How to be an inspiring parrot, Rule 4.

Rule 4 takes off from a fascinating passage in the terror of the story of the spies in Parish

Shalachlach. You remember Moses sends the spies, he tells them to look at the land, and also

he tells them, My are im a she Yoshvim Baheimba. Look at the cities. What are they like that

they live in? Im bachamim or by Mama'amahim or Bimivtsarim.

Are they living in open, unwall cities or are they living in cities defended by high walls?

Now you know what happens?

Ten of the spies come back, completely demoralized.

They say the people are giants, we are grasshoppers.

The cities are surrounded by high walls. They are impregnable. The cities are strong, therefore they assume the people are giants, we are grasshoppers, the cities are surrounded by high walls, they

are impregnable, the cities are strong, therefore they assumed the people were strong.

And Rashi tells us that actually they completely misinterpreted what their eyes saw.

And this is what Rashi says.

If bachanim him yoshevim, siman is she chazakim him, she somchin al-gvuraatam.

If they live in un-walled cities, this is a sign that they are strong because they don't need to live behind high walls.

They are confident in their own strength

that they can defeat any enemy.

But if they live behind high walls,

if they live behind high walls,

this is a sign that they are weak.

So how did we ever get to the point? Well, we thought we had to hide our children behind high walls,

never letting them into contact with the wider culture,

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