Parshat Shlach – June 28, 2024 / 22 Sivan, 5784

Michael Jordan, who is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, famously did not make the varsity basketball team as a sophomore at Laney High School in Wilmington, North Carolina. The coach of the team at the time, Clifton “Pop” Herring attributed Jordan’s omission from the team to his height. Michael Jordan was only 5’10” as a sophomore, and coach thought that the team needed more length. To sum up the rest of the story, Michael Jordan did grow to be 6’6”, a star in High School, College, and then a six-time NBA Champion, among many other accomplishments.

Jordan was too small for varsity. He had growing to do. Jordan took this as an opportunity rather than as an excuse. He didn’t think, “I’m too small.” he thought, “I can keep working and become the best. I will grow, and they will see my potential flourish.” The concept of growth and fixed mindsets was coined by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.” According to Dweck, the fixed mindset is marked by viewing challenging situations as catastrophes with impossible-to-overcome obstacles. The growth mindset sees challenges as opportunities for enhancement and improvement.
This week, we read Sh’lach Lecha, and we hear of the 12 “meraglim” or spies, who were sent by God, through the words of Moses, to “spy” on the Promised Land of Canaan. There is actually much discussion about the actual mission of these “spies.” A rare verb is used throughout this parshah. The verb “la-tur” is used; a word that now exists in Modern Hebrew and sounds an awful lot like “tour.” A tourist is called “tayar.” Many rabbis and scholars wonder if the actual mission of these 12 individuals was to act as tourists; to see the wonderful place that was flowing with milk and honey before they were to enter it: Perhaps they were supposed to tour their house before they moved in. Fall in love with the place and get excited! This is not what happened.

All of the twelve spies claimed that the land was indeed eretz z’vat chalav u’devash. It was a land flowing with milk and honey! They even brought back samples of the wonderful fruit from the land. There was a problem however. There were others living there. The Hittites. The Jebusites, Amalekites, Amorites, Canaanites. The cities they had built were ultra-fortified; they were impenetrable. Also, there were Giants. The scouts said: “In our eyes, we seemed like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.” 10 of these 12 spies saw themselves as 5 foot 10 sophomores trying to make a varsity team made up of seven-footers. In their minds, they would always be and FEEL smaller than their competition. They would never be able to compete. Fixed mindset.

Caleb and Joshua took the growth mindset approach. They tried to calm the situation. They pointed out the fact that God had been with the people through so much already. If God was telling them this land was meant for them, then they ought to listen. They should have been tourists, appreciating the fruits and flavors of the land. Instead they took this opportunity to see themselves as insects, and to report to the larger group that their mission was impossible.
Our 10 scouts show us that negative thinking is contagious. The troublesome report triggered trauma responses in the people of Israel and they began to panic with some terrible consequences. From a brain health bend, they left that prefrontal cortex of the brain which controls future planning and interpretation, and they got lost in the primal fear response of the hindbrain. The impulsive and panic-stricken response to attempt entry into the Promised Land after God tells this generation they are not ready ends up costing many lives.

The Torah again shows us how much words do matter. Devarim…words…things…they can cause a catastrophe or cause a collective to create incredible moments.
Let us be blessed to think of our perceived failures as opportunities for growth, to see the land of our lives as full of promise. When we fixate on perceived giants, our growth can be stifled. Let us see the milk and honey that allows us to jump not only to varsity, but to all-time great status.

Shabbat Shalom.

– Rabbi Josh Gray