrael, a place where the Sitra Achra is so overpowering? After all, there is a mountain called "Azazel," and upon this mountain rests the angel Azael. It is known that two angels fell from heaven, Aza and Azael. The spies saw the Nephilim (fallen giants), and they understood that these were the very same angels who had fallen from heaven.
On Yom Kippur, we throw the scapegoat to Azazel in order to subjugate the angel Azael, who acts as a prosecuting angel against humanity. However, the spies did not know all of these secrets. They did not know the secret of the scapegoat that subjugates Azazel. Since they did not know where or how to throw it, they asked Moshe Rabbeinu: How do you want to bring six hundred thousand Jews to a place where they are liable, Heaven forbid, to stumble? After all, whoever provokes the evil inclination only enrages it further.
The Portion of Nesachim and the Healing of All Illnesses
The answer to the spies' fears lies in the secret of the portion of Nesachim. The Nesachim allude to the shitin (deep subterranean channels) that David HaMelech dug, which reach all the way down to the depths of the abyss. This secret teaches that holiness can reach all places, even into the deepest, darkest depths.
Today, through the power of David HaMelech and the Book of Tehillim (Psalms), and the power of Moshe Rabbeinu and the holy Torah, it is possible to heal every illness in the world. This is exactly as we saw at the standing at Mount Sinai, where everyone was healed from all their illnesses—the blind saw and the deaf heard, as it is stated:
"And all the people saw the voices."
Everyone stood on their feet and was completely healed.
The Great Light of the Holy Arizal and the Maharshal
We are currently approaching the 20th of Sivan, a date that represents the beginning of the Geulah (Redemption). In the past, during this exact time period, the complete Geulah could have unfolded, but it was delayed because the Jewish people did not believe enough in the light of the holy Arizal. In those generations, they found it difficult to believe that such a great light existed in the world that could heal all the sick.
It is told that the Maharshal initially disputed the holy Arizal and thought he was merely a man of imagination. What did the Arizal do? He sent two messengers to him from Tzfat on the holy Shabbos, carrying warm challahs in their hands. The messengers miraculously arrived in Krakow, knocked on the Maharshal's door, and told him: "We have just arrived from Tzfat, and here are the warm challahs that the Arizal sent you."
When the Maharshal saw this tremendous miracle and realized that they had indeed arrived from Tzfat, he said: "If the Arizal is this great, I am ending the dispute." The holy Arizal did not want a giant tzaddik like the Maharshal to dispute him, because a dispute between tzaddikim has a profound impact in Heaven. In contrast, when simple people dispute and speak slander, it causes no harm, as David HaMelech said:
"Those who sit in the gate talk about me, and I am the song of drunkards."
A Cup of Water of Healing and the Love of Humiliation
From here we learn that Parshas Shlach conceals within it the power to heal all the illnesses in the world. The word "Shlach" (send) is connected to "Mesushlach" (Methuselah)—which shares the letters of "Maves Shlach" (send away death), meaning the removal of death and illness. In the book Pri Etz Chaim, it is brought down that during Parshas Shlach, one can be healed from all illnesses, because Eretz Yisrael is "a land flowing with milk and honey," and within it are found all the remedies.
The true secret of healing lies in emunah (faith) and in accepting suffering with love. A person can be healed even from a simple cup of water, as the verse states:
"And He will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from your midst."
The moment a person drinks a cup of water and accepts everything that happens to him with love, he merits a complete healing.
And what does it mean to accept things with love? It means understanding that specifically those who speak against you and humiliate you are actually your true friends who are rectifying your soul. In contrast, those who only flatter you can sometimes be your greatest enemies. When a person accepts humiliation with love, he draws down upon himself all the healing in the world.
Lesson No. 147