Locusts and Ants – Parshas Shelach 5769
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Loading ...…ונהי בעינינו כחגבים וכן היינו בעיניהם (יג:לג).
“…And we appeared to them as locust and so we were small in their eyes” (13:33).
The Miraglim, spies, came back from their mission to gather intelligence regarding the Land and reported their famous disheartening words. Klal Yisroel would suffer from this event for generations. Let us look at a famous question and find a new insight as to what was happening here.
The verse states explicitly that the Miraglim viewed themselves as locust insects, but Rashi brings down (based on Sotah 35a) that when they were seen by the giant inhabiters of the Land, they were called by a different name. They heard the people saying, “there are ants in the fields!” What is going on with the varied animals here, locusts and ants?
I suggest the following. The first Rashi in Bereishis tells us that Hashem began the Torah enumerating all of the details of His creation of the world in order to make known that everything belongs to Him! If anyone would complain and ask what right do the Jews have to possess Eretz Yisrael, the answer is already stated. Hashem created the entire world and He gives the lands to whom He sees fit!
The nations of the world saw the grandeur and might of Hashem since the time that He took His Nation out of Egypt with great miracles. They feared Him and His Nation and they knew that they would soon be removed from the Land that was rightfully the property of the Jews. It was the spies that questioned Hashem’s abilities, they did not believe that Hashem was capable of bringing them there! Thus, the Goyim realized the truth that the Jews would soon be taking their Land by Hashem’s desire, but the Meraglim did not see themselves as rightful owners.
This is hinted by the two animals mentioned. Each perspective is represented by the insect which was used to describe them.
The Gemara in Eruvin (100b) states that had the Torah not been given, one could have logically deduced the prohibition of stealing by observing the ant. Rashi explains that the ant will not touch any food which belongs to its friend! Parenthetically, it is precisely from this insect that Shlomo HaMelech advised us to learn how to be productive and not lazy! One who does not steal and take shortcuts must work hard to earn an honest living!
The Gemara in Shabbos (32b) states that as a punishment for stealing Hashem sends locust to destroy the crops! It is a simple measure for measure formula. If you steal from others, then Hashem will send the crop-stealing machines to pay you back!
Thus, ants represent rightful and honest ownership and locusts represent theft!
The Goyim of the land described the Jews as ants, because they recognized that just as ants do not rob, so too the land is rightfully the Jewish inheritance. The Miraglim on the other hand, questioned Hashem’s abilities. They viewed their takeover as an illegal theft, accordingly, they termed themselves as the stealing locust.
Hashem indeed is All Capable and we wait anxiously for Him to redeem us and bring us back to the Land which is rightfully ours by His choice!
