#calev

Calev by Grace-Dupre

a preview of a paperchild commission for @royalphonse which I should have finished ages ago

(ignore that hand XD)

וַיַּהַס כָּלֵב אֶת הָעָם אֶל מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר עָלֹה נַעֲלֶה וְיָרַשְׁנוּ אֹתָהּ כִּי יָכוֹל נוּכַל לָהּ (במדבר יג, ל)

Calev silenced the people to [hear about] Moshe, and he said, “We can surely go up and take possession of it, for we can indeed overcome it.” (Bamidbar 13:30)

Up until this point, the spies had merely reported about the richness of the land and the might of its inhabitants, precisely the issues which Moshe had asked them to determine. It is only in the next verse, following Calev’s speech, where the spies make their heretical statement that G-d’s promise of the Jews’ conquering the land of Canaan could not be fulfilled. What did Calev sense in their earlier words that caused him to interrupt and silence them?

A careful reading shows that when describing their fact-finding mission, Moshe’s first concern was: “the nation that dwells in it—is it strong or weak? Is it few or numerous?” and then, “the land in which it dwells—is it good or is it bad… Is it fertile or lean?” Moshe’s focus was first and foremost on how to go about the task at hand, the conquering, and only then to learn about the reward, the quality of the land that would soon be theirs.

Calev sensed from early on in the spies’ response that their priorities were starkly different to Moshe’s. The spies spoke first of the prize their efforts would yield, “the land flows with milk and honey, and this is its produce”. Only then did they address the challenge of what was expected of them, “But the nation that dwells in the land is very powerful….”

Calev immediately realized that they were making a dreadful mistake. For when one serves G-d for the sake of the rewards he will receive in return, the service itself becomes gauged on his interest in the incentive. A reward that “warrants” a lighter effort, doesn’t necessarily “justify” the strain of a more challenging and difficult task. And once each task is evaluated by its level of difficulty, it isn’t long before one makes the awfully mistaken conclusion that even if commanded by G-d, some things are simply impossible, “We are unable to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.”

(The letter Andrew wrote for his son when he's old enough to read it)