Resisting Fear in Every Generation
A Reflection on Parashat Shelach
The contrast between the millions who turned out across the country for the No Kings protest and the sparse attendance at Trump's birthday military parade has me thinking about what moves people to action—and what keeps them bound to fear.
Authoritarians often thrive on panic and nostalgia for a fabricated past. They manufacture a myth of safety rooted in submission and control. They promise a return to something “great," even when that “greatness” meant the theft of land, the erasure of cultures, and the bondage of entire peoples.
This week’s Torah portion, Shelach, is a powerful reminder of what happens when fear takes over a community, and what it looks like to stand firm in the face of rising panic and authoritarian thinking.
Twelve scouts are sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Ten return with fear in their eyes and trembling in their voices: “We can’t do it. The land is full of giants. We are like grasshoppers.” The people break down. They cry out, “Let us choose a leader and return to Egypt.”
Fear spreads like wildfire, and in their desperation, the Israelites yearn to go back to the very place of their oppression. Which reminds me of what Harriet Tubman reportedly said: “I freed thousands of slaves, and could have freed thousands more, if only they knew they were slaves.”
Only two voices rise above the panic: Caleb and Joshua.
“Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)
“Do not fear the people of the land… their protection has departed from them, and God is with us.” (Numbers 14:9)
They reject the myth of safety found in submission. They refuse to let fear drive the story because they understand the consequences. The community’s fear-driven choice results in forty years of wandering in the wilderness, a generational exile. Choosing fear over courage delays justice and reshapes the future.
In a moment where authoritarianism tempts the people with false promises of safety through control and retreat, Caleb and Joshua stand for hope, vision, and justice.
We see this today in those who challenge systemic racism, environmental destruction, and rising fascism. Their voices are often few, but like Caleb and Joshua, they remind us that courage is not measured by consensus.
The impulse to “go back to Egypt” is a human response. Familiarity, even when harmful, often feels safer than the unknown. But liberation demands risk. It calls us to abandon the comforts of oppression and step into the wilderness of transformation, trusting the journey even when the destination is unclear.
Their example shows that even a small number of voices can offer a path forward. But courage rarely grows in isolation; courage needs community. Communities that foster honest dialogue, uplift prophetic voices, and create space for dissent are communities that can resist fear. By refusing to idolize conformity and instead nurturing collective resilience, we create the conditions where courage can take root and grow.
Parashat Shelach teaches us that fear can be manipulated. That people will long for the comfort of what they know, even when it’s oppression. But Jewish tradition calls us to something deeper.
In every generation, we must decide:
To speak up when fear is weaponized.
To reject the path back to oppression.
To lead with vision, even when the crowd chooses panic.
This week, choose courage. Speak truth. Be like Caleb and Joshua.
May we all find the strength to resist fear and follow the path of justice, even when it’s unpopular.
And take one concrete step this week: attend a local community meeting, support an organization resisting authoritarianism, or have the difficult conversation you've been avoiding. Let your courage take form in action.
The ten spies saw giants and gave up. But perhaps those giants weren’t as powerful as they seemed. Today’s giants, racism, antisemitism, voter suppression, climate collapse, can feel overwhelming too. But like Caleb and Joshua, we are not alone. The power of collective courage can make even the largest threats surmountable.
Superb!!!
But these are scary times. Let fear motivate us!