Devarim; Vicarious Activism

Rabbi Avraham Sebag, the author of the Tzror Hamor, Spanish and Portuguese exile, noticed a contradiction in our parasha. It speaks of the sin of the spies who spoke ill of Israel and did not want to go up and conquer it. The first time we read this story in Bemidbar, Numbers, we are told that in response to the spies, Moshe fell on his face. This could mean that he prayed to G-d or that he simply gave up. Only the good spies, Caleb and Yehoshua spoke out and told the Jews not to worry, that the Jews would surely go up and conquer the land. That’s what it said.

However, in our parasha, which is Moshe’s review of what went wrong in the 40 years in the desert, we find a different version of events. Here, Moshe claims that it was actually he who told the Jews not to worry, "lo ta’artzun vlo tirun mehem, do not be afraid and do not fear them." How could Moshe claim that he is the one who spoke up against the spies when it was actually Joshua his student and the other good spy, Caleb who spoke up?

Rabbi Avraham Saveh, the Tzror Hamor says that since Joshua, his student protested and spoke up against the nay sayers, Moshe thought in his mind that he himself had protested. Hu chashav, he thought he remembered that he spoke up at the time of the sin of the spies. But actually he didn’t. It was only the good spies who spoke up. But sometimes, when we hear something we identify with, we think it is as if we actually said it. I would like to call it vicarious activism, passivity masked as activism when someone imagines that what others do is somehow a reflection of their own action.

In reality, though, there is a difference between that which we do and that which others do. In the end, this was part of Moshe’s downfall. The message is that if we wish to lead, it is not enough to allow others to voice our concerns, but we need to take action ourselves. Very often we begin to feel we are active for certain causes simply because we read about them or discuss them. An additional step is necessary; we need to act on our ideas and our readings.

The Chidushei Harim, the first Gherer Rebbe wrote that Israel’s first enemy as she conquered the land of Israel was Sichon melech Cheshbon, literally Sichon the king of calculations, the one who thought that you could solve every problem by thinking and considering and planning, and not by doing. This is the enemy of apathy and inaction, the king of contemplation, the king of stalling and postponing. Let us win this battle against inaction. With the help of each Jew doing their part in real leadership, not vicarious, imagined, leadership, Israel will indeed be victorious.