Giants, Grasshoppers & Jewish Confidence

This week, we read about one of the most painful failures in Jewish history: the sin of the meraglim, the spies sent to scout out the Land of Israel.

Their mission was not meant to be controversial. Yet ten of the twelve returned with a report that crushed the nation’s spirit.

“The country that we traversed and scouted is one that devours its settlers. All the people that we saw in it are of great size. There we saw the giants, the sons of the giant, of the Nephilim, and we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we appeared in their eyes.” (Bamidbar 13:32-33)

It’s a revealing statement. They didn’t just say, “We saw giants.” They said, “We saw ourselves as grasshoppers.” And once that was their self-image, they assumed others saw them that way too.

The spies not only felt inadequate to the task at hand; they even thought that they knew what the Canaanites thought of them! "We're like grasshoppers in THEIR eyes." How did they possibly know what the Canaanites thought?

They didn’t. They just did not believe in themselves. This was more than poor reconnaissance. It was a collapse of identity. It was low spiritual self-esteem.

But weren’t they entitled to be afraid and discouraged by the sheer size of the giants they encountered? Ba’al HaTurim notes that one giant ate a pomegranate and then threw away the shell. All 12 meraglim climbed into that shell to seek shelter in it. Those are some very formidable odds!

The spies forgot their mission. They were supposed to see what was in the Land and not decide if they could inherit it. That decision had already been made by God. Their lack of confidence came from forgetting who they were: a people chosen, guided, and empowered by God to bring light to the world and dwell in the Land of Israel. The meraglim should have realized that inside, they were also giants.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks powerfully taught that how a person sees themself determines their destiny:

“The greatest mistake is to define yourself by what others see in you, especially if they see you as small. Jews were not called on to be liked. They were called on to be a blessing.”
(Covenant & Conversation, Shelach)

Rabbi Tzadok HaKohein, the Rebbe of Lublin, notes that there is a mitzvah to believe in oneself. Not fulfilling this mitzvah can have broader ramifications. Ultimately, the image a person projects outward is a reflection of the way he or she looks at themself. When the spies saw themselves as powerless, they became so, and the Canaanites perceived them in that manner.

Rabbi Sacks reminds us that Jewish leadership - indeed, Jewish life - is not about mimicking the world’s expectations. It’s about rising to our calling, even when that means standing alone. When we define ourselves by external validation, we become grasshoppers. When we define ourselves by our values and our covenant, we become giants.

The tragedy of the meraglim was that they let fear shrink their vision. The Torah’s lesson is enduring: If we want to be taken seriously by the world, we must take ourselves seriously. If we walk like grasshoppers, the world will treat us like insects. If we walk like people of purpose - rooted in Torah, guided by God, unafraid to lead - then we become a blessing.

Rabbi Sacks gave us a modern rallying cry: “Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism.”

Yesterday, I saw this statement in action.  As Police Chaplain, I attended an event for the Nassau County Police Shomrim Society at the Golden Globe Diner in Huntington, where Peter Tsalidas, the owner, has been prominently displaying Israeli flags and pictures of the hostages since October 7. The Shomrim went there as a group to say thank you. In explaining why he did this despite significant pushback and even calls for a boycott, Peter said, “I’m not Jewish, but my father-in-law is Jewish. My partner is Jewish. My best friend is Jewish. You know, it’s the humane thing to do. And, we want to find these people and bring them back. It’s not my family, but if it were, I would want people to speak up about it.”

Being proud, confident Jews – leaning into our being giants – is how we make a positive impact.

This message is critical today. We face “giant” challenges from our enemies, but our mission is to advance with confidence. It is not easy, and not everyone proceeds with the same level of assurance. Ten out of twelve meraglim were afraid. We need to strive to be among those who wish to proceed and take on any giants that come our way.

In Israel’s war with Iran, there is fear. Israel’s missile defense isn’t perfect. It can seem very random who, where, and when a missile will directly hit and cause damage. Confidence is critical. Staying strong despite the threats how Israel will, please God, be victorious.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir noted that, “Civilian resilience is critical for us. It’s a central component of our ability to continue functioning…We’re not stopping now. Why aren’t we stopping? Because the home front’s resilience is strong. When the resilience of the home front is strong, we have the confidence to keep operating.”

We each confront a challenge of “entering a land populated by giants” - i.e., entering a world that is daunting and trying. We must realize that we have the inner strength to prevail, because we stand for more than ourselves. We are given a mission to make of Judaism, of Torah, of mitzvot, and of chesed, and there is nothing that can stand in the way of the fulfillment of that mission.

Let us reject the grasshopper mindset. Let us reclaim Jewish confidence - not with arrogance, but with faith, with purpose, and with pride.