By Rebbetzin Lauren Levin
Parshat Shelach contains one of the most epic failures of Jewish history. A generation who had been privy to salvation, revelation, and lived off miracles for the daily existence lost their faith the God would bring them to the promised land. As a result they would be destined to wander for forty years in the desert, and only their children would live to enter the land of Israel.
Of the twelve scouts that were sent ahead to check out the land, only two withstood the test and retained their belief that they were able to succeed. Caleb and Joshua. For Joshua this is one of the first episodes where we see him shine. He will be though a rising star, ultimately succeeding Moses in leading the Jewish people after his passing. By contrast, this is the one real episode where we see Caleb centre stage. When he is mentioned in the future, it will always be with reference to the courage he showed during the ordeal of the spies.
Although Joshua stands together with Moses, Aaron and Caleb against the negative report of the spies and ensuing despair of the people, Caleb is the one who is really active in combatting the negativity. Upon arriving in the promised land, he separates from the group and goes to Hebron, to pray at the graves of his ancestors that he should be blessed with the strength to stay true to God, himself and his mission. When the people hear the report and begin to panic, Caleb is the only one who attempts to silence them. In a total vacuum of positive encouragement, he passionately cajoles them: “Let us by all means go up, and we shall gain possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it.”
God recognises Caleb’s extraordinary reaction to this national crisis in singling him out to outlive his generation and enter the land of Israel. The words used are apt: “But My servant Caleb, because he was imbued with a different spirit and remained loyal to Me—him will I bring into the land that he entered, and his offspring shall hold it as a possession.” Caleb was rewarded for having a ‘different spirit’. He was either not afraid to be different, or just couldn’t help seeing things differently – as he had a different spirit.
Historically, critical global issues have only been combatted by someone with a different spirit. Activism begins when someone dares to dream differently. Martin Luther King offered a different spirit to the civil rights movement. Florence Nightingale offered a different spirit in patient care. Mandela offered a different spirit to apartheid South Africa. Rav Kook offered a different spirit to modern religious Zionism. Who are the Calebs of our complex world today?
Despite Caleb’s different spirit, it was Joshua, who remained positive yet passive who was ultimately awarded the leadership after Moses. God describes him as having ‘spirit in him’. Joshua’s success was in his innate strength – his quiet, calm yet unwavering faith. Perhaps it was easier to be led by this type of leader. He was less radical and more approachable. Almost by osmosis people would have been impacted by his spirit.
But the leadership model set out through these two courageous individuals is clear. We need leaders of spirit. Leaders who are passionate and driven by values. We need leaders like Caleb who are not afraid to be different and go out on a limb. In fact, it is their different spirit that leads them. But we also need leaders like Joshua – who are so brimming with spirit that they draw others to feel that spirit too.