By Rabbi Aaron Goldstein

The opening words of this week’s sidrah are shelach l’cha anashim – send out for you notables. The Plaut chumash translation of anashim as ‘notables’ is valid undeniable, yet the simple translation is ‘men.’ Amongst the notables, it was unlikely that there was to have been a woman sent to scout out the Land. This is confirmed by the names given as the representatives of each tribe. Therefore, we can justifiably translate these opening words: “Send out for you, men.”

The seventeenth century Polish commentator, Keli Yakar, presents a midrash (quoted in Rabbi Lisa A. Edwards’ commentary in ‘The Women’s Torah Commentary’). God gives Moses this advice:

“With My knowledge from seeing into the future, it would be better to send women who cherish the Land because they don’t count its faults. But for you [l’cha], with your knowledge, if you think that [these men] are fit [for the job] and the Land is dear to them, then send men. Therefore, send for yourselves [shelach l’cha], according to your level of knowledge, men. But according to My level of knowledge, it would be better to send women as I said.”

Moses sends out men and ten of the scouts give a negative report about the Israelites’ chances of a successful conquest of the Land and the rest is history: a disastrous attempt to win back God’s favour and 40 years of wandering in the Wilderness until the slave-generation who knew Egyptian bondage died.

But what might have happened if the scouts had been women? The midrash from Keli Yakar suggests that God thinks that there were no pessimistic, fearful, worried women amongst the Israelites; or at least the 12 that God would choose had the vision to see past the immediate issue of conquest – perhaps a primary male focus – to the essence of the Land and God. Putting aside for a moment our modern day concerns for the Canaanites, the people who the Israelites would supplant, the women were able to perceive in the Land, the promise that God had given to the Israelites.

In 2011, I remember being struck that the revolutionary movement in Libya was initiated by women mainly of Benghazi – the female relatives of men killed in one of Colonel Gaddafi’s jails. They were the scouts who appointed themselves – or if we follow the midrash, were chosen by God – to go out and provide a vision of a promised land. These women were the first to hold the essence of a society free from tyranny, afforded the basic human rights and more that a civilised, democratic society can bring and to act upon it.

I have been inspired by the determination of women in ultra-conservative societies to be able to drive, be educated and to choose their own appearance.  These are women who are not denouncing their faith but challenging religion when it seeks to curtail basic freedoms, even when it is personally dangerous to protest. I find it interesting that the majority of hard and extreme right-wing politicians in Israel are men, that the face of Russian power is male, whilst there are many female representatives of Ukraine.

Whilst we who rarely consider our basic freedoms, must be patient . The Israelites took many years to live in freedom in the Promised Land, to realise the vision. It will take many years, perhaps generations before women in some countries receive equal rights. It will take many years before the women of those lands gain their true freedom. Let us be amongst those who ‘cherish the Land – the opportunity that our contemporary reality provides –  because we don’t count its faults.’ ‘Its faults,’ are those that will be encountered along the journey to freedom, just as our ancient ancestors did. We cannot ignore them but must act positively to support the progress of societies towards freedom and economic prosperity. But let us not count the faults along the way and lose the vision of the essence, the vision of a Promised Land for all peoples.

It is a source of deep pride that the founders of Liberal Judaism were not solely male. One might argue that women in Liberal Judaism have and still do, champion both the radical and the nurturing aspect of our universalism. We have not  and cannot now take equality for granted and there are moments when experiences have not matched the ideal.

As we develop in our 121st year, may we consider our soul to be our Promised Land never missing any opportunity to nurture and develop it. In Proverbs we read: Nayr Adonai, nishmat adam – The soul of humanity is the lamp of the Eternal One.

Occasionally, our might will take us forward but more usually, it is our soul that contains the essence of life, of decency, of humanity and the inspiration of the Divine. Inspired by the courage, might and soul of the women who campaign for equality, not exclusivity, may we chose ourselves as scouts for goodness and so draw nearer a time when basic human rights are assumed for all.

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