Shelach Lecha: tourism

the spies are sent to tour the land and bring back a report. Viyathuru - and they will tour. These men are selected by the tribal system, a political system that coexists with the new Priestly ( Cohanic) system and is losing ground to the new system. A Misrashic interpretation of their action is that they are (partially) motivated by the desire to maintain their power. Alternatively, it is their interpretation of their duty to warn the people of the dangers involved in conquering the land. regardless, they act, both individually and collectively, to dishearten the people and sway the people to reject the attempt to enter the land. They are the anti-Zionists.

( incidentally, when Karen and I went to the sheliach form the Jewish Agency to make plans for Aliyah, he dissuaded us; part of the irony is shelach-sheliach)

this action motivates the remainder of the parsha. The meal offerings and Chalah are gifts of (grain) food, the kind of food they do not have in the wilderness, the kind of food that requires settling the land and cultivating it, and they are an atonement for the complaints about food and the fears elicited by the fruit if the land,

This is followed by the communal and individual offerings for unintentional idolatry. recognizing the individual and communal nature of the errors associated with the spies. Idolatry is treason.

then there is the gatherer of wood. The desecration of the Sabbath ( the next commandment after those that deal with idolatry). the elimination of the individual saves the society.

Finally tzitzit: the admonition is against tourism, exploring treasonous ideas, velo thathuru, the same idea that started the parsha.

Another thought: When Moshe appeals for the people, he tells Gd that if the people are wiped out, the Egyptians will doubt the power of the Lrd. This argument saves the people from destruction, just as it had during the Golden Calf incident. But does this mark a developmental change in Gd's behavior? Does this cause Gd never to intervene so blatantly again, since it can be held up to Gd as a reason to extract other favors? Is this some kind of learning form a mistake?