Shlach: confidence

Shlach: confidence

Consider the word, confidence: con = with,  fide = faith.  Shlach is an exploration of various meanings of confidence. 

The spies destroy the confidence of the people. The faith (fide) that Gd would come through for them, bring them, into the Promised Lad, was attacked. Belief that Gd will help is a strong way to trust that you will succeed, It anticipates victory that is beyond your personal ability  

The spies  were confidence men, ,they conned the people. The words that they chose raised doubt even  while Sinai, the splitting of the sea and the Exodus  from Egypt were within relatively recent memory..  "The land devours its inhabitants," implies that the Promise will be fulfilled, but you won't like the outcome.  It anticipates the Korach story, it echoes the descent to Egypt - another Gd plan with some negative outcomes.

The frightening description of the Land is confided to the people, the spies share a secret. That makes the description more exciting and more credible. Sharing the intelligence about the danger of Land  is an act of rebellion against the Powerfuls: Moshe and Aaron. How can it not be believed?

Without confidence, both in the ordinary sense  and in the sense of believing  that Divine Assistance is forthcoming, the Land cannot be won. When the people undertake the battle in their own, without Moshe, without the ark, with  only the self(ish)-confidence, they are defeated.

Don't rely on miracle ....say Tehillim!