~ PARSHAS SHELACH ~
Who is an Apikores?
In this week’s parsha we read about the episode of the meraglim – the spies. At first, the meraglim were actually great leaders among the Jewish people, but sometime during their mission they changed focus and ultimately denied Hashem publicly. Interestingly, the episode of the meraglim is the source that a minyan requires ten adult men. We learn this through the Torah’s use of the word “toch”. Just as the word “toch” is used to refer to the ten meraglim it is also used in reference to devarim shebekedusha, teaching us that ten men are required in order to recite such prayers. The Igros Moshe (OC 1:23) notes that the meraglim were essentially kofrim, Torah desecrators. We learn from here that just as the meraglim were nevertheless counted towards a minyan, so too, we can also count Torah desecrators as part of a minyan.
This week’s journal will focus on numerous halachos regarding mumrim, those who are not properly Torah observant.
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