When You Decide is the Most Important Thing

2 minutes to read

Parsha [Passage of Scripture] Nugget [Precious Idea] Shelach – Numbers 13:1-15:41

As a kid, my weekly allowance was 5¢. It took months to save up a dollar. That’s $7.41 today. I was so excited by my immense wealth I went right out and spent it on a bat kite. I could never get it to fly and within two days it was ruined. My mother told me money burned a hole in my pocket. Plunged back into poverty, I could have used the lesson in Parshas Shelach:

Send forth men, for you…. (Numbers/Bamidbar 13:1)

This Sabbath’s parsha tells the story of the infamous twelve spies. They slandered the Land. So G-d decreed the Israelites would wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Next it details the meal and libation offerings that are brought with animal sacrifices. Then it covers the penalty for desecrating the Sabbath. It ends with the commandment to wear tzitzis, fringes, on the corners of a garment.

Distraction Leads to Disaster

The Israelites came to Moses and told him they wanted to spy out the land. Despite G-d’s promise that it was a land flowing with milk and honey, they wanted an eyewitness report. Moses presented the idea to the Almighty, who told Moses to decide. The rest as they say is history…

In last week’s parsha, Moses complained about the burden of leadership. The Almighty tells him, “Gather to me 70 men from the elders of Israel…” In contrast, here He tells Moses to, “Send forth the spies for YOU…” Clearly G-d did not like the idea. Nonetheless He deferred to Moses. The Almighty wants us to have free will. But why did Moses agree to the plan? As the leader he should have dissuaded the people.

The Midrash tells us Moses lacked his usual clarity of mind because he was still upset about his sister contracting tzaraas. (Tzaraas is the physical result of making a spiritual mistake.) His lapse of focus led to disaster since the generation that left Egypt would die in the wilderness.

First Decide if It’s the Right Time to Make a Decision

One of my favorite military axioms says, “Thought before action, if there’s time.” It sums up the first step of any decision. Is right now the best time to decide? Often the correct answer is no.

Do you have enough information to make a decision? Notice I didn’t say do you have all the information you need. Paralysis by analysis is as bad as deciding too quickly.

Will circumstances change between now and when you act on your decision? Delay may make more sense.

Are you in the right frame of mind to decide? If when you ask yourself this question you immediately answer yes, you’re in the wrong frame of mind. The inability to take a few moments for reflection indicates you’re gripped by anger, fear, or another strong emotion. Think about the last time you committed to something in the midst of an argument. Or maybe, like Moses, you declined to dispute a decision because you were preoccupied. Did you regret it?

As you know, I believe decisiveness and taking action are good. But good decisions start with your being fit to decide. Make a quick assessment of your frame of mind. When you have mental clarity be decisive. Then act!

What indicators tell you not to make a decision? Please comment below.

Every year beginning on Simchas Torah, the cycle of reading the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, ends and begins again. Each Sabbath a portion known as a sedra or parsha is read. It is named after the first significant word or two with which this weekly reading begins.

What verse in the Old Testament would you like to know more about? Ask a question and I will answer it in a future Parsha Nugget!