By Betzy Lynch in La Jolla, California
Yesterday’s Torah portion, Shlach Lecha, tells the story of the twelve spies Moses sends into the Promised Land. Their report is accurate: the land is abundant, but the challenges are real. The cities are fortified. The inhabitants are strong. Ten spies conclude, “We cannot do this.” Joshua and Caleb see the same reality and say, “It will be difficult, but we must do it anyway.”
The mystical sages ask a fascinating question: Why would leaders chosen by Moses fail so dramatically?
Their answer is that the spies were not afraid of the land itself. They were afraid of what entering the land would require. In the wilderness, life was predictable: manna fell from heaven, water appeared miraculously, clouds of Glory surrounded them. In the Promised Land, they would have to build, create, innovate, and take responsibility for their future. The spies preferred the comfort and certainty of the wilderness in fact, some even wanted to return to Egypt to slavery.
That lesson feels especially relevant today.
We are living through a pivotal moment in Jewish life. There are real challenges before us, but there are also extraordinary opportunities to strengthen community, create belonging, and inspire present and future generations. Like the spies, we can focus only on the risks. Or we can acknowledge the risks and move forward anyway.
The Midrash tells us that before giving his report, Caleb separated from the other spies and traveled to Hebron to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. Hebron comes from the Hebrew root chibur (connection). At a moment of uncertainty, Caleb grounded himself in the wisdom of those who came before him. He sought perspective from his ancestors before making a decision about the future.
That is a powerful lesson for all of us. When facing difficult choices, we should not make decisions based only on the loudest voices of the moment. We should also listen to the wisdom of our elders, our teachers, and those who have helped guide us along the way.
One of those voices for me has been David Wax, Past Chair of our Board and Immediate Past Chair of JCC Association of North America. Over the years, David has often reminded me to “trust the process.” Not because the path is easy. Not because success is guaranteed. But because meaningful work requires faith before certainty arrives.
The spies wanted certainty before they moved forward. Joshua and Caleb understood that courage comes first. They understood that the future is built by people willing to take thoughtful risks in service of something larger than themselves.
The question of this parsha is not whether there are giants in the land. There always will be. The question is: Which voices will we listen to?
Will we listen only to the voices that tell us why something cannot be done? Or will we, like Caleb, ground ourselves in the wisdom of those who came before us and find the courage to build what comes next?
May we have the wisdom to see reality clearly, the courage to take the risks this moment requires, and the faith to trust the process as we continue building a vibrant Jewish future together.
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Betzy Lynch is the CEO of the Lawrence Family JCC.