"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

Last year I wrote that I often find myself connecting the truth of God's Word to the reality we are living in today, especially here in Israel. His Word is alive. It is not something that only belongs to the past; it speaks into our lives right now with clarity and power.

As I reflect on the events taking place in Israel and around the world, I believe this week's portion is an excellent reminder regarding the question of whom we trust. In Numbers 13 we read:

Then the LORD spoke to Moses saying, 'Send out for yourself men so that they may tour the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers' tribes, every one a leader among them.'"
Numbers 13:1–2

God had already given the children of Israel the inheritance of the land. Their only task was to see it, trust Him, and obey. But the word "see" is key here. What we see, and how we see it, shapes what we choose to believe and how we respond.

Ten of the twelve men saw the giants, the strong cities, and the challenges, and they allowed their fear to take over. They looked at the situation through human eyes and leaned on their own understanding rather than on God's promises. They responded from the flesh rather than from faith. What they saw caused them to forget who God is and what He had already done for them.

We may be tempted to judge them, but let us be honest. How many times have we seen God move in our own lives? How many times has He provided, protected, and shown His faithfulness, and yet we still fall into fear the moment a new challenge arises?

I could not read this portion without thinking of the giants we are facing today in Israel. Who are those giants? Who stands against us today with the goal of wiping us off the map?

We are in a war not only with Hamas and Hezbollah, but also with Iran, a modern-day giant. It is a regime that many nations are afraid to confront. But what if we, the people of Israel, become afraid of what we see? What if we allow fear and emotion to dictate our actions?

Another reality that we have to face is the question of whom we trust. Do we trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who entrusted this land to us and has promised:

But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, descendant of Abraham My friend, you whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its remotest parts and said to you, 'You are My servant, I have chosen you and not rejected you. Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
Isaiah 41:8–10

Faith does not mean ignoring reality or refusing to recognize genuine dangers. Caleb and Joshua saw the same giants everyone else saw. The difference was that they viewed those giants through the lens of God's promises rather than viewing God's promises through the lens of the giants.

Looking back, we realize that the battle in Numbers 13 was never really about giants. The giants were simply the test. The real question was whether the people would trust God. All twelve men saw the same land. All twelve men saw the same giants. All twelve men saw the same fortified cities. The difference was not what they saw. The difference was whom they trusted.

The same is true today. Every generation faces its own giants. For some it is war. For others it is uncertainty, opposition, fear, or pressure from the world around them. The challenge may look different, but the question remains the same. Will we trust what we see, or will we trust the God who sees far beyond what we can see?

In the days of Moses, the people had to have the faith to inherit the Land. Today, we must have the faith to continue living in the inheritance God has given us. It is the same God, but the challenge looks different. We are not standing on the edge of the promise. We are living inside of it, and we are surrounded.

But the God who brought us this far has not changed. He is still the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

In the Haftarah portion, we meet Rahab. When Joshua sends two men to tour the land, they encounter a woman who was not part of Israel's covenant people. She had not seen God's miracles with her own eyes, but she had heard of them, and she believed.

She tells the spies:

I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have despaired because of you. For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites... When we heard these reports, our hearts melted... for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth below."
Joshua 2:9–11

Rahab had not personally witnessed these miracles, but what she heard stirred her to faith. More importantly, her actions were connected to what she believed. She did not simply acknowledge that the God of Israel was real. She acted on that belief.

In many ways, Rahab faced the very same test that the twelve men who were sent years earlier had faced. They saw the giants and had to decide whether they would trust God. Rahab heard about the God of Israel and had to make the same choice. Would she trust what she had heard, or would she trust the walls of Jericho and the strength of her own city? The twelve men were tested by what they saw. Rahab was tested by what she believed. The test was different, but the question was the same: whom would they trust?

Rahab did not wait to see who would win before choosing a side. She acted while the walls of Jericho were still standing. She risked her life to hide the spies because she believed what she had heard about the God of Israel. That is real faith - faith that takes courage; faith that moves. And because of that bold step, she was not only spared, she was grafted in. Rahab became part of the people of Israel. She became part of the very lineage of the Messiah.

This week's portion is not just about what happened back then. It is about how we choose to respond now. Are we going to be like the ten who let fear control the narrative, or like Caleb and Joshua, who trusted God's Word no matter what they saw?

Will we respond like Rahab, with courage and action?

And here I want to speak especially to those living among the nations.

If you believe in the God of Israel, and if you say you love the people of Israel, then let your faith be like Rahab's. Let it move you to action. Let it be expressed not only in words, but also in costly obedience. Will you stand with Israel even when it is unpopular? Will you stand when it costs you friendships, opportunities, resources, or even your own safety?

Rahab chose to stand with the people of Israel when it was dangerous to do so. She did not wait for safety. She acted in faith, and in doing so, she secured a future for herself and her family.

Will you do the same? Will you translate your faith into action, even when it means risking everything? And do you believe, as Rahab surely did, that God is faithful to reward those who stand with His people?

I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.
Genesis 12:3

Let this Parashah stir us, wherever we live, to walk by faith and not by sight. Let us stand. Let us speak. Let us act. Because now, more than ever, it matters.

Shabbat Shalom,

Moran