For the Love of a Nation (Num. Ch. 14)

"And now may the strength of my Lord be magnified..."(Num. 14:17) This verse is the turning point in Moses' appeasement of G-d's wrath against the rebellion of the Jewish people. The Zohar, the fundamental text of Jewish mystical teachings, comments on this verse:"Meritorious are the nation of Israel from all the idolatrous nations of the world that the Holy Blessed Be He desires them, is called by them, and shows off their beauty..."

What is the connection between the verse and this teaching from the Zohar? Moses' plea for the "magnification" of G-d's strength is a response to the negative report of the spies that the land of Canaan will be too difficult to conquer. How could the spies make such a report after seeing the open miracles that G-d made for the Children of Israel both in Egypt and in the desert? But rather the spies' report was based on the assumption that once they come into the land, the open miracles will cease and they will have to fend for themselves.

To this, Moses replied "may the strength of my Lord be magnified". Even though the display of open miracles will diminish, but the strength of the Lord, and the strength of his people can be magnified through added dedication and commitment to serving him in this world.

The spies' mistake is that they saw the relationship with G-d as a one-way street. G-d in his grace gave to the Jewish people, and our success and failure depends on His grace alone. In retort, Moses shows them that G-d's commitment to his people is a reflection of their commitment to Him. We all have the power to increase G-d's presence and open revelation in our lives by laboring to increase and reveal our dedication to his Will.

This is also the idea to which the Zohar is alluding. The Jewish people are the people of G-d because they bear with them constantly the potential to magnify His strength in this world. It is this potential and its actualization that drives the relationship between G-d and His people, and just as we will never fully gauge all the untapped resources that lie below the earth's surface so also we will never fully gauge the potential for serving G-d that is contained in each individual Jew.

(Based on the Teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe)