In the public discourse marking the fiftieth anniversary of the Six-Day War, a voice is heard expressing disappointment that we won. Alas, we won.
Contrary to the healthy instinct of every people, which rejoices in its victory, there are those for whom victory puts them in an uncomfortable position. Are we, the Jews, winning?! That's really not nice.
In a certain sense, there is a more saddening phenomenon here than the people's weeping over the spies. There was a weeping of fear and lack of faith. The spies succeeded in casting a spell on the people, and the Israelites doubted their ability to defeat the people of Canaan.
It is understandable that people's hearts are filled with fear and fail to produce greatness of spirit and devotion to faith. But crying after a victory? That is already an innovation that has never been seen in all of history.
Exile as a mental trait
We are faced with a psychological phenomenon called the exiled soul.
There is exile that results from external conditions. A person exiled from his home and subject to the control of strangers is sometimes forced to bow his head, submit to his masters, and flatter them; but when he continues to tremble like a leaf blown away even after no one cares for him – this means that exile has become a mental trait in him.
Rabbi Yaakov-Shimshon of Shipitovka was one of the greatest Hasidic scholars of the third generation (more than two hundred years ago). Even then, he recognized this phenomenon.
""It is easier to take the Jews out of the exile than to take the exile out of the Jews," he said.
This exile is the source of all the troubles. When the spies described the strength of the heroes of Canaan, they said: "And we were in our sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.".
That's basically the whole story: When you feel like a grasshopper, you're treated like a grasshopper. When we apologize for winning, it's clear that the world is quick to condemn us.
Indeed, the Jewish people are the people of the book, the people of the spirit. We do not sanctify power and we do not boast with arrogance. But vital interests must be stood for without shame or apology. The Land of Israel must be fought for with the determination that it is our land and our inheritance.
We did not conquer 'territories', but returned to our home, to the lands of the Bible, to the places we yearned for during two thousand years of wandering.
Correction of the sin of the spies
The perspective of fifty years illustrates the power of the miracle and clarifies the extent to which it was a divine hand that led us to this miraculous victory. The stranglehold that threatened our security within the borders that Abba Eban called the "Auschwitz borders" was lifted from us, and we were also given the ability to cherish the Western Wall, the Tombs of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Rachel's Tomb and Joseph's Tomb.
For this miracle, we must thank the Creator of the world every single day.
There is no doubt that there is a great disillusionment among the people. Those diaspora voices are becoming increasingly marginalized.
This is the correction for the sin of the spies, "And they were weary of the desirable land" – we need to strengthen our love for the desirable land, to emphasize our right to it by virtue of the divine promise, to hold on to it and build it. We have a firm faith that "we will go up and inherit it, for it is the power of the Creator of the world and its leader, who leads the people of Israel to true and complete redemption.".
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