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Facts or Conclusions?

  • Writer: Yehuda Pevzner
    Yehuda Pevzner
  • Jun 18
  • 2 min read

Some conclusions feel obvious. But obvious doesn’t always mean right. And drawing conclusions without clarity—or faith—can lead to serious mistakes.


In this week’s Parsha, Moses sends spies to scout out the Promised Land. They return with a report full of fear: the land is beautiful, yes—but it’s filled with powerful nations, giants, and cities too strong to conquer. The people are crushed. They cry. They panic. And G‑d responds with anger. The generation is punished, and the spies are remembered as villains.


But what exactly was their sin? After all, they told the truth. The land was imposing. The inhabitants were strong. They even brought back massive fruits to prove it.


The problem wasn’t in the facts—it was in the conclusion: “We cannot go up. They are stronger than us.” Moses never asked for an opinion. The spies were sent to observe and report, not to decide whether G‑d’s promise was achievable. Their mission was to gather strategy, not question the outcome.


The same G‑d who just miraculously delivered you from Egypt, the mightiest superpower on earth; split the sea for you; and revealed Himself in all His glory to you at Sinai—has now said that the Promised Land is there waiting for you. Doubting that wasn’t just a strategic error. It was a betrayal of trust.


There’s a story of a teacher who dropped a worm into water—it swam. Then into whiskey—it died. “What’s the lesson?” he asked. A student raised his hand: “If you drink whiskey, you won’t get worms!” The conclusion was clever—but completely missed the point.


Facts are only as useful as the lens we use to interpret them. Without faith, even accurate observations can lead us astray. Like the spies, we risk mistaking fear for insight—and missing the very destiny G‑d has already placed within our reach.


May we merit to all go very soon to the Holy Land with the coming of Mashiach now!


Shabbat Shalom!


Candle lighting time in NYC: Friday, 8:13 PM


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