Rabbi 360

We know that coalition building is necessary, as we need to work with allies across divisions in order to bring about the positive societal change that we need. And we also know that it is hard, because working across difference requires humility and compassion, and we sometimes we undermine those coalitions in a variety of ways.

One of the ways we do so is by letting those differences get in the way of the larger shared goal. We tend to apply litmus tests and say that unless you agree with me 100%, then I can not work with you. I have suggested that we need to think about our coalitions more like Venn Diagrams, where there is difference and overlap, and we need to put the differences aside in order to focus on that overlap.

Another way we sometimes undermine coalitions? By punishing those who don’t learn “as fast as we do,” who join later in the fight.

What does this mean? Coalition building requires creating allies, and we do so by winning them over through argument and experience. We need to appeal to those who are not with us to join us. We need to treat our opponents not as enemies but as future allies.

Yet we sometimes look upon those new allies with derision as “oh you are just now realizing that this is wrong?!” or “well you didn’t support it then but now that things are really bad you join the fight?!” or “some of us have been here since the beginning, where were you?!” etc. We punish them for not learning as fast or not being on the “right” side earlier. This is not helpful. We want to welcome people who change their minds and positions, not hold it against them for not doing it sooner.

In the story of the spies we read this week in the Torah portion, we have an allusion to this dynamic. And the offending party? None other than God.

In the Book of Numbers, the Israelites are drawing closer to the land. God tells Moses to send out spies to reconnoiter the land and give a report to the people, so they will be prepared to move in and establish their community. Twelve people are chosen, one from each of the tribes.

When they return they all have the same report: the land is plentiful, the fruit is massive, but the people who live there are as well; there are many people and giants. Yet two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, say that despite this the Israelites should be prepared to go in and that God will be on their side. The other ten discourage them, saying that going in will mean instant failure and defeat.

The Israelites believe the ten, and start shouting in fear and refusing to move forward.

God is incensed, and institutes the well known 40 years of wandering. According to God’s reasoning, because the generation that left Egypt is not ready to enter into the land, they will wander until all of them die out in the wilderness, and the next generation will inherit.

I’ll pause there to say that the Israelites already had a fragile coalition, and now with the goading of the ten spies, that coalition is falling apart. They truly believe that their journey is over before reaching the finish line. And so while one way to read God’s institution of the wandering as a punishment, I want to suggest that this is a way God is making an argument for why and how they should move forward. God makes the argument that they, one, need to leave behind their mindset of oppression and be open to a new future, and, two, that God is there to support them and with that support they can achieve their goal. God is trying to re-form the coalition.

And, it works:

When Moses repeated these words to all the Israelites, the people were overcome by grief. Early next morning they set out toward the crest of the hill country, saying, “We are prepared to go up to the place that GOD has spoken of, for we were wrong.” But Moses said, “Why do you transgress GOD’s command? This will not succeed. Do not go up, lest you be routed by your enemies, for GOD is not in your midst. For the Amalekites and the Canaanites will be there to face you, and you will fall by the sword, inasmuch as you have turned from following GOD and GOD will not be with you.” Yet defiantly they marched toward the crest of the hill country, though neither GOD’s Ark of the Covenant nor Moses stirred from the camp. And the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill country came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah. (Numbers 15:39-45)

So in keeping with this reading, after God makes the argument, the Israelites see the error of their ways and are ready to rejoin the coalition to move forward in the next step. But what does God do? Withhold divine protection and allow this group to be overrun by the Amalekites and the Canaanites. God didn’t accept their change of heart, but essentially acted in a way that since they didn’t agree right in the beginning, God wouldn’t accept their change as real or authentic.

The punishment thus comes at the end of the story with the military defeat, not the institution of the wandering. God was punishing the Israelites for not being quick learners or early adopters, and for being those who needed to be convinced and brought along. Again, not helpful to the cause.

There is only one way we are going to move forward: together. And that requires reaching out to those who may not think like us now, but have the potential to. And when they join in, we must welcome them, not hold it against them that they weren’t there at the beginning.