Shabbos Parashas Shelach - 5780

Shabbos Parashas Shelach - 5780

Rabbi Hal Miller

And Moshe called Hoshea son of Nun, Yehoshua. [Bamidbar 13:16]

Onkelos tells us the practice of changing a person's name when he assumes a

new office occurs frequently. He lists Pharaoh changing Yosef's name, numerous

kings upon assuming the throne, and the most well known with Avraham and Sarah.

It is also common for someone who is ill to change or add to their name, so the idea

of change is not outlandish. Why did Moshe change Hoshea's name?

The Gemora in Sotah [34b], Rashi, and others explain that Moshe was trying to

bring protection to Yehoshua, adding God's Name to that of Hoshea. Apparently,

Moshe knew that there was trouble ahead and wanted to protect Yehoshua. But

this raises all sorts of questions. All twelve spies were men of reknown, men of

piety, so how did Moshe know? Why did he not pray for all twelve? Given that

both Yehoshua and Caleiv were destined to stay true, why did Moshe not also

pray for and/or add letters to Caleiv?

Sforno suggests that the name change was in hopes that Yehoshua would be

able to lead all the other spies in keeping with God's mission, thus Moshe only

needed to address one individual. Talelei Oros understood that the others were

not likely to fall into Canaanite ways, but Moshe worried about Yehoshua based

on the pride he had displayed in the Eldad and Medad incident earlier.

Ramban and others suggest that Moshe actually changed Hoshea to Yehoshua

much earlier in time (see Shemos [17:9]), but had not made public this change,

thus is doing so now as Yehoshua is really stepping up toward his eventual role in

the nation. This is backed in Bereishis Rabbah [47:1] where such a change is

described as indicating a fundamental change in role. But this isn't the first time

Moshe called him such in public either, see for example Bamidbar [11:28].

Rav Hirsch says that the change was mainly for the other spies. Every time they

referred to Yehoshua, they were reminded that their purpose was for God.

What was different about Yehoshua and Caleiv? Numerous verses in our parsha

have God or Moshe mentioning both in the same breath, saying wonderful things

about both. The Chafetz Chayim asks why Moshe did not pray for Caleiv, but also

why Yehoshua did not also go to Chevron when Caleiv went to pray at the tombs of

the Patriarchs.

The Torah tells us in 14:24, "But My servant Caleiv, because a different spirit was with

him and he followed Me wholeheartedly, I shall bring him to the land to which he came

and his offspring shall possess it." Ramban understands that this verse specifies

Caleiv's reward, but it was not appropriate yet to mention Yehoshua's reward, his

succeeding Moshe as leader, because at this point it was not yet sealed.

Talelei Oros gives us the answer. It reflects the differences in character between the

two righteous men. When the world is filled with evil, one who fears God can cope in

either of two ways. One is overt, making clear to others that you stand against all the

mishegas being pressed by evil or unknowing people. The second is covert, not

giving away your position, even to the point of letting folks think you are with them,

until the "right time" to have the greatest impact. Each way can be successful, each

is valid in the abstract. Each has risks. The one who takes the first way is always

under attack and needs Divine protection. The one who takes the second does not

have to deal with this, just needs to remain strong internally.

Moshe knew both men. Yehoshua needed protection from constant attack, Caleiv

did not. One can be a servant of God and still remain within "himself". There is no

set pattern that someone must become.