You Will Always Have the Land

Imagine a father tells his child that there is a special car that he has set aside for him. At the right time, he will give it to his son. A short time after this conversation, the son breaks into the car and tries to take it, but because it wasn't fully ready to run, he couldn't take it. 

His father sees what his son has done and contemplates a reaction. On the one hand, the son broke the order and tried to acquire it early. On the other hand, it's within grasp, and maybe holding back is almost impossible.

In this parsha, we see a remarkable thing happen. Bnei Yisrael, against Moshe's orders, attempt to capture Eretz Yisrael from the enemies. Moshe tells them that they will for sure lose, yet they go anyway and are all killed. One can portray this event as misguided enthusiasm or, if desired, as insubordination. 

But an incredible dialogue between G-d and Moshe takes place immediately after this event. G-d tells Moshe to convey certain laws to Bnei Yisrael when they enter the land. Let's be honest, the entrance will not be taking place for another forty years, specifically due to a declaration by the spies that the land itself was undesirable. 

Sometimes in life you grasp the truth, but right after it's too late. Everything has its time and place. Opportunities are ripe for specific time periods and if squandered they are lost, but not necessarily forever.

Right after the spy incident, genuine passion arose among Bnei Yisrael to claim what was theirs. But the opportunity was no longer ripe. Nevertheless, G-d acknowledges the intentions and sees a people He loves. He immediately orders Moshe to tell Bnei Yisrael what will be when they enter the land, because it was their land from Creation, and it will be their land forever.