Parshas Devarim - Being Close to You

When Moshe revisits the tragedy of the Spies in this week’s parsha, he recalls how the people rebelled after hearing the spies’ report:

“You slandered in your tents and said, ‘Because of Hashem’s hatred for us did He take us out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorite to destroy us.’” (Devarim 1:27).

This statement is puzzling. As the Sifsei Chachamim points out, if the people truly believed that Hashem hated them, why did they mention His having taken them out of Egypt—a seemingly positive act? Why not simply say that He brought them to be destroyed by the Amorites?

Rashi explains that the people were contrasting Egypt with Israel. In their eyes, Hashem loved the Egyptians because he gave them the Nile delta, a fertile area that is constantly irrigated because the Nile periodically overflows. This provided the Egyptians a stable and worry-free food supply. In contrast, they believed that Hashem hated the Jews because he gave them Eretz Ysrael, an arid land where agriculture is totally dependent on rainfall. Without consistent rain, the land risks famine and starvation.

However, this interpretation raises a further question. It seems that the people have a legitimate claim. If Hashem really loves the Jews, why did he give them a land where each year the people might be facing starvation? Wouldn’t He have given them a land like Egypt, which was fertile, secure and reliable?

The answer is that the Torah looks at the world differently. Human beings have both physical and spiritual needs. When people do not have to worry about their basic physical needs, their spiritual side suffers. We may begin to feel self-sufficient and forget our dependence on G-d. This can lead to arrogance and spiritual complacency, distancing us from Hashem. In contrast, when our survival depends on rainfall—a force entirely beyond our control—it cultivates humility. It forces us to recognize that our wellbeing depends entirely on Hashem. This reliance leads us to pray and ultimately to grow closer to Hashem.

It follows that the people were mistaken. Hashem didn’t love the Egyptians and hate the Jews. On the contrary, bringing the Jews to Israel showed Hashem’s special love for them. He deliberately gave the Jewish people a land where their physical survival would depend on their spiritual connection, fostering a deep, ongoing relationship with Him. As the Torah later states, “It is a land that Hashem your G-d looks after; the eyes of Hashem your G-d are always upon it, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.” (Devarim 11:12)

The Torah expresses a key concept: a life of dependence on G-d and the need for prayer and effort is spiritually richer than one of material security and complete independence that leaves no room for the Divine.

Ultimately, wherever a Jew lives, we are meant to remember that our success depends not on our own strength, but on Hashem’s providence. (See Devarim 8:17).  But in the Land of Israel, especially during the time of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), this awareness was heightened. The physical presence of the Divine was more tangible, and the Jewish people were drawn closer to Him.

As we approach the Ninth of Av—the day we mourn the destruction of both Temples—we grieve not only the loss of buildings but the disruption of that intimate connection with Hashem. We long for the day when the Temple will be rebuilt and we can once again live in a world where that closeness is restored and experience the beginning of the ultimate Redemption.