Date: June 24th 2022

One of the greatest tragedies to befall the Jewish people in all of our history is recorded in Parshas Shlach: the story of the spies who spoke lashon harah about the Land of Israel. As a result of their slander, their entire generation was punished to wander in the desert for 40 years and to die there without ever entering the Promised Land. The spies’ actions turned that day, the 9th of Av, into a day of tragedy and mourning for the Jewish people for all time.

At the center of this story are ten men who incited the nation to rebel against Hashem. Who were these individuals who Moshe sent to spy out the land and what do we know of them? What drove them to commit such a terrible sin which ultimately caused millenia of suffering?
In actuality, at the time they were appointed to scout the land, the spies were great leaders and righteous men. They were all princes of the nation that Moshe hand-picked for the job. In fact, the Midrash Rabbah states (Bamidbar 16:5) that when Moshe selected each one of the spies, he consulted the Almighty who concurred with his selection.

If that is the case, how is it possible that they sinned so greatly and led the nation so wildly astray? The Zohar (3:158) explains that the disaster occurred as a result of the spies conspiring with each other. They understood that they were going to lose their positions and other princes would be appointed when the Jewish people settled in the land of Israel. According to the Zohar, their slander and incitement were an attempt to preserve their positions of leadership. If they could convince the people not to go into the land, they would remain in power.

Even with the Zohar’s explanation, the question remains: how could such righteous men act in such a dishonest and underhanded way, dooming the entire nation for their self-interests? This would be reprehensible for an ordinary person and certainly unfathomable for men of such great stature and integrity.

In an attempt to understand this, in the style that was taught by the Alter of Slabodka, we must say that this was a subconscious process. The spies were concerned with the many daunting challenges they foresaw in the conquest of Israel. The inhabitants of the land were mighty peoples with fortified cities and they did not believe the Jewish people could defeat them in battle. However, deep within the recesses of their subconscious they had an underlying desire to retain their elevated positions. This influenced their thinking, creating a subliminal bias which ultimately led them to their conclusion and subsequent action.

This chazal gives us a powerful insight into the susceptibility of the human condition to being influenced by one’s biases. In this example, the most righteous individuals in the most critical situation made a catastrophic mistake due to the unseen forces within their unconscious minds. The bias distorts vision. We see things differently under the influence of bias. The spies believed they were giving the Jews good advice by warning them not to go into the land. They didn’t believe they were leading them astray at all, but rather looking out for the good of the people. The bias doesn’t convince you to do something wrong, it distorts your perception of reality and you actually see things in the way that conforms with your ultimate subconscious agenda.

Another detail in the incident of the spies is that they knew about their impending demotion and were pure of any evil intentions at the time they were sent on the mission. They accepted the will of Hashem with equanimity. Unfortunately, that was only true until they were faced with this incredible test. When they found themselves in a moment of challenge, the subconscious motivations that were lying dormant hijacked their reasoning and ability to think objectively. We can learn an additional facet to the incredible influence of bias. Sometimes a latent bias can materialize suddenly in a moment of challenge even though one had never been affected by it before.

POSSIBLE APPLICATION

Biases affect our clarity of thought and our decision making in both major and minor ways. One example might be in the case where someone asks for a reference regarding a possible shidduch. In this case it is standard to ask for information before a first date, and it is even permissible (ask your rabbi for detailed guidance) to give negative information that might impact the decision to proceed with the shidduch.

What if the person being asked is envious of or had a conflict in the past with the family of the boy or girl being asked about? We can have a bias even when it’s someone we know who had a conflict with someone they know. As in the case of the spies, the bias can influence the way we see the people we are being asked about and even the way we convey the information. We are honestly reporting the distorted images our minds are showing us, but we are not being honest.

Another example could be a financial or business decision. We might rationalize a certain morally questionable venture or course of action because it will make us money or prevent us from losing money. Our desire for gain works beneath the conscious level causing us to see things a certain way which brings about the decision that serves our underlying motivation.


--
You are subscribed to Jewish Heritage Initiative using example@example.com

You may automatically unsubscribe from this list or change your subscription
by visiting http://www.jhicambridge.com/mail/mail.cgi/list/parsha

For more information, visit http://www.jhicambridge.com or send mail to jhi@jhicambridge.com
__________________________________

Mailing List Powered by Dada Mail
http://www.jhicambridge.com/mail/mail.cgi/what_is_dada_mail/