Israel at War—And the Inner War We Must Win First
וַנְּהִ֤י בְעֵינֵ֙ינוּ֙ כַּֽחֲגָבִ֔ים וְכֵ֥ן הָיִ֖ינוּ בְּעֵינֵיהֶֽם
and we were like grasshoppers in our eyes, and so we appeared in their eyes. (Num. 13:33)
Sometimes the hardest thing isn’t believing in G-d—it’s believing in ourselves. That’s exactly what went wrong in one of the darkest moments of our journey through the desert during the incident of the spies. After hearing their negative report about the Land of Israel, the Jewish people lose heart, panic, and declare that they can’t go forward. In response, G-d says something that seems contradictory. He tells Moshe, Salachti kidvarecha—“I have forgiven, as you have requested”—but then immediately follows it with a decree: However, this generation will not enter the land. Only their children will. If that generation won’t enter the land, it doesn’t sound like they are being forgiven. To understand, we need to take a deeper look at how G-d defines success—and how He defines forgiveness.
Success, through the Torah’s lens, is intergenerational. G-d tells Moshe that this generation was frightened about conquering Israel and therefore lacked the courage required to do so. However, their children will conquer and succeed. In the long arc of Jewish destiny, forward progress—even if it’s slow and painful—still counts.
But there’s another layer in Hashem’s words. He doesn’t just say, “I forgive them.” He says, Salachti kidvarecha—“I forgive them according to your words.” Why the extra (Hebrew) word? What is it adding? Let’s look back. When Moshe pleaded for forgiveness after the Golden Calf, he argued passionately on behalf of the Jewish people. “G-d, they made a mistake but don’t wipe them out. Think of what the nations will say, and remember the promise You made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” But at the sin of the spies, Moshe only makes one point: What will the other nations say if You destroy them? He does not even attempt to justify the generation’s actions nor does he say they deserve a second chance. Why not?
The sin of the spies wasn’t a loss of faith in God—it was a loss of faith in themselves. They said, “We can’t do it. We’re grasshoppers. We’ll never conquer the land,” and that kind of self-doubt is harder to fix. When we lose faith in G-d, He can forgive us, but when we lose faith in ourselves—we alone are responsible to rebuild it.
G-d tells Moses that He is forgiving the Jewish nation according to the way you (Moses) framed it. You didn’t argue for their potential—because even they couldn’t see it. So instead, I’ll invest in their children. I’ll give the next generation the strength to believe in themselves and go forward.
What’s the message for us? We live in a time of fear and uncertainty. The war in Israel is real; Iran threatens us daily. Rockets are launched, hostages remain captive, and yet—amid all of it—we’re seeing open miracles. Stories of impossible survival. Of unity. Of courage. Of soldiers and civilians alike rising to the moment. Of children comforting parents. Of parents sending their sons to battle with tears—and faith.
These miracles are not just another example in history of G-d showing up, the significant thing here is that we are showing up, which is proof that something has shifted. We believe in ourselves again, and that’s why Hashem is fighting with us. We’re stepping up with clarity, conviction, and courage, and that’s when the Almighty says, Salachti kidvarecha—I believe in you because you’ve started believing in yourselves.
The words “I have forgiven you according to your words (Salachti kidvarecha)” are said every year during the High Holidays. Why? Because we’re reminding ourselves of this core truth: Before asking Hashem to believe in us, we need to believe in ourselves. We’re not grasshoppers. We are the children of Avraham. We are the people of destiny. We are writing the next chapter—not just in Israel, but wherever Jews stand tall with faith and action.
May we merit to see the full redemption soon—with strength, courage, and belief.
Good Shabbos