Parashat Shelach – Summary

Parashat Shelach describes how the process of the nation's spiritual decline culminated with the sin of the spies and its severe consequences.
Sending of the Spies – Chapter 13 recounts the sending of the twelve scouts to the Land of Canaan. They return forty days later with a negative report about the land.
Sin and Punishment – In Chapter 14, the nation despairs after hearing the spies' negative report, and demands a return to Egypt. Moshe's prayers save them from annihilation, but Hashem decrees that the children of Israel will wander in the desert for forty years as a punishment for their lack of faith and rejection of the land. A group of Israelites attempt to advance into the land against God's will and are killed by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
Laws – Chapter 15 presents the laws of the meal offerings and wine libations that accompany an animal offering. This is followed by the laws of the sin-offerings required when the entire nation or an individual sins unintentionally. The story is told of a man found gathering sticks on Shabbat, and his subsequent punishment. The chapter concludes with the commandment to place fringes (tzitzit) on the four corners of one's garment, as a reminder to fulfill the commandments.

Parashat Shelach/ParashahSummary