Parsha Poem: Shlach / שְׁלַח

בְּמִדְבַּר / Bamidbar / Numbers 13:1-15:41: Read it; hear it; colour it.

Printable PDF version here. (updated – there was a typo in the previous version!)

Parsha narrative overview here.
Copywork and parsha activities available at this page – updated weekly.

“הלב והעינים הם מרגלים לגוף” / “The heart and the eyes are the ‘meraglim’ of the body.”
(Rashi on Parshas Shlach)

There are three little meraglim for each and every Jew,
You might not know you have them, you might not think you do;
One deep inside and two above: your heart and your two eyes;
Speaking loudly, betraying your trust, sharing only lies.

Just like the ten meraglim, they claim pure honesty,
“Would we ever lead you wrong?” is their most constant plea.
Just like in our parsha tale, their message sounds quite right,
But we must seek the essence – the truth just out of sight.

“Follow your heart” – sure sounds like wonderful advice!
Choosing a path? Your heart’s desire really could be nice.
But are you maybe overlooking messages coming your way?
Perhaps stop to think of what your other senses might say!

But don’t trust your eyes! Fickle orbs’ ever-wandering gaze
“Looks good to me” is easy; a simple turn of phrase.
Eyes see only the surface, not what lies deep within.
Just like people judging folks by the shade of their skin.

This parsha tells of the spies who wandered through the land,
Trusting their senses, losing faith in Hashem’s guiding hand.
When we read that they’d wandered, it’s really quite clear
They’d gone off so far, they could not feel Him near.

So that’s why Jews wear tzitzis, so that all observe –
Fabric over their hearts, fringes seen, so they’ll never swerve.
Watch out for your heart and eyes, just focus on one goal –
Doing mitzvos, trusting only Hashem, so He can guide your soul.

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