In the Torah there are two episodes of sending spies, one by Moshe and the other by Yehoshuah. The one by Moshe left Yisrael with a horrific tragedy and a deep lasting scar. Not only did all of that generation died in the desert, but also every Tisha B'av we still suffer and feel the ripple effect of that rebellious day against Hashem as we sit on the floor in mourning. Why was the second sending of Yehoshua successful in contrast to the Meraglim sent by Moshe Rabbeinu?
The Medrash says that Yehoshua's two Meraglim נתנו נפשם they sacrificed their lives and this is the reason of their success. What manner of form does this powerful words take? If we look at the Haftorah of this parsha which talks about the sending of Yehoshua's Meraglim, one word tells the whole story of their success, חרש. The Medrash says that this word of חרש can be interchanged with the word חרס which means pottery or a clay vessel. The simple interpretation means that as spies they dressed incognito by looking like potters amongst the inhabitants. However, if we delve deeper into the word חרס we will discover that Yehoshua's instructions to the two spies possessed many levels of avodah that they were expected to attain in order to make their shelichus a success.
A deeper understanding to this is to first know how a vessel made from materials such as metals differs from those made of clay. As far as becoming tamei, a dead sheretz- creeping things that comes in contact with even the outer surface of the vessel makes it tamei. In contrast is חרס that becomes tamei only if it contacts the inside of the vessel or its airspace. The difference is that a metallic vessel has significance both in its insides and outsides. A clay vessel on the other hand only acquires its significance to possess the status of a vessel because of its inside as it serves to be a container. The outside which is earthenware alone does not give it importance. Therefore it cannot become tamei from its outside surface. That is why the letters of חרס which means pottery also spells חסרwhich means lack of. The outside of this vessel lacks value because it's made from earth.
חרס also means the sun as expressed in the passuk Yehoshua 24,30. On Yehoshuah's matzaiva there is was picture of a חרס sun because while making war with the Pelishtim he stopped the sun from setting (Rashi). It represented his relationship with Hashem which is compared to the sun .שמש ומגן ה' אלקים
When Yehoshuah sent his two Meraglim in the capacity of חרס he sent them with a deeper message of shelichos and frame of mind. He was instructing them they should not look at the exterior of Eretz Yisrael but rather only to its penimiyus. They themselves should be like cheres that the only thing that gives חרס worthiness is its inner contents as a vessel that can hold something inside of it. Their mission can only be fulfilled if their sole desire is to be an inner vessel of Hashem with only Hashem and His wishes as their exclusive contents. Any other alien thought even לא לשמה would foil their fulfillment of their shelichos to Hashem. This is alluded to in the gematriah of מרגל to spy which adds up to החרס. Only then will this mission of spying on the land work and bear fruit.
They should not emulate the heart set of Moshe's Meraglim of whom the Chazal tell us possessed self - interests and negius with a strong motivation to remain in the desert and not enter Eretz Yisrael. Because of their subjectivity they only saw what they wanted to see through the lenses of a metal vessel and thereby interpreted only the outside without seeing the "Sun".
Yehoshua instructed them to view themselves as חרס with the letters of סרח the daughter of Asher son of Yaakov Avinu. Serach was the only person who knew the burial place of Yosef in the Nile River. She directed Moshe to the exact spot where the his coffin was laid to rest and Moshe miraculously raised the coffin from under the water. She was also the one who knew the secret code that was transmitted to special individuals which would prove that Moshe Rabbeinu who would say these words is the authentic redeemer. She was also the person who revealed to Yaakov the unknown news that Yosef is still alive. Why did she merit these three shelichos which revealed what was by everyone else covered over and hidden?
We find the name סרח when Torah describes the layers of fabric which covered the Mishkan וסרח העודף (Shmos 26,12) the surplus and extra. She had tremendous humility and looked at herself as surplus not accomplishing much even though she was a tzadekes. She didn't view the world in a superficial manner but penetrated behind the veil of nature and saw that Hashem was hiding Himself behind it. This insight of אין עוד מלבדו led her to negating her own significance and achievements compared to the amount of dedicated avodah that should be done in the service of the King of the Universe. There is no way that one can be grateful enough for every breath that one inhales, never mind all the eternal chesed Hashem does for us constantly. Therefore she merited to uncover what was also hidden concerning the geulah, the retrieving of Yosef in the Nile River, the code of geulah, and Yaakov's hearing of Yosef being alive.
Yehoshuah sent is Meragalim on their shelichos to make themselves the embodiment of חרס driving them to search for the hidden and concealed Eretz Yisrael beyond the surface. There you will see the אויר (air) and the light of the Torah in the land. By contacting the Torah that lies in the land you will be able to draw from it the wisdom of Hashem כולם בחכמה עשית מלאה הארץ קניניך.
The letters of סחר possess yet another meaning that of Gan Eden. The Torah records that Avraham Avinu purchased the Meoras Hamachpailah at the price of 400 silver shekels in standard currency .עבר לסחרHowever the sefarim write that the word לסחר hints to Gan Eden for it is gematriah אורח לגן. This Cave is the pathway to Gan Eden. Being that סחר and חרס share the identical letters it comes to teach that an individual who lives a חרס life focusing only on inner spiritual values and not merely the value of physical objects, on tikkun hamidos and not merely measuring the dimensions of his new built house, will be the one who will bask in the radiance of the סחר Gan Eden. In contrast if one is driven by "pedal to the metal" syndrome forming himself into a lifeless bronze or silver statue he can easily go astray and miss the meaning of life entirely. But then it is already too late as hinted in the spelling of the metal - late.
Shabbos helps a Yid attain the embodiment of a vessel made from .חרס When we receive a neshama yesairah our body becomes negated to the neshamah and our inner core takes over. This is hinted in the gematriah of the inner letters of חרס – חת רש סמך which adds up to ביום שבת . On Shabbos we can experience לסוחר, even more so עולם הבא.
At the end of the Shlach we find the parsha of .ציצית the blue string of Techailes is to remind one of the color of the ocean which reminds one of the color of the sky which reminds one of the Kisay Hakavod. IWith one's perspective and lens through which he sees the world, he must look for Hashem's presence even though it is not explicitly visible to the naked eye. He must peel away layer by layer until he understands that what he sees on each level is a greater opportunity to reveal Hashem's Kingdom in the world by bringing out Hashem from His hiding place.
ציצית means to see and look at. In the Torah this word is spelled with one letter yud. Yet Chazal say that ציצית equals 613 corresponding to the number of mitzvos in the Torah. However if one adds up the letters of ציצת it is only 590? They explain that if you insert an extra letter yud, plus add eight corresponding to the eight strings of the tzitzis and five knots we arrive at 613. This teaches us how to look at the world. We must look to find Hashem's attachment (strings) to His creation and His special relationship that knots Yisrael and Hashem together. By searching to find Hashem's ratzon in everything, Hashem will let you find Him. This is hinted in the extra yud in the word tzitzis which represents Hashem.
Every Yid has the shelichus to spy out the earth and to seek out and find Hashem in every atom of existence. The only successful derech to do so is to be a Ceramic Yid with both body and soul.